Category: History & Biographies (Books)

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

GUNMAN’S RHAPSODY

Written by Robert B. Parker

SUMMARY:

Released by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in 2001, this 290-page hardcover is novelist Robert B. Parker’s fictional take on Wyatt Earp and the circumstances relating to the ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.’ 

Specifically, Parker explores Earp’s 1879-1882 stint in Tombstone, Arizona, and his half-century romance with Josephine Marcus.  After staring down notorious Texas hardcase Clay Allison, Dodge City lawman Wyatt Earp’s epiphany has him joining his family’s journey to seek their fortunes in far-off Tombstone.  Coming with him from Kansas is Mattie Blaylock, whom Wyatt deems more as an expendable housemaid rather than his common-law spouse using his surname. 

Soon enchanted by a young actress, Josephine “Josie” Marcus – the fiancée of Tombstone political hustler Johnny Behan, Wyatt (and, by extension, his brothers) encounter the grim local repercussions of pursuing this romance.  Once Wyatt and Josie’s extramarital relationship becomes public knowledge, it appears that, off-screen, a vengeful Sheriff Behan is subtly raising the town’s hot-as-hell temperatures by rallying the local rustlers to his side.  Once push ultimately comes to shoot, the Earp Brothers and John Henry “Doc” Holliday reciprocate with October 1881’s deadly gunfight, in proximity to the O.K. Corral.

After Virgil and Morgan Earp are each targeted for cowardly assassination, the laconic gambler/lawman recruits his own posse to avenge his brother Morgan’s cold-blooded homicide to the very end.  Even Josie, who had once prodded Wyatt into promising that he wouldn’t kill Behan, now urges him to make a definitive, and, if necessary, lethal stand.  With once supposed friends now his sworn enemies, Wyatt Earp relentlessly pursues his personal form of justice.

Note: This title is also available in paperback and digital formats.

REVIEW:

While countless novelists have glamorized or debunked the Wyatt Earp myth, Robert B. Parker imagines Earp’s controversial stint in Tombstone as a deadly love triangle.  Unlike Loren D. Estleman’s gritty sensory overload in 1987’s Bloody Season, Parker spends little time on Tombstone’s rival faction theory: the lawmen/gamblers vs. the local rustlers/frontier mobsters.  Without ever showing Johnny Behan masterminding any criminal schemes from the shadows, Parker’s narrative is built around Wyatt and Behan’s feud over Josephine Marcus.  Everything else essentially becomes collateral damage.   

Short of placing the mythical, long-barreled Buntline Special in Wyatt’s hands, Parker imbues his monosyllabic Earp as an Old West super-vigilante (minus a mask and cape).  Such a clichéd depiction – mirroring both Kevin Costner’s 1994 film and 1993’s Tombstone – is sufficient for Western action fare relying upon minimal character depth and generally superficial adherence to historical reality.  The macho action-romance powering Gunman’s Rhapsody, therefore, is straight from the same genre playbook that Zane Grey, William W. Johnstone, & Louis L’Amour famously utilized. 

Most impressively, Parker conveys perhaps the most plausible explanation (fiction or otherwise) as to Wyatt’s depressing relationship with Mattie Blaylock Earp.  Suffice to say, Wyatt’s cold lack of compassion makes him an unsympathetic husband/protagonist – especially the multiple sex scenes Parker allots to Wyatt & Josie’s developing love story.    

Readers, however, should first be aware of all who’s who, as Parker depicts several subplots (i.e. the pursuit of the Bisbee hold-up thieves) before dropping them, with little or no warning.  Even for those already familiar with peripheral names (i.e. Ben Sippy, Dave Neagle, Billy Claiborne, Louisa Earp, etc.), it may seem odd how some of these historical participants are either briefly mentioned or otherwise ignored.  For instance, Parker oddly omits Billy Claiborne’s cowardly presence at the O.K. Corral.

As to the famous gunfight, Parker spends less than two pages sparsely describing the actual shootout.  Then, the novel’s final third accelerates through Virgil’s crippling injury, Morgan’s homicide, and Wyatt’s final showdowns several months later pitting him vs. “Curly” Bill Brocius and ultimately Johnny Ringo.  Come the end, Parker’s single-page epilogue quickly spells out various historical fates.  Yet, this last page is so lazily added on that it is actually his novel’s worst inclusion.

While Gunman’s Rhapsody concocts an entertaining read, it is by no means a game-changing account fictionalizing Wyatt Earp and his cronies against Tombstone’s conniving forces of evil.  Yet, for those who desiring a spirited successor to Zane Grey & Louis L’Amour, then Parker’s novel hits its target almost dead on.

Note: As a suggestion, playing either the Tombstone or Wyatt Earp film soundtracks in the background adds some worthwhile mood enhancement.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Along with a dedication to his wife, the author quotes Faust’s Marlowe as a prelude to the novel’s interpretation of the controversial Wyatt Earp/Josephine Marcus romance. 

As sporadic interludes, Parker includes ‘news bulletins’ from the year in question to provide some historical context.  It isn’t specified whether Parker is summarizing actual 19th Century newspaper accounts or even possibly that he quoting them verbatim.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         6 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels General Fiction History & Biographies (Books)

THE KILLER ANGELS

Written by Michael Shaara

SUMMARY:

First published in 1974 by David McKay Company, Inc., Michael Shaara penned this 374-page hardcover depicting the four days (June 30-July 3, 1863) encompassing the Battle of Gettysburg.  Starting on June 30th, a confederate spy delivers reliable word to General James Longstreet that Union cavalry has reached Gettysburg nearby, which infers its far larger infantry isn’t far behind.  General Robert E. Lee is skeptical, as he hasn’t received confirmation from General J.E.B. Stuart, who is evidently still roaming in the field somewhere. 

Meanwhile, at Gettysburg, Union General John Buford grimly concludes securing the best available high ground is his outmatched cavalry’s sole option until reinforcements arrive the next morning.  Complicating the Union’s predicament is a change in command to the starchy General Meade, which fails to boost morale.  Advised of this unexpected command shift, the Confederacy senses a historic opportunity to exploit vulnerable gaps amidst Meade’s reorganization of Union forces.

Told through rotating perspectives, the battle commences early on July 1st, as Buford’s troops barely withstand Lee’s initial strike.  The Union is soon stunned by the abrupt death of its best field general.  With the Union struggling to muster adequate leadership, the Confederacy seemingly wins the first day of the bloody engagement. 

Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s regiment from Maine joins in on the second day, as the Union defiantly refuses to budge any further.  Lee remains intent on keeping the Union Army’s largest force pinned down.  His endgame for the Confederacy is to discreetly breach Washington, D.C., to pressure President Lincoln into ordering the Union’s surrender.   

Heavy losses continue mounting on both sides, which later reveal an estimated near-50,000 casualties combined, making it the Civil War’s deadliest conflict.  Longstreet increasingly urges a tactical retreat, which conflicts with Lee’s wavering ‘now or never’ strategy.  Finally acknowledging bitter reality, Lee’s depleted forces withdraw on July 3rd.  Though the war would rage for nearly two more years, its ominous pendulum has at last shifted come Independence Day, 1863.    

Shaara’s novel inspired the faithful 1993 epic film adaptation, Gettysburg.

Notes: This title has also been released in paperback.  Please also be advised of some racial slurs appearing in the dialogue.

REVIEW:

Michael Shaara’s poignant, well-researched account is an intriguing cross-section of gritty fact and historical romanticism.  He describes the battlefield’s scenery, as well as the various soldiers, down to every last vivid and/or bleak detail.  Readily acknowledging that he has tweaked the manner of speech for contemporary audiences, Shaara’s ensemble cast is relatable as down-to-earth mortals that most anyone can identify with.  To Shaara’s credit, virtually no one becomes a walking cliché.  Case in point: the sole person remotely vilified is an arrogant Confederate General that even his own superiors don’t like.

Trading off narratives are primarily Longstreet and Chamberlain representing moral compasses on opposing sides.  Buford is later supplanted by Lee as Shaara’s strongest supporting role.  Curiously, Shaarra relies on further ‘accounts’ by other Confederates (i.e. Lewis Armistead, Harrison the spy, & British observer Fremantle), but not from the Union. 

Hence, the novel’s sole letdown is not incorporating supplemental POV’s (no matter how brief) from Generals Hancock or Reynolds, let alone the bewildered ex-slave that Chamberlain encounters on Day 2.  Such additional perspectives would have further enhanced the novel’s readability.  Inevitably delving into outright gore, Shaara’s precise storytelling translates the battle’s tragedies as an increasingly horrific event that will forever haunt its survivors. 

Ultimately, a convincing argument can be made that The Killer Angels is the best Civil War novel ever written.  One may ponder Shaara’s accuracy channeling the Battle of Gettysburg’s various historical figures; yet, one is left concluding that he is likely close enough.      

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Shaara’s brief word to the reader spells out his intent interpreting these historical figures.  A somber foreword introduces the novel’s most pivotal players, and, fittingly, an afterword briefly describes the survivors’ destinies.  Shaara includes a series of single-page maps updating troop tactical movements.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  9 Stars

Note: Randy Edelman’s Gettysburg soundtrack might be an ideal accompaniment.

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 Fiction History & Biographies (Books) Westerns

BLOODY SEASON

Written by Loren D. Estleman

SUMMARY:

Bantam Books released the original 231-page hardcover in 1988.  Told partially out of sequence, Bloody Season is a fictionalized retelling of events surrounding the fateful shootout in Tombstone, Arizona the afternoon of October 26, 1881.  Popularly dubbed ‘The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,’ personal elements from the participants’ lives, their spouses, and relevant associates are threaded into the narrative.

Part 1: “Fly’s Alley” depicts the day of the fatal showdown.  Subsequently, the fallout leads to the Earp Brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, & Morgan) and ‘Doc’ John Holliday facing legal consequences in a Tombstone courtroom.  Part 2 is “The Transaction,” goes back several months to an attempted stagecoach robbery and a double-murder.  Not only are at least three of the Clanton gang’s associates implicated, so is Holliday, in this botched hold-up.  Wyatt’s shady deal with informant Ike Clanton to capture the killers ultimately blows up in both of their faces.  This section comes full circle to the morning of the shootout, as “Fly’s Alley” sequentially occurs next.

Part 3 is “San Pedro,” as the controversial acquittal of Holliday and the Earps sets in motion a deadly game of retribution.  The near-assassination of Virgil and later Morgan’s brutal homicide precipitates the climatic Part Four: “The Pallbearers.”  Despite Sheriff Johnny Behan’s motley posse threatening pursuit, Wyatt leads his ‘vendetta ride’ targeting the Clantons and their outlaw associates, including “Curly” Bill Brocius and enigmatic John Ringo.  The book concludes the saga with historic details about the later lives and fates of the various survivors.              

Notes: This title is available in both hardcover and paperback editions.  As an advisory, Estleman’s raw dialogue includes two recurring racial slurs (the ‘n-word’ is one of them) – suffice to say, these slurs don’t improve his storytelling.

REVIEW:

Make no mistake: Loren D. Estleman pitches this ultra-familiar tale as high-caliber historical fiction rather than rehashed Old West pulp.  Unlike the Hollywood romanticism that films like Tombstone and Wyatt Earp convey, Bloody Season doesn’t glamorize anything — it spells out dirty frontier machismo.  Estleman’s intriguing prose describes various shootouts, ambushes, etc. in near-poetic fashion vs.  mere shoot-em-up recreations.  As with Virgil Earp’s near-murder, readers might pause before realizing what has now just transpired.  Once the author pours on the grisly medical jargon, the imagery becomes cringe-worthy at times. 

Besides the port-mortem sequences, this aspect is best found in Estleman’s talent for conjuring up vivid sensory details – as author Elmore Leonard’s appraisal aptly puts it: “you’re there.  It’s so real that you can even smell the horses!”  Working off a palate of various shades of gray, Estleman’s grittiness surpasses the genre standards of Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour.  Yet, reminiscent of Larry McMurtry’s knack for storytelling depth, he also ensures that correct history meshes well with entertainment value. 

Case in point: there’s seemingly insignificant dialogue about a calico bonnet vs. a lace bonnet from Virgil Earp’s wife, Allie, in the minutes after his near-assassination in December 1881.  Though she likely didn’t make this statement at that exact time, it corresponds with her reminiscences about an argument she once had with Virgil, as quoted in Frank Waters’ The Earp Brothers of Tombstone.  Hence, as acknowledged in his post-script, Estleman makes an effort at plausibly honoring the known speech patterns/statements of these historical figures.  His narrative also wisely sticks to focused plotting vs. delving into too much detail re: local politics and name-dropping too many cronies. 

As he does in Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, ‘Doc’ Holliday’s cantankerous presence predictably steals the show.  It’s no wonder why Estleman saves revealing Holliday’s destiny for last in the finale.  As for Wyatt Earp, Estleman’s semi-generic take isn’t that of a stalwart legend-in-the-making.  Instead, Estleman’s Wyatt comes off, like Virgil and Morgan, as all too believably mortal, in spite of his fearlessly superhuman luck. 

Estleman further incorporates biographical depth for his expansive cast, including ‘Big Nose’ Kate Fisher, Josephine ‘Sadie’ Marcus, and John Ringo, fleshing them out as people vs. shallow-as-cardboard supporting players.  Hence, the Earp wives and Kate Fisher receive their just due as the long-suffering heart and backbone of the Earp-Holliday faction.

Ultimately, the author’s due diligence matters; it’s what really makes Bloody Season a satisfying read.  Aside from some nasty dialogue, it’s an ideal compromise between the history section and Westerns at the bookstore. 

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Included in Chapter 20 is a glimpse at present-day Tombstone, as if it’s haunted by legend.  It isn’t lost on Estleman how the town, in search of the almighty tourist dollar, shamelessly thrives on its old infamy.  Estleman’s 1986 post-script is insightful, as he acknowledges that his novel is indeed “fiction based on fact.” Further,he makes clear that Bloody Season isn’t meant as hero worship; rather, he calls it an effort to reach the Old West that Wyatt Earp and his contemporaries inhabited.     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           8 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels History & Biographies (Books) Movies & Television (Books) THREE STOOGES-Related

I STOOGED TO CONQUER: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE LEADER OF THE THREE STOOGES

Written by Moe Howard

SUMMARY:

Moe Howard’s posthumous memoir was first published in 1977 by Citadel Press as “Moe Howard & the 3 Stooges.”  This updated 241-page edition was released by Chicago Review Press in 2013.  Besides the sly title change (to one Moe evidently preferred), this update swaps out and/or shrinks several photos from the first book.  As before, all photos are in black-and-white.  Also, Moe’s daughter, Joan Howard Maurer, provides a foreword, as she had helped complete the manuscript following his death in mid-1975.

Moe recounts his immigrant family’s humble life in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, including anecdotes of his and older brother Shemp’s shared penchant for troublemaking.  In addition to revealing why he first got his trademark bowl cut, Moe discusses his stints as a child film actor and working professionally onstage in his teens. 

From starting in vaudeville with Shemp to working for childhood friend Ted Healy, Moe describes the Stooges’ evolution from Healy’s low-paid sidekicks to achieving their own stardom at Columbia Pictures for a quarter-century and beyond.  With gradual changes in the trio’s line-up (including why younger brother Jerome, aka ‘Curly,’ replaced Shemp and later vice-versa), Moe’s narrative continues through to early 1975, including his activities in retirement. 

REVIEW:

It’s an undemanding read for those who prefer a loose overview vs. detailed accounts.  Moe shares several terrific anecdotes, but there’s scant details re: his fellow Stooges outside of work. 

Other than briefly explaining why the trio twice broke up with Healy, Moe rarely dishes dirt, so to speak.  Presumably, this classy gesture is meant to guard his family and friends’ privacy, so other biographical sources are necessary for a fuller account of the Stooges’ show biz history – for instance, The Three Stooges Scrapbook (co-authored by Moe’s daughter) would be an ideal supplement.  Still, Moe’s humble memoir proves a fun and endearing experience for Stooge fans, preferably for ages 12+. 

Parental Notes: Young readers might need clarification of some vaudeville terminology – specifically, the difference between ‘whiteface’ and ‘blackface’ acts.  Also, the ‘n-word’ twice appears in an early 1930’s racist incident Moe describes.  Specifically, Moe is quoting a Jacksonville, FL theater manager, who angrily fires them for Moe’s friendly interaction with an African-American passerby.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

From the Stooges’ films, stage work, promos, and Moe’s home life, there’s innumerable photos. Joan Howard Maurer’s insightful and poignant foreword expresses more of her dad’s sentimentality than he himself was willing to admit.  She also acknowledges that a few details in the book’s original text are incorrect.  For instance, she specifies the year (1928, not 1925) and location re: when Ted Healy first recruited Larry Fine into the act at a Chicago nightclub. 

Like its previous version, the book includes an afterword acknowledging Moe’s passing before his memoir was completed.  There’s also a full Stooges filmography and an index.    

Note: Moe’s text claims that, he, too, was present when first meeting Larry, but other reliable sources (i.e. The Three Stooges Scrapbook) state that Shemp was there with Healy (without Moe).     

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        7 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

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

WHERE IS ALCATRAZ?

Written by Nico Medina & Illustrated by David Groff

SUMMARY:

Published in 2016 by Scholastic, Inc., this 108-page historical account explains the origin of Alcatraz Island dating back to its first known settlers.  Author Nico Medina explores Alcatraz’s evolution into a prison facility and its notoriety up through its status as a present-day tourist attraction.  Alcatraz’s occasional presence in films is also briefly mentioned.  This book is extensively illustrated with David Groff’s pencil sketches.   

REVIEW:

The author, Nico Medina, impressively provides more depth than one might expect, in terms of its notorious prisoners (i.e. Al Capone) and little-known facts (i.e. how families of guards once lived on the island).  Inevitably, Medina covers the various escape attempts with sufficient details without being too graphic re: violent content.  Yet, what really completes this book as an educational package is that artist David Groff’s sketch illustrations are superb.  Where is Alcatraz? makes an excellent teaching tool, primarily for fourth and fifth graders. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There’s a helpful flip-side insert: one side has four color photos and the other side is a color map of Alcatraz Island, as it is situated in San Francisco Bay.  There are timelines of Alcatraz & San Francisco, as well as world history between 8000 B.C. and 1973.  A short bibliography offers eight books for further reading, though none of them are recommended as kid-friendly.

ROSCOE’S ODD MOON RATING:                          8½ Stars

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

WILD BILL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE AMERICAN FRONTIER’S FIRST GUNFIGHTER

Written by Tom Clavin

SUMMARY:

Released in 2019 by St. Martin’s Griffin, this 333-page softcover is a biography of “Wild” Bill Hickok.  The prologue recounts Hickok’s July 1865 duel with Davis Tutt in Springfield, Missouri.  The author then explores Hickok’s lineage dating back centuries before moving on to his youth and pre-Civil War adulthood.  Including his friendships with “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, Hickok’s life as an Union Army scout/spy receives extensive attention, as does his growing (and self-promoted) fame as a frontier lawman/gambler. 

After a tragic incident effectively ends Hickok’s career in law enforcement, readers learn more of his aborted run as a stage actor.  With his health and future options dwindling, the end of Hickok’s mercurial life is explored.  In addition to his alcoholism, the author examines Hickok’s only confirmed marriage and a less-than-romantic reality disproving his alleged fling with Calamity Jane.  The epilogue reveals the fates of significant individuals in Hickok’s life who outlived him.    

REVIEW:

To author Tom Clavin’s credit, he is rightfully skeptical re: many (but not all) of Hickok’s superhuman exploits that enthralled gullible admirers in his own lifetime.  Relying upon a solid bibliography, Clavin delivers a mostly plausible account of Hickok’s controversial life.  Clavin occasionally sidetracks re: peripheral participants, but he manages to resume his entertaining narrative without much strain. 

The sole oddity is that some documented incidents from Hickok’s life (i.e. a saloon brawl/shoot-out vs. two members of the Seventh Cavalry) are omitted while others (i.e. various other frontier shooting and scouting incidents) are inserted.  Of particular interest are glimpses of Hickok’s poorly-spelled correspondence with his family and later his wife, which reveal the frontier legend’s intriguingly sentimental side. 

Yet, Clavin’s best segment discusses Hickok’s premonition of his own imminent death in August 1876.  Evidently sensing days and likely weeks before that some unknown threat would finally gun him down, an aging Hickok’s decision-making (as if waiting for the inevitable) makes for an engrossing read.  While Clavin’s effort might not be the best-ever Hickok biography, Wild Bill will likely be the definitive one for this generation.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

There’s a sixteen-page black-and-white photo section, plus some additional black-and-white portraits interspersed of Hickok.  Included is an author’s note, acknowledgments, bibliography, and index.  A 11-page chapter entitled “The Fight’s Commenced” previews Clavin’s next book: Tombstone, which is set for release in April 2020.  The last page is a head shot of Clavin and his paragraph-length bio.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                            8 Stars