No Bull: From the Bush to the Baggy Green, by Andy Bichel

No Bull: From the Bush to the Baggy Green, by Andy Bichel,

(Sydney, Australia: ABC Books; 2009), 246 pages.

No Bull is a light and breezy account of Andy Bichel’s life as a cricket player. The book is a recollection of the author’s rise from school boy player in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane Australia, through various State and national representative teams. The author recalls his struggles, as well as the help he received from kind souls along the way, and, once he reached the highest levels of the game, the difficulties he faced in staying competitive at that level.

Bichel’s book is an easy-going read, accessible to young and old alike, but, on balance, perhaps unlikely to hold much interest for people not interested in cricket, especially Australian cricket in the 1990’s and 2000’s. The most engaging aspect of Bichel’s book is his demonstration that success can come from persistence. Bichel was regularly disappointed when left out of the starting and touring line-ups of various teams. On the occasions when he was unexpectedly brought into the team due to another player suffering an injury, Bichel often had stand-out and match-winning performances. Bichel was persistent and patient so that when an opportunity came along, he made the most of it. This perhaps is the most compelling aspect of Bichel’s book: persistence, patience and opportunity, when combined, can produce outstanding, spectacular and often career-best results.

Sydney, Cipher and Search: Solving the Last Great Naval Mystery of the Second World War by Captain Peter Hore

Sydney, Cipher and Search: Solving the Last Great Naval Mystery of the Second World War, by Captain Peter Hore, (Naval Institute Press: 2009), 320 pages.

Captain Peter Hore has written, arguably, the definitive book on the “mystery” of the sinking of the Australian cruiser H.M.A.S. Sydney by the German raider Kormoran in November 1941 with the loss of all 645 hands. It has long been acknowledged that the Australian light cruiser H.M.A.S. Sydney was sunk by the German raider Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia. Survivors of the Kormoran (disabled in battle and subsequently scuttled) captured and interred in Australia reported individually to investigators that they engaged H.M.A.S. Sydney at a range of about half a mile, causing great destruction that eventually caused her to sink. The “mystery” referred to in the title is how the Kormoran, a converted freighter with guns and torpedo armaments equivalent to that of a cruiser, could cause the loss of the pride of the Australian navy with the loss of its entire crew. To his credit, Captain Hore presents all of the facts from primary sources, including some that he discovered, to explain what happened. Captain Hore's sources include re-constructed and newly translated (by the author) battle logs written in code in a German-English dictionary by the Kormoran’s captain; Australian, German and British naval archive material; the author's interviews of surviving Kormoran crew members in Germany and Chile; and photographic evidence of the wreck of H.M.A.S. Sydney, located for the first time in 2008.

Captain Hore’s book is neither emotional, nor accusatory; he neither evangelizes his reader to a particular explanation or theory, nor attributes either praise or blame to the crews of H.M.A.S. Sydney nor the Kormoran. Rather, he simply collects evidence from all sources to explain what happened and lets the facts speak for themselves. The facts are that H.M.A.S. Sydney failed to follow established naval wartime procedures for identifying suspicious freighters, and brought herself broadside to the Kormoran at a range of approximately half a mile. When H.M.A.S. Sydney (which was not at battle stations) challenged the Kormoran, the captain of the Kormoran removed her disguise, ran up her German flag and commenced firing on H.M.A.S. Sydney with all of her guns and torpedoes causing catastrophic damage that caused her loss, and the loss of all crew. H.M.A.S. Sydney’s counter fire disabled Kormoran, which her crew subsequently abandoned and scuttled. These facts were found to be consistent with photographs of the wreck of H.M.A.S. Sydney. Captain Hore’s book presents all of the known facts, which leaves this reader with the opinion that the Kormoran should be solemnly recognized as having achieved something quite extra-ordinary: this was a major success for the Kormoran – something never before achieved where a raider (a converted freighter with significant weaponry) sank a cruiser with the loss of all hands. Conversely, for H.M.A.S. Sydney, it was a complete and total disaster. What is not known, nor will ever likely to be known, is why H.M.A.S. Sydney’s captain disregarded established wartime naval procedures and placed his ship and the lives of all of the crew in such a vulnerable position.

Captain Hore has written a fine book that explains all of the facts on the loss of H.M.A.S. Sydney. The book reads like a novel: it is interesting and fast-paced mixing discovery, de-ciphering and code breaking, travel, and first person interviews on multiple continents. The final product is an excellent story accessible to both experienced armchair naval experts interested in relatively obscure naval battles, and civilians who simply enjoy a good story well written. At the same time, this book could rightly be considered the definitive or authoritative book on this subject, which in itself is quite an achievement.

Boomsday: A Novel by Christopher Buckley

Boomsday: A Novel, satirist Christopher Buckley, (New York: Hachette Book Group; 2007), 318 pages.

In Boomsday: A Novel, satirist Christopher Buckley turns his attention to the excesses of the baby boomer generation, and their negligent handling of the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare. Buckley’s book imagines an inter-generational public policy war between profligate, entitled, self-indulgent baby boomers and the younger generations that will be stuck with the bill for funding the ponzi schemes known as Social Security and Medicare. The major character in the novel is the aptly named Cassandra Devine, an exceptional student that gained admission to Yale, only to find out after her admission that her father had spent her tuition money on a business start-up, and that she would be forced to pay for college through joining the army. After a brief time in the army, and 10 years in Washington D.C. as a public relations specialist, Cassandra spends her nights as a blogger who campaigns against the excesses of the baby boomers. One night she suggests that baby boomers be given financial incentives to kill themselves by age 75 so as to save their country from the financial burden of caring for them. The idea catches on among the younger voters stuck will the bill for funding baby boomer Social Security and Medicare, and becomes a major public policy issue during a Presidential election.

Buckley’s well written satire again exposes the ridiculousness and comical ways in which Washington D.C. operates. Nonetheless, as entertaining as Buckley’s book is, we should ask ourselves what becomes of the chaos that the main character causes? What does she achieve by proposing such an outrageous policy that becomes the focus of an election campaign? Apart from creating chaos and humorous satire, Buckley seems to say that very little is resolved. Sure, there are interesting and outrageous political debates, and many conflicts and arguments, but in the end, the only thing that has improved is the career prospects of the participants while the issue of the solvency of the major entitlement programs is “kicked down the road.” Most of the characters have better jobs in the end. Perhaps the greatest irony is what happens to Cassandra: in the great tradition of solving political problems, she is appointed to the position of Commissioner for Social Security and thereby made responsible for the running of the system she vociferously opposed. The chief critic is made responsible for administering the system she criticized.

Buckley’s gift is his ability to shine a light on the looming financial calamity facing the U.S.A. in a quick-witted, humorous, and outrageous manner. He’s again written an enjoyable book that mocks American political institutions in a manner that only an insider can, while making “Cassandra-like” warnings of a potential fiscal calamity.

Final Impact by John Birmingham

Final Impact by John Birmingham, (New York: Random House; 2008), 413 pages.

Final Impact by John Birmingham is the third book in the series of three novels in the so-called “axis of time” series. The premise of the series could be summarized in the form of a question: “What do you get when a 2021 military experiment transports an American-led multinational naval armada `back through time to 1942, and relocates the armada to the middle of the U.S. naval task force heading towards Midway Island and the battle of Midway?” John Birmingham answers this question over the course of the three novels.

In Final Impact, the axis and allies make use of their acquired knowledge of the future to prosecute World War II to its conclusion. The impact is both significant and devastating. Each side develops more devastating weapons, such as the jet aircraft and a form of cruise missile, with the intent of using them to defeat their opponents. New military campaigns emerge in this new and alternative history: the Japanese are defeated at Hawaii and in other Pacific naval battles; and, the allies liberate Europe by an invasion started at Calais rather than Normandy. These changes from the history we know, while novel, do not change the result of the war with both Germany and Japan suffering crushing defeats at the hands of the allies; same result, but slightly different means.

Birmingham's clever and innovative series of novels is extremely engaging, fast paced and entertaining for all lovers of fiction, not just war buffs and technology and science fiction geeks. The major entertainment comes from what was once called "culture shock" of each of the peoples, in this case, the shock experienced by people from 2021 having to live and work during the Second World War, and the shock experienced by people from 1942 having to deal with the "more enlightened," "liberated," de-segregated, and “broad-minded” military personnel from the future. To each, the other appears barbaric and crude, but nonetheless hey put these differences aside for the purpose of achieving their goal of winning the war.

Final Impact is a fitting conclusion to the axis of time series. It's a more tightly written book when compared with its predecessors, with a greater emphasis on the tightness of the story with fewer detours down interesting subplots. Its a fine conclusion to the series and will inevitably leave the reader wanting more. One suspects that Birmingham will revive these characters some time in the future because they are simply too good to only be the protagonists in three books. We should all look forward to future installments.

Designated Targets by John Birmingham

Designated Targets by John Birmingham, (New York: Random House; 2005), 429 pages.

Designated Targets by John Birmingham is the second book in the series of three novels in the so-called “axis of time” series. The premise of the series could be summarized in the form of a question: “What do you get when a 2021 military experiment transports an American-led multinational naval armada `back through time to 1942, and relocates the armada to the middle of the U.S. naval task force heading towards Midway Island and the battle of Midway?” John Birmingham answers this question over the course of the three novels. The first novel covers the immediate impact of the emergence of the 2021 naval armada in 1942, and the race by allied and axis powers to apply the knowledge of the future, and “fast track new technologies.”

In this second volume the impact of the emergence of the technology and history from 2021 begins to change the course and prosecution of the war, and affect daily life. And why wouldn’t it: if you were engaged in a war and suddenly came into possession of weapons from the future and the history books from the future, wouldn’t you use these resources to your advantage? Much of this book focuses on this issue.

Armed with knowledge of weapons and technologies of the future, the axis and allies attempt to develop those weapons to ensure victory (in the case of the allies) and change the result (in the case of the axis).The race is then on the develop these new technologies before their time, weapons as varies such as the AK-47 through to the ultimate weapon, the atomic bomb. Savvy businessmen indentify sign up as then unknown musicians and actors that will in the future become stars. On the military and tactical level, we see a new history develop. It is new in that knowledge of future and its technologies changes the present. For example, we know from Weapons of Choice that the Battle of Midway die not occur. In Designated Targets, new campaigns emerge, like the Japanese invasion of Australia and later Hawaii, plus the important role of a ship from the future in protecting Great Britain from Axis invasion.

As this alternative history emerges, the reader must surely be asking, how this is all going to work out. Surely, he won’t let the axis nations get the atomic bomb before the allies? Things are now different: events that we know to occur have not occurred in this alternate history, and events in the alternate history only occurred there, not in reality, if you know what I mean. It also must raise in the reader’s mind the logical contradictions in alternative histories and time travel stories. Fortunately, Birmingham’s storytelling is so engaging, fast paced and action packed that we ignore the logical chasm over which be has built his story because it is such an interesting and fascinating story. Nonetheless we are left wondering that surely the allies must win? To his credit, Birmingham doesn’t let us know. The book is so engaging that we put aside all these concerns because we want to how the Second World War ends now that Birmingham has shaken everything up. Birmingham story creates a lot of interest in just how these events are going to play out, but to find out the answer, we have to read Birmingham’s conclusion to the series, Final Impact.

Schultz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis

Schultz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis (New York: Harper Collins; 2007), 655 pages.

David Michaelis’s Schultz and Peanuts: A Biography tells the story of the life of Charles Schultz, the cartoonist responsible for “Peanuts.” Like all biographers, Michaelis chronologically pieces together the life of Schultz, and appears to include all major milestones in his varied and successful life. Michaelis gives an extremely detailed account of his childhood, growing up as the son of a successful and respected barber in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Schultz spent most of his childhood in those cities, apart from a brief period when as a young child his family moved to Needles, California. He attended elementary and high school in Minneapolis, served in the United Stated Army in World War Two in the European theatre, attended art school and ultimately achieved his ambition to be a cartoonist through the newspaper syndication of “Peanuts,” an achievement that brought him considerable notoriety and financial success. Michaelis also provides us with detailed accounts of Schultz’s single and adult life in Minneapolis, Colorado, and later California. Michaelis gives very detailed accounts of his personal life including the death of his mother, his relationship with his father, his courtships, marriages, divorce, children, his illness and death. All such accounts are expected in biographies, however, Michaelis provides extraordinary detail and considerable insight to the reader as to what the influence of these events on Schultz and how they made them the man he was.

Michaelis achieves this on a number of levels. For example, he reveals how Schultz knew from a young age of his gift for drawing, and of his decision at a young age to establish a career as a cartoonist. What is notable is Schultz’s single-minded determination to achieve this goal, and, to continue in his chosen vocation throughout his life only to stop drawing prior to his death. Michaelis portrays Schultz as a single-minded, competitive and determined man.

Michaelis also reveals that Schultz’s life needed not be the subject of a biography because all of Schultz’s life had been revealed through the characters in “Peanuts.” Schultz’s loves, phobias, obsessions, fears, friends, relatives, and even his spouses are revealed through the characters in his cartoon strip. To demonstrate this point, Michaelis liberally sprinkles “Peanuts” cartoon strips through the book to demonstrate the point that Schultz used the experience of his life to form the characters of “Peanuts” and to establish their personalities and relationships. “Peanuts” is almost a metaphor of Schultz’s life. It is an effective and convincing effect that adds considerably to Michaelis’s narrative.

A third of many elements that Michaelis reveals about Schultz is his exceptional cartooning skill, including innovations that were instrumental in establishing him and propelling him to great success and accomplishment. An example of his innovation was his minimalist drawing style that focused just on the characters and their immediate surrounding, whereas his contemporaries used detailed shading with detailed backgrounds. Schultz other great innovation was to give adult personas and problems to his characters – small children. He later took this further by giving those attributes to the animal characters Snoopy and Woodstock.

A notable feature of Michaelis’s book it’s almost universally great and comprehensive detailed account of Schultz’s life, warts and all. Michaelis provides astonishingly exhaustive details of Schultz’s life from childhood through midlife. By comparison, the last 20 years of Schultz’s like are covered in much less detail; it’s almost a rushed-through light weight coverage of these latter years when compared with the rest of the book. This observable fact, perhaps pedantic, does not make the book flawed. Perhaps it’s a reflection that the most interesting part of a person’s life is the struggle to attain success, rather than continuing to do practice your success. Nonetheless, Michaelis has done a fine job in telling the story of a great American success. It’s a story of how a man from humble origins recognized his gift and through ambition and hard work became arguable the most successful and influential practitioner of is craft in his lifetime. In telling the story of Schultz’s remarkable life, Michaelis has written a remarkable book that for many years will be the definitive biography of Charles Schultz. That, too, is something quite remarkable.

Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham

Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham is the first in a series of three novels in the so-called “axis of time” series. The premise of the series could be summarized in the form of a question: “What do you get when a 2021 military experiment transports an American-led multinational naval armada `back through time to 1942, and relocates the armada to the middle of the U.S. naval task force heading towards Midway Island and the battle of Midway?” John Birmingham answers this question over the course of the three novels. In this first volume the story develops on a number of levels.

On the strategic level, the emergence in 1942 of a 2021 battle armada has the potential to vastly influence the conduct and result of World War II. The allies’ access to 2021 technology and 2021 history books enables the 1942 generation to learn from history by not making the mistakes that are yet to occur, so to speak, thereby changing the course of history. The same occurs with Germany, Japan, and (a temporarily neutral) Russia, who also obtain future technology and knowledge of the future. Birmingham’s book cleverly teases out the premise of the affect of knowledge of the future on current events. For example, the Battel of Midway does not occur. Germany and Russia make a peace (temporarily) to mutually explore the application of the new technology to their 1942 weapons programs. New military campaigns are pursued to achieve new military and political objectives that become apparent with the so called knowledge of history and new technologies.

Birmingham also develops the sub-plot of the political implications of the new technology and historical records. Hitler and Stalin, armed with knowledge of future treacheries, eliminate their rivals. In the United Sates, when faced with new technologies being used by a liberated and de-segregated population, the Government responds by establishing a special zone in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles to use future laws, customs and technologies to enhance the 1942 war effort by bringing forward the development and adoption of new technologies.

The book also develops the sub-plot of the numerous cultural, social, and legal differences between the people from 2021 and 1942. For example, we experience the clashes between the 1942 politicians with a military from the future, and the clashes between military men and women from different eras, in particular, their viewing (in private) of each other as somewhat barbaric. In an era of segregation in the United States, a country fighting a war against a foe that believes in the wholesale extermination of so-called “inferior races,” the appearance of warrior from the future becomes disturbing to both sides when some of 2021 era commanding officers are African American, and women. This culture shock and culture clash is a recurring theme and source of tension throughout the story.

Weapons of Choice is the produce of John Birmingham’s very fertile imagination. He has written a fine novel that mixes historical fiction, science fiction/futurism and socially conscious storytelling. This fine novel should appeal to fans of military history and science fiction lovers, as well as any person that enjoys good and imaginative writing. It’s noticeable that Birmingham creates in the reader an appetite for more. After seeing these improbable events occur, you end up wondering how things are going to work out. We and up wanting to know how things are going to work out in this strange new past that reflects the future. It is fairly safe to say that if you end up reading Weapons of Choice, you’ll also want to read the other two volumes because it’s simply that good and that engaging.

First Tests: Great Australian Cricketers and the Backyards that Made Them, by Steve Cannane

First Tests: Great Australian Cricketers and the Backyards that Made Them, by Steve Cannane, (Sydney: Harper Collins; 2009), 231 pages.

First Tests is a book about how Australia’s greatest cricketers developed their unique and special skills at home in the backyard. The book contains a series of articles on how players developed individual strengths and skills playing in the backyard, and how the backyard’s location, design and the proximity of windows influenced the development of players’ skills. It is these skills developed over thousands of hours after school and on weekends in the back yard (rather than attendance at professional training camps and academies) that made them great players.

The genesis of this book was a suburban Sydney cricket match where the author observed a team mate make an unorthodox but effective batting shot that both infuriated the bowler and provoked conversation among his team mates. When questioned about the origin of the unorthodox batting shot, the team mate answered that he developed it as a kid playing in his parents’ backyard. In that backyard, the player had to adjust his batting shots to avoid breaking windows. The team mate played shots to avoid breaking windows in the backyard, and continued to play them on the cricket field. As the conversation went around the other players at that suburban cricket match, it seemed that every player had a similar story of a strength or weakness that could be attributed to backyard cricket. This got the author to think that if this is the case for ordinary suburban grade cricketers, then it must be the same for elite cricketers. In a sequence of chapters discussing one cricketer, the author explains in delightful detail how many elite cricket players down through the decades developed their skills in their backyard.

For example, Sir Donald Bradman’s unique batting grip, stance and back lift was developed during batting practice with a golf ball and cricket stump. These unique qualities were developed in response to the speed at which the golf ball rebounded off the water tank stand in his backyard. Greg Chappell’s trademark batting shot, a flick off the hip, was invented in his backyard, where the best opportunities for scoring were on the leg side. Alan Davidson bowled accurately because he had to; as a kid bowling in the backyard, if his bowling missed the stumps on his home-made pitch, he had to chase the ball down the hill into the scrub. Doug Walters played spin bowling with ease because his crushed ant bed home made cricket pitch spun like a top. Neil Harvey developed excellent footwork by playing cricket in the back lane where the ball bounced viciously off the cobblestones. Adam Gilchrist, a powerful and clean hitter of the ball, developed that skill in his backyard batting net where at the end of each daily practice he spent time doing what was natural to him, just hitting the ball.

Cannane also elaborates on the type of discipline needed to become an elite cricket (and buy implication an elite player or competitor in any sport). Those that reached the highest level of the game were veterans of thousands of hours of backyard games, often played against older and more experienced siblings and friends. In these contests players developed their competitive instincts and unrelenting desire for success.

Cannane’s book is an enjoyable and light-hearted reflection on the theme of how childhood habits, developed and practiced for thousands of hours in competitive and determined backyard matches developed skills that helped various players reach the highest level in the sport of cricket. These backyard matches played after school and on weekends (and even in winter) were essential in the formation of many fine cricketers. Cannane’s view is that backyard cricket matches will also be instrumental in the development of the future generations of great players. Cannane has also done a great service by including a detailed bibliography containing the publishing details of many biographies and autobiographies of Australian cricketers. This bibliography alone is worth the purchase price of the book because it gives any cricket lover an instant and accessible first reference source for book by and about Australian cricketers.

"The Associate" by John Grisham

John Grisham's The Associate is a story of a young law graduate's final semester at Yale law school and first year of work as a lawyer. Such a story would ordinarily be unexceptional, as would any recent graduate's first year in the workforce. Grisham's tale is hardly unexceptional because of his skill at writing an engaging story involving interesting characters (Ivy League law school graduates), their employers (massive Wall Street law firms), their huge salaries, their crimes and indiscretions (bribery, rape, conspiracy, billing fraud, breach of attorney-client privilege, to name a few), and scorn that many young lawyers have for their chosen profession.

The Associate is a story about the use of bribery to compel a bright Yale law school graduate (Kyle McAvoy) to forsake his yearning to work in public interest law and instead accept an offer to practice litigation in the nation’s largest law firm in New York City. He his compelled by a group of well organized thugs, in particular, their threat to ruin his life by exposing his appearance on a video recording at a party he hosted where his friends allegedly raped a woman. Police investigated the case but never filed charges; however, that was before it was known that there was a video recording. The thugs have a copy of the video and threaten to release it to McAvoy’s friends, the victim’s attorney, the police, and potential employers if McAvoy doesn't do what they require. The thugs not only want McAvoy to accept an offer to work at a Wall Street law firm, but also spy for them and provide them with privileged client information, material, and evidence that his firm's clients are using in their defense in an upcoming trial. In his first few months at his new firm, McAvoy settles into a job he despises. He masters the billing practices, manipulates his fellow employees and wins the confidence of the managers to such an extent that the firm’s partners appoint him to the team involved in the multi-million dollar trial mentioned by his thug handlers. Once in a position to steal information, McAvoy executes his long gestating plan to get out of his handler's grasp. His plan involves co-operating with Federal law enforcement to expose/catch the thugs who compelled him to commit crimes. Kyle McAvoy also set in place a series of negotiations that, primarily through the use of intermediaries, settle the matter of the alleged rape.

Grisham’s reputation as an exceptional storyteller is well established, particularly of stories involving young lawyers in trouble that are disillusioned by the big money practice of law, who have to use their wits to save their skin. The Associate is such a story, but even though it’s a fast-paced and engaging story, it’s more than that. Sure, it’s a ripping yarn, but on another level it a cautionary tale of how difficult it is to prosecute sexual assault crimes. It also is a story of how large big city law firms pay fabulous salaries, but require their staff to virtually enslave themselves to their chosen careers. Grisham implies, none to subtlety, that small “main street” walk-up law practices are the true, noble, legitimate and most rewarding ways to practice law. The large wall street firms may pay large salaries, however, many lawyers who chose this option become disillusioned with their chosen profession - its almost as though he's warning young lawyers to not go for the dollars because it will bring misery, Rather, he implies, do what your heart tells you to do and listen to that inner voice; you’ll be happier and live a more fulfilling and useful life.

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

In The Brass Verdict, Michael Connelly gives the reader another Los Angeles-based fictional crime story, this time its one that brings together two of Connelly’s most intriguing characters, veteran Los Angeles Police Department detective Harry Bosch and “Lincoln Lawyer” Mickey Haller. The two are (naturally) brought together by a crime, the murder of Haller’s acquaintance and fellow lawyer Jerry Vincent. Following Vincent’s murder, a Judge orders Haller to take over Vincent’s caseload, which includes a high profile murder trial where a prominent movie studio owner is accused of murdering his wife and her lover. While Haller attempts to familiarize himself with his new clients and their cases, Bosch investigates Vincent’s murder. Both Bosch and Haller suspect that Vincent’s murder is related to his representation of the movie mogul, suspicions that prove well founded. Haller’s trial preparations reveal evidence of bribes, jury tampering, and eventually, a judicial jury rigging conspiracy. In telling the apparent small story of a murder and a trial, Connelly reveals a larger story a legal and judicial conspiracy. Haller’s discoveries are not disclosed to Boschs due to attorney-client privilege, but Bosch, we’re led to believe, somehow knows already, but is seeking proof. To add further intrigue, Haller’s movie mogul client is murdered, and an attempt is made on Haller’s life, an attempt foiled only through the intercession of the vigilant no-nonsense Bosch.

The Brass Verdict again demonstrated Connelly’s skill as a natural storyteller of crime thrillers. He engages his readers by bringing together two engaging but believable characters in Bosch and Haller. He takes nothing for granted and provides sufficient back-story for new readers of his fiction, as well as regular readers of his past works. Connelly knows Los Angeles, and knows how it courts and police department operate. In typical Connelly fashion, the story is fast-paced, engaging, and peppered with numerous twists and turns, and surprise detours. Even though this book is engaging, it is somewhat bleak in that it’s regularly punctuated with death, crime, corruption, violence, cynicism, and the hard-nosed characters that seem comfortable with the grime of crime. The book is somewhat notable for its absence of joy, humor, fun or delight. Such are the live of Connelly’s stern committed, driven principle driven characters. But this should be expected in any crime novel; anything other than this would be unusual at least, if not inauthentic. Nonetheless, The Brass Verdict is very well written, and is a fine example of crime writing and legal/court room storytelling, that is further proof of the assertion that Connelly is one of America’s finest crime fiction writers.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisenberger

In The Devil Wears Prada, author Lauren Weisenberger tells the story of a young female college graduate who becomes a “wage slave” working all hours as the assistant to the tyrannical editor of a prominent fashion magazine. Our young graduate learns that she’s won what appears to be the employment lottery, landing a job at a fashion magazine that many of her contemporaries “would kill for.” She sees the job as a stepping stone to becoming a writer, but over the course of a year while being an on-call slave to her boss, become distant to her parents, alienated from her boyfriend, and oblivious to her closest’s friend’s slide in to alcoholism. She eventually realizes that she has sacrificed the things closest to her (family, boyfriend friend and writing) in order to meet the excessive, outrageous, rude, bullying and tyrannical demands of her boss, one of the most respected-through-fear chief editors in the fashion industry. In order to succeed in her job, she appears to sacrifice her writing ambitions and relationships with the people most important to her in return for the moderate wages, free (or stolen) couture clothing, promises of future assignments, and the “psychic income” and “snob value” of working in close proximity to wealth and glamour. When faced with a crisis, our college graduate realizes that she has become like her boss; and in a sense, realizes that she’s been worshipping a golden calf rather than seeking the Promised Land.

This book has appeal to fashion gossips interested in what its “really like” working as an assistant to the chief editor of a fashion magazine. Lauren Weisenberger obviously knows what its like; she writes with the voice of experience, confidence, and reality. As ridiculous as the chief editor’s behavior is, the author is very convincing in telling her audience that such behavior is not uncommon. Our author keeps the reader’s interest by sprinkling the story with insider tid-bits that demonstrate the glamour, mystique, absurdity, celebrity and attraction of the fashion business. But on another level, our author shows that the young and ambitious college graduates (or anyone for that matter) can sacrifice their dreams and most important relationships while they “succeed” in their career. In this instance, an erudite and scholarly college graduate, after a year in a “dream job” almost becomes a younger version of the boss she dislikes – a bullying, cruel, manipulative, tyrannical bully. This is the message of this engaging and entertaining book, a message applicable to all people, regardless of where you live and work. Beware of what you wish for. Beware of whom you associate.