Category: General Non-Fiction

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Westerns

BANDIT HEAVEN: THE HOLE-IN-THE-WALL GANGS AND THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE WILD WEST

Written by Tom Clavin

SUMMARY:

Released by St. Martin’s Press in 2024, this 288-page hardcover explores the nefarious exploits of the Old West’s last desperadoes and the lawmen chasing after them.  The prologue relates a middle-of-the-night train robbery in proximity to Wilcox, Wyoming, on June 2, 1899.  Not only was it another successful raid for Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch, but its notoriety nationwide signaled the end was coming for the Old West’s most elusive desperadoes. 

As an unintended consequence of Western expansion, Clavin elaborates on how the vast frontier spanning from Canada to Mexico supplied three prominent outlaw hideouts: Brown’s Hole, the Hole-In-The-Wall, and Robbers’ Roost along the so-called ‘Outlaw Trail.’  For years before the 19th Century’s close, rival bandits could share these remote locales gloating over why savvy posses wouldn’t dare breach these sparse strongholds.  The likelihood of hidden ambush, exhausted horses, and a scarcity of food and water (if you didn’t know where to find it) frankly provided no incentives to further these pursuits.

Aside from introducing comparatively obscure bandits meeting foul ends (i.e. George Parrott; the Blackjack Ketchum gang; etc.), Wyoming’s infamous Johnson County War and Arizona’s Pleasant Valley War are discussed.  With virtually exclusive control of livestock (i.e. cattle) and, therefore, grazing lands at stake, both range wars would accumulate scores of wanton casualties.  Local police, U.S. Marshals, and even the private-sector Pinkertons already had their hands full with smaller-scale crooks to contend with essentially organized crime, including range assassins. 

Dogged efforts of undercover operatives, such as the Pinkertons’ Charlie Siringo, at least ensured valuable surveillance over time on fugitives would be shared in a growing law enforcement network.  Roving outlaws, in that sense, became hard-pressed to outrace the practicality of telegraphs.    

Among the ‘Wild Bunch,’ Butch Cassidy, “The Sundance Kid” Harry Longabaugh, and their incorrigible cronies (including the psychotic “Kid Curry”) usually managed to evade capture.  Yet, the brazen Wilcox heist signaled that their profitable fun-and-games would soon end. With Cassidy and Longabaugh absconding to South America (along with Longabaugh’s wife, Etta Place), the region’s remaining bandits would be hunted down, one by one, as necessary, into the early 20th Century.  Of the Wild Bunch’s known membership, only ex-convicts Elza Lay and Laura Bullion would live to see past middle age.  

Upon their discreet escape to South America, the final fates of Cassidy, Longabaugh, and Etta Place still remain murky.  As Clavin acknowledges, the trio shares a lingering Old West enigma that present-day forensics has no certain answers for.  

Note: This title is available digitally and as an audiobook.  Presumably, Bandit Heaven will be re-released in paperback form at some later date.

REVIEW:

As an author, Tom Clavin’s narrative style for Bandit Heaven is admirably consistent with his prior Old West works.  Concocting briskly conversational yet still historically accurate text, Clavin delivers all the necessary goods, including welcome sprinkles of humor.  His propensity for extended side stories shouldn’t, otherwise, impact a solid read revisiting The Wild Bunch’s capers and long-befuddled posses in pursuit. 

With the infamous Johnson County War as a prelude, Clavin focuses on the era’s most notorious bandits, their cronies, and really, by extension, more cronies of cronies.  The same applies to his detailed takes on the Pinkertons and local law enforcement, as their successes often proved hard-earned.  Along with his excellent mini-biography of Charlie Siringo, Clavin examines manhunters Tom Horn, Frank Canton, and lesser competition like Joe Lefors, with precision. 

Hence, Clavin would make a stellar professor in the classroom engaging students on his subject matter’s less-than-glamorous realities.  He also knows better than to pitch unprovable theories and sticks to grounded history.  For instance, Clavin doesn’t speculate much on Ethel “Etta” Place’s tantalizingly unknown fate beyond mentioning some possibilities that historians have considered. 

Among them is a quick footnote indicating that Place and fellow Wild Bunch girlfriend, Ann Bassett, weren’t the same person since their conflicting known whereabouts at certain times makes such an intriguing notion impossible.  Still, given their startling physical resemblance (even evidently sharing the same birth year), let alone Place’s seemingly non-existent past, it does make one wonder about strange coincidences possibly linking Place with Bassett. 

As for the unsolved Butch & Sundance mystery dating back to 1908 in San Vincente, Clavin explores it as much as he can – without going overboard.  Clavin mentions that at least other two fellow American bandits the duo knew were working South America at the same time, so misassumptions on shady aliases were common.  His reporting leave open a remote chance that Butch & Sundance’s inexplicable mistakes in San Vicente weren’t made by them.  No matter how slick this dynamite duo (read Clavin’s text on their train heists for this pun) was in its prime: they were either very much off their game that fateful night – or some luckless copycats pretended to be them one last time. 

Considering members of Cassidy’s family claimed he survived under an alias to old age, again one wonders.  Clavin doesn’t even mention it, but a similar claim has also been made before of Sundance – that is, to a far lesser degree.  Unless reliable forensic evidence is excavated from a San Vicente cemetery, it appears the same ‘what-if Butch & Sundance’ scenarios from over a century ago are still on the table.      

Much of what Clavin reports is often found elsewhere, but there are occasionally obscure gems that one wouldn’t expect.  For instance, the unfulfilled prospect of Butch and his pals enlisting as U.S. soldiers in the Spanish-American War in hopes of securing amnesty is a curious notion.  For that matter, having his boys instead hold off from robbing unguarded trains during the war, shows what a patriotic and generous soul the wily Butch Cassidy was (wink-wink).  Or how about The Sundance Kid’s failed efforts at commanding his own spin-off faction?  Such details and anecdotes are Clavin’s forte, so even if one already knows much of this material, you can appreciate these enlightening revelations.  

The only caveat is a heads-up for the squeamish: specifically, Clavin discusses the macabre use of bandit George Parrott’s remains – though true, it’s wincing to read.  The author, otherwise, doesn’t delve much into grisly details (i.e. the brutal demise of ex-Wild Bunch desperado Ben Kilpatrick is mentioned but not elaborated upon).  Instead, as with his other works, Clavin wisely lets the history speak for itself – along with his knack for well-played sarcasm. 

For armchair historians (older teens and up), Bandit Heaven delivers a contemporary Old West history lesson well worth taking for a ride.    

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

After the table of contents, Clavin supplies some helpful maps: 1. A North-to-South map titled ‘The Outlaw Trail;’ 2. A map of the Wild Bunch’s robberies; and 3. Butch & Sundance’s ‘Final Years’ tour of South America.  Midway through, there is an intriguing sixteen-page black-and-white photo section.  Please note, though not graphic, that a few images depict post-mortem glimpses of lesser-known Wild Bunch members.  A ghoulish picture proving bandit George Parrott’s dubious legacy, however, may be cringe-inducing. 

In addition to his detailed footnotes, Clavin provides the following sections: two pages of acknowledgements, a three-page ‘selected bibliography,’ and a very helpful nine-page index.  The last page offers a brief Clavin biography, which is duplicated on the inside back cover jacket.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       8 Stars

Note: Also recommended is Clavin’s prior work, The Last Outlaws (his take on The Dalton Gang is really a ‘second-to-last-chapter’ on the Wild West).  Also, from a visual perspective, there is the 2014 PBS ‘American Experience’ episode: Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid.  Far grimmer than Clavin’s text, this documentary adds supplemental insights into the real ‘Butch & Sundance’ – further distancing them from their romanticized cinematic counterparts.  

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Westerns

THE LAST OUTLAWS: THE DESPERATE FINAL DAYS OF THE DALTON GANG

Written by Tom Clavin

SUMMARY:

Released in 2023 by St. Martin’s Publishing Group, this Tom Clavin title is available in multiple formats: digital, hardcover, audiobook, large-print hardcover, and, presumably, paperback, at a later date. Per the photo below, the edition reviewed here is the large print edition — it is distributed through Thorndike Press and shares the same cover artwork as the St. Martin’s hardcover. 

The prologue begins in April 1931, as an aging Emmett Dalton briefly returns (with his wife) to Coffeyville nearly forty years after the infamously botched dual bank heist where multiple citizens and four Dalton Gang members were killed.  With mixed emotions, Emmett personally reflects upon the headstone he had purchased to adorn the shared gravesite of his brothers, Bob and Grat Dalton, and associate Bill Power. The somber departure of Emmett and his wife from the cemetery initiates Clavin’s narrative in flashback.

‘Act I: The Daltons’ summarizes the Daltons’ ancestral past and their maternal link as cousins to the Youngers: Cole, Jim, Bob, and John (who was killed years prior to the failed Northfield raid). More so, Clavin describes the Youngers’ criminal activities with brothers Jesse & Frank James dating back to the Civil War. By war’s end, the Youngers and the two James brothers had shifted from Confederate guerillas to professional criminals.  Upon the James/Younger Gang’s bloody failed 1876 bank heist in Northfield, Minnesota, Jesse and Frank James had fled back to Missouri.  The three wounded Youngers, however, were left behind to face capture and then be sent to prison for decades. 

In the years to come, Judge Isaac Parker and a vigilant division of U.S. Marshals would be hard-pressed protecting the Mid-South region from a seemingly unending reign of terror by roving criminals.  After the heinous murder of older brother Frank Dalton, as one of Parker’s deputy marshals, brothers Grat, Bob, and Emmett Dalton all briefly pursued careers as lawmen. 

Corruption and incompetence ended the three younger Daltons’ law-abiding aspirations and precipitated their escape to California.  Bungling their first train heist, Bob and Emmett’s antics implicated Grat, and much to his chagrin, another older brother: Bill.  Simmering with resentment, Bill’s subsequent attitude was that, if he was going to be unfairly branded an outlaw (by his surname), then he might as well become one.

Having fled back to Oklahoma and Kansas, now-professional thieves Bob and Emmett officially assemble their dubious gang in mid-1891, per ‘Act II: The Gang.’  Including Bill Doolin and a fugitive Grat, the gang’s notoriety over a series of train robberies soars – even if they were really more lucky than good making their escapes and evading capture. 

‘Act III: The Lawmen’ examines the U.S. Marshals, an assortment of local posses, and the train industry’s detectives, as they all join the hunt for the elusive Daltons and their cronies.  Among these determined manhunters are U.S. Deputy Marshals Bill Tilghman, Chris Madsen, and Heck Thomas – each of whom is profiled.

By early October 1892, the Daltons intend to make one last profitable score and then flee the region – all the way to South America, if necessary. As Emmett would readily acknowledge decades later, the relentless pursuit by Heck Thomas and his posse had expedited the gang’s decision-making. Specifically, they sensed that Thomas was only mere days away from catching up to them.

Opting to rob their hometown’s two banks simultaneously in broad daylight, the Daltons’ grisly demise in Coffeyville unfolds in ‘Act IV: The Shoot-Out.’  Left out of the Coffeyville disaster, the remaining gang members would soon reassemble under Bill Doolin and Bill Dalton’s shared command.  This spin-off group of desperadoes became known as the Doolin-Dalton Gang — this gang’s other monickers include the original ‘Wild Bunch;’ ‘The Oklahoma Long Riders,’ and, though Clavin doesn’t mention it: ‘the Oklahombres.’ 

Per the concluding ‘Act V: The Desperadoes,’ the two Bills (Doolin and Dalton) lead a more successful and evidently competent crew over the next few years.  Still, due to the persistence of Thomas, Madsen, and Tilghman, virtually all of the Doolin-Dalton contingent and various associates are ultimately killed or nabbed one by one.  Saved for last, Clavin reveals the fates of the surviving players and/or their families.  As far as Clavin is concerned, though long overlooked by history, he considers the wily Bill Doolin the Old West’s ‘last outlaw.’    

Note: Though Clavin makes a logical case for Doolin, two of this desperado’s old associates could make equally valid claims as the Old West’s ‘last outlaw.’ Including stints in prison and then Hollywood (I kid you not), these other two outlaws/killers would Roy Daugherty (aka ‘Arkansas Tom’ Jones) and Belle Starr’s distant nephew, Henry Starr – both of whom Clavin briefly profiles.

After years in prison and a failed try at Hollywood fame, Daugherty/Jones went back to bank robbing. As a fugitive from justice, he was ultimately killed in 1924 in a shootout with a Joplin, MO policeman.

Curiously reminiscent of Emmett Dalton, Starr’s post-prison life including a memoir and even starring in his own bio-pic. Per his own return to bank robbing, Starr updated to the 20th Century by switching to fast cars and automatic weapons for his getaways. He later suffered mortal wounds ‘on the job’ in 1921 during a Harrison, AR bank heist. Hence, Starr was a high-profile predecessor for the likes of John Dillinger, “Baby Face” Nelson, Bonnie & Clyde, and “Pretty Boy” Floyd.

REVIEW:

Aside from a few sporadic typos (which might be limited to the large print edition), Clavin pens another solid and insightful narrative.  That said, The Last Outlaws isn’t Clavin’s best work on the Old West – too often, his conversational style is somewhat languid and excessively constructed to fit his dramatic five-act storyline. 

For instance, the prologue depicting an aged (and semi-remorseful) Emmett Dalton and his wife revisiting Coffeyville comes off as a dialogue-driven sequence meant for historical fiction (or even a film).  Unlike Clavin’s other Old West works, readers will sense that he sometimes overindulges into theatrics vs. sticking to the reporting of historical facts.  Though intentionally hilarious, Clavin’s propensity for jibes (i.e. sarcastically discussing ‘unenviable’ names and nicknames in Act V) may also be a bit distracting to readers.  The flip side is that Clavin’s humor offers some welcome compensation for unavoidable monotony explaining the historical framework.   

It surely isn’t Clavin’s fault that the biographies of his primary subjects (Bob, Emmett, Grat, and Bill Dalton) are more pathetic than compelling in this ‘good brothers gone bad’ account.  Had Clavin instead structured his book around the ‘Three Guardsmen of Oklahoma:’ Heck Thomas, Bill Tilghman, and Chris Madsen (and thereby demoting the Daltons to secondary importance), that concept might have had intriguing possibilities. 

Nonetheless, Clavin’s research is reliable enough in spelling out the complete Dalton/Doolin gang activities and how law enforcement finally brought these cretins to justice.  The Last Outlaws, in that sense, likely presents one of the best contemporary analyses of this subject – especially the underrated efforts of ‘The Three Guardsmen.’

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided, where the book’s thirty-five chapters are divvied up within five ‘Acts.’  That’s not counting Emmett Dalton’s prologue and an epilogue further detailing the fates of some survivors and/or their families. 

Next up is a black-and-white map of the American Midwest in the early 1890’s.  Prior to the actual text, the author’s note readily acknowledges that his book’s title isn’t quite accurate – given the notoriety of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s ‘Wild Bunch’ out West had still yet to come.

Clavin includes an acknowledgments section, a bibliography, and a brief summary of his credits.  Though it would have been helpful, there isn’t an index.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     7 Stars

Categories
Collector's Magazines General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Reference & Science Westerns

THE WILD WEST: TRUE TALES AND AMAZING LEGENDS – 2017 (by Time Life)

SUMMARY:

Released in 2017 by Time Life Books, this 96-page magazine reflects upon the American West throughout the 19th Century.  Between text and an assortment of photos (mostly black-and-white), along with artwork, the American West’s evolution is encompassed.  After a two-page introduction, five chapters cover the following: 

  1. “An Expanding Nation.” Discussion is focused on ramifications of 1803’s Louisiana Purchase, as to how Lewis & Clark’s expedition became the first step towards a gradual mass migration westward.  Daniel Boone, John Colter, Jedediah Smith, Joseph Walker, Kit Carson and John Charles Frémont are among those explorers highlighted.     
  • “The Great Trek.”  Shifting towards mid-century, initial generations of Western pioneers faced weeks, if not months, of dire reality traveling cross-country.  As much life-ending risk was involved, so, too, were the potential rewards for opportunistic men and women alike.  Case in point: the California Gold Rush, aided in part by the railroad industry, would spike migration numbers enormously. 
  • “Cattle Barons and Cowboys.”  Heralding the Old West’s most famous occupation, fortune awaited this industry’s most successful individuals.  Predictably, those doing the actual labor faced a far more tumultuous daily life.
  • “Law and Disorder.”  Enforcing justice upon outlaws and ruthless killers would prove, at best, an inconsistent, if not hypocritical, terrain for law-abiding citizens.  1881’s ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ in Tombstone, Arizona, is reviewed, along with glimpses of Wyatt Earp, Jesse James, Pat Garrett, and Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch.  Also examined is the illicit creativity involved with gambling.
  • “The Original Americans.”  Native American tribes and their traditional means of survival are confronted with genocide once encroached upon by settlers in search of land and gold.  Skirmishes between Native Americans and U.S. soldiers would climax in June 1876 at the gory Battle of the Little Bighorn.  After this pivotal loss, U.S. forces re-doubled its efforts in forcing Native American compliance with the government’s changing yet self-interested political stance.  It would also signal that the U.S. had at last conquered the West by the end of the century.           

As its postlude, the brief “Taming of the West” explains how, at the 20th Century’s onset, few pockets of the Old West remained.  The ease of cross-country travel and 1901’s oil discovery in Texas would become signs of the country’s imminent industrial revolution.               

REVIEW:

Providing a thorough history lesson in magazine form, Time Life’s production values are stellar.  With gruesome details kept to a minimum, Time Life’s The Wild West lets its vintage photography brings historical truths to life.  The balanced text stays on task and acknowledges that hyperbole often sparked familiar legends. 

As for younger audiences, it’s best to understand that the details Time Life’s text discuss aren’t necessarily exciting, but they are insightful.  More so, the magazine’s text doesn’t play favorites keeping its narrative consistently objective. Intended for both historical buffs and casual readers, this magazine makes a welcome treat.  Highly recommended!    

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A table of contents and photo credits are included.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     9 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Humor (Books) Movies & Television (Books)

YES PLEASE

Written by Amy Poehler

SUMMARY:

First published as a 2014 hardcover, HarperCollins/Dey St. subsequently released Yes Please in paperback in 2015.  The book was then updated in 2018 for this 360-page mass market reprint.  Dedicated to her two young sons, actress/comedian/Saturday Night Live (SNL) alum Amy Poehler tries her hand as a humorist intermingling her self-analysis memoir with an assortment of anecdotes and self-help tips for grown-ups. 

Unleashing her distinctive brand of humor, Poehler begins with “Part One: Say Whatever You Want.”  With tales of her life starting out with childhood in suburban Boston, Poehler alternates with womanly advice segments, including her takes on giving birth, motherhood (as compared to Poehler’s more traditional mother), being a working mom, and touching upon her divorce from actor Will Arnett.  A supplemental chapter by her long-time SNL cohort and Late Night host, Seth Meyers, is also included.

Subsequent sections consist of “Part Two: Do What You Like;” and “Part Three: Be Whoever You Are.”  Including more tales of her pre-stardom improv background in Chicago and later New York City, Poehler provides advice regarding marriage, sex, and sleeping.  In the last section, she mostly concentrates on her professional life and life lessons she has learned over time as a celebrity.  Poehler also discusses her six-year stint as the lead actress on NBC-TV’s Parks and Recreation.  Her last entry describes her somewhat befuddled assessments of computerized technology, i.e. inadvertently sending a critical text to the wrong person.      

Note: This title is also available digitally and as an audiobook.

REVIEW:

Amy Poehler’s adult-friendly humor and off-the-wall spontaneity is imbued with an endearing charm, but a little tends to go a long way. Though hardly pretentious, her snarky, stream-of-consciousness writing style can make a reader’s eyes pop trying to follow along with an occasionally confusing narrative.  For the most part, Poehler at least presents a far more engaging and down-to-earth read than trying to absorb Jack Kerouac.  That is, if one doesn’t find her large quantities of musing hodgepodge filler to be increasingly tiresome.      

Per the industry standard, her publisher briefly collects critical quotes applauding Yes Please, but the general tone of these snippets are actually illuminating.  None of them claim that Poehler’s book is a modern humor masterpiece, but that she provides a welcome gift to her fans.  That’s really the most accurate assessment one can make of Yes Please. 

By no means merely a zippy self-philosophy lesson, Yes Please balances Poehler’s wit and mostly positive attitude with some relatable life lessons one can best learn from his/her own experiences.  Suffice to say, Amy Poehler’s vibrant personality drives Yes Please into a much better read than the actual content might have for somebody else.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table of contents is provided.  Including her 1977 kindergarten report card, a preface presents Poehler’s insights regarding the obstacles she faced as a novice author.  She then includes ‘instructions’ on how to interpret Yes Please’s context.  An assortment of black-and-white photos and an eight-page color insert are provided.  The book concludes with Poehler’s acknowledgements.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    6½ Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Movies & Television (Books)

THE GARNER FILES

Written by James Garner & Jon Winokur

SUMMARY:

First released as a hardcover in 2011 by Simon & Shuster, actor/producer (and self-described curmudgeon) James Garner co-wrote his 273-page memoir with professional scribe Jon Winokur. The book was published three years before Garner’s death in 2014 at the age of 86. 

Recounting his life’s journey, Garner (birth name: James Scott Bumgarner) starts with his turbulent youth growing up in Depression-era Oklahoma.  Though later chapters diverge on side topics, such as his passions for auto racing and golf, producing, his personal brand of politics, and a reluctant 1958 appearance on TV’s This Is Your Life, Garner’s account initially follows a linear path. 

With minimal parental supervision, Garner explains how he was essentially emancipated by age 14 and briefly joined the Merchant Marine just prior to the end of World War II.  Scrounging at various odd jobs before and after his Korean War stint, Garner wandered back and forth from his hometown in Oklahoma to Southern California. 

Sheer luck would land him his first Broadway role as a co-star to one of his big screen idols (and subsequent close friend), Henry Fonda, in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial.  As a struggling 28-year-old actor, Garner would soon marry Lois Clarke in 1956 beginning their 58-year union. 

Subsequent professional success ignited with his instant fame as the title character in the Maverick TV series followed by a series of memorable 1960’s films, including The Great Escape.  His impressive transition between films, television shows, and commercials would continue through the 1970’s, especially with his signature role as private detective ‘Jim Rockford’ on NBC’s The Rockford Files. 

Standing on principle, Garner describes his lawsuits against Warner Bros. over first escaping his Maverick contract and, years later, multiple lawsuits against Universal Studios over The Rockford Files. Meanwhile, Garner’s favorite hobbies, including golfing at various links worldwide, auto racing, and participating multiple times in the annual Baja 1000 race, are explored. 

Despite multiple lingering injuries impacting him throughout production of The Rockford Files, Garner’s workaholic attitude continued through the 1980’s, in films such as Victor/Victoria and Murphy’s Romance.  As the actor states, by now efficiently producing his own projects, he had become more selective of what scripts appealed to him and what projects he would decline (i.e. First Blood).     

Though not necessarily evasive, Garner discusses little of his family life as both husband and father.  Still, he acknowledges at least one marital separation and his battles with alcohol, smoking, and, briefly, a sampling of illicit drugs with John Belushi.  Garner also expresses his unpretentious feelings on the acting process, and by extension, his disgust with present-day Hollywood’s blend of condescension and shallowness. 

While well-regarded, both personally and professionally, he also relays his propensity for hot-tempered fits on the golf course, road rage, and multiple instances of fisticuffs.  For someone who claims to abhor violence and gunplay, the at-times ornery Garner conveys a complex personality, given his own experiences defending himself (or, at the very least, his sense of honor).    

In lieu of musing upon his lesser films and various projects late in his career (aside from 2004’s The Notebook), Garner supplies a filmography to briefly address his full body of credits.  For the most part, Garner, threads personal viewpoints on a variety of topics through his autobiography.  The experience is reminiscent of having a sit-down interview with him.  

Note: This title is available in these other formats: digital, audiobook, & paperback.

REVIEW:

Ironically, the front side jacket begins by describing Garner as one of Hollywood’s ‘all-time great leading men,’ which isn’t necessarily the actor’s own personal assessment.  Still, this bit of publisher’s gushing really isn’t that far off the truth. 

By Garner’s own admission, he headlined some classic Hollywood properties (i.e. The Rockford Files, Maverick, The Great Escape, etc.).  Garner also readily winces that, either by contractual obligation or merely later for the paycheck, he appeared in his share of awful films, too.  Hence, The Garner Files projects the actor’s candor and humility balancing his life’s successes, failures, and various obstacles in making his memoir a solid read.

Observations by Julie Andrews and Lauren Bacall, among others, are consistent describing Garner as a top-flight, old-school professional, with all the makings of a traditionally good-natured gentleman.  He is also someone that others foolishly crossed, and, by the actor’s account, Garner did not (and would not) back down, if provoked. 

While describing himself as an “average American,” tales of his glamorously expensive hobbies somewhat contradict that assessment.  Still, there is no mistaking that Garner’s perseverance and commitment to honest dealing readily merited his success, as well as a genuine legacy 21st Century Hollywood might only aspire to.         

For fans of Garner and/or Hollywood memoirs in general, The Garner Files is most likely a keeper.  For others, this memoir serves best as a standard, one-and-done library find.  Either way, The Garner Files offers welcome insights into one of the best Hollywood stars who evidently didn’t let iconic fame go to his head.  

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Following a table of contents, one of Garner’s favorite co-stars, Julie Andrews, provides the introduction.  Garner supplies a brief “Dear Reader,” which aptly summarizes his attitude towards penning this memoir.  

An unusual 31-page supplement (frankly, it’s a classy form of padding) entitled “Outtakes,” supplies anecdotes from his family, friends, colleagues, and even random acquaintances who recount meeting Garner. 

For instance, Garner’s wife, Lois, presents her own version of their first meeting and short courtship in August 1956 prior to their marriage.  Also included are entries from Garner’s two daughters; Lauren Bacall; Tom Selleck; James Woods; Doris Day; Carol Burnett; Dick Cavett; Stephen J. Cannell; and an amusing ‘confession’ from Steve McQueen’s widow, Neile McQueen Toffel.    

Saved for last is Garner’s candid take on his career filmography, along with his appearances in television shows and TV mini-series.  Of particular interest are his own star ratings of his big-screen films and side notes working on various productions.  His insights are occasionally surprising and refreshingly blunt.    

There are also two sections of black-and-white photographs (one is eight pages and the latter is sixteen pages).  From his personal collection and those of family and friends, the photos appear in chronological order, but they don’t necessarily correspond to that section of the book. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  7 Stars

Categories
Animals & Nature Books & Novels General Non-Fiction Reference & Science

CATS IN THEIR GARDENS

Written by Page Dickey

SUMMARY:

The New York publishing firm of Stewart, Tabori, & Chang released this 96-page hardcover in 2002.  The author herself is a gardening design writer for magazines, such as House Beautiful, Victoria, and House & Garden. 

First revealing imagery from her own backyard, writer/photographer and gardening enthusiast Page Dickey introduces two of her ‘assistants,’ tuxedo cat Felix and Cleo the calico.  Dickey subsequently explores other private home gardens, with their resident felines appearing as models.  The book’s U.S. locales consist of New York, Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Connecticut, along with an overseas trek to the English countryside. 

There are also photographic interludes depicting supplemental montages of cats enjoying their gardens, among them are extra glimpses of Felix and Cleo.  

REVIEW:

Given the book’s apt title, it is a welcome love letter from the author to cats and their pet humans sharing a passion for gardens. Page Dickey’s descriptive text nicely mirrors her photography, in terms of style and elegance.  While one might have preferred a more impressive page count, Dickey ensures that readers will get their money’s worth. 

For fans of the subject, Cats in Their Gardens is an ideal addition to the bookshelf or coffee table.     

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

The author includes a table of contents followed by her introduction.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      9 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Westerns

FAMOUS GUNFIGHTERS OF THE WESTERN FRONTIER

Written by W.B. (Bat) Masterson

SUMMARY:

Written by Old West lawman-turned-journalist William Barclay “Bat” Masterson in 1907, these biographical profiles for Human Life Magazine contemplate Luke Short, Ben Thompson, John “Doc” Holliday, Bill Tilghman, and Wyatt Earp.  His articles were subsequently compiled in book form for the first time in 1957.  This 112-page Dover Books reprint was released in 2016.  Half of this book is Masterson’s content. 

Advisory: Quoting Holliday, Masterson repeatedly uses the ‘n-word’ in that particular profile.  In his Earp profile, Masterson casually uses a racial slur dismissing Florentino Cruz (who was killed during Earp’s ‘Vendetta Ride’).

The other half is a black-and-white gallery courtesy of the Noah H. Rose Photograph Collection from the University of Oklahoma Libraries’ Western History Collections.  Including some recreations, photos include:

  • Masterson; Earp; Thompson; the Tom McLaury-Frank McLaury-Billy Clanton coffin display; Tilghman; Holliday; an artistic reproduction of Short; Dodge City (Kansas); John Wesley Hardin; “Wild” Bill Hickok; Jack Harris; Billy Thompson; Billy Breckenridge; King Fisher; Morgan Earp; the building where Jack Harris’ variety theater was located (San Antonio, TX); & a subpoena from a Texas court case against Ben Thompson;
  • James Earp, Virgil Earp; Jim McIntyre; Tombstone (Arizona); Jim Courtright; Shanghai Pierce; Hardin’s revolver that he was carrying at the time of his death; an artistic reproduction of ‘The Dodge City Peace Commission;’ Sheriff John Slaughter; Tilghman & C.F. Celeard; Arizona old-timers; Ed McGivern’s trick shot; Judge Roy Bean’s “court;” Bill Raidler; Shakespeare (New Mexico); and a faded post-mortem image of “Tulsa” Jack Blake’s face.

Advisory: Included are grisly, post-mortem (upper body) close-ups of Hardin and Bill Doolin.    

Historical Note: Both Tilghman and Earp outlived Masterson, who died in 1921.  Tilghman was subsequently killed in the line of duty in 1924.  Earp passed away in early 1929.

REVIEW:

As articulate and witty as Masterson often is, it’s no surprise that Earp, Thompson, and Short receive a wide pass on their historical misdeeds and/or shady behavior.  Case in point: Masterson notes that, yes, Short illegally peddled low-grade whiskey to Native Americans.  Yet, he doesn’t chastise him for swindling his clientele out of their far more valuable buffalo robes.  

Masterson doesn’t even bother criticizing Thompson’s propensity for dangerous bullying antics to later justify ‘self-defense.’ Still, Thompson is his intriguing pick to prevail in hypothetical shootouts with the Old West’s other ‘top guns,’ including Earp, Clay Allison, and “Wild” Bill Hickok.  Staying objective, Masterson contributes welcome insight into the attributes necessary for survival among the best gunmen (beyond getting the drop on one’s adversary).

Note: One name that Masterson doesn’t consider re: how he would have likely matched up against Thompson is the notorious John Wesley Hardin.  As they were supposedly friendly in 1870 Abilene, Kansas, Hardin once declined Thompson’s request to kill Hickok (the town marshal) for him as a personal favor.    

Masterson’s temper rips only when discussing his long-standing dislike of Holliday, in spite of rendering some occasional favors.  For instance, Masterson once finagled a legal ruse, at Earp’s behest, for the fugitive dentist to evade an Arizona murder warrant.  As for his own golden assessment of Earp, Masterson rightly acknowledges that several derogatory stories belittling his long-time friend are spiteful fiction.  Perhaps as a counter-measure, his Earp profile comes off as excessively sanitized, including some inaccurate details describing the O.K. Corral gunfight’s ramifications. 

Re: Bill Tilghman, to some degree, Masterson evidently shared his mutual disdain for Native Americans.  It’s head-shaking that Tilghman’s retaliatory ambush/multiple-homicides of a Native American band for plundering his campsite doesn’t merit even a mild condemnation.  Masterson, in that sense, consistently doesn’t balk at Earp and Tilghman’s lethal use of vigilante tactics, legally justified or not. 

Ultimately, it’s a unique read to explore Masterson’s take on these five Old West legends.  One just has to remember that at least three of them were among Bat’s favorite old cronies. 

The photo section is extensive padding (yes, it’s exactly half this book’s length).  This imagery is worth perusing, though autopsy photos of John Wesley Hardin and Bill Doolin (aside from their grim realism) could have been substituted out for something classier.  Overall, Famous Gunfighters of the Western Frontier isn’t the best go-to source, but it’s an intriguing supplement for more in-depth analysis of Old West gunslinging found elsewhere.       

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

A table-of-contents is included.  There’s a two-page introduction on the author by an unidentified Time-Life editor.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       5½ Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Reference & Science

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: Bizarre Events That Have Puzzled the Greatest Minds

Written by Joel Levy

SUMMARY:

Published by Metro Books in 2016, this 224-page softcover examines a cross-section of thirty-nine historical enigmas from around the globe.  Some of these mysteries are well-documented; others are comparatively obscure to the mainstream public.  With updated information likely culled from the internet, author/researcher Joel Levy reviews each peculiar incident.  He supplements each chapter with color and/or black-and-white photos and illustrations.  Divided into four sections, the chapters are:

SECTION 1: MYSTERIOUS PLACES

Atlantis; Stonehenge; The Nasca Lines; Easter Island; Rosslyn Chapel. El Dorado; The Oak Island Money Pit; The Winchester Mystery House; and Rennes-le-Château.

SECTION 2: UNSOLVED EVENTS

The Missing Army of Cambyses; The Lost Colony of Roanoke; The Amber Room; (Life and Death of) Kaspar Hauser; The Mary Celeste; The Eilean Mor lighthouse keepers; The Tunguska Event; Amelia Earhart; The Bermuda Triangle; the Tamam Shud murder; D.B. Cooper; and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight M370.

SECTION 3: STRANGE SIGHTINGS

Spring-Heeled Jack; The Devil’s Footprints; the Third Secret of Fatima; The Loch Ness Monster; UFO’s and Area 51; Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and The Yeti; the Wow! signal from outer space; Weeping and Bleeding Statues; Phantom Big Cats; Crop Circles; and Ghost and Spirit Orbs.

SECTION 4:

The Fuente Magna Bowl; The Phaistos Disk; The Ark of the Covenant; The Baghdad Battery; The Antikythera Mechanism; The Turin Shroud; and The Voynich Manuscript.

REVIEW:

To the author’s credit, he doesn’t sensationalize his subject matter as tabloid fodder.  The book is part history lesson; part analysis; and a welcome helping of common sense/deductive reasoning, when applicable.  As with the Bermuda Triangle chapter, purported suspicions of supernatural phenomenon give way to reasonable guesswork re: why some planes and sea vessels fell victim decades ago to bad luck in this Caribbean section of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Levy relays other instances of published fiction and/or confirmed/suspected fraud co-mingling with historical fact that helped perpetuate some of these pop culture mysteries (i.e. the lighthouse keepers and The Loch Ness Monster). In addition to summarizing a case’s scientific aspects (as applicable), he also offers a fair degree of skeptical conjecture. Case in point: Levy acknowledges that Plato might well have been invented mythical Atlantis as a fable of sorts vs. actually learning of its ancient existence. 

For the most part, Levy’s conversational text is a easy single read (i.e. for an airport layover) for adults.  Its fair amount of depth makes his book appropriate for as young as middle schoolers – it’d make a good reference for potential research projects.  The bottom line is that Levy isn’t hawking sci-fi/fantasy pulp or controversial angles re: religious theory.  His Unsolved Mysteries is a decent option for curious armchair detectives, who should likely find these topics of varying interest.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Levy provides a brief introduction.  With each chapter, he briefly describes some of the more outlandish theories circulating on these topics.  Also, there’s a further reading list, index, and a photo credits page.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:               6½ Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books)

WHO WAS BLACKBEARD?

Written by James Buckley Jr. & Illustrated by Joseph J.M. Qiu

SUMMARY:

Published in 2015 by Scholastic, Inc., this 105-page biography reveals the life story of infamous 18th Century pirate ‘Blackboard,’ whose real name may have been Edward Teach.  In addition to Blackbeard’s history as an outlaw, an overview of sea piracy is incorporated.  Blackbeard’s legacy in terms of contributing to pop culture movies is also mentioned.  This book is extensively illustrated with pencil sketches.   

REVIEW:

This intriguing biography faces an awkward dilemma: explaining the pirate’s notoriety and ultimately gruesome fate without being too explicit.  To writer James Buckley Jr.’s credit, he manages the task of describing Blackbeard’s violent last duel, but the details might still be too much for immature readers.  The sketch illustrations provide just enough depth to be helpful in visualizing the text better.  For the purpose of preparing a school book report, a historical essay, or even a biographical presentation, Who Was Blackbeard? makes a solid choice for fourth and fifth graders.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There are timelines of Blackbeard’s life and world history during his lifetime.  A short bibliography acknowledges that two of the six books referenced are kid-friendly choices for further reading.

ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                  6½ Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books General Non-Fiction History & Biographies (Books)

WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?

Written by Roberta Edwards & Illustrated by John O’Brien

SUMMARY:

Published by Scholastic, Inc., this 106-page biography covers the biography of the 44th U.S. President.  His life before the presidency is covered, as well as Obama’s first term.  Apparently, the book was initially published in 2010 and later updated re: his 2012 re-election.  This book is extensively illustrated with sketch illustrations.    

REVIEW:

Writer Roberta Edwards does a commendable job, as this biography’s text delivers more depth than expected.  The book, unfortunately, is sabotaged by cartoony (and often sloppy) illustrations, in spite of a terrific cover image.  Despite inexplicably amateurish visuals, Who is Barack Obama? makes a solid reading choice for the elementary school crowd.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There are timelines of Obama’s life and world history during his lifetime.  A short bibliography acknowledges that two of the five books referenced are kid-friendly choices for further reading.

ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                                   6 Stars