Wings Of Morning – Thomas Childers, 1995 ★★

"A Very Unnatural Way to Live"

Bomber duty in World War II left a particularly grim shadow. For those who served, life ground down into long stretches of tedium jabbed by bursts of tension and fear; and occasionally a hard, fiery death. The utter randomness of it all, dropping bombs on unseen targets and being potted at by flak guns, must have been cosmically unsettling. Its sense of absurdity would be encapsulated in a novel written by one bombardier veteran called Catch-22.

Rum Punch – Elmore Leonard, 1992 ★★★★

The Ups and Downs of Playing to Type

There is a pernicious notion I want to stomp out every time I scan Elmore Leonard novel reviews on Amazon.com: that each book of his is like every other, an interchangeable collection of hard guys and clever women who say funny things while circling each other like sharks looking for an opening to a big score.

Cobb: A Biography – Al Stump, 1994 ★★½

Printing the Legend

In a sport that attracts difficult personalities, Tyrus Raymond Cobb stands alone. He abused teammates, punched out umpires, spiked opponents, waded through a crowd to thrash a disabled fan, and showcased a hatred for black people so vicious it upset his fellow whites even in a more racist time.

The Pickwick Papers – Charles Dickens, 1836-37 ★★★★

Where's the Love for Mr. Pickwick?

Few novelists burst out of the gate with such energy and creativity, or garner such immediate popular acclaim, as did Charles Dickens. Reading The Pickwick Papers makes the case for instant greatness. It remains a marvel in terms of distance traveled, people met, and milieus satirized.

The Passion Of Fulton Sheen – D. P. Noonan, 1972 ★

Enough of Fulton, Let's Talk about Me!

A challenge in writing these reviews is making it about the matter in hand, and not my feelings about a particular subject. It’s a challenge Rev. D. P. Noonan doesn’t just fail but blows completely past in this, his book-long review of the life of one of a man once widely known as “God’s press agent.”

The Negotiator – Frederick Forsyth, 1989 ★★

A Plot that Got Away

What happens when dark forces buried deep inside the leadership of two superpowers simultaneously plot to take control of the world’s major oil producers? The same thing that happens when an author pushes a yarn too convoluted and ambitious for his own good: total chaos.

Frederick Forsyth stood atop the world of airplane thrillers back when people still read books on planes. His prior novels topped bestseller lists and won over critics for their clever construction and daunting predicaments. What to do for an encore? How about a story involving the end of Glasnost, invasions of both Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the kidnapping of the President’s son?

Does this thing go to 11?

Movie Stars, Real People, And Me – Joshua Logan, 1978 ★★

Hollywood Tell-All, Take Two

Joshua Logan forged a successful career repurposing the tried-and-true into fresh entertainments. Here we get to see him work the same crafty mojo on himself.

Two years after publishing his show-business memoir, Josh: My Up And Down, In And Out Life, the celebrated producer-director returned in 1978 with another show-business memoir. This time, his focus is on anecdotes about Hollywood’s rich and famous; actors like Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Bette Davis; producers like Sam Goldwyn; directors like Mel Brooks.

Even Princess Margaret puts in an appearance. What’s not to love?