bookpagedev

Sports

A new angle on a grand old game

Review by bookpagedev

Perhaps for the first time in its centuries-long history, golf has become, well, sexy. The recent exploits of Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam have brought the subtly challenging, grand old game into broader focus for American sports fans. Woods’ otherworldly abilities on the green, along with his celebrity status, have boosted golf’s TV ratings. Small wonder, then, that spring and summer have brought with them a bounty of new books offering insight into the culture and development of this fascinating pastime. Whether you play the sport or prefer to observe it from the sidelines, tee-up with one of the following titles and get a new angle on the game.

On the course World-class sportswriter John Feinstein delivers the book with the broadest social scope, with his Open: Inside the Ropes at Bethpage Black (Little, Brown, $25.95, 416 pages, ISBN 0316170038), a wide-ranging account of the 2002 U. S. Open. Focusing on the efforts to bring this prestigious event, for the first time in its history, to a municipal golf course, Feinstein probes the personalities of a small but dedicated group who had long sought to transform Long Island’s Bethpage public facility into a showplace for one of golf’s signature tournaments. The 7,214-yard course was known to be an athletic challenge, but it took years to ready it for the Open, not only for the big-name players who would compete but also for the thousands of fans who would attend. From a security standpoint, these tasks were made even more difficult since the 2002 Open was the first to take place after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in nearby New York City. With characteristic insight and knowledge, Feinstein covers the various trails that lead his diverse cast of characters United States Golf Association executives, TV broadcasters, course officials, politicians to Bethpage, with interesting side trips to regional qualifiers and into the lives of the pros who would eventually endure what turned out to be a rain-plagued but ultimately successful Open. (Tiger won, by the way, and Bethpage is scheduled to host the tourney again in 2009.) Next up is Rick Reilly’s Who’s Your Caddy? Looping for the Great, Near Great, and Reprobates of Golf (Doubleday, $24.95, 272 pages, ISBN 0385488858). Reilly, one of Sports Illustrated’s most popular writers, plays a pretty good round of golf. For journalistic purposes, he decided to take on the challenge of serving as caddy for a distinctly varied cross-section of the golf community. Experiencing more success as a note-taking writer than as bag-humping aide-de-camp, Reilly accompanies the very best (Jack Nicklaus), the occasionally very good (John Daly, David Duval) and the very female (statuesque, blond and sexy LPGA pro Jill McGill). He also “loops” for thoroughly nonprofessional players such as Donald Trump (who’s actually pretty competent should we be surprised?), New Age sufi Deepak Chopra (who isn’t see “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Double Bogey”) and endearing comedian Bob Newhart. Reilly takes the time to delve into personalities here, but the discussion always humorously and lovingly comes back to golf. His tidbits on “caddy-speak” are also wryly amusing. A terrific book for both casual and serious fans.

Serious play A super volume for the devoted amateur is David Owen’s Hit &and Hope: How the Rest of Us Play Golf (Simon &and Schuster, $22, 208 pages, ISBN 0743222377). Owen writes for The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthly and is a contributing editor to Golf Digest. Not surprisingly, he adroitly blends both sober and tongue-in-cheek personal observations in this thoroughly readable collection of essays, recounting golf course travails and successes through his many years as a passionate weekend duffer. He also discusses the betting strategies employed among the members of his usual foursomes, tips from his favorite club pros, the vicissitudes of getting older, golf attire, equipment controversies and more. One particularly interesting chapter, “The Greenkeeper’s Tale,” profiles Bob Witkoski, the longtime course superintendent at the author’s home club, whose esoteric but dedicated approach to his job has made him a legendary local figure. (Ol’ Bob also holds the course record an eight-under-par 63.) Most of the individual pieces in the book are just a few pages long, perfect for reading in short bites.

Master mentoring For the golfer looking to improve his game, nothing could be better than John Andrisani’s The Nicklaus Way: An Analysis of the Unique Techniques and Strategies of Golf’s Leading Major Championship Winner (HarperResource, $19.95, 144 pages, ISBN 0060088850). Veteran golf journalist Andrisani has been a pretty good amateur player in his own right, yet long has he wondered about the great Nicklaus’ uncanny winning style. This volume, replete with photos and drawings of the master at work, is bulwarked by detailed evaluations of Nicklaus’ preparation, club selection, mechanics and shot-making, and incredible mental toughness. Nicklaus, according to Andrisani, is, until proven otherwise, the finest player who ever teed it up. As added proof, the author offers a chapter describing some of Nicklaus’ most amazing shots in competition, how they were achieved, and how the reader might try to get the same sublime results.

For future pros Finally, with an eye toward golfers his own age, 13-year-old Drew Murray nephew of comedy great and avid golfer Bill Murray gives us Caddywhack! A Kid’s-Eye View of Golf. Murray’s peer-group focus aside, this lighthearted approach to the game provides legit information for all ages on golf basics such as rules, course etiquette, equipment and terminology. Silliness abounds here, but beginners will learn just enough about the game to leave them wanting to know more and hence move into more serious reading on the subject. Jeremy Sterling’s “kiddie-style” drawings add to the fun. Martin Brady writes from Nashville.

Perhaps for the first time in its centuries-long history, golf has become, well, sexy. The recent exploits of Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam have brought the subtly challenging, grand old game into broader focus for American sports fans. Woods' otherworldly abilities on the green, along…
LifestylesHealth & Fitness

Review

Review by bookpagedev

weet dreams: books to help you make friends with the night Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, usually slips in quietly, delivers his blissful gift of slumber then melts humbly, silently away into the shadows of the night. But the gods can be contrary. Though you offer up countless sheep trying to entice his arrival, sometimes Hypnos is nowhere to be found, leaving you alone, agitated and wide-eyed in the dark. When the god of slumber abandons you, what better reading material to have by your bedside than books on sleep and dreaming? How to Sleep Soundly Tonight by Barbara L. Heller, is a charming and inexpensive little handbook full of simple, easily implemented methods for assessing your night’s sleep and making it the healthiest, most restorative experience it can be. Heller takes a naturalistic approach, promoting sleep-inducing tips like keeping your feet warm at night or drinking chamomile tea, but she concludes with a chapter about what to do and where to turn when self-help doesn’t work. The No More Sleepless Nights Workbook by Peter Hauri, Murray Jarman and Shirley Linde delves a little more deeply into the underlying causes of insomnia. (Hauri is the former director of the Mayo Clinic Insomnia Program and one of the world’s leading authorities on the problem.) The workbook provides many self-examining questionnaires on topics like “Lifestyle,” “Depression” and “Sleep History.” These are designed to help you pinpoint your individual type of sleep problem before planning your own “better-sleep” program. This step-by-step approach is followed by chapters on solutions to each particular “sleep stealer,” including night work, jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder. No More Sleepless Nights Workbook is a terrific overall resource book for insomniacs.

Though obviously many sleep robbers such as stress or a poor sleep environment are not gender related, certain sleep adversaries such as hormone-instigated night sweats or the demands of trying to juggle work and new motherhood are specific to women. A Woman’s Guide to Sleep by Joyce A. Walsleben, Ph.

D., and Rita Baron-Faust addresses the particular stumbling blocks to sleep that women face from menstruation through menopause and beyond and offers a wealth of research, insight and advice in a scholarly yet accessible style.

These books are about getting to sleep, but once you’ve gotten there and have Hypnos paying regular nocturnal calls to your bedside, you’ll want a visit from Morpheus, the god of dreams. (We mortals are so demanding!) In fact, many experts believe that REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which takes place during dreaming, is not only a normal and essential quality of “good” sleep, but plays a crucial role in memory and learning. Much has been written about why we dream, what we dream and what it all means, but The Committee of Sleep, by Deidre Barrett, Ph.

D., takes a different twist. Barrett presents dreams as a means of creative problem solving and explains how creative thinkers through the ages have capitalized on their subconscious visions. The book takes its title from a John Steinbeck quote: “It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” In addition to authors, Committee discusses artists, musicians, filmmakers, scientists, mathematicians and others who have used their dreams something which “the committee” has fortuitously sent to them at night to enhance their creative work by day. This book will inspire you to keep a dream journal, so if and when the committee slips you a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize-winning idea, you can write it down and claim it for your own! If you or someone you know needs to make friends with the night, these books (and maybe a glass of warm milk) should help pave the way along the path to the Land of Nod. Sweet dreams! Linda Stankard is a writer in Cookeville, Tennessee.

weet dreams: books to help you make friends with the night Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep, usually slips in quietly, delivers his blissful gift of slumber then melts humbly, silently away into the shadows of the night. But the gods can be contrary. Though…
Arts & CultureArt

Review

Review by bookpagedev

loppy puppets and fine prints If you’re worried that the arts are succumbing to technology in this increasingly virtual age, our July gift books celebrations of timeless craft traditions that have endured over the decades will ease your mind.

The genius of the Muppetmaster is honored in Jim Henson’s Designs and Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook written by Alison Inches, a former senior editor and writer with The Jim Henson Company. Featuring early sketches that have never been published before, Designs and Doodles mixes Henson’s biography with that of the Muppets, hitting all the highlights of both, from early television appearances to the hiring of Frank Oz and the creation of stock characters, including the incubation of Big Bird and the birth of Gonzo. An encyclopedia of Muppet lore, the book is full of delightful disclosures. Oscar the Grouch, for instance, wasn’t always green; for his Sesame Street debut he sported orange shag fur. The origin of the word “Muppet” (not to be revealed here) is also included in the book. The info is fascinating, but the volume’s emphasis is on visuals, and there are wonderful surprises on every page. Drawings hint at how some of these incredibly scaled creations (a monster named Thog, designed for Nancy Sinatra’s Las Vegas nightclub act in 1971, stood all of nine feet tall) were operated. Examples of Henson’s early work as a visual artist jazzy, ’60s-era silkscreens and collages are vibrantly reproduced. Pencil sketches on lined paper show creatures winged and fanged and many-legged, hybrids of whimsical proportions with whiskers, beaks, horns, over-sized eyes and mile-wide mouths. Whether they’re half-hatched concepts or fully formulated ideas, these imaginative musings the work of a man who made an impossible world seem completely plausible show history in the making. A monument to music in a city full of songwriters, Hatch Show Print has been cranking out one-of-a-kind posters and flyers in Nashville for more than a century using printing techniques that date back to the age of Gutenberg. A winning tribute to this legendary establishment, Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop, written by store manager Jim Sherraden, Hatch employee Elek Horvath and country music expert Paul Kingsbury, tells the story of what may be the nation’s oldest active letterpress business, beginning with its founding in 1879 by Charles and Herbert Hatch. This engaging, handsomely illustrated account provides inside looks at the shop’s owners and employees, follows Hatch’s financial ups and downs, and documents changes in the entertainment industry both inside and outside Music City.

Almost from the beginning, Hatch equaled entertainment, creating posters and flyers for minstrel shows, musical revues, circuses and carnivals. Posted throughout the South, the shop’s prints became so ubiquitous in the early decades of the century that they began appearing in the WPA photographs of Walker Evans. From Cab Calloway to Frank Zappa, freak shows to ladies professional wrestling, a list of the shop’s diverse clientele presents a cross-section of the show business industry in America.

The book is full of Hatch Show treasures, colorful posters for early patrons like the Rabbitfoot Minstrels and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Grand Ole Opry commissions feature the classic faces of Dolly Parton, Roy Acuff and Flatt and Scruggs. Publicity with a twist, the prints subtle or bold but always original prove that promotion isn’t just business; it’s also an art.

A history of Hatch would be incomplete without appearances by music biz giants. Included in the book are priceless anecdotes about Bill Monroe, Colonel Tom Parker and Hank Williams Sr., who in 1952 got red ink on the back of his famous white suit when he accidentally sat on a Hatch print.

loppy puppets and fine prints If you're worried that the arts are succumbing to technology in this increasingly virtual age, our July gift books celebrations of timeless craft traditions that have endured over the decades will ease your mind.

The genius of…
Arts & CultureArt

Review

Review by bookpagedev

py puppets and fine prints If you’re worried that the arts are succumbing to technology in this increasingly virtual age, our July gift books celebrations of timeless craft traditions that have endured over the decades will ease your mind.

The genius of the Muppetmaster is honored in Jim Henson’s Designs and Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook written by Alison Inches, a former senior editor and writer with The Jim Henson Company. Featuring early sketches that have never been published before, Designs and Doodles mixes Henson’s biography with that of the Muppets, hitting all the highlights of both, from early television appearances to the hiring of Frank Oz and the creation of stock characters, including the incubation of Big Bird and the birth of Gonzo. An encyclopedia of Muppet lore, the book is full of delightful disclosures. Oscar the Grouch, for instance, wasn’t always green; for his Sesame Street debut he sported orange shag fur. The origin of the word “Muppet” (not to be revealed here) is also included in the book. The info is fascinating, but the volume’s emphasis is on visuals, and there are wonderful surprises on every page. Drawings hint at how some of these incredibly scaled creations (a monster named Thog, designed for Nancy Sinatra’s Las Vegas nightclub act in 1971, stood all of nine feet tall) were operated. Examples of Henson’s early work as a visual artist jazzy, ’60s-era silkscreens and collages are vibrantly reproduced. Pencil sketches on lined paper show creatures winged and fanged and many-legged, hybrids of whimsical proportions with whiskers, beaks, horns, over-sized eyes and mile-wide mouths. Whether they’re half-hatched concepts or fully formulated ideas, these imaginative musings the work of a man who made an impossible world seem completely plausible show history in the making. A monument to music in a city full of songwriters, Hatch Show Print has been cranking out one-of-a-kind posters and flyers in Nashville for more than a century using printing techniques that date back to the age of Gutenberg. A winning tribute to this legendary establishment, Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop, written by store manager Jim Sherraden, Hatch employee Elek Horvath and country music expert Paul Kingsbury, tells the story of what may be the nation’s oldest active letterpress business, beginning with its founding in 1879 by Charles and Herbert Hatch. This engaging, handsomely illustrated account provides inside looks at the shop’s owners and employees, follows Hatch’s financial ups and downs, and documents changes in the entertainment industry both inside and outside Music City.

Almost from the beginning, Hatch equaled entertainment, creating posters and flyers for minstrel shows, musical revues, circuses and carnivals. Posted throughout the South, the shop’s prints became so ubiquitous in the early decades of the century that they began appearing in the WPA photographs of Walker Evans. From Cab Calloway to Frank Zappa, freak shows to ladies professional wrestling, a list of the shop’s diverse clientele presents a cross-section of the show business industry in America.

The book is full of Hatch Show treasures, colorful posters for early patrons like the Rabbitfoot Minstrels and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Grand Ole Opry commissions feature the classic faces of Dolly Parton, Roy Acuff and Flatt and Scruggs. Publicity with a twist, the prints subtle or bold but always original prove that promotion isn’t just business; it’s also an art.

A history of Hatch would be incomplete without appearances by music biz giants. Included in the book are priceless anecdotes about Bill Monroe, Colonel Tom Parker and Hank Williams Sr., who in 1952 got red ink on the back of his famous white suit when he accidentally sat on a Hatch print.

py puppets and fine prints If you're worried that the arts are succumbing to technology in this increasingly virtual age, our July gift books celebrations of timeless craft traditions that have endured over the decades will ease your mind.

The genius of the…
NonfictionHumor

Review

Review by bookpagedev

Yorker wit and wisdom “Everybody talks of The New Yorker‘s art, that is its illustrations, and it has just been described as the best magazine in the world for a person who can not read,” Harold Ross, the magazine’s founder and editor, wrote in a 1925 letter. Oh, how times have changed. Although it’s now a cultural institution, the magazine made a somewhat lackluster debut in February of 1925 and would have folded a few months later had it not been for Ross. A bluff, determined Westerner sometimes at odds with the Eastern elite, the editor fought hard to find a focus for his weekly. Rallying writers in the ’20s and ’30s many of them from the renowned Algonquin Round Table he created a forum that would publish some of the most memorable journalism of the 20th century. The magazine may be named for New York, but its span exceeds the city’s limits. Its list of contributors is long and illustrious John Cheever, Eudora Welty, James Baldwin and William Trevor, to name a few and the number of books written about it or featuring the work of its writers and artists gets bigger every season. Worthy titles crop up regularly we counted eight in the past six months alone and a few of the most recent releases are highlighted here.

One of America’s greatest humorists, New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber was an artist who could, with a few shapely, articulate lines, produce quibbling siblings, bickering spouses and, of course, canines dogs of all shapes and sizes, dispositions and breeds. His big, bumbling mutts were creatures that didn’t know the difference between man and beast, that dragged their owners whither they would and did things only humans could went snow-skiing, say, or got psychoanalyzed. These and other Thurberesque absurdities are collected in The Dog Department: James Thurber on Hounds, Scotties, and Talking Poodles, an endearing anthology, edited by author Michael Rosen, of the artist’s dog-centered writings and drawings. Comprised of New Yorker shorts and unpublished archival material, along with selections from the book Thurber’s Dogs, this delightful, amply illustrated volume is filled with humor, advice and reflection Thurber-style on man’s best friend.

In the 1930s, as a reporter for The New Yorker, John McNulty frequented Costello’s Irish saloon on Third Avenue, a boisterous gin mill filled with cabbies, horseplayers and bums on the make that he immortalized in the pages of the magazine. The results are collected in This Place on Third Avenue, a group of slice-of-life stories brimming with humor and drama that feature the saloon, its habituŽs and their pungent, city-steeped dialect. This is the low life writ large, no fringe, no frills. McNulty calls ’em as he sees ’em, and the titles tell all: “Atheist hit by truck.” “Man here keeps getting arrested all the time.” Though a skyscraper now stands at the site of Costello’s, thanks to McNulty, the spirit of the place and the era lives on.

The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town brings together the best of the magazine’s trademark “Talk” essays, those succinct journalistic gems, full of crystalline reportage and plainspoken prose, about the everyday and the remarkable, the little man and the big. Spanning nine decades, The Fun of It opens with selections from the 1920s and features contributions by some of the magazine’s best writers, from E. B. White to Jamaica Kincaid to John McPhee. Edited by long-time staff member Lillian Ross, who chose from thousands of pieces, the volume is studded with standouts. Especially memorable are antic essays on the city from a young John Updike, and Jane Kramer’s visit with Samuel Beckett and Buster Keaton.

Another collection of classic profiles by Joseph Mitchell, McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon was included in his anthology Up In the Old Hotel but has not existed as a separate volume since it was first published in 1943, when it became a bestseller. Offering a gallery of unforgettable characters oystermen, barkeeps and street-walking eccentrics, a gypsy king and a true-blue bearded lady McSorley’s is vintage reporting from the man The New York Times once called “a listener of genius.”

Yorker wit and wisdom "Everybody talks of The New Yorker's art, that is its illustrations, and it has just been described as the best magazine in the world for a person who can not read," Harold Ross, the magazine's founder and editor, wrote in a…
History

Patriotism in song, symbol and thought

Review by bookpagedev

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation, but what does that identity mean? Four new books offer insight into this question.

Patriotic music is a staple of Fourth of July picnics. But where did these songs come from, and how did they become a part of our national character? Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America’s Best-Loved Patriotic Songs (HarperResource, $14.95, 223 pages, ISBN 0060513047), by Ace Collins, explores the history of our nation’s music, from the grade school favorite “Yankee Doodle” to the modern staple “God Bless the U.S.

A.” These are the songs that have led us into battle, motivated us to change and inspired us to believe. In each chapter, Collins reveals the stories behind our favorite national tunes, delving into the lives of the songwriters and performers who made them famous. The book also offers a look at the mood and mind of the nation during the time when each song appeared and shows how the songs themselves have been changed by the nation they praise. For those with a love of music or history, or readers looking for a patriotic lift, Collins’ little book is a treat.

In the same manner, Stars ∧ Stripes Forever: The Histories, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag (Morrow, $14.95, 192 pages, ISBN 0060523571), by Richard H. Schneider, takes a look at the history of our nation’s most beloved symbol, from the early vague description enacted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, to the tattered icon rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. The book is a collection of history, observations and anecdotes about “Old Glory” (including the origin of that name), set off by moving recollections from veterans, celebrities and citizens about their experiences of the Stars and Stripes. Schneider delves into thoroughly modern controversies about the flag and patriotism, from the Pledge of Allegiance to bizarre Internet conspiracy theories. In many ways, this inspiring book is as much a history of our nation and its attitudes towards patriotism as it is a history of the flag itself.

Exploring the meaning of patriotism is at the center of Caroline Kennedy’s latest book. A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love (Hyperion, $24.95, 643 pages, ISBN 0786869186) is a compilation of opinions and art from more than two centuries of American experience. In the introduction, Kennedy calls the book her “collage of America,” and an exceptional collage it is. From George Washington’s farewell address to Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Kennedy has created a marvelous mixture of speeches, opinions, lyrics and literary works about America and her people. As great as the differences are between the voices she selects (where else will you find Ronald Reagan collected with Cesar Chavez?), there is something uniquely American in every one.

Among the unique voices of America, few are more vocal and controversial than Alan Dershowitz. Built around an examination of the words and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, America Declares Independence is Dershowitz’s latest broadside in the continuing argument over the appropriate relationship between church and state. Using Thomas Jefferson as both touchstone and target, Dershowitz argues that the founders, many of whom were Deists, never intended for America to be an explicitly Christian nation. Readers can (and likely will) debate whether Dershowitz proves his points, but this book stands as a testament to the diversity of opinion that can exist under one flag and that may be exactly what defines our nation best. Howard Shirley is a writer in Nashville.

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation,…
History

Patriotism in song, symbol and thought

Review by bookpagedev

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation, but what does that identity mean? Four new books offer insight into this question.

Patriotic music is a staple of Fourth of July picnics. But where did these songs come from, and how did they become a part of our national character? Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America’s Best-Loved Patriotic Songs (HarperResource, $14.95, 223 pages, ISBN 0060513047), by Ace Collins, explores the history of our nation’s music, from the grade school favorite “Yankee Doodle” to the modern staple “God Bless the U.S.

A.” These are the songs that have led us into battle, motivated us to change and inspired us to believe. In each chapter, Collins reveals the stories behind our favorite national tunes, delving into the lives of the songwriters and performers who made them famous. The book also offers a look at the mood and mind of the nation during the time when each song appeared and shows how the songs themselves have been changed by the nation they praise. For those with a love of music or history, or readers looking for a patriotic lift, Collins’ little book is a treat.

In the same manner, Stars &and Stripes Forever: The Histories, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag (Morrow, $14.95, 192 pages, ISBN 0060523571), by Richard H. Schneider, takes a look at the history of our nation’s most beloved symbol, from the early vague description enacted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, to the tattered icon rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. The book is a collection of history, observations and anecdotes about “Old Glory” (including the origin of that name), set off by moving recollections from veterans, celebrities and citizens about their experiences of the Stars and Stripes. Schneider delves into thoroughly modern controversies about the flag and patriotism, from the Pledge of Allegiance to bizarre Internet conspiracy theories. In many ways, this inspiring book is as much a history of our nation and its attitudes towards patriotism as it is a history of the flag itself.

Exploring the meaning of patriotism is at the center of Caroline Kennedy’s latest book. A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love is a compilation of opinions and art from more than two centuries of American experience. In the introduction, Kennedy calls the book her “collage of America,” and an exceptional collage it is. From George Washington’s farewell address to Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Kennedy has created a marvelous mixture of speeches, opinions, lyrics and literary works about America and her people. As great as the differences are between the voices she selects (where else will you find Ronald Reagan collected with Cesar Chavez?), there is something uniquely American in every one.

Among the unique voices of America, few are more vocal and controversial than Alan Dershowitz. Built around an examination of the words and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, America Declares Independence (Wiley, $19.95, 196 pages, ISBN 0471264822) is Dershowitz’s latest broadside in the continuing argument over the appropriate relationship between church and state. Using Thomas Jefferson as both touchstone and target, Dershowitz argues that the founders, many of whom were Deists, never intended for America to be an explicitly Christian nation. Readers can (and likely will) debate whether Dershowitz proves his points, but this book stands as a testament to the diversity of opinion that can exist under one flag and that may be exactly what defines our nation best. Howard Shirley is a writer in Nashville.

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation,…
History

Patriotism in song, symbol and thought

Review by bookpagedev

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation, but what does that identity mean? Four new books offer insight into this question.

Patriotic music is a staple of Fourth of July picnics. But where did these songs come from, and how did they become a part of our national character? Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America’s Best-Loved Patriotic Songs (HarperResource, $14.95, 223 pages, ISBN 0060513047), by Ace Collins, explores the history of our nation’s music, from the grade school favorite “Yankee Doodle” to the modern staple “God Bless the U.S.

A.” These are the songs that have led us into battle, motivated us to change and inspired us to believe. In each chapter, Collins reveals the stories behind our favorite national tunes, delving into the lives of the songwriters and performers who made them famous. The book also offers a look at the mood and mind of the nation during the time when each song appeared and shows how the songs themselves have been changed by the nation they praise. For those with a love of music or history, or readers looking for a patriotic lift, Collins’ little book is a treat.

In the same manner, Stars ∧ Stripes Forever: The Histories, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag, by Richard H. Schneider, takes a look at the history of our nation’s most beloved symbol, from the early vague description enacted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, to the tattered icon rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. The book is a collection of history, observations and anecdotes about “Old Glory” (including the origin of that name), set off by moving recollections from veterans, celebrities and citizens about their experiences of the Stars and Stripes. Schneider delves into thoroughly modern controversies about the flag and patriotism, from the Pledge of Allegiance to bizarre Internet conspiracy theories. In many ways, this inspiring book is as much a history of our nation and its attitudes towards patriotism as it is a history of the flag itself.

Exploring the meaning of patriotism is at the center of Caroline Kennedy’s latest book. A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love (Hyperion, $24.95, 643 pages, ISBN 0786869186) is a compilation of opinions and art from more than two centuries of American experience. In the introduction, Kennedy calls the book her “collage of America,” and an exceptional collage it is. From George Washington’s farewell address to Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Kennedy has created a marvelous mixture of speeches, opinions, lyrics and literary works about America and her people. As great as the differences are between the voices she selects (where else will you find Ronald Reagan collected with Cesar Chavez?), there is something uniquely American in every one.

Among the unique voices of America, few are more vocal and controversial than Alan Dershowitz. Built around an examination of the words and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, America Declares Independence (Wiley, $19.95, 196 pages, ISBN 0471264822) is Dershowitz’s latest broadside in the continuing argument over the appropriate relationship between church and state. Using Thomas Jefferson as both touchstone and target, Dershowitz argues that the founders, many of whom were Deists, never intended for America to be an explicitly Christian nation. Readers can (and likely will) debate whether Dershowitz proves his points, but this book stands as a testament to the diversity of opinion that can exist under one flag and that may be exactly what defines our nation best. Howard Shirley is a writer in Nashville.

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation,…
History

Patriotism in song, symbol and thought

Review by bookpagedev

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation, but what does that identity mean? Four new books offer insight into this question.

Patriotic music is a staple of Fourth of July picnics. But where did these songs come from, and how did they become a part of our national character? Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America’s Best-Loved Patriotic Songs, by Ace Collins, explores the history of our nation’s music, from the grade school favorite “Yankee Doodle” to the modern staple “God Bless the U.S.

A.” These are the songs that have led us into battle, motivated us to change and inspired us to believe. In each chapter, Collins reveals the stories behind our favorite national tunes, delving into the lives of the songwriters and performers who made them famous. The book also offers a look at the mood and mind of the nation during the time when each song appeared and shows how the songs themselves have been changed by the nation they praise. For those with a love of music or history, or readers looking for a patriotic lift, Collins’ little book is a treat.

In the same manner, Stars &and Stripes Forever: The Histories, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag (Morrow, $14.95, 192 pages, ISBN 0060523571), by Richard H. Schneider, takes a look at the history of our nation’s most beloved symbol, from the early vague description enacted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, to the tattered icon rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001. The book is a collection of history, observations and anecdotes about “Old Glory” (including the origin of that name), set off by moving recollections from veterans, celebrities and citizens about their experiences of the Stars and Stripes. Schneider delves into thoroughly modern controversies about the flag and patriotism, from the Pledge of Allegiance to bizarre Internet conspiracy theories. In many ways, this inspiring book is as much a history of our nation and its attitudes towards patriotism as it is a history of the flag itself.

Exploring the meaning of patriotism is at the center of Caroline Kennedy’s latest book. A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love (Hyperion, $24.95, 643 pages, ISBN 0786869186) is a compilation of opinions and art from more than two centuries of American experience. In the introduction, Kennedy calls the book her “collage of America,” and an exceptional collage it is. From George Washington’s farewell address to Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Kennedy has created a marvelous mixture of speeches, opinions, lyrics and literary works about America and her people. As great as the differences are between the voices she selects (where else will you find Ronald Reagan collected with Cesar Chavez?), there is something uniquely American in every one.

Among the unique voices of America, few are more vocal and controversial than Alan Dershowitz. Built around an examination of the words and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence, America Declares Independence (Wiley, $19.95, 196 pages, ISBN 0471264822) is Dershowitz’s latest broadside in the continuing argument over the appropriate relationship between church and state. Using Thomas Jefferson as both touchstone and target, Dershowitz argues that the founders, many of whom were Deists, never intended for America to be an explicitly Christian nation. Readers can (and likely will) debate whether Dershowitz proves his points, but this book stands as a testament to the diversity of opinion that can exist under one flag and that may be exactly what defines our nation best. Howard Shirley is a writer in Nashville.

We are in a patriotic month in a patriotic age. Our nation displays its colors, sings its songs, honors its past and argues its present. The sights and sounds of the Fourth of July all serve to remind us of our identity as a nation,…
Children's & YA

More than just a game

Review by bookpagedev

Tom Gallagher is in a jam, and it’s largely of his own making. Tom’s friend, elderly Doc Altenheimer, can’t decide whether or not to sell his ranch to developers. When Tom points out how much he and his neighbors value the hilly desert community on the outskirts of San Diego especially the century-old ballpark built by miners Doc’s response is totally unexpected. Now, the future of Dillontown rests squarely on the shoulders of young Tom and his fellow teammates: if they can beat a group of 12-year-old baseball all-stars, they get to keep their precious hills. If they lose, they’ll get tract housing and traffic. And they’ve only got a week to prepare! Writer John H. Ritter has penned a story that cheerfully upends the conventions of children’s sports novels. Instead of the expected team of misfits, in The Boy Who Saved Baseball, the kids tasked with trying to save their way of life along with their beloved baseball diamond are surprisingly normal. Tom is smart and shy, his best friend Frankie is boisterous and silly, and Frankie’s cousin (and their first baseman), Maria, is tall, athletic and pretty a fact that grows uncomfortably on Tom as the book progresses. Dillontown itself is full of eccentrics, from the local poet who’s out of his tree (literally!), to the mayor and his greedy banker friend, to the parents who parade out to the field to watch practice and serve up tortillas and beans.

Even with Tom’s father as coach, the prospects of defeating the all-stars look dim that is, until young Cruz de la Cruz rides into town with a baseball bat stuck in his saddle. He’s got a plan, and he needs Tom’s help. Up in the mountains outside of town lives Dante Del Gato, one of the greatest hitters that ever lived. If they can get the reclusive slugger to help them, they might just have a chance at victory.

Fun and funny, full of surprises and baseball lore, John H. Ritter’s The Boy Who Saved Baseball is an entertaining read for any sports fan in your family. Take a swing at it. James Neal Webb is a long-suffering Boston Red Sox fan.

Tom Gallagher is in a jam, and it's largely of his own making. Tom's friend, elderly Doc Altenheimer, can't decide whether or not to sell his ranch to developers. When Tom points out how much he and his neighbors value the hilly desert community on…
Children's & YA

Survival in the big city

Review by bookpagedev

Nothing good comes of bad money. That’s the lesson Raspberry Hill learns in Sharon G. Flake’s newest novel, Begging for Change. In this sequel to her 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Money Hungry, Flake tells the story of young Raspberry, whose life revolves around money. It’s not that she has much, it’s just that money is the only thing that makes her feel safe and strong. But after her mother gets beaten up by a neighborhood bully (for trying to clean up the projects), and her father, a homeless crack addict, shows up at her mother’s hospital room (looking for money to get another hit), Raspberry’s sense of security gets thrown into a tailspin.

Through the eyes of this (barely) teenage girl, Flake tells a tale of greed and forgiveness in a surprisingly poignant and lively manner. Raspberry’s wide-open eyes reflect the dangers of her neighborhood and the frustration and confusion she and her friends encounter. From avoiding gangs of angry neighbors, to helping her friends sort our their racial identities, Raspberry’s experiences transcend those of a normal teen. The weight of her burdens and the damage done soon become apparent to everyone. Although Raspberry had been a "good" girl for most of her life, her frustrations and anger with her continual "bad luck" lead her to do something she would never normally do. In an act of greed, she not only jeopardizes a friendship, she brings to the surface her greatest fear: that she is just like her thieving father. Raspberry soon realizes first-hand that "stealing from someone is like killing a part of them." In order to forgive her father, Raspberry first has to be forgiven herself by all of those she has hurt.

Flake’s eye-opening view of this troubled youth shows us that even in the darkest alleyways of the inner city, a glimmer of hope can shine. And while nothing comes of bad money, good things can come of good people.

Heidi Henneman writes from San Francisco.

Nothing good comes of bad money. That's the lesson Raspberry Hill learns in Sharon G. Flake's newest novel, Begging for Change. In this sequel to her 2002 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Money Hungry, Flake tells the story of young Raspberry, whose life revolves…

Children's & YA

The life of the party

Review by bookpagedev

Morris the Artist is a compelling book for young readers, combining themes central to every preschooler’s life. After all, what five-year-old doesn’t love to paint? Or go to birthday parties? Throw in a little greed and you’ve got yourself a walloping good tale.

From the very first spread, it’s easy to see that young Morris is a character. He’s holding paints and looking artistic, with a large hat jauntily perched on his head. He and his mom immediately lock horns, as she announces that it’s time to buy a birthday present for Morris’ friend, Benjamin. Morris says no, he wants to paint instead. Mom replies firmly, as she must several times in the book, "Come along, Morris . . . NOW." The two buy a birthday present, but we don’t see what’s inside the box. At the party, when it’s time to unwrap Morris’ gift, he refuses to hand it over. Morris can’t even eat his piece of birthday cake because he’s too busy gripping the present. He can’t play with the other kids because he’s still holding on for dear life. Finally, however, the urge to play overcomes Morris’ greed, and he releases his hold on the box. The unveiling, as it turns out, is anticlimactic: "It’s only paints," the kids complain. Once Morris starts to use them, however, the other children join in, and soon there is paint everywhere, with splatters spread joyfully across the pages. Boris Kulikov’s style is intriguingly old-fashioned. His colors are muted by sepia tones, and he has dressed the kids in vintage clothing. The entire book resonates like a modern-day fairy tale the birthday boy’s home even resembles a small castle.

A word of caution from one parent to another: Once you read this lively story to your kids, they are definitely going to want to use their paints, so be sure to bring the book out at an opportune time. Furthermore, the party ends with the kids painting on each other . . . Don’t say you weren’t warned!

Alice Cary writes from Groton, Massachusetts.

 

Morris the Artist is a compelling book for young readers, combining themes central to every preschooler's life. After all, what five-year-old doesn't love to paint? Or go to birthday parties? Throw in a little greed and you've got yourself a walloping good tale.
…

Children's & YAPicture Book

A story with two happy endings

Review by bookpagedev

Arabella Anastasia is definitely not an ordinary girl. And Indescribably Arabella isn’t an ordinary book, either.

Like the Arabella of the title, author/illustrator Jane Gilbert had many dreams as a girl. She loved dancing, acting, poems and stories. And, of course, movie stars. In 1947, after rereading her childhood diaries, Gilbert was inspired to write and illustrate a book about a girl called Arabella Anastasia, named after her own rag doll.

Because of paper shortages during the Korean War, her book was never published. Gilbert set the project aside for 50 years then showed it to a writer friend. Eventually the story landed on the desk of Anne Schwartz, an editor at Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She loved it. And there’s a lot to love in this delightful, nostalgic story. The text is hand-lettered in an old-fashioned script. The gouache illustrations are simple and charming. But it’s Arabella herself who steals the limelight. For Arabella is a far cry from today’s cookie-cutter Disney heroines. She has personality! With her plump thighs, tiny feet and enormous hair bows, she’s sure to delight readers young and old.

The story begins on the day Arabella Anastasia decides to be famous. To start, she sets her sights on becoming a famous painter. But her colors run together and her lines go crooked. Arabella must choose another path to fame. So she decides to be an actress. Unfortunately, she has a few problems remembering her lines, to say nothing of her late entrances. Next, she takes up ballet. With her last few pennies she buys her tutu and dancing slippers. Alas, poor Arabella. The "people in the Big Offices" just laugh at her short legs. Fortunately, in the end, Arabella finds that while her gifts may not bring her fame, they can bring her satisfaction. Even more important, they can bring happiness to others. This simple, endearing story has a happy ending in more ways than one. When author Gilbert, now in her 80s, first saw a copy of the finished book, she cried with joy.

Deborah Hopkinson’s newest book, Girl Wonder, A Baseball Story in Nine Innings, was recently recognized with a 2003 Parents Choice Gold Award.

Arabella Anastasia is definitely not an ordinary girl. And Indescribably Arabella isn't an ordinary book, either.

Like the Arabella of the title, author/illustrator Jane Gilbert had many dreams as a girl. She loved dancing, acting, poems and stories. And, of course,…

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