BOOKS THREAD

Just curious, but why?

 

That's a good question, Pilot. I've been told that rather than simply putting out a paperback, Doubleday is going to re-launch the book -- changing the sales pitch from "serious, sciency hardcover" to "ripping adventure yarn that will fit in your back pocket!"

There's also some film rights weirdness in there somewhere.

Anyway, I don't entirely understand. It's a strange business.

 

My first foray onto this board. I will talk about two books that have already been mentioned but not expounded upon. I read both of them this week since I don't have the cable or Internet hooked up at my new place.

"My Losing Season" by Pat Conroy chronicles his senior year at The Citadel, where he played on the basketball team and turned out to be the that season's MVP. It is a terrific memoir, brings into focus some of the real-life characters that dot the landscapes of "The Lords of Discipline" and "The Great Santini." It turns out Conroy actually dialed it back a little when writing the fictional version of his dad, if you can believe it. He captures the singular feeling of being a part of a team, for better or worse. The book's drawback is Conroy's continual self-deprecation, which comes off not as humility but an utter lack of self-confidence. He puts himself down as a player, practically apologizes for ever touching a basketball, when it seemed somewhat apparent that he could ball, at least in the Southern Conference of the time.

"Far Afield" by S.L. Price only cements him in my mind as the best writer at Sports Illustrated. Despite Gary Smith's prowess, I've always felt that Price was the more honest writer with just as good a mastery of the language. His lead on the George Weah feature "A Good Man in Africa" remains the best I've read in a magazine. Price's second book is an introspective work that chronicles his year in the south of France, covering sports across the pond. Interesting story: the France assignment came as a concession from SI, which offered Price whatever he wanted after he announced that he was thinking of becoming the lead sports columnist at the Chicago Tribune. Lots of personal stuff about Price, his relationship with his parents, wife and kids that could be distracting if it catches you by surprise. Very well written, though.

 

This sounds absolutely fascinating. Once I finish Caro's "Path to Power", I've got to find this one.

My wife just bought "Sin in the Second City" by Karen Abbott. It's about the Everleigh Sisters, who ran a profitable and posh brothel in late 19th century Chicago.

I read this about 6 months ago. Good, good read. You're going to hate his coach.

 

I think you will absolutely love Dark Horse, Birdscribe. In some ways, it is very similiar to the other book I recently mentioned on here, Mutual Contempt. Dark Horse is really seen through the prism of the bitter rivarly/feud between Conkling and James G. Blaine (and had we had SJ 1879, I'm sure Fenian would have chimed in with, "Continental Liar from the State of Maine!") Conkling and Blaine were probably destined to hate each other, but all it took was one otherwise forgettable exchange between the two on the floor of the U.S. House when Blaine referred to Conkling's "turkey gobbler strut," and the two became fierce enemies. Not only was Conkling deeply committed to getting Grant nominated for a third term, he was just as committed to seeing that Blaine was not the nominee in 1880. And Blaine was just as deeply committed to seeing that Conkling did not run the party. When Garfield selected Blaine to be his Secretary of State -- in no small part because Blaine released his delegates to the Garfield forces in order to defeat Grant and Conkling -- he had cast his lot with the Half-Breeds and set everything in motion, including his death.

 

Conkling, I believe, froze to death in Manhattan in the middle of a blizzard.

 

He did. He walked two miles in 75 mph winds, zero degree temperatures and chest-high snow. His dazzling intellect was only equaled by his stubborness to the point of stupidity.

 

Both Conkling and Arthur have statues in Madison Square Park in NYC.

Conkling's, IIRC, does not feature him waist-deep in snow.

 

If anyone is interested in Canadian politics, I just finished reading Fights of Our Lives:Elections, Leaderships and the Making of Canada by political insider John Duffy (there are ties to the Liberal party).
He keys in on the five most important elections in Canada and how people voted the way they did. The Trudeau/Clark and Turner/Mulroney/Broadbent elections are the most interesting ones to read about in this book.

A must read if you want to know how our electorate and political system ticks and learn about the backroom politics that takes place in Canada.

 

Speaking of Canada and the terrific book culture in the great city of Toronto:

http://www.thestar.com/Special/article/246308

Loved this story.

 

I just finished Jonesy's book. Out-fucking-standing.

I'm now starting The Bronx Is Burning.

 

I just finished "Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent" by Larry Berman. While I enjoyed it, I found it bogged down with too many details of various battles in the war. I've read a lot about the Vietnam War and I felt such detail was done better elsewhere. I felt like it never got into the details of An's life in Vietnam as much as I would have liked it to.

I started "Pistol" last night and am annoyed at a mistake Kriegel made. Several times, he refers to Press Maravich's half brothers as his stepbrothers. He clearly writes that they had the same mother, so they're halfs, not steps. Small detail, but it irks me.

Has anyone ever read Pete Axthelm's "The City Game"? It's been on my list for years and was wondering if anyone had thoughts on it.