5 comments about The Condemned.

1. I would rather read a book by Noah Cicero than a book by Philip Roth, John Updike, Benjamin Kunkel, Zadie Smith, John Banville, Salman Rushdie, Saul Bellow, Nabokov, Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, Peter Carey, Jonathan Safran Foer, Mark Yakich, or by a lot of other people whose names I can't think of right now.



2. This is the best book I've read this year so far. Different from any other book I've ever read. I grew up poor in Blackwell, Oklahoma and the characters in this book remind me of the people I grew up with. The book is written in a minimalist style. The author calls them sentegraphs. He is the only person who writes in this style other than Tao Lin who recently used the technique in his novel EEEEE EEE EEEEE, which hasn't been released yet but which I know about from reading an interview today. The first part of The Condemned, The Warrior, is probably my favorite. But the poem on p. 205 is really good too. There are a lot of typos in the last section of the book but that is okay with me because I make a lot of typos myself. The last few pages of the book, from 294 to 319 are completely blank. But that is good also because I am using those pages for something. It's a secret. The Condemned is a fantastic book. You should buy it.



3. This is where people can normailly write words like 'Zeitgeist' and the one that starts with M and is sometimes precluded by one that starts with P. This book avoids having those words written at it. That's one thing about it that makes it good.



4. I read Noah Cicero's The Condemned and I think it's pretty good. It's a fun read. It's beautiful, ugly, inspiring, funny, interesting and at times quite brilliant. I also think that it's not for everybody, but I do believe that a lot of people will like it if they read it. If you like Hubert Selby Jr., Irvine Welsh, and Chuch Palahniuk you should like Noah Cicero's The Condemned. I will also dare to compare The Condemned to Dubliners. It reminded me somewhat of that book;specially the first story The Warrior which is about a crazy stripper. It's a beautiful portrait of a life gone sour. I think if you like crazy things, you will like The Condemned and not because it's crazy, but because it's so honest with itself. I predict Noah Cicero will someday write the new Moby Dick. I guarantee it.



5. 
   It took me less time to read Cicero's book than it takes to watch a Blockbuster movie. About an hour. It was way cheaper too, since I found it on my friend's bookshelf, placed there by another reader/writer's recommendation. I took the book to the park down the street in Brooklyn and read it sitting alone listening to traffic, and Puerto Rican children playing, waiting for the ice cream man.
   
   The first 100 pages are about the days in a life of a pregnant stripper and the people who interact with her. Her life of drugs and misery is a pornographic train wreck, but a compelling one nonetheless. It gives a glimpse of reality that most people try hard not to acknowledge in, what seems like, the avoidance of some chaotic feeling of dread in the face of disparity.
   
   For people who have not experienced poverty, first or second hand, or a look into the life of 'the real working class' (aside from being serviced by them or not exchanging eye contact on the subway) this book will probably make them feel uncomfortable and maybe even read as vulgar, misogynistic, or asinine in some parts.
   
   To others, like me, coming from a small town, witnessing first hand and learning to respect ways where people survive with tools like drugs, sex, and/or hard work amidst the confusion of Christian conditioning, there's a sad familiarity in identifying with the characters; it chips away defense mechanisms, tempting to make life easier with renderings of denial. (It's good to know who we are in order to become better people as a whole, or individually, which also leads to a better whole.)
   
   
   The rest of Cicero's novel was just as interesting, but not recommended for people who are only into pop radio, or men who spend too much time comparing the girls they date to their mothers.

5 comments about Here's Where I Stand: A Memoir.

1. 1st Prize for Outstanding Crassness at a Time of Great National Stress goes to Phyllis Schlafly of Eagle Forum, who, on Day 4 of the hurricane disaster, sent an 'Urgent Message" to her subscribers on behalf of none other than Mrs. Dorothy Helms.
   
   What was the urgency? Just this: we must urgently run out and buy Mr. Helms' *Here's Where I Stand* before the liberals "torpedo" the thing and ruin Jesse's day. According to Mrs. Helms, liberals are "all set" to do just that.
   
   Funny, Booklist and Kirkus are pretty blase about it.
   
   Likewise most reader reviews here.
   
   The fact is, the book isn't the least bit scandalous. If that's what you're hoping for, you're out of luck. Send your money to the Red Cross instead.



2. JESSIE HELMS NEW BESTSELLING MEMOIR "HERES WHERE I STAND" IS A BOOK LIKE NO OTHER. IT IS BOTH WELL WRITTION AND RICH IN POLITICAL HISTORY. THIS FINE STATESMEN HAS SERVED MANY PRESIDENTS AND THROUGH THESE MANY FAST READING PAGES TAKES THE READER THROUGH ALL THE HISTORICAL EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS THAT HE HAD THE HONOR TO HAVE SHAPPED, PLAYED A PART IN OR TAKEN A STAND FOR. THIS FINE PUBLICATION IS MORE THEAN A MEMOIR IT IS A REAL INSIDERS ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE GREATEST EVENTS AND WORLD LEADERS WHO ARE TAKING A STAND FOR THINGS THAT MATTER THE MOST. I LIKED THIS BOOK BECAUSE I GOT TO KNOW THE REAL JESSE HELMS AND NOT FROM WHAT I LEARNED I GOT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW OUR GOVERMENT WORKS. THIS BOOK WOULD MAKE AN AWSOME GIFT FOR A FRIEND, FAMILY MEMBER, CHURCH FRIEND, SPECIAL PASTOR, OR PERHAPS A SOLDIER SERVING OVER SEAS. LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS FINE STATESMAN READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



3. The only other political figure as divisive as former Senator Jesse Helms is former President Bill Clinton. That's saying something considering the endless number of scandals both big and small that plagued Clinton's presidency. Jesse Helms had no comparable problems during his thirty years in office, but derision and controversy followed him nonetheless. Why? Because the very presence of Helms, an archconservative of the first order, vexed to no end the hopeless liberals in the mainstream media. The primary way journalism hacks dealt with Helms was to not deal with him, i.e. try to ignore his presence in the Senate. When it became absolutely necessary to mention his name, like during the failed William Weld nomination as ambassador to Mexico in which Helms played a major role, the tactic switched to good old-fashioned tar and feathering. The media mavens, barely containing their scornful smirks, heaped derision on the venerable senator from North Carolina. "Obstructionist" and "extremist" were the least harmful labels applied to Helms. We were much more likely to hear insinuations about racism (a favorite smear employed by the left to reframe debates near and dear to their hearts) and hardheaded cold heartedness. The Democrats breathed a collective sigh of relief when Helms retired a few years ago.
   
   Now Jesse Helms has reemerged, albeit briefly, with a single volume memoir entitled, "Here's Where I Stand." The book serves as his opportunity to clear the air, so to speak, by providing interested readers with information on his upbringing and how his life informed the decisions he made as a senator. I knew that Helms was born and raised in North Carolina, but I didn't know the particulars until I read this engaging book. He grew up poor in a small town called Monroe, the son of man who served the village as head of both the police and fire departments. Helms recalls his childhood as a golden time in his life despite the fact that the country was wading through the worst of the Great Depression. Through tenacity and a willingness to take a number of different jobs, Helms managed to impress the sort of people who could help a serious young man secure a slot in college. The future senator worked hard at his studies, joined the Navy when World War II broke out, married his wife at roughly the same time, and began a career in journalism all within the space of a few years. What comes across in these sections most strongly is the fact that Jesse Helms knew how to create opportunities and then take advantage of them, a trait largely lost to most of the populace today.
   
   I had no idea about Helms's journalistic background, let alone the fact that he came to statewide prominence thanks to his daily editorials on WRAL during the early days of television. His experience as a media personality likely prepared him for the derision he faced when he ran for his first term as senator in the early 1970s. Largely written off by the national journalism outlets when he initially captured his seat, the same people spent the next thirty years trying to marginalize his influence and force him out of office. Helms eventually chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a body that oversees everything from the confirmation of ambassadors to treaty relationships with various countries. The author highlights several important events that confronted him while he sat on this committee, including the Weld controversy, the Panama Canal giveaway imbroglio, and the tensions between China and Taiwan. He makes no apologies for taking tough stands on issues. In fact, he takes pleasure in the fact that his opposition dumped so much scorn upon him! A man knows he's being faithful to his principles, claims Helms, when his enemies go nuts trying to stop him. That's a fairly refreshing position to take in an age when most politicians twist like the wind to avoid the slightest whiff of controversy.
   
   Helms's book doesn't feel like a typical political memoir. It's short, for one thing, and he moves over material quite fast. He sums up his various political campaigns in as few pages as possible because he never liked the process candidates go through to raise lots of money. Again, this feels alien to the typical political autobiography wherein the author relates every minute detail describing their run for office. The best thing going for "Here's Where I Stand" is Helms's sense of humor, both about others (that anecdote about Strom Thurmond is hilarious) and about himself. It's difficult to think of Helms without recalling the images of him glowering on television, or making "statements" that supposedly confirmed his intractable brand of conservatism. All of that was obviously a media invention. The Jesse Helms in this book is a man who likes all sorts of people, even liberals who opposed him, and a man who likes to laugh. Check out the picture of him with Madeleine Albright! Funny stuff, I say, and a picture that does much to dispel the myths propagated by the media for far too long. Heck, even Bono of U2 fame likes Jesse Helms. According to the author, they still keep in touch today.
   
   I did have a few problems with the book, mainly centering on Helms's unabashed support of President George W. Bush. He calls our current president a conservative, and I'm not sure that label is appropriate. After all, Bush obviously doesn't believe in many bread and butter issues precious to the conservative mindset. His reckless spending policies and his fear of the veto pen doesn't make a lot of sense to most card-carrying members of the GOP. This disagreement aside, "Here's Where I stand" should find a place on every the reading list of every Republican. I wish Jesse Helms the best in his retirement and thank him for his years of public service.



4. It is an abysmal shame that so many people will never read this book because of the misconceptions they have been fed about Senator Jesse Helms. The bogeyman hiding under the liberal bed wears Senator Helms' distinctive owlish glasses and speaks with a soothing drawl. That image was created by liberals as they struggled desperately and in vain to smear a thoroughly honest and decent man through five (count `em) election campaigns.
   Here's Where I Stand is Senator Helms chance to set the record straight and he succeeds admirably. He gives a detailed accounting of his values and positions. Perhaps more importantly, he addresses the villainous lies that have been spread against him over the years by the liberal media.
   Senator Helms was 51 years old when he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972. He had already been a successful businessman and journalist; had served his country in uniform and on the staff of Senator Willis Smith. In 2001, at 80, Senator Helms considered running for a sixth term but was gently encouraged to retire by his family and close friends. The left will howl with vicious glee when Senator Helms succumbs to age as they did when Ronald Reagan passed from this life. It is to his great credit that he was able to complete his memoirs before age robbed him of his sharp intellect and lifetime of honorable memories.
   Students writing biographies of political figures in today's climate will know intuitively that the easy "A" will come from a study of Hubert Humphrey or Paul Wellstone. A biography of Senator Helms, flawlessly written will earn them a lower grade and a semester of scorn and derision. But their careful research of the most liberal political figures will keep leading them back to references to Senator Helms who sought always to build productive working relationships with his ideological opposites. They will benefit from his wisdom and hopefully begin to doubt the tie-dyed dogmas of the apparatchiki. As years roll by and fashions change, scholars will dust off Here's Where I Stand and see a portrait of one of the last great Citizen Senators. We'll not see his like again and it is our great loss.



5. Regardless of what you think about Senator Helms, he tells it like it is in "Here's Where I Stand". Personally, I like the senator and voted for him at least twice because he does indeed represent true North Carolina values.
   
   As earlier reviewers have mentioned the liberal media have so vehemently attacked the senator on being a conservative, that many Americans view him as being vicious and intolerant. Quite the contrary! Senator Helms (unlike many politicians) is a principled man who knows where he stands and has been able to work with people of different political persuasions without compromising his basic core principles.
   
   The book is a series of stories from the senator himself concerning:
   
   1. His early childhood and career that eventually led him into politics.
   2. His mainly positive relationships with minorities and people of other political and cultural backgrounds.
   3. Where he stands on particular issues and what actions he took on them.
   4. Relationships with presidents and other senators and what he thought of them.
   5. Experiences on the various committees he served on while a senator.
   6. His retirement years.
   7. His close family relationships and friendships.
   8. His election campaigns.
   
   I heartily recommend the book to anyone who would like to know more about the person known as "Senator No" during his terms in Washington D.C. Whether or not like you like Senator Helms, you will have to admit that you will respect his candor and clarity on political stances. He clearly states what his stances are on issues and also why he believes as he does.
   
   Read and enjoy! Recommended.

No comments about The Life of George Washington, Commander in Chief of the American Forces, during the War Which Established the Independence of His Country, and First President of the United States: Volume 1.

5 comments about Robert Kennedy.

1. Robert F. Kennedy was an extraordinary man: former investigator, campaign manager for his brother, Attorney General, United States Senator. His speech to the 1964 Democratic Convention was one the most eloquent speeches ever given. His campaign for the Presidency in 1968 ended with one of the most heartbreaking tragedies in American history when an assassin killed him after winning the California primary.

   For myself, RFK represents the better part of politics- the noble spirit and the sense of purpose than the American way of life seems to have lost since his death. People can and should be better to one another, Bobby argued. Government should help the people, he said, but only if those people could help themselves. As a Democrat, I admire Bobby's argument for help, partnership and responsibility between the people and their government.

   Professor Hilty has done an excellent job. There are things about Bobby that are difficult to reconcile- why he worked for McCarthy is a good question -and Professor Hilty does a wonderful job writing about them and explaining them. He should be congradulated. I, for one, cannot wait for his next volume about RFK's life.




2. Robert Kennedy was better than a great man. He was a good man and his track record in minority work certainly underscores this point. I have always believed he was sincere in his efforts and that he truly cared about people. He was of an usual caliber and his loss was certainly one that was keenly felt. I can to this very day remember those two horrendous days in June when he was assassinated and later died. It was the first death that ever affected me personally. I was then a child and I remember saying that "I hate the man who shot Senator Kennedy! I hate him and I hope they throw him in jail forever and I wish Rosey Grier had broken his [the assassin's] head!" My mother gave me some sound advice that I remember today. Her exact words to me on June 6, 1968 were, "Senator Kennedy would not want you to hate anyone. Instead of hating the assassin, pray instead for an end to violence and pray for his family." It took me some time before I was able to do that, and I am glad to be able to say today that I can. Over the years, I have prayed for David, the son who watched his own father die on television and was so consumed with his own grief that he, too, became a casualty. One of my all time favorite stories about Robert Kennedy was his success in climbing Mt. Kennedy in Canada in March of 1965. He was a man whom many described as acrophobic, yet he was able to table his terror and climb that mountain out of love for his brother. (I think the mountain should have been named after ROBERT Kennedy -- he claimed it). He wisely gave credit where credit was due upon reaching the top of that mountain -- he made the Sign of the Cross. I just love this story so much that I have told it before the Toastmasters. I think it is very inspiring and just underscores the character, determination and hard work of a man who worked hard to meet personal goals. Robert Kennedy was in my eyes a success story. I was a history major and he was the subject of my senior project. It was one of the few writing assignments I ever enjoyed and I did well. Robert Kennedy was a man who not only marked sociopolitical milestones in his lifetime. He marked personal milestones in the lives of those who were interested in his life.



3. It is impossible to write about Robert Kennedy in adult life without writing about his brother, John Kennedy. Hilty does a very thorough job of portraying Robert Kennedy, the dedicated, hard working, determined brother, warts in all in a fair and impartial way. Throughout this book, one sees the "metamorphosis" of Robert Kennedy. He is the man who works behind the scenes, protecting his brother's interests to his maximum extent. He is the man who pushes his brother forward while sublimating his own interests, needs and identity. It is only in the tragic aftermath of the President's death does Robert Kennedy, in full adult form emerge -- the man who immersed himself in classical literature, the man who became a personal crusader for civil rights related issues, the man who made it his business to know minorities and persons living in poverty. It is during the last nearly half-decade of his life that the full face of Robert Kennedy is shown to his constituents -- the man who doggedly pursued Teamsters and Mafiosi in the 1950s takes that same dogged persistence to the political arena where he runs on his own right. He is a voice for the disenfranchised, a voice for those who share his vision. He was a man who provided hope during a very turbulent period in history marked by war and national violence. It is the opinion of this reviewer that Robert Kennedy is certainly the more interesting of the brothers. His personal, political and personality development is very interesting to watch and track. He was certainly a man who came across as very sincere in his efforts and one cannot help wondering what the outcome today would be had this man lived.

   This is a book well worth reading.




4. Professor Hilty provides an excellent study and examination of Bobby Kennedy. Though this is an enormously hefty read. For those new to Bobby Kennedy, a more manageable introduction might be a rather recent book called Robert F. Kennedy: A Spiritual Biography by Konstantine Sidorenko. Though in contrast to Hilty's (brilliant but somewhat unwieldy) tome, this slim short form biography covers Kennedy and his life in great depth and the book's brevity will not disappoint serious biography readers. It is particularly an excellent book to take up before plunging in to Hilty's.



5. I liked this book very much. It's not like a biography of RFK, but it is a biography of RFK's career in politics. This book is very detailed, so grab a pen and paper because its so indepth.

4 comments about Churchill: The Unexpected Hero (Lives and Legacies Series).

1. Though Winston Churchill has never wanted for biographers, over the past few years the publication of brief studies of his life have come into vogue. Written by some of the leading historians of the period - John Keegan, Geoffrey Best, Stuart Ball - they offer an accessible (if condensed) examination of one of the dominant figures of the twentieth century. Paul Addison's book is the latest addition to their ranks, and one that deserves to be ranked as among the best of these efforts.
   
   Addison argues that the heroic status that Churchill enjoys today belies much of his career. Considered an irresponsible genius by his contemporaries, he was a polarizing figure who was never completely trusted by any side of the political divide. Yet as prime minister during the Second World War he went on to become "the embodiment of national unity," a symbol of Britain's determination to defeat Nazi Germany. Addison provides a more nuanced view of Churchill's career, noting his ideological consistency in a politically turbulent age. When war came, the man and the moment were ideally matched; indeed, many of the traits that his opponents deplored - his enthusiasm for war, his advocacy of impossible ideas, even the fact that he was half American - became assets in the conflict and were keys to his successful leadership.
   
   Developed from his entry on Churchill for the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Addison succeeds in providing an insightful introduction to the life of one of the dominant figures of the twentieth century. Though hardly a hagiographical account - he freely acknowledges such faults as Churchill's massive egotism - his portrait is a sympathetic one, depicting the prime minister as "a hero with feet of clay." The result is a good read and a great starting point for anyone seeking to learn more about this fascinating figure.



2. 
   I've waited the past two months to receive a copy of this short biography on Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Reading this book does not disappoint.
   
   This short work, though fair and favorable to Sir Winston, also discusses the controversies of his career. Not everyone in Britain was a fan of Churchill, with some disliking him, with others fearing he would ever have any part of the government. In spite of his monumental contributions to the World War II years, some never lost their mistrust nor dislike of the man.
   
   As an American, I see him as the beacon of hope for war-torn Britain. The best possible man to lead the country during those years, an uncrowned king giving the British people the hope and stamina needed to go on, day by day, overcoming all the suffering World War II brought them. Should he not have been the best, surely there existed no one better. When one thinks today of World War II Britain, one must think of Winston Churchill. They have become intertwined and inseparable.
   
   Even from his earliest years, Churchill always felt he was a person of destiny; so was able to equally accept and act in that role. One must wonder what England would have been without him. Prior to the war he was seen as too strident and hawkish, once the war began however his views and demeanor coincided exactly to the needs of the time. Once the war was over, most of the country turned their backs to him at the polls, feeling he was not up to running a tamer, peacetime government.
   
   Being neither British, nor ignoring his earlier government service prior to World War II (he was 65 in 1940 at time of his becoming Prime Minister with many years of government service behind him), I cannot agree with their post war thinking. And as discussed in this slim volume, I agree with the author that the mistrust and distrust of earlier Liberal versus Tory episode was ever overcome. Too many felt they just could not count on, nor place their full trust in this man.
   
   Winston Churchill is my 'cup of tea'. One of the few 20th Century men of both character and leadership. True, he had both great flaws and great abilities as well; and this book fairly shows both.
   
   Recommended reading.
   
   Semper Fi.



3. Paul Addison has written a competent introduction to a life more interesting, in the sense of history, than any other of the twentieth century. His book is enlivened by many vivid quotes from a broad assortment of people who had reason to know Winston Churchill. However, I think the author, in an excessive attempt at balance, bends too far over backward in making use of certain highly negative assessments-- such as one offered by Evelyn Waugh at the time of Churchill's death.
   
   While he may have had feet of clay, his name remains remembered in Westminister Abby--and elsewhere over the globe.



4. Addison knows that Churchill's life has received almost as many words as Churchill wrote himself, as one of the most prodigous authors of the twentieth century, known and admired by many as the greatest figure of his time, "saving the world" from Nazi Germany, the right man at the right place at the right time.
   
   But Addison is not so sure. Churchill was maddeningly erratic, not only changing political parties twice but also inflaming deep hatred during his long, varied career as a military figure, prison escapee, politician, cabinet member, and prime minister. Much of the peculiarities about Winston we can attribute to his relationship with his parents, an American debutant and a half-crazed father who died young. Lacking their affections, and wanting to make a name for himself, Churchill took on risks and positions with abandon.
   
   Addison has done a thorough study, more remarkable for its brevity when describing a man whose life has been chronicled many times before in thousands of pages. While leading England during World War II, Winston came to symbolize the twentieth century but he was in many ways a man of the nineteenth or even eighteenth century, believing in the Empire and being more of an egoist than an egotist. Yes, he was a racist in today's terms, with his contempt for what we would today call "developing countries" and their peoples, but for his time Churchill was not out of step. He was, at times, indecisive and, yes, out of step with popular feelings. His writings were often efforts to cast himself in the best possible light. This was especially true when he wrote his memoirs of World War II, right after he was thrown from office at his moment of triumph. This cathartic and somewhat self-serving post-war writing process regained him 10 Downing Street, it also left him as the primary arbiter of his reputation from the war -- the leader of the victorious nations gets to write history.
   
   He was a fickle, spoiled, epicurean of sorts who seemed to love a good fight -- even a good war -- if it helped him get ahead and helped England stay ahead or stay alive. Loved or hated, he deserves to be admired for what he got right, not for what he got wrong. Addison is critical yet quite balanced in this treatment of this great yet flawed figure. And for those who want the concise Churchill story, this is it.

No comments about The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 1: Journalist, 1706-1730 (Life of Benjamin Franklin).

1 comments about Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor.

1. Tom Johnson: The Life and Times of Cleveland's Greatest Mayor provides a rare look at the life of Thomas Loftin Johnson, who served as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1901-1909.
   
   Often referred to as Cleveland's Greatest Mayor, Johnson has rarely been the subject of biographers-- Two books on his life were published within a year of his 1911 death, another in the early 1990's that is now out of print-- and now O'Connell's work.
   
   In this volume O'Connell does a good job of painting the picture of Johnson, and his evolution from successful capitalist businessman to unabashed socialist politician.
   
   Johnson's success in turning the City of Cleveland from a backward industrial city with a poor quality of life into a modern turn of the century metropolis is covered, as well as his quixotic campaign for Ohio Governor; where his progressive views were soundly rejected by Ohio voters, are covered throughly.
   
   It is clear from this work that O'Connell, the biographer, is a fan of Johnson. The book is clearly pro-Johnson, rather than a neutral work. However I found this to be a great read. It really painted a picture of 1900's Cleveland and has given me a great amount of respect for Mayor Johnson and his accomplishments.

No comments about Erasmus (Past Masters).

No comments about POLS: Great Writers on American Politicians from Bryan to Reagan.

No comments about The Indian Territory Journals of Colonel Richard Irving Dodge.