Boston

Simon Schama's "Dead Certainties (Unwarranted Speculations)" is an interesting foray into the murky realm of historiography. The book is comprised of two "tales:" that of General James Wolfe who (purportedly) meets his end at the Battle of Quebec in 1759 and that of George Parkman, a Harvard Professor who met a grisly end in 1849 - which Schama treats as an historical "murder mystery."

Critics of this work charge that Schama has engaged in historical chicanery by incorporating fiction into both accounts and has, thus, mucked up the waters of what is a proper "history." To this, Schama admits so much in his text and also admits to that being his point.

What is interesting is Schama's attempt to stake out a dividing line between what is "historical fact" and what is "historical fiction" and in so doing, obliterate that line. After all, historical fiction is based upon "historical fact" and many historians have written histories based upon "historical fact" that were modified or even overturned after those "historical facts" were proven to be inventions of fiction.

We have a certain reliance on a consistent historical past "reality" or else we run into an Orwellian 1984 reality of a constantly changing historical past. Yet, we can never be quite certain of the "facts" that make up our histories and as Schama puts it:

"... historians are left forever chasing shadows, painfully aware of their inability ever to reconstruct a dead world in its completeness, however thorough or revealing their documentation. Of course they make do with other work: the business of formulating problems, of supplying explanations about cause and effect. But the certainty of such answers always remains contingent on their unavoidable remoteness from their subjects. We are doomed to be forever hailing someone who has just gone around the corner and out of earshot." (p. 320)

"Dead Certainties" is an engaging and thoughtful piece of scholarship/literature that should be taken as such - and as such, it is not perfect.

A few years ago, I became a professional social scientist. As such, I became tangled in the beginning...what is truth? I never figured it out, but I had to go to work and earn a living so I took up the viewpoint that seemed most reasonable --material empiricism -- and began documenting my version of truth and getting it published.

In DEAD CERTAINTIES (UNWARRENTED SPECULATION), Simon Schama raises important questions about the truth of history. How do historians know what really happened? Well the truth is, they don't. At best, our reconstructions of the past are partial truths. They are partial truths because no one is free from prejudice. They are partial truths, because try as we might to be objective, we cannot help but place our own interpretation on "facts." They are partial truths because eye witnesses to history seldom know all the "facts." They are partial truths because language is alive and word meanings change over time. And, they are partial truths because eye witnesses often lie.

What really happened in the past times? In recent years, new historical practicioners have begun to revisit primary materials and attempt to piece together their version of what these documents tell them. This revisionist history has it's supporters, but in the end, who is to say their interpretations are free of bias and agenda?

In DEAD CERTAINTIES Schama revisits the story of Wolfe the British hero of the 1700's on the 'Heights of Abraham' in Canada. Probably every Canadian school child of my generation, plus a few Americans, remembers the words, "Wolfe the dauntless hero came and planted firm Britannia's flag on Canada's fair domain." I don't know if it's still politically correct to sing these words in Canada, but I believe at one time they were the words to the national anthem.

Everyone who's ever taken a course in art has probably seen a photograph of Benjamin West's monumental painting "The Death of General Wolfe." It is a magnificent painting of a beautiful young man in the last agony of life, looking toward a distant and dramatic horizon. The painting has inspired generations of Canadians to national patriotism. The painting supposedly depicts the last hour of General Wolfe. Schama says, "Not so fast." He then goes on to tell as best he can given the material at hand, what he believes happened on that fateful day when General Wolfe met his maker (maybe he did, maybe he didn't).

The book also contains a second "story" about a murder that took place in New England in the last century. This "story" reads like a detective fiction. Schama demonstrates though his own research who he thinks the real killer was. It is an excellent read even if you don't like history.

This book sheds a little light on historiography--how historians have framed history in the past and how they go about it today. The book should be required reading for anyone who wants to know more about history and how it is written.

This book explores the boundary between recounting the past and creating the past. The writing is beautiful, the ideas are well-delineated, and the examples are compelling. The book chews over common themes in historigraphy, but thus author makes them accessible to the general public. Wonderfully written and unforgettable, this book will certainly give you food for thought. And it will make a better reader of straight history.

The highlight of our recent trip to Boston was a game at Fenway. I bought the book for my husband who read it before we went and did not find it interesting. I read it when we got back and found very limited amount of specific information on Fenway. Much of it explained baseball and its oddities that are true in any park.
Fenway was quite accessible, and easily navigated. The fans and stadium personnel were relaxed, outgoing, and quite helpful. The fans themselves can give you any tips or explain any oddball yells. The ones in the book were not heard.
If you are going to enjoy the game and see the park, you don't need this book to do it. If you want to know the history and legends of Fenway, this book does not have it.

IN MY REVIEW OF YANKEE STADIUMIN YOUR POCKET:THE FAN'S GUIDE TO YANKEE STADIUM, I MENTIONEDTHAT THE OTHER MLB TEAMS NEEDED SUCH A BOOK FOR THEIR FANS. I FOUND THIS BOOK BY ACCIDENT AFTER WRITING THAT AND SEE THAT THE BOSOX ARE COVERED IN THAT RESPECT. HERE IS AN EXCELLENT GUIDE FOR ANYONE PLANNING THEIR 1ST OR 50TH TRIP TO FENWAY. IT'S ALL HERE. EVEN IF YOU DON'T PLAN TO EVER VISIT THIS LEGENDARY BALLPARK, THIS IS A GREAT POCKET-SIZED BOOK TO ADD TO YOUR BASEBALL COLLECTION. KEVIN DAME NEEDS TO GET BUSY ON THE REST OF THE MLB TEAMS (AL TEAMS FIRST PLEASE KEVIN) SO THAT THE FANS CAN MAXIMZE THEIR ENJOYMENT AT A NEARBY MLB BALLPARK. I'LL BUY THEM ALL JUST TO READ AND ENJOY.

Innovative, fun and informative.

I await the Skydome in your Pocket edition

This book is the SHIZZNIT! And I really mean it! I never knew there was so much fun stuff lurking around in my own back yard. I felt like Spock and Kirk when they found that Undiscoverd Country, you know what I'm sayin? If you don't, I wouldn't worry about it. Just plunk down your Shekels and buy this book. You won't regret it.

Throughout the nearly 200 pages of this book, John Mitchell finds himself facing an age-old dilemma: can a family find places to visit that won't leave at least one side of the parent-child team screaming for mercy? How do two young hipsters entertain their kids without hooking them up to the corporate theme park teat?

It's a tribute to the Mitchells' parenting skills that they and their children derive as much fascination and enjoyment from talking to hens at the zoo as they do from wandering through a World War II-era submarine (although the boys get as much pleasure from crawling across the lined-up bunks and pretending to be moles). Between John's smart, clever prose and Jana's gorgeous, fluid illustrations, 4 Go Mad will make you want to visit more places and spend time examining their beauty, their pathos, and how different age groups derive different meanings from them. A smart, fun read.

From the moment I picked up this book, I was hooked - and I don't even live in Massachusetts! The adventures of the Mitchell family not only entertained me - they opened my eyes to a small part of the vast array of hidden oddities out there in the world just waiting to be discovered and explored!

And what explorations they have! Every chapter uncovers yet another amazing locale - each more fascinating then the last.

Harry and Hugo sound like wonderful children with vast creativity and an immense amount to offer - who wouldn't be with parents like these?

Love it! Love it! LOVE IT - keep up the good work!

I think that this book was very boring because all it talks about is Anastasia going to modeling school and interviewing a bookstore owner in Downtown Boston for a school project. Characters in this book are Anastasia Krupnik and Henry Peabody. They both went to modeling school and became best friends. I do not recommend this book to anyone unless you want to be seriously bored.

This book is written in a fun, readable manner and is totally enjoyable.Though if I had to complain about something it is this....In any novel,even if the characters are having a hard time,you like to feel,"Yes I could like living in THEIR world for a while."..However,Anastasia's town seems boring,and her modelling school is utterly tacky and cheap and dull and,like,gave me the feeling of "Oh I would never go there." and a novel should always do the opposite to that.And they usually do.But all that aside,it was very good!!!!!!!

Have you ever thought about what you would like to be when you grow up? Anastasia Krupnik is a 13-year girl (the main character in this story) who wants to be a fashion model. Her dad, Dr. Krupnik wants her to own her own bookstore. If you read this book, you will learn that Anastasia has many funny adventures and meets new friends. Like riding the bus into the city by herself and meeting Henry Peabody. To find out if Anastasia will be a model or a bookstore owner you should read this book. Take my word for it this book is funny, but you make the decision.

There is a man referred to obliquely in the prior reviews who has been seriously affected by all of this and essentially left for dead if you will. The man was bounced around as a child overseen by state authorities contracting to nonprofit firms employing former federal officials. One of the state officials charged with guardianship of the boy went by the same name as a female FBI agent listed in Black Mass by O'Neill and Lehr. Another woman charged with guardianship of the boy ran a hard labor camp for juveniles in trouble with the law, where breaking granite boulders with sledgehammers was the norm as was poor food,inadequate rest and mandatory employment where this woman demanding oversight of the teen's paychecks.At the hard labor camp, which was tacitly approved by state social workers and caretakers,local police and allegedly state police, the boy was forced to work 12-15 hour days, often 7-14 days without showers, little sleep and poor quality meals in addition to constant threats of violence, being locked up by state officials or state police and having all of his personal belongings confiscated-- the boy had been sent to this program simply because he had no family or other supports and had NO trouble with the law prior to being put there. The woman in charge of the program possessed the same name as a major manufacturing firm located in southern New Hampshire. This placement was overseen by the state official bearing the same name as the female FBI agent. Some 15-20 years later, this woman re-emerged in the man's life as a girlfriend of a coworker.

This same man was befriended as a boy by a couple with indirect alleged links to George Cashman and former Governor Cellucci. When this case broke, the couple disavowed the man.

Susan Kelly in her book also discussed the possibility that the early stages of the Boston Strangler murders may have been linked to gangland violence in the wars around which Flemmi emerged. A woman is said to have survived the Strangler but was never interviewed. Is it possible the Boston Strangler in turn is linked to this case ,got a woman pregnant, and the child was used as some sort of collateral for cooperation of the real Strangler?

At the same time, Jonathan Harr released his book 'A Civil Action' just after Whitey fled town. When the book came out, the man worked for Grace Co.,unaware of his past as a very young,sick and handicapped boy growing up in the chaos of an environmental tragedy in Woburn,Mass. The fervor surrounding Harr's work appeared in sync with the tepid waters of the Bulger case, and during the early phases of the hearings, Robert Redford and Sylvester Stallone appeared in a Somerville court for ambiguous reasons regarding the Bulger case. Prior to Harr's work, the man had written an autobiographical work of his own which touched upon memories of a sick child in Woburn during the emergence of the cancer epidemic.As the Bulger case broiled, Barry Mawn, native of Woburn, was assigned to the Boston FBI office in pursuit of Bulger- Mawn, Teddy Roosevelt to Cuba, Mawn to Woburn. Many of the Bulger case principals had indirect ties to Woburn and surrounding communities.

In addition to all of this, the man's medical records began disappearing, and employment became all but impossible as he was destroyed financially, just as the state trooper who stopped Whitey at Logan airport.Evidence of phone tampering emerged possibly using off premise extensions linked to major companies the man worked for which also did business with the federal government. The man's bank records and video rentals have been scrupulously monitored and broad evidence of a long term evidence gathering investigation of an individual with no history of criminal activity or breaking the law. It seems feasible the man is linked to the Bulger case and has been watched by various agencies who feel threatened by his father, a man unknown to the boy growing up or as an adult.

One thing a government oversight or other committee might investigate is the possibility that one of the principals in the Bulger case on either side had a son who was immediately flagged and watched all of his life and used as surety without his knowledge by the government or perhaps even organized crime. The committee might offer protection and encourage that individual to come forward and disclose all they know.

Interested in the New England mob? Go no further - THE UNDERBOSS is well researched and you walk away from it with a very good understanding of the events that occurred and the key players behind it. Worthy of any mafia book collection. I also recommend BLACK MASS, ALL SOULS, and STREET SOLDIER.

One of Jerry Angulio's favorite sayings do you speak american..$$$. At any rate, this a good account on the Boston mafia and New England Underboss Jery Anguilio's. It tells how he got his start after being in the navy in ww 2 becoming a bookmaker and early on almost getting whacked for making a blunder. He eventually rose in the mafia ranks despite never having actually personally killed anyone himself although he would order many hits. He actually at one time wanted to be a lawyer and was one of the first mafioso to Realize that RICO could become what it has becom and ironically his family would be the first proving ground trial that RICO would be used against LCN successfully. He wasn't all that well like even among mafia ranks but made a ton of money. FBI breaks ins to wire his social club would bring down him and many other Boston LCN members instead of the supposed info Whitey Bulger gave to the FBI.

Bob Ryan's book may not be as good as Masur's, but at least he's got the most basic of facts right - his subtitle is "A Chronicle of Boston's Remarkable Victory in the First Modern World Series of 1903", while Masur's is "Baseball's First World Series". The first World Series was played in 1884 between Providence of the National League and New York of the American Association. A weak case could also be made for the games played between Chicago and Cincinnati two years earlier, though most regard these as exhibitions.

Baseball did not magically appear at the beginning of the 20th century - the National League was founded before Custer met his fate at the Little Bighorn. Subtitles like Masur's imply that nothing of importance or interest occurred in baseball in 19th century.

For a good description of the World Series played before "Baseball's First World Series", I recommend Jerry Lansche's "Glory Fades Away: The Nineteenth-Century World Series Rediscovered".

"William McKinley - America's First President"

The title of the book suggests a complete book on the 1903 World Series. Author Louis Masur does an admirable job of bringing the reader back in time to the way it was 100 years ago. The book is 236 pages long, and I initially wondered how he was going to elaborate on an eight game Series over that many pages. What the author did was alternate a chapter on each of the eight games in this best five out of nine games with goings on in the baseball world during the year of 1903. I especially enjoyed the chapters on the games itself as the author does a great job of telling us what baseball and its fans in America were like 100 years ago. The author refers to the Boston American League team as the "Americans" while I have always heard them referred to as the "Pilgrims." This was the Series in which Boston's Royal Rooters became famous for their fan support with their band and singing of various songs including the popular song "Tessie" in which they adapted words to apply to Pirates' shortstop Honus Wagner. It is not mentioned in the book, but JFK's grandfather was a member of the Royal Rooters. The book is an easy read and one that tells us what it was like to be a ballplayer and fan 100 years ago. You will also see that baseball's present day problems are not anything new.

It is appropriate, in this 100th anniversary of the first baseball World Series, that there is a book telling all about it. It's especially appropriate that this book is extremely well-written, interesting and informative. We readers are treated to a history of the rivalry between the established National League, and the upstart American League. We are given thumbnail biographies of many of the personalities of that era, both club owners and players. There is a concise recitation of the "Peace Conference" that effectively ended the rivalry, and we also get to review the respective seasons of the eventual Leagues champions. Each of the eight Series games is then covered out by out, but it's not boring in the least. Along the way we also learn a lot about the way some of the baseball rules we take for granted were established, including the umpire's hand signals, and the foul/strike rule. The fans played a major part in the game, particularly the Royal Rooters from Boston, whose antics would amaze today's somewhat rowdy supporters. This is a book well worth reading, not only for baseball fans, but for lovers of the unusual aspects of American history.

"Folly" by Susan Minot is a wonderfully written tale of a woman's choice in a time when a woman's marriage is everything. This tale of heartbreak and intrigue is fabulous. I was fascinated by this decision a wonderfully charismatic woman must make. It has a tremendous amount of charm and heart. It's very well written with a lot of emotion and power. There are moments of "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton (which is a classic and can't be surpassed) but, this novel certainly has a lot going for it. I was very happy with my read. I recommend it.

Is it possible to write a tragicomedy of manners without descending into the literary equivalent of Merchant and Ivory territory? Susan Minot's Folly makes a courageous try, aided by a sparse, unemphatic prose style. Ms. Minot's prose style underscores the sharp contrast between the spare passages and her rare flights into extended fantasy or metaphor.

The plot commences in 1917, leading us through a few decades in the life of a Boston well-to-do woman. The "real story", as so often is the case, is the effect of the social milieu upon all its denizens. Although in "social content" Folly brings to mind the novels of Edith Wharton, it must be said that Ms. Minot is unwilling to draw the simple solutions to the social issues she raises that Ms. Wharton might have painted two generations ago. No swift damnations come to those who people this novel merely as a result of their station, nor is easy salvation to be found in flight to a more "free" way of life. Instead, the story is laced with a pleasing ambiguity--perhaps an escape is possible, but the exits are not clearly marked.

"Literary fiction", that sad refugee of obscure collegiate publications, has evolved into a stylized genre no more aesthetically pleasing (and a good bit less entertaining) than, say, science fiction or a well-crafted mystery. Ms. Minot can justly be accused of writing a version of the "MFA litmag" novel, yet she shows the form is not without its virtues. The near-gamesmanship with which she crafts each sentence to achieve studied, quiet precision in her style and ideas makes this story eminently readable and in its own way quite evocative. One might not wish for the slow, gentle satire and complex despair of Folly in every novel one reads, but Folly is certainly worth the effort. Ms. Minot's work, though bearing the stigmata of "literary fiction", suggests that practitioners of this dour form can resurrect interest by placing precise execution of a worthwhile plot first, and saving the "cute" turns of phrase and wails of despair for the literary seminars. Although not everyone will like Folly, it is very satisfying for those who wish a "good read" with a modern sensibility.

Susan Minot's prose is so lyrical, so musical and rapturous, it's a wonder one can pay attention to the story.
Folly, however, IS a story, one that harkens back to memories of The Awakening, Yellow Wallpaper, and other stories of women trapped in imperfect, unfulfilling marriages during an era when even to admit such a thought could lead to one's downfall. When forced to make a choice, Lillian's world opens to self-discovery. Folly is an elegant examination of the inner workings of the heart of a woman.

I have read many Charlotte MacLeod books in the past however this one was my least favorite. It took you forever to get into it. I was already half way through the book before any thing happened. It was long and boring at times. In the end it was okay but not one of her best. If you like Charlotte MacLeod, I reccomend The Family Vault.

I've read the entire series and I haven't missed Alexander. Until this book I had no idea that Max still wondered about how he compared to Sara's first husband. I don't understand why Ms. MacLeod felt it necessary to demean Alexander. It was particularly difficult to understand how Sara could have been so unfair about Alexander because she had to work so hard to overcome her strict upbringing in the earlier books. Had she forgotten that? Shouldn't that have given her some sympathy, some insight into Alexander's soul? Alexander's mother was a domineering, EVIL woman. She was undoubtedly crushing any sign of independence from the time he was a child. I can tell you from personal experience how difficult it is to assert yourself if you were abused as a child. It took years of therapy for me to realize that I wasn't worthless and undeserving of happiness -- and my father was a fluffy kitten compared to Alexander's mother. I think Ms. MacLeod needs to bone up on adults who were abused as children. Perhaps then she'll realize why I say that the end of THE BALLOON MAN was a slap in our faces. Otherwise, this was another good entry in a delightful series.

All of Charlotte MacLeod's books are zany and frequently require the reader to leap in joyful, but strange directions. The characters are charming if rarely life-like and that is part of the attraction. If you haven't read the books in both major series, please do. We will have no more. Ms. MacLeod is tragically "retired from writing" as a result of Alzheimer's.

Nowlin's Fenway Saved is pretty good collection of photos and writings, and a good gift for a Sox fan, but it does not compare to Shaughnessy's book. The photos in the "rival" book are far superior. ALthough Fenway Saved does include some interesting shots / angles, overall, its photography is mediocre. Similarly, Shuaghnessy's offering possesses far superior writing. Finally, Nowlin's book also had some glaring errors as well as odd omissions.

Again, a good gift or purchase for any fan, but only after purchasing the other book.

About the new Fenway book - never mind what Humphrey Bogart said about the Maltese Falcon - this is the stuff that dreams are made of. The photos are excellent - none of the run-of-the-mill shots of dugouts and locker rooms. This is all about the mystique of Fenway - what makes it as Roger Angell has described it "the best place in the world to watch baseball." Good stories abound. The book connects beautifully with all the nostalgia that mightily surrounds the place.

I recently received this book from an avid Red Sox fan and was gratefully surprised. Being a Red Sox fan myself since childhood, I quickly found myself back experiencing the sights and sounds and smells of Fenway and recall sitting in the bleachers, the smell of beer and cigars, the Wall, Carl Yastrzemski... I was there, too, at the Impossible Dream game and it brought back memories of the high pitched excitement, the fans running onto the field to get close to their heroes and driving home yelling out the window of the car "we're #1" to all of Boston who was doing the same.

I enjoyed learning about Fenway's history, what makes Fenway tick and the passion of the people who take pride in their work and do what it takes to make this baseball stadium feel like home. For I still make my yearly visits to Fenway and it always feels like home.

Though this book is about Fenway Park, it captures the essence of the "baseball experience" that so many people love and what makes it so.

Mick, star of the blue-eyed son series, could have been a hero to be talked about for years to come in YA literature. but Lynch's meandering narrative, gratutious violence, and left-dangling plot lines leave the books' potential unrealized. it has been said this would have made one good book, so it is easy to suspect Lynch of trying to milk the library market for three sales instead of one.

In Chris Lynch's novel, Blood Relations, fifteen year old MIke, is having sibling problems while his parents are away for the weekend. The main character, Mike, is left alone with his older brother while his parents are away visiting some friends. Mike's brother throws a party for his friends every year but this year's is worse than ever! Mike wants nothing to do with it. Mike's brother goes as far as sacrificing a goat's life, and that's where Mike draws the line and leaves town before they all sober up. Mike and a couple of friends stay over night at a motel about 50 miles away. When Mike goes back, he decides to go to his best friend's house to stay until his parents get back. When his parents do come back, Mike gets a job at their bar, but he refuses to go home. Mike gets kicked out of his best friend's parent's house for starting a fire while trying to cook supper. Where can he turn now? You'll never know unless you read this book... I enjoyed this book very much! It keeps you trying to guess where he's going to go next.

This book is about the main character, Mick, who gose to his friend's house to stay over because his brother is having a party at home and his parents are away for the weekend. When his parents get back, he gets a job at their bar, and he still dosen't want to come back home. But he gets kick out from his friend's house because he makes the house on fire when he cooks supper. Want to know where he gose? READ THE BOOK...