Reviews and Comments

As the title would imply, this book displays its outrage like an outlawed Puerto Rican flag during the days of the infamous Gag Law. It includes detailed accounts of the many acts of heroism and defiance on the part of the island's Nationalists, as well as the brutality of the U.S. response. The history of Puerto Rico's colonial exploitation is also explored at length. If you're Puerto Rican, you'll come away from this book both informed and angry.

I bought this book for the title comic, but it contains many more, all of which make for an engaging read. "Your Black Friend" is written from the point of view of a Black man trying to clue his White friends in on their often inadvertent racist behavior. Other features make the case for anarchy versus pacificism, as well as questioning the effectiveness of non-violent protest. This is not a "Peanuts" anthology.

I rushed to finish this book a few days before this week's inauguration, and I'm glad I did. Having grown up in New York during the 70s, Trump's racism and sketchy business practices were already well-known to me, but"Crime in Progress" opened my eyes to his vulnerability to Russian money, and, by extension, to Russian influence. The reality of Trump's exposure should have rendered him unfit to hold any office, let alone that of U.S. President. Instead, I relived the horror Fusion GPS must have experienced when the worst possible scenario became our daily reality, and no amount of urgency - or the weight of credible evidence - could sway a gullible public or the momentum of a compromised Republican party. This book would be a cautionary tale if we had not already lived the nightmare once. I hope we don't get fooled again.

I initially rated this book only 3 stars because I thought the last ten years of Alex's life were covered sparingly, but it occurred to me that Alex viewed it much the same way. He was no longer striving, but gliding, and who could blame him.

That aside, this biography digs back to the first Chiltons landing in Virginia in the 17th century and draws a line to his youth and sudden fame in Memphis. It celebrates his genius and marvels at how it was squandered on booze and cigarettes and fell prey to the whims of the record industry. Ultimately Alex lived and died on his own terms, and we have his music - and this biography - to tell the tale.

As the title suggests, this is a story about a world that is about to endure irrevocable changes. The main character in particular, a self-made man with many honors but at least as many flaws, is pushed to the breaking point, with heartbreaking results. Chinua Achebe's prose is eloquent, steeping us in the culture of this Nigerian tribe as if we are invited guests. This is a novel I will likely read more than once.

"Soldiers of Salamis" is a demanding yet ultimately satisfying read, split up into 3 long chapters and written in Javier Cercas' trademark expansive prose. The first two chapters detail the literary and political career of Rafael Sánchez Mazas, focusing on the fateful day he was to be executed toward the end of the Spanish Civil War. As we learn early on, Sánchez Mazas escapes the firing squad but is discovered by an enemy soldier, who inconceivably turns and walks away, allowing him to go free. The third chapter focuses not so much on the "why" of this unlikely turn of events, but rather the "who", and sends the author on a riveting journey - with surprising results. It's this chapter that elevates this non-fiction from historic tome to gripping literature.