4 comments about Truth At Last: The Untold Story Behind James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr..

1. I must start off this review by stating for the record that I have never been one of those "CONSPIRACY NUTS". In fact I have never even paid such claims a second thought. I even made fun of Oliver Stone. But the detail provided in this book by James Earl Ray's brother, John Larry Ray and Lyndon Barsten, a lay historian is quite compelling! John takes the reader all the way back through the entire history of the Ray family, "warts" and all. In fact the "warts" (criminal activity) are an essential element that adds veracity to the conspiratorial intersection of the CIA, FBI, Mafia and the United States Government. Aiding John's real-life firsthand knowledge regarding the people, organizations and events that culminated in Martin Luther King's (MLK) assassination is Lyndon's expert use of the "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT" (FOIA) which freed up TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW PAGES OF NEW MATERIALS ON THE MLK ASSASSINATION.
   
   When James went into the Army he became a military policeman "for a year and a half in the 382nd MP Battalion. Later, he joined a new organization largely formed out of the old OSS, (Office of Strategic Services) which had been the Army's wartime intelligence service", but after 1947, the outfit was generally known as the CIA. "When James joined the Central Intelligence Agency, he was given a new U.S. Army serial number." James involvement in the Army with the OSS/CIA and his civilian criminal contacts would haunt and control him for the rest of his life. James would later say: "When you join the OSS, it's like joining the Mafia, you never leave." According to the authors, the CIA is probably the closest thing to a worldwide Mafia that ever existed. James was assigned a "handler" that would manipulate and direct him the rest of his life. "James would frequently say that when he joined the Army, it put him on the road to ruin. From the time he left the service in 1948 until his death in 1998, James Earl Ray spent forty-three of those fifty years in prison." In my opinion, if it wasn't for the FOIA the things I'm about to tell you would seem like science fiction. "Documents clearly indicate that the CIA was busy trying to reprogram people, and it was doing it in 1948. Several thousand mostly financial documents on mind control, drugs, and many other subjects the public would consider crazy survived a document-destruction project ordered by the director of Central Intelligence, Richard Helms, and Sidney Gottlieb, head of mind control studies, as they left the CIA in 1973. Today you can get the surviving several thousand pages of CIA mind control documents on three CD's that detail the bizarre experiments done in the name of "national security." The Army had their own programs that paralleled the CIA's: tens of thousands of surviving government documents detail, among other subjects, how they endeavored to create HUMAN ROBOTS to be used as killing machines. The CIA's own documents say it best. This document, "Hypnosis and Covert Operations" (written May 5, 1955) is released through the FOIA by the CIA as MORI 428311." "The CIA's MK-Ultra brainwashing program included feeding Army soldier's mescaline, sodium pentothal, depressants, amphetamines and LSD both on base and at local bars."
   
   On many of the occasions that the post-military James was ordered to report to his "handler" he was directed to smuggle weapons in and out of Mexico. The potential reader should be made aware that the CIA and FBI had a very close working relationship with the Mafia. "They used the Mob for clandestine operations so that they could maintain plausible deniability if the operation went wrong." Just a few of the documented examples are Lucky Luciano in World War II and the planned assassination of Castro in Cuba. So because of James's relationship with certain mob figures, when he met his "handler" in the time leading up to the MLK assassination he was led to believe he was going to be a "wheel-man" in a diamond heist. (In fact one of the hardest things for the government to cover-up was the money they gave James to keep him available and indebted to them when the conspiracy was questioned years later.) He was even directed to buy the rifle that the government would attempt to say killed MLK. The flophouse bathroom that the government said James shot MLK from was proven to be too narrow to fit the length of the rifle in at the proper angle without James either making a ten-inch-deep hole through the wall or hanging out of the window.
   
   It gets more insane from there as FOIA documents later proved that while James was given a lawyer from a government approved list, the FBI was secretly giving an author bogus incriminating evidence about James to be published in "LOOK" and "LIFE" magazine before James ever got his "fair" trial. By this time Coretta Scott King "was now openly and publicly beginning to discuss her suspicions of government conspiracy in her husband's death and in the death of her brother-in-law." Add to this, Judges about to approve an appeal dying of heart attacks, new lawyers handling James's case dying of heart attacks, and witnesses dying of heart attacks. NOTE: "One of the most common methods used by intelligence agencies for murder is HEART ATTACKS!" There is so much more documented detail in this expose that even if you start reading this book with a closed-mind... by the end of this book it will be opened to the possibility that...???



2. John Larry Ray's oldest brother was James Earl Ray (p.1). John spent 25 years in federal prison and now lives in Illinois. John claims he was imprisoned because he knew too much about the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr on April 4, 1968. Lyndon Barsten is a historian who frequently lectures about the assassination. This is a very readable book that is fast-paced like a novel, except it is based on fact. John begins by telling about the Ray family history and culture, and debunks the stories reported in the Corporate Media. John gives the facts as he witnessed them. The Ray brothers were often in trouble and in prison. John claims his brother was a "patsy" like Oswald. He tells what he knows and what he was told by his brother James.
   
   John says there was "no evidence that Jimmy killed King" because the Feds didn't use it in the extradition proceedings (p.128). James had to plead guilty to escape the death sentence (p.129). Was there a conspiracy to murder Martin Luther King (p.131)? A famous lawyer takes a criminal case for "free advertising" (p.134). Should James have gotten a new trial (p.135)? Were there mysterious deaths associated with this case (p.136)? Chapter 8 tells of John's conviction for conspiracy (summarized on page 149). William H. Webster was both the FBI and CIA chief after convicting John (p.151). Do you have to "bend the Constitution" (p.153)? Did two journalists, Bill Slater and Louis Lomax, die under suspicious circumstances (p.158)? Both investigated the King assassination.
   
   In October 1974 James got an evidentiary hearing in an attempt for a new trial. Herb MacDonnell testified as an expert witness to say the shot that killed King could not have come from Ray's room (p.162). Did the King family question the Federal version (p.164)? Are the mentally ill recruited as assassins (p.165)? Would a Federal judge be bumped off for political reasons (p.168)? James was never tried for his escape attempt (p.173). There was a problem about James' money during 1967-68 (p.175). Is reality irrelevant (p.179)? John says he was the victim of a "Federal Vendetta" (Chapter 11). Was he convicted for "not picking up someone on the highway who was found not guilty of robbing a bank" (p.190)? Does greasy food destroy your liver (p.191)?
   
   The importance of this book is its presentation of a counterpoint to the Establishment Media version. "Only one in five people believe the mainstream media." If the rifle bought by James did not match the bullet that struck Dr. King (p.115) that would establish James as a "patsy". The 'Bibliography' lists the articles, books, and other references to this event.



3. You certainly do get another side of the story with this book. It is written by convicted assasin James Earl Ray's brother, and boy, does he lay out some whoppers. You would have to believe in about three different major conspiracy theories to wind up with the conclusion that John Ray comes up with. The cia warped Jame's mind with LSD, hired the mob with FBI approval to get a hit man to kill MLK jr and use James Earl as a patsy.
   
   Why did James leave finger prints all over the place and his gun behind? Because he was a not too bright con man.
   
   Unsubstantiated allegations, assertions with no proof or facts to back them up. If there was another gunman as stated, what evidence is there to back it up? None is provided.
   
   Whatya expect, it's his brother. Not likely he's going to come out and admit James Earl killed one of the most important and influential Americans of all times.
   
   I kept reading this like one would a bad sci-fi book - just to see how outlandish the author dared to be. That's the only value this book had to me. Frankly, I'd skip it altogether.



4. This book is complete made up crap...written by a hairdresser (yes I said a hairdresser not a writer or author or someone with intelligence) The publisher who took on this must be the biggest morons on the planet...the Lyons Press, it just goes to show that there are alot of 6th rate publishers with such a low caliber of talent....they don't deserve even to be on Amazon.

5 comments about Green River Serial Killer--Biography of an Unsuspecting Wife.

1. Judith opened herself up in an extraordinary way. Sharing her personal life in an unabashed manor that gave greater insight into Gary Ridgway. I appreciate all that she went through as his final victim so to speak in an extreme way. take care Judith!



2. the story of the former mrs. judith ridgway is simultaneously fascinating and tragic. this book provides a lot of information about her life prior to marrying gary ridgway, as well as the story of how she found out about his crimes and how she tried to cope with them. there are lots of interesting facts, along with photos, copies of letters, etc.
   
   unfortunately, this is the author's first book, and it shows. the volume could have done with a thorough proofreading and editing. also, the book's title -- which reads only as "Green River Serial Killer" on the spine -- is pretty misleading. this isn't gary's story, it's judith's. yet gary is there alone on the cover (against a backdrop of one of his letters to judith), with a caption explaining the scars on his arm. the design looks cheap & exploitative, and is not really representative of the book inside.
   
   the book ends with a lengthy chapter in which the author gets to show off her professional handwriting analysis skills with samples of gary's letters. the chapter is overlong and, to this reader, fairly tedious and unnecessary.
   
   five stars for the story, knocked down to 3 stars because of the quality of the presentation.



3. A significant part of many of the popular TV drama shows dwells on the psychological background of the "unidentified subject" who has committed heinous crimes. One of my favorite shows was Profile and the primary activity of the main character was to analyze who, why, and what is making this individual act as he/she does. I wonder how that main character would have discussed Gary Ridgway, the Green River Serial Killer . . .
   
   Pennie Morehead presents readers with an interesting alternative look at the life of America's most deadly serial killer--that is, "through the loving eyes of his wife." (Back cover) Morehead, in her first book, gives a very personal perspective of an individual affected by true crime. I found it fascinating reading!
   
   The book includes exclusive photographs from the life of Judith Ridgway, as well as letters handwritten by Gary from prison. Additionally, the author uses her professional analysis of his handwriting to give yet another "look" at a killer(s). For some reason, though I normally start reading front to back, I opened the book to these pictures and letters. Judith had been married once before and I studied the pictures of her early life, her first marriage, and then later, her fourteen "happy" years with a serial killer.
   
   Consider if you will--two husbands. One is an admitted bisexual (after they were married) who forced Judith and their two children to dress in clothes he selected, later in victorian style, and attend medieval festivals. Judith's first husband, Lee, instructed Judith on how to perform wifely duties in the bedroom as well. Having been abused in early life, Judith was not shocked about what took place--she put no emotional investment in the sexual act. Not knowing any better, she assumed other wives must be doing the same thing.
   
   On and on, strange things happened in her first marriage, including sex orgies and her children seeing their father naked with another man. She tried to figure out how she could escape! Finally, she was able to learn how to drive, and she was able to find work and begin to make her own money. Finally, she convinced her husband to allow a divorce.
   
   Judith's second husband was her prince. "It was February of 1985, Judith was forty years old, and finally free from the stranglehold of her dysfunctional, nineteen-year first marriage." (p. 59) Judith met Gary Ridgway, an attractive, slightly younger man to whom she was immediately attracted and with whom she could have fun, giggle, and live a normal life. Gary was a painter for a truck company and made a good living. They bought a camper and traveled and purchased a nice home. Judith was happier than she had ever thought possible.
   
   Two husbands--Judith's second husband was the serial killer.
   
   "Judith was not aware of...a chilling fact: Only two days after she met her prince--Gary Ridgway was sitting in the presence of Green River Killer Task Force detectives!" (P.63) Ridgway later admitted he had no idea how many women he had murdered; 48 were documented.
   
   I found myself moving around within this book...I'd study the pictures of Judith and her first husband and then go back to look at the ones where they wore victorian clothing. Then I marveled at the family pictures of the various families. I would reread portions of the letters from Gary to Judith once he was in prison.
   
   Who was the Gary Ridgway who killed at least 48 women. Why could he have a totally different, loving life with a woman who came to love him deeply within a happy marriage? There is an illusion that if he didn't "have to pass" a certain area to and from work, where prostitutes could easily be found, then maybe . . . But that doesn't explain why he murdered those from whom he acquired sex.
   
   This book doesn't provide "that profile," that would identify a serial killer, but, Morehead's review of his handwriting, noting, for instance, certain letters that referred to "socio-sexual shame," is an interesting highlight of the book. True Crime books do not normally attract me because they provide no conclusion, other than that the guilty are being punished and the book documents what happened. However, I found the story of Judith Ridgway unbelievably unique and memorable. I can only pray that Judith finds a faith and strength that will help her survive what she has endured.
   
   Needless to say, this is a must-read for anyone interested in true crime or crime-related biographies. Morehead has provided a well-documented, comprehensive book that moves through Judith's early life through to the time she is receiving intimate letters from the prison cell of the Green River Serial Killer. True life is "really" sometimes unbelievable!



4. My evaluation is similar to what has already been written. One gains a good understanding from this book of the marriage of Judith and Gary Ridgway and the devastation to Judith's life of Gary's arrest and subsequent admission to killing many women as the Green River Killer. She was treated with little respect by a system focused solely on gathering information to convict Gary and she lost so much--her possessions, the order of her belongings, her yard, her sense of herself, her security. The ripple effects of Gary's choices keep on going for others who cared about his victims or about him. One gets a real sense of all this from the book. However, the book was poorly organized, is choppy and includes a lot extraneous information, not woven together. I don't know what would have helped this, but maybe a more skilled editor, proofreader, advisor and publishing house. Maybe a more experienced true crime author could have done more with the material, but one wonders if Judith would have trusted someone more established with her story. It's a shame because the book deserves more attention than it will probably get. As for Judith, I hope she has found some way to put her life back together. One thing that might help is that, without her and the stability she brought to Gary's life, there undoubtedly would have been even more women killed.



5. This is a fascinating account of an innocent, sweet, caring woman who only wanted to be loved. How she ended up with two deceitful husbands in a row is still unclear, but it tugs at the imagination.
   
   I agree with the other reviews that the book lacks literary shine; however, the story is so compelling that I give it five stars anyway.
   
   If you can overlook amateurish writing for the sake of an inside look into the mind of an unknowing wife of a serial killer, you'll enjoy this book.

5 comments about To The Last Breath: Three Women Fight For The Truth Behind A Child's Tragic Murder.

1. thanks to this spellbinding book by Mr. Stowers; I am a prolific reader of true crime and while I am reading a book I am engrossed in it but the story fades quickly; not so with this book. There are so many aspects to the story: the shoddy, so- called investigation by the police; the shoddy examination by the medical examiner resulting in an "undetermined cause of death",the realization that if the family had not been persistent, this child's murder would have been "cold filed"; What is heartening is the degree of involvement of Sue Dietrich the Detective who asked to get involved in this case and the attorney who tried the case Jeri Yenne; their passion to bring the killer to justice was surprising and Mr. Stowers reveals their compassion for this child. Most of all, Mr. Stowers writing style evoked an immense amount of sympathy for this poor unfortuante and innocent child. I kept looking at her face and then went back to reading the book; while the death of a child is always horrific, you don't always feel as though the child in the book if personalized as was the case with this book; I felt as though I could see Renee and hear her laugh and play; in fact,there were times I had to put the book down because it was painful to read; Thank goodness for Sharon, Renee's grandmother, who was intelligent and feisty and would not allow this crime to be swept under the rug; It was the passion of the the detective and the attorney who tried the case that won this case for Renee; I will never forget you, Renee.



2. This was a very good book about a very touching story. Left some things unanswered, but good nevertheless.



3. She had a sad sap moron for a mother, and a cold-blooded killer for a father. Luckily she had a granny with some brains who fought for justice for her.
   
   It's impossible to have any sympathy for Annette, her mother, who stayed with this man, even though she knew he killed her cat, and had no qualms about getting pregnant by him a second time (the first time he "made" her have an abortion at 5 - 6 months), even though she could not support herself and the child she already had by her first husband and had to keep moving back in with mommy. Both she and Shane moved so many times: back together, apart, condos, apartments, rent houses, back with their respective parents - I could not keep up with all the moving. They were quite obviously immature and both expecting someone to come along and solve their problems for them.
   
   Even though Annette told Detective Duckworth her suspicions at the scene, he claimed she didn't, and that he "knew nothing". So basically he did nothing, and luckily was reassigned to Narcotics. He couldn't even find out that Goode had taken out $50,000 life insurance policy on his kids - as far as he was concerned, this guy would have gotten away with murder, no skin off his nose, as long as didn't have to do any actual work. This book does not make the Houston and Alvin Police Depts look very good, but what is, is. They didn't do their jobs, the ME's didn't want to do their jobs, the wife-cheater DA didn't want to do his job either - luckily he resigned too! The only ones who wanted to work and cared about justice were the female Asst DA, the woman detective, and the grandma turned private investigator. She may have raised two kooky kids, but she got it together and took care of things for Renee - she paid for her funeral, tissue testing the city refused to pay for needed for evidence, and took copious notes. Thank goodness for them, or this guy would probably have murdered another of his kids.
   
   This is an interesting story, but not well-written or organized. It may be necessary to tell, but there seemed to be too much about all the authorities infighting and personal problems. There was basically zilch about Shane Goode's childhood or background. So no explanation of his psychological state or what happened in his life to lead him to this point.
   
   It could have been better.
   
   Hint: In order to write a true crime story that will appeal to and hold the interest of DISCERNING true crime readers, it's best that the author spend her/his time getting the scoop on the MURDERER - not the lawyers.



4. This is a story of a 2-year-old child who was murdered by her father after her parents had divorced. It is a gripping story by its own right, but it was so well written I felt like I knew just about everyone. The flaws of all the characters are included, making no one a true hero (which is reality). The almost non-existant investigation, the extreme shortcomings of certain investigators, the political wheeling and dealing that almost allowed Shane Goode to get away with murder, the over-involvement of the victim's grandmother, the personality shortcomings of the victim's mother, the personal problems of the prosecutorial/detective staff -- everything is bared in this book. Sure, it would have been nice to know more about the murderer, but he steadfastly maintained his innocence as did his parents. There was enough information from other sources to get the true flavor of this guy. Others have criticized the book because all questions weren't answered. But in real life they rarely are (i.e., how could Shane attract strong and weak women? What was his secret?). The book is a tear-jerker, and Renee Goode is lucky her story was told by Carlton Stowers, one of the best true-crime authors ever.



5. .....that this was non-fiction. Absolutely, unbelievable, the happenings in this book.

5 comments about Careless Whispers (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. I found this book generally interminable and sometimes incomprehensible, with poor pacing and organization, and its hero-worship of the detective became downright annoying. I read it many years ago, long before there was a public outcry over the convictions (and execution), but even then felt that the case was a reach. My advice is to avoid it, particularly since even the factual basis for the book is questionable at this stage.



2. Kenneth Franks, Jill Montgomery and Raylene Rice had the misfortune of meeting up with David Spence and his his friends, brothers Gilbert and Tony Melendez in Koehne Park in Waco, Texas. In the park, the teenagers met with their brutal, untimely death at the hands of David Spence and his friends.
   
   Truman Simons, a veteran police office, took the case personally and worked dilligently to obtain the proof needed to convict the three men who murdered these innocent teens.
   
   The twists and turns of this book make it hard to put down. From the intial investigation to the prosecution of Jordanian born Muneer Deeb for his role in the deaths of the teens (and, yes, I do believe he was guilty but walked on techinicality), the book is full of details as you walk side by side with investigators as they seek justice.
   
   The only disappointing aspect of this book is that little information was available regarding the third victim Raylene Rice. However, the author makes note that her family essentially decided to deal with the death of Raylene by distancing themselves from the other victims' families, investigators and prosecutors. At one point, Stowers even writes that Raylene, because of her families actions, almost became somewhat of an afterthought to the public.
   
   This is an excellent book. One I'm sure that will keep you reading, with never a dull moment!



3. I remember reading this book about the hideous nature of the crime involving the three teens who went out for a night of fun but didn't expect to be brutally murdered and raped on their last night of earth. Carlton Stowers is an excellent crime writer and this book is absolutely a classic to be read. The triple homicide in a secluded section of the woods in Texas where two girls and a young man lost their lives. I remember reading this book and angry about the horrific murders of such young people. Of course, the book does unfold like a murder mystery. It begins at the beginning of the case and unfolds gradually. I was it was fiction but sadly it is not because it's all true. The author paints the victims as young kids with dreams and ambitions that they would never live to fulfill in their short life.



4. Just a reminder when reading this story that the author is a friend of the prosecutor. It has true parts but it is one sided. It is the story that the prosecution would like for people to believe.
   I hope some day the other side of the story will be printed. The 3 teens that died in Waco were not the only innocent deaths in this story.



5. I checked this book out at the library, and when I learned a friend of mine (and co-worker) was one of the prosecutors in the book, I purchased it online. Also, the story was powerful and "close to home" since I was born in Waco and all my aunts and uncles still live there. I buy every book I can find written by Carlton Stowers. He is a great author and I get into his books. What happened to these three young people was tragic, and Mr. Stowers captured the pain of family members as well as the frustrations that Truman Simons felt by being sabotaged by the Waco Police Department. I came away angry at them for their petty behavior and cruel deception, and total lack of respect for the survivors by not putting forth their best efforts to resolve this crime. Had it not been for Truman Simons, this would have been an unsolved cold case. Kuddos to Truman!Careless Whispers (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

5 comments about Dying to Cross: The Worst Immigrant Tragedy in American History.

1. In May 2003, dozens of illegal immigrants who had recently crossed the Mexican border into the United States got into the nearly airtight back of a tractor trailer with the hope of reaching Houston. Many had second thoughts, but their desperation and their dependence on the "coyotes" who arranged for their transportation won out. Within minutes, the temperature inside the locked trailer soared, and the passengers inside knew they were in trouble. By the time the driver finally opened the doors, seventeen people, including a five-year old boy, were already dead and another two were dying. The survivors tumbled out into the hot Texas night. By the time the authorities had sorted things out, it was clear that at least seventy-four people had been crammed in the trailer without air conditioning or water.
   
   In this slender book about the tragedy, author Jorge Ramos reconstructs the events that led up to that night, as well as some of the legal proceedings that followed, including the guilty pleas of several of the coyotes. He interviews four of the surviving immigrants - Alberto, Enrique, Israel, and Jose - as well as the Mexican consul who handled the aftermath. He rounds out his account by including statements from police officers, lawyers, friends, and family members. Interestingly, Ramos makes an excellent case of how easy it is for immigrant to gain entry into the United States (the border crossings of all those interviewed were uneventful); the real peril for immigrants occurs within U.S. borders as they try to make their way toward cities and, ultimately, jobs.
   
   In his preface, Ramos states "my sole intention is to tell the story from the point of view of those who actually lived through it. Nothing more." This decision is ultimately the weakness of this book since the words of the four surviving immigrants are not insightful enough on their own. Ramos should have chosen to be a stronger voice for the victims by describing in more vivid detail the lives they left and the implications of both their flight and their survival. If, as he states in the preface, he wanted to make it clear that "severely flawed U.S. immigration policies . . . as well as dire economic and social conditions in Mexico" were in part to blame, then he should have drawn a more complete picture of the specifics to give this story context. He can't have it both ways - limiting his story to the perspective of the victims and then making a compelling socio-political statement. I found myself wishing that he had gone deeper, either into the characters and lives of the victims, or into the conditions that made them so desperate to find work in the United States.
   
   When Ramos takes the time to fully describe a moment, the narrative is powerful. He does an excellent job portraying the conditions, emotions, and physical decline of those trapped inside the truck, bringing a reality to what happened that the news reports at the time did not. I find it odd that he points out several times that all the women survived and yet he seems not to have interviewed any of the female survivors in depth. He asks the mother of the dead boy, who was not on the truck, why she thought all the women survived, as though somehow her words held weight, making her remarks seem more like filler than revelation. The mother, however, is the most compelling presence in the book; her description of her son's funeral is heartbreaking.
   
   Although uneven, this book deserves to be read for its account of illegal immigration and the unscrupulous people who prey on desperation. It gives a human face to people who become largely invisible once integrated into the population. Also available in a Spanish edition, this book should be widely read by those who care about the issues, even if the issues themselves are not well discussed.



2. Most books written by reporters are pretty horrible affairs and this one is no exception. It was very poorly written and not very in-depth. Some of the more annoying aspects of the writing included the author's constant explanation of the meaning of ICE. Rather than identifying the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement once early in the book and referring to it by its acronym throughout the rest of the book, the author annoyingly kept explaning what it meant, as if the latter part of the book were disconnected from what went before. Also, the author's constant reference to the truck or the trailer in which the immigrants died as "that truck" and "that trailer" was amatuerish and annoying. Finally, on pages 148 and 149, the author leaves the role of reporter and engages in sloppy, inconsistent editorializing. On page 148 he tries to affix blame for the tragedy on the U.S. government for its "lackluster" immigration enforcement and on the very next page seeks to blame the U.S. government for the tragedy because it is enforcing its immigration laws too vigorously. At best, this book is a mediocrity and that is unfortunate since this was such a tragic incident and immigration is such an important issue. Unfortunately, this author was not up to the enormity of the task.



3. I'm a big fan of Jorge Ramos' work. It would be very easy for him to sit behind his anchor desk at Univision and collect his substantial salary as the presenter at the country's fastest-growing national news program. But in Ramos' books, he shows a real reporter's ethos and drive to get out and get the story. This is a guy who can talk to heads of state one day, undocumented immigrants the next, and be equally at home with each group. The result here in 'Dying to Cross' is a compelling 'story behind the story' of "the worst immigrant tragedy in American history."
   
   Ramos also provides some forthright analysis. In addition to documenting the tragedy itself, he notably faults "the failed North American migrant policies, the permanent crisis of the Mexican economy and the incapacity of the Mexican and US governments to achieve a migratory agreement."
   
   I read the Spanish language version of the book (released as 'Morir en el Intento'). For those of us learning Spanish, Ramos' clean and direct prose and presentation is a beautiful thing. I highly recommend giving it a try.



4. This is a great book for well-to-do white liberals who enjoy stories about the tribulations of illegal immigrants from Mexico. It gives them a chance to tout their moral superiority to the working Americans who actually have to live among this flood of unrestrained immigration.
   
   
   
   Not only does Univision increase it's profits by more immigrants, well-to-do white liberals who are most likely to buy this book get to enjoy the services of subservient economic refugees mowing their lawns, cleaning their condos and babysitting their children at bargain wages subsidized by food stamps, rent subsidies free medical care, courtesy of the taxpayer. Not to mention that immigrants are counted in the apportionment of legislative and congressional representatives, increasing the power of the corrupt Democrat Political machine, the likes of which San Francisco with it's former "Da Mayor" Willie Brown and Millionaire Playboy current mayor Newsome.
   
   
   
   Every illegal immigrant hopping the border is a US taxpayer subsidy for a dysfunctional Mexican establishment, eager to get rid of the people it doesn't need by forcing them North, as well as lining the pockets of media personalities like Jorge Ramos.
   
   
   
   Rather then waste your time on a book whose only purpose is to push it's own special interest agenda, I'd recommend you read something about how this flood of illegals are united with outsourcing and globalization to destroy the economic security of working class Americans. Try Michelle Malkin's book, Invasion: How America Still Welcomes terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores. Or Daniel Sheehy's Fighting Immigration Anarchy: American Patriots Battle to Save the Nation. Another great book is Peter Brimlow's book, Alien Nation: Common Sense About America's Immigration Disaster.



5. The tragic events that occurred because of unscrupulous money-hungry coyotes and their desperate-to-get-to-America prey resulted in, as part of the title indicates, The Worst Immigrant Tragedy in American History. Unfortunately, in this politically charged post 911 world, where everything seems to be blamed on "illegal aliens," and the fears of the populace is dumped on the immigration issue, the faces of this tragedy become as meaningless as those idiotic signs on the Californaia highways that warn drivers of possible pedestrians crossing the freeways by displaying a shadowy family hand in hand running. That said, this book is not about politics, whether you believe we should build a new Wall of China along our borders, complete with machine gun turrets or you think everyone should get a free pass to the USA, it is about how these people died and the circumstances that led to their desperate measures. If you are unfamiliar with the events I suggest you read D.L. Wesselmann's excellent review here at Amazon for an unbiased perspective. I would only like to add that the book is very easy to read(I read it in a rare one sitting), extremely compelling, emotional(whatever side of the "fence" you're on)and thought provoking. It is a sad story that needed to be told; hopefully everyone can learn from this tragedy. The criminal events are here for your examination, put away your bias and see what it is like for people dying to come to America. I would recommend anyone to read this book that has a heart; the mind will follow.

5 comments about The Runner: A True Account of the Amazing Lies and Fantastical Adventures of the Ivy League Impostor James Hogue.

1. Some writers can craft a sentence and story; some reporters unearth great detail. David Samuels is that rare talent who can do both, and the result is The Runner, a terrific literary page turner.



2. Just finished reading Samuels The Runner, and literally could not put it down. Wow! What a crazy fascinating story. It's amazing that people like Hogue exist and that people like Samuels can tell their tale so well. I really felt like I was there, meeting Hogue in person. Not sure what the other reviewers problems are... I thought it was great, and so did every other members of my book group (expect Andy, but he hates everything!) Really, this is a five star winner!



3. Samuels has taken an admirable stab at dissecting this enigmatic Gatsbyesque con man's psyche for motive, astutely tabulating the paltry gain from the years of petty crime. In a funny aside that Samuels to his credit puts in the book, Hogue responds to one of Samuels's elaborate and quirky questionnaires by closing with this jibe: "What's with the janitor garb? Are you trying to show your solidarity with the lumpen?"
   
   The book is an elaboration of a New Yorker article and probably should have stayed as such (much like Barry Werth's Scarlet Professor), as it feels stretched and padded. Although not a great writer, Samuels rightly senses that he holds compelling subject matter. One fault is that the chronology would have been much better as a simple linear progression; it confusingly yoyos between past and future. Also, instead of just letting the story tell itself, Samuels often intrudes with exaggerated veneration of the privilege of a Princeton (or his own Harvard) education, with admissions committees' self deluding liberal smugness, and with largely irrelevant autobiographical items.
   
   Hogue ultimately proves uncooperative and Samuels is left to speculate on his quarry, but perhaps there is no very profound mechanism at work here. Although I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary Con Man. One wonders what a Truman Capote or a Norman Mailer might have done with this material.



4. Was not an overwhelming book, to say the least. But then again, it is supposed to chronicle the true tales of Hogue. THe author has a bit of a disjointed writing style; there are a few times where you question the relevance of a passage. So sad that Hogue apparently does have the brains, the drive, and the talent to have a great life; too bad he didn't capitalize on his potential in an honest way.



5. There are few funky part even I could tell it's typo. Someone properly edited this book, right?
   It is confusing because I can't tell when the interview with Hogue in the dorm at Princeton took place. I mean, how could they even let him back in there?
   He is arrested 2006 then sentenced 2007 refused to see the author in his jail in first half of the book.
   Suppose the author is obsessed and following Hogue for ten years, there is not much have done since their first meeting in Princeton ( it is the first and only, right? I don't know for sure) to write the book about it now.
   I wish the author left out his own agenda out of the way so we could concentrate on Hogue character, not the author who identify with the subject and want to tell about why.
   I can't care less he went to Harvard because of fluke or couldn't drink milk with meat.
   Oh, I love the cover design if anything, he made concept so it says, he shoulda be book designer instead of writer.

5 comments about Rope Burns.

1. Robert Scott is a master in taking the finest of details and spinning them into a fascinating and easy to follow storyline. I found the Prologue somewhat off putting but fortunately stayed with it and soon became entranced and horrified at the same time with the telling of the multitude of horrific crimes commited by this demonic duo. I have lived in the areas mentioned in this book and even know some of the officials involved. It was very, very strange to be able to picture most of the places mentioned in the book and to know I had either seen or been to some of the places mentioned. It made the book all that more real for me. I came away from reading it with a new found awareness that is both disturbing and enlightening for me. NO ONE IS SAFE from having this happen to them. It is such a ramdom crime of violence. There are things you can do to reduce your chances of being a victim but Fate plays such a big hand in life, for good or for evil. I will be more vigilant for myself and warn people I care about. This book has made a difference in my life.



2. I was not thrilled with this book the writer was all over the place and I thought gave too much detail in things I really didn't want to know about and too little in things I wanted to know about. I think told by another writer this would be a very good book.



3. Rope Burns is your typical true crime but not about a typical crime couple. They are the preverted and disturbed version of Bonnie and Clyde. I remember this book well because I think the story about any heterosexual couple who gets their jollies by raping and even murdering innocent girls if pretty sick. This pair is one of a few in the criminal population to committ such horrific acts against young women and even children. There is suspicion and possible links to other unsolved cases but these defendents wouldn't dare confess unless there was something in it for them. They remind of the Gallegos case which happened also in Northern California.



4. This book has me scared to go anywhere alone. I love reading true crime books but this was a little on the sick side. I don't think it was as messed up as House of Secrets, but I'm glad its over so I don't have to ready it anymore.



5. Details sketchy. Would have like a more in depth description of events. Writer rambles on too much. I didn't even finish it. Next...

5 comments about Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA.

1. Melvin Goodman spent many years in the CIA and taught at the War College. His insight and critique of foreign policies, on both sides of the aisle, are astute and well presented. A must read for the news junkie, or serious student of world politics and foreign affairs.



2. After forty years as a CIA insider, Melvin Goodman has produced a sweeping account of the agency's history and political entanglements that combines the solidity of good research with the readability of lively writing. Goodman's rich historical context and depth of detail, and the new insights he brings to familiar figures (and not-so-familiar characters) add dimension to his narrative. But while it's a fascinating read, it's also a dispiriting one. Goodman contends that, not long after the CIA's beginnings, in the Truman administration, the agency was used, not for objective strategic information, but had already devolved into a policy arm of whatever government was in power. (Need political justification for the invasion of X? Call the CIA.) Goodman goes into detail regarding covert operations during the Cold War, the CIA and the threat of terrorism, and he and also goes into great detail about the Iraq War and the political climate surrounding that. It would be wonderful if the information in the Iraq chapters were available to every American (including--and especially--our political leaders!). Interested in politics, history. and foreign affairs since World War II? Read this book! Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA



3. Goodman's book offers a valuable angle on how and why the CIA failed to know about Soviet nuclear testing, failed to foresee the collapse of the USSR, and how it regularly buried intel at odds with White House policy (glasnost, Vietnam, China, Iran, Iraq, the list goes on an on). In all this Goodman conveys much needed background on the miserable CIA failure concerning events leading up to--and including--9/11.
   
   But, apparently, due to its hurried publication, it is annoyingly repetitive, filled with typos, and, overall, very poorly edited. Chapter and section headings have no particular or useful meaning.
   
   That said, Goodman presents the last 40 years of CIA bumbling in the context of the political ideologues, bureaucratic incompetence, and abuse of executive power under Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and the Bushes. He gleefully and repeatedly skewers current Sec. of Defence Robert Gates and his rise as William Casey's Cold War Flunkie, Team-Player, and Yes-Man.
   
   Perhaps because Goodman resigned in the early 1990s, or perhaps because of legalistic or ideological limitations on his part, this book places little emphasis on the increased reliance of U.S. intelligence services upon foreign governments, the outsourcing of intel to Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, to name a few, and even to private firms, each with its own agenda. Providing the basic outlines of this particular trend would be the icing on the cake, but in the intelligence world which Goodman-As-Author inhabits, he is content with something less ambitious. (For more on CIA failures and fiddling, without the office infighting and I-told-you-so's, see Joseph Trento's The Secret History of the CIA and Prelude to Terror: the Rogue CIA, The Legacy of America's Private Intelligence Network the Compromising of American Intelligence.)



4. As a 30 year veteran of CIA's clandestine service. I agree with much of what Mel Goodman has to say about the Agency: the intrusion of political bias into the analytical process, the substitution of tactical for the more insightful strategic intelligence, and the loss of objectivity, when the military - a major consumer of the product - also becomes. its principal collector. President Eisenhower warned us about the military-industrial complex, and his warning bears repeating: Crises make for good business and create high-paying jobs. When CIA's agents discovered that the missile gap was a myth, and later, that the Soviet Union was a knight dying in its armor, a great many defense contractors and their congressman became very nervous. Production lines were threatened; layoffs would surely follow, and pressure was applied to suppress or to ridicule such reporting. When the Director of Central Intelligence. "...serves at the pleasure of the president," his agency becomes particularly vulnerable to such pressures.
   
   Like so many other critiques of CIA, however, Mel Goodman's book fails to identify a major contributor to CIA's erratic performance -- our Casanova-like approach to intelligence collection.. We turn it on when a crisis arises, but shut it down as soon as the crisis is over. With so many unmet societal requirements, why waste money on something no longer needed, particularly when it employs tactics that so blatantly offend core values of a Democratic society?
   
   The antipathy is understandable, but its effects are devastating. Every time we close down coverage of a target, the best & brightest hands melt away. In the five to ten years it takes them to become professionals, they learn the language, get to know the territory, get to know the shakers & movers and learn how to get things done. Just the sort of people, the multinationals and the think tanks are dying for, and they are lured away by big salaries and sign-on bonuses. As James Risen observed in the New York Times, "In the mid-1990s, CIA became like an airline that had lost its senior pilots." But then, when the territory again becomes of interest, we have to start with a new batch of recruits and live with their mistakes as they learn their craft. Rank amateurism and inexperience were major contributors to the Abu Ghraib fiasco.
   
   When Mr. Goodman dismisses CIA's operatives as risk averse, because they are protected by diplomatic immunity, it reveals that most of his experience was on the analytical and not be operational side. He ignores the large body of case officers that are under nonofficial cover, the operatives that were dropped into Afghanistan after 9/11 and well ahead of the military, as well as the technicians, often documented as tourists, that surreptitiously enter denied areas to install video and audio sensors. Three of those were caught in flagrante in Cuba and spent several years in Mr. Castro's prisons.
   
   In summary, Mel Goodman's book very accurately captures the political winds that buffet America's intelligence efforts, and he is spot-on accurate in decrying the layers of unnecessary bureaucracy added by the creation of the Director of National Intelligence. But CIA is a vast and complex tapestry, and Mr. Goodman covers only a part of the territory.



5. Goodman's overall premise -- the politicization of intelligence has crippled the CIA -- is dead-on. Much of this book centers on the two most glaring examples of that thesis, the fall of the USSR and the rush to war in Iraq. Yet Goodman overlooks some of the lower-level organizational problems in the Agency to spotlight the top-tier policy dynamics. The corporateness, risk-aversion and lagging creativity that are evident at all levels affect retention, promotion, operations, analysis and interagency relations. The good officers walk out in frustration for many of the reasons Goodman alludes to, while the remaining automatons and careerists flourish and rise. His account remains politically balanced, as he takes equal shots at both Democrat and Republican administrations. But his personal dislikes of specific individuals from his time in CIA shine through. Goodman's praise of Paul Bremer and Stansfield Turner as "luminaries" leads the reader to question his criteria of solid leadership and sound statecraft. There is also a overarching tone of idealism, if not naivety, in his views of intelligence collection, particularly in HUMINT operations. The editing is a bit rough and cut-and-paste text redundancy detracts from the book. Much of the Iraq material has been thoroughly covered by other authors.

5 comments about Stolen Masterpiece Tracker.

1. Loved the book!! The author Thomas McShane tells many interesting and exciting stories about his life as an undercover FBI agent in the art world.



2. .Stolen Masterpiece Tracker
   
   Stolen Masterpiece Tracker is a work done with extraordinary skill, charming wit and sluethound style.
   The reader is taken on a true, intriguing and mysterious journey. Mr. McShane is an adventurous FBI agent who uses tricky devices and masterful disguises in his artful quest to track the world's stolen treasures.
   
   An enjoyable and thrilling life story that can be vicariously shared with the Masterpiece Tracker!! Artfully written and artfully enjoyed!!
   
   A Masterpiece for Prime Time!!!



3. Words cannot express how wonderful this book is or the level of passion Mr. McShane has for his career. A nail biting tale filled with the amazing adventures of a former FBI Agent. McShane makes you believe that you are in the scene and in the moment. Such a great read, I recommend that everyone get lost in the mystery and adventure that is "Stolen Masterpiece".



4. You will be very surprised how much stoilen art gets bought and sold all over the world and how it takes a courageous undercover operative like Mc Shane to stop it.



5. Was recommended by a friend because I enjoy fictional crime novels. Found it incredibly interesting, especially knowing these were real incidences. Would highly encourage others to read this book. But set aside some time, cause you won't want to put it down.

5 comments about Dillinger: The Untold Story Expanded Edition.

1. I agree with the reviewer who recommends the Nash book.
   
   As shocking as it may seem...
   that book convinced me that the Feds killed a Dillinger imposter.
   
   The death photos clearly show a 'Dandy'... and not Dillinger.
   Lawrence liked to claim he was Dillinger...
   and the woman in red used that fact to get herself.. and Dillinger, off the hook.
   
   The thing that convinced me the most...
   was not anything that was pointed out in the book...
   but my own observation.
   Look at the photo of the old man who claims to be Dillinger.
   Yes, he looks quite different...
   but look at the ears.
   They are uniquely shaped... and they are identical to Dillinger's.
   
   This wasn't even pointed out in the book.
   Faces age... but ears retain their shape.



2. My 1st "Dillinger" book and boy...it was a good one. I enjoyed the book and especially all the little extra facts etc. located in in the back.
   I highly recommend!



3. The authors seem to have forgotten the basics behind Dillinger, the guy was a cold blooded killer and thief...okay granted, a colorful and charming killer and thief, but a lowlife just the same. Instead, what we seem to get a glowing reivew of Dillingers life in crime, killing innocent cops who were doing their jobs and taking hard earned cash away from people who worked long and hard to make it and save it....in the depression.



4. In my opinion, one of the best and most underrated books written to date about John Dillinger. I picked up a copy by chance several years ago, not expecting much, and was soon totally engrossed. I feel that most of the contents are accurate (and certainly never before revealed in any published accounts I ever read) and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Dillinger saga.



5. This is Dillinger, from early childhood through his notorious days. The book captures everything you'd expect from a biography and gives the gangster enthusiasts enough mouth-watering drama. I love the timelines! Being from the midwest, I recognized many of the towns he targeted so this is a must read for fellow midwesterners and highly recommended for everyone else!