Hugh Holton has created an excellent Chicago based story that weaves in at least 3 main story lines with at least 3 more sub stories. I currently live in the windy city and it was fun to read the street locations, etc. and know that they did in fact exist and were accurate in their descriptions. I am usually not a fan of the author that tells the story by jumping from one character's view to another character's view but in this case it really works. You understand the psyche of the story teller of the moment and Hugh does an excellent job of tying one lead in to another. In other words you are never left hanging as to why he went from one point of view to another. That's usually where the some author's go wrong when trying to tell a story from multiple viewpoints.

If I had a complaint, mind you this is real small, it's that I would have liked a few more pages devoted to the cop Larry Cole. I suspect Hugh didn't give him more pages because he himself is a cop.

You'll find yourself sympathizing with Reggie,one of the main characters, his upbringing with his grandmother and uncle Ernst and then what the FBI does to him when all he wanted to be was a law abiding cop. Even though Hugh is busy telling you the story straight out you keep second guessing him and you end up surprised in the end. Although Hugh can be forgiven his slight digression of giving away who Reggie's father was so early in the book.

Speaking as one who is easily bored I have to say at every opportunity I had I would pick up this book to read it and managed to finish it in a couple of days. I can't wait to get to his other books.

See my review of "Presumed Dead."

See my review of "Presumed Dead".

This rollicking novel of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal is a sort of hybrid of Ragtime, Eight Men Out &

You Know Me, Al. Luther Pond, a sportswriter for William Randolph Hearst's New York Morning Journal, shares the narration with "Buck" Weaver. Between them they weave a tale that intersperses portraits of John L. Sullivan, Ty Cobb, Hearst, George M. Cohan, etc. (here's a description of Cobb: "watching him play, it was possible to speculate, in defiance of logic, that winning was not his only concern; that Ty Cobb was consumed by another, more primitive objective: to annihilate the egos of other men" ) with the story of how eight players on the best team in baseball came to participate in a scheme to lose a World Series.

For anyone who knows the story of the Black Sox, much of the book will be familiar, but there are some nice set pieces--especially the Jeffries/Johnson fight--& the world of newspapering & Yellow Journalism is as much a focus of the story as baseball.

GRADE: B+

Also recommended, by Harry Stein: -How I Accidentally Joined the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (and Found Inner Peace) (2000) (Grade: A-)

Hoopla was the most satisfying baseball novel I have ever read. There are two main characters and they take turns writing chapters. The first is fictitious sportswriter, Luther Pond looking back at his career from the perspective of the 1970s. The other character is real-life Black Sox player, Buck Weaver and his experiences in baseball before and after the scandal that rocked baseball.

The book is billed as a novel about the Black Sox, but it's not just an account of that season, but a reflection of the careers of two men who wound up in the middle of that notorious event.

Luther Pond begins his story as a cub reporter covering the famous boxer, John L. Sullivan, who himself is covering a big boxing match featuring the first black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson. Pond learns that Sullivan is now fat and alcoholic and doesn't even write his own copy for the newspaper. Pond goes on to demolish the legend of other athletes too by digging into Ty Cobb's past and uncovering information that suggests he also had his hand in fixing ballgames.

Buck Weaver is portrayed as a young cocky player who passivity gets him caught up in situations not of his making. Ultimately it gets him kicked out of baseball.

What really made the book work for me is that Stein writes with a style that is somewhere between Ring Lardner and Damon Runyon, two men who were both sportswriters at this time, but would later go on to greater glory through their fiction. For me that style captures the time as well as the story.

Some books you enjoy all the way through and some you enjoy more in reflection. Hoopla is definitely one you'll enjoy all the way to the finish.

I've been reading all the materials I can possibly track down on the 1919 World Series, the Black Sox, and Buck Weaver for some time and this book rates with the best of them. Hoopla is a timeline, recording the thoughts and memories of one of the Black Sox most prominent figures; George "Buck" Weaver, and intertwines them with the ficticious actions of the author. The chapters written by Weaver brought more realization to the events surrounding the 1919 World Series than any other material I've discovered. Buck writes with a humorous slang and much emotion as he describes a turn of events from his first days in the big leagues through the 1921 decision to ban him for life. Stein's fictional character also adds depth to this period of time lending a sports writers perception to the storyline. The 1919 World Series in all its fascination has been described a million times over, but to read it straight from the horses mouth gives it pure life. Anyone interested in this time period and or the events I've mentioned should sincerely enjoy this awesome book.

It was a good book; interesting plot, characters, etc. The only thing that made it 4 not 5 stars, for me, was that the ending was not as entertaining as the rest of it.

I have always hungered for an adventure that was ambigious enough that I would be forced to complete it in order to unravel the mystery. Clayton Smith left Andy Mann just such an adventure. Although Clayton Smith is a dead character, he is the most interesting character in the book. Even at the end, I was not convinced that he was really dead; like Elvis and Jim Morrison, I can readily imagine folkore explanations about how he still lives. Read Invisible World and you will find out that Inner Mongolia has more dimensions than shown on the map.

Andy Mann, the son of a Chicago pipe-fitter, is awakened one night by a phone call that informs him his childhood friend, Clayton Smith, is dead. Suicide. Found on the floor of his Hong Kong apartment. The funeral is in three days, in Hong Kong. Sensible Andy decides to forego the funeral--until a package arrives from the deceased, with a plane ticket and an invitation. Such is the opening act in Stuart Cohen's inaugural work of fiction, Invisible World. When Andy lands in Hong Kong many hours later, he arrives not just in another continent, but another world, Clayton's world, one where legendary textiles weave the dreams of many, where the philosophy of Mencius is paramount, and where money printed with the face of Genghis Khan is the currency.

Having received only sporadic correspondence from Clayton over the previous few years, Andy begins to meet the people mentioned in his friend's letters. There is Jeffrey Holt, the textile merchant, whose own world straddles Asia and South America; Silvia, the sultry Argentinian with a checkered past; and Chang, the Hong Kong businessman with a head for Confucian philosophy. Perhaps most importantly, Andy learns more about his distant friend Clayton, the dreamer whose intricate paper sculptures both enriched and ruined his life.

In his wake, Clayton leaves a series of clues and instructions, which lead first to Shanghai, then Beijing, and then to Inner Mongolia, in search of a fabled map of the Mongol empire, a gift for the Pope that never reached the Vatican. The search for the map leads the trio on a criss-cross through the Mongolian grasslands, complicated by shifting alliances and always haunted by Clayton's influence and memory.

Invisible World could have been set anywhere outside of Europe or North America, and the fact that its story is not implicitly a China one is part of what makes it such a good read. Cohen described the book as a "Confucian thriller." Cohen has not forcefully grafted the story onto a China background, unlike recent novels such as Flower Net. It's a solid story first and foremost, and that's why it works. Cohen's turns of phrase, especially when we hear the voice of Clayton, help to make Invisible World far more than a first novel; it leaves the reader begging for a sequel, a prequel, just more.

We will never see these lovely posters on the hoardings in Chicagoland or Northwestern Indiana, but this wonderful book does as much as is possible to capture the glory of that long-gone, pre-Depression advertising age. The articles are interesting to railway aficianados and help to put the artworks in their proper context, but the crowning glories of the book are the full-page reproductions of all the known surviving South Shore Line posters. Yes, it was a simpler time; and No, the artists were not on the forefront and fringes of experimentation. But the posters do not pretend to be anything other than what they are--railway advertising--and they are superb examples of that, comparing favorably with the contemporaneous works of the Big Four in Britain, who were themselves experiencing a Golden Age at the time. Now if only someone would do for North Shore Line posters what this book does for the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railway! Buy two copies: one for the shelf, and one to cannibalize for prints to frame. (I know, I know, the thought of cutting up a book was anathema to me at first, but the results were spectacular.)

"Moonlight in Duneland" is a wonderfully subtle exploration of a marriage between the golden age of advertising and twilight of passenger rail service in suburban Chicago and northwest Indiana.

The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad has served the region for about ninety years, but in the 1920s the once floundering commuter train became a sudden success due to the advertising campaign commissioned by new owner Samuel Insull.

Intending to create a ridership for the line, the ad campaign showed sophisticated Chicagoans what wonderful scenery and activities waited for them a short ride east in Indiana. The lithographs reprinted on the pages of "Moonlight in Duneland" are wonderfully rendered in the style of such illustrators as Maxfield Parrish and the Prairie Deco artists of the day. Each poster illustrates one of the many activities in different seasons. One could see Notre Dame football in the fall; relax on the Lake Michigan beaches in the summer; or snow ski on the Dunes in winter. The pages are mainly full page reprints of the photos with just enough text in the front of the book for explanation.

This book is very well made and the prints are very well reproduced. I recommend it to anyone, but fans of Art Deco design and railroad enthusiasts will enjoy it.

A must-have coffee table book for anyone connected to N.W. Indiana. Living history in a medium long past.

This book I thought would be entertaining to me. I found out it was written by a white man from New England who grew up in an upper class family and went to a fine university. He moved to the ghetto for 2 years to "hang" with the Black people and "try to get things done" as he says. I found it to be a book of propaganda sending messages to people about how blacks are mistreated. I am black myself and thought the book had some ok stories from news clippings but overall the book was junk. I wouldn't get this one. Try Uncle Tom's Cabin.

A NATION OF LORDS chronicles the transformation of one of Chicago's most notorious street gangs from ruthless criminals to community leaders and activists. It is at once a horrifying and inspiring account, a must read for anyone with an opinion on the racial and economic oppression that plagues this country.

A violent but inspiring journey into what seems like Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Much has changed since the Sixties, but A NATION OF LORDS remains instrutive as Dawley's success in moving an outlaw street gang into constructive community action offers lessons and encouragement for taking on the toughest challenges in urban development. A great read for anyone.

I thought this book was interesting and funny. The author seems quite honest and tries to be such a "good guy" despite finding himself in the middle of the "ultimate" male fantasy. He is introspective on some levels, but doesn't seem to ever realize that little by little he becomes just another man perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women and supporting a corporation that thrives on objectifying them. If Mr. Ueland has foremothers who were writers, they would probably be proud of his skill as an author. But I'm guessing that his feminist foremothers, whom he mentions, would be disgusted.

I just finished this hilarious book, Accidental Playboy. I purchased the book to give to my boyfriend for X-Mas, knowing he would love it. Unfortunetly, I randomly opened to page 5, my eyes focusing on a line that I don't think I can repeat here. I only put it down to sleep and eat. Ueland is so honest about his sexuality, or lack there of, and I adored that as well. I also loved how he revealed so much through the scenes with his therapist and really let women in on how the mind of at least one guy works. I could go on and on. All and all I loved it and now must buy my boyfriend his own copy.

After a exhausting week at work, I picked this book up along with some Haagen Daz and bottle of champagne wanting a mindless, childish weekend at home. I started the book not expecting much, Ueland won me over after a few pages. I resisted, and much like being in the company of a new love affair, I slowly melted and was left begging for more. Although I am not claiming it to be the most well written book, nor a masterpiece, it is however brutally honest and says what most men would hesitate to say. His wit, his words, the sarcasm... We need more Ueland's around. I suggest anyone with any sort of interest in human nature to pick it up, and any gal ever confounded by the male sex needs a copy as well. Oh and did I mention, the general male population could stand to take a few tips.

There were lots of things that interested me about this book--reading about the gourmet food industry, what it must be like catering to the rich and famous etc. But I did not come away from this book caring about any of the main characters--Cat Marala, the heroine, her boyfriend doctor Sam, her coworkers etc. The only one that came off believable was the italian co-owner Angelotti--you could feel his pain as news of the human bones found in the soupbones closed down the business. I enjoyed "listening" to the woman in the store lecture on the uses of olive oil and the details of how precise and prepared you need to be to be a top notch caterer. Maybe this wasnt her best book, I may try again....

one part essay on food and food customs(including menus, recipes and a glimpse at meat processing), one part lesson in anatomy and one part introduction to embalmimg all simmered in a classic whodunit base.authoritative and entertaining narration and steady pacing.

Hello- Amazon - what is a review of Hard Bargain doing being included with Hard Evidence?

I had a hard time reading Hard Bargain, but I bought Hard Evidence and finished up Hard Bargain so I coudl get to the next one. I don't know now why Hard Bargain was hard to finish. I put it away until Hard Evidence came out and then finished the one before I read the other. Kat Marsala is an excelelnt character. I must confess I started reading these in the library and then went to used bookstores to add them to my collection, but once I got started I've been faithful.

I recommend this and all of Barbara D'Amatos works to all those who love a good mystery and have the skill to suspend their disbelief. Who reads to solve the problems of the world? Read for pleasure and enjoyment. There is time enough to work on the problems of the world in daily life without working during your leisure hours.

I found this book to be a good read, I agree it was very sad to see how the streets of chicago treated this family that was once a loving family. It also shows what money can do to a family. I can't say that everyone will enjoy this book I have passed it around to some of my friends and they have different opinions on this book. I will say I enjoyed it!!

I read the book and I thought it was excellent. The only thing I did'nt like about the book. It was hard trying to interpret some of the southern slang that was used. I am from the south myself and I was having a headache trying to figure out some of the words and phrases. This goes out to one of the reviewers. I think her name is Sherance Brothers.Thanks for telling the whole story. Since I already read the book I'm not trippin. But you ruined it for everybody else that was looking foward to reading the book. On the other hand this is another Iceberg Slim classic. R.I.P Robert Beck.

Iceberg Slim outdid himself once again when he wrote this novel dealing with tragic drag queen otis tilson this book isn't just about homosexuals but how homosexuals in the black community are created by the system that was designed to break the black man and woman and otis is another victim who was molested by a deacon yeah this is messed up. This is a sad story as otis talks about getting raped, how his dad was a proud reverend down south then when the family moved to chi town the mother just took over and had papa tilson drink himself to an early grave while carol was murdered by moms for being impregnated by a white man then forcing bessie out in the streets where she was murdered by a crazed john who buried her remains under a burned car.

yes this is still a serious issue within the black community nationwide while homosexuality increases and now it's worser because of the rise of aids in the black community this was all designed by the man and his system which will continue to niggerize poor black males you should also read the infamous william lynch letter for info on how the black male and woman was broken.

Kotlowitz captures the essence of life in government housing. This book is a painfully wonderful read. Glorious and uplifting at times, wrenching and frustrating at others. This book should be required text for anyone claiming to be a represenative of the "people". I wish George Bush would read and understand how policy truly affects people. After reading this book, anyone who claims that poverty is not a form of violence should seek professional help.

For those readers who have commented that this book is boring, I have one question....is the existence of this type of devasting poverty boring and insignificant to your partiticular life? This is not a ficitional story of the hardships and struggles of the River's family; rather, it is a harsh reality that exists in our country, one of which we turn our backs and close our eyes to daily. This book is touching only if you understand and acknowledge the facts that perpetuate poverty and welfare-denpendency in the United States. I believe that the readers who comment on LaJoe's laziness are truly portraying their ignorance and stupidity in their comments. In my opinion, this book paints a vivid picture, too vivid for some, of the America that most people do not want to see. My advice for others- read this book because you will be shocked a horrified at our "land of the free." Are those in poverty truly free or are they drowning in a world that smothered them to begin with?

"There are No Children Here" is a book, in my opinion, that is good for the soul. While reading it you realize that things in your life could be a lot worse then they really are.... well at least I did. I realized that I should be more greatful and thankful for the little things I have in my life that I take for granted. I got so wrapped up in the whole story that i forgot that this was about real life while reading "There are No Children Here." I totally forgot that all of this actually happened. Reading this book was like watching a movie. Growing up in the city myself, I didn't realize that such poverty and violence could exist. I was never exposed to gangs or even gang bangs, the poverty, and the violence probably because i had a mother like LaJoe, a loving mother who did everything she could to keep her kids children. Yes, I did experience the feeling of being scared of bullies but not for my life. I didn't go through anything compared to what Lafeyette and Pharoah had to. These children, little adults, saw nothing but violence and and poverty to the point where all they wanted to do is die to escape it all. An example in the book is: "We're gonna die one way or the other by killing or plain out," James said to Lafeyette. "I just wanna die plain out." Lafeyette nodded, "me too." If you ask me.. I'd say go out and get yourself a copy of this book because you won't regret it. It will open your eyes up to what the "other America" is like.

I heartily recommend all of Mr. Golenbock's works, Wrigleyville as well as Bums and Fenway. The author shares my passion for the greatest game ever invented, and it is especially heartening that he chose to write about the Cubs. This book shares much of its content with many recent epics about baseball, such as Ken Burns' Baseball, and Our Game by Charles C. Alexander. The relatively recent trend in emphasizing baseball's traditions and history render this book to be judged as a nice find; but if it weren't for the above mentioned books, it would be a treasure. Unlike the above mentioned books, however, the author has chosen a topic that forces him to look away from developments that occurred on the East Coast. I understand that baseball was invented pretty much on the East Coast, and a substantial portion of its history evolved there. But one thing I found maddening about Ken Burns' masterwork was the notion that New York City was the Sun which all the other baseball planets revolved around. Mr. Golenbock, as well, chose first to write about New York and Boston teams. It is to his credit that he has shown the same love and passion in his chronicling of Cubs history, which is every bit as long, involved, and passionate as Dodger or Red Sox history. As I noted above, there is very little attention paid to recent times...as any Cub fan knows, there has been very little to cheer about for the last half century. The author does a admirable job in analyzing the transition from William Wrigley, a baseball man, to his son Phillip, a gum man, and the long term harm on the franchise. I just wish he could have went one step further, to similarly dissect the "cost-benefit" approach the Tribune Company has used since it took over in 1981.

Being a baseball fan but not necessarily a Cubs fan, I was a little worried that I might not enjoy this book. But you soon find yourself captured in the history of the Cubs organization. Much of the "corporate" attitude that the Cubs front office holds today was started well before many of us were born. The book is a great historical record of not only the Cubs, but of Major League Baseball itself. Every baseball purist would love this book and it's a must read for any die-hard Cub fan.

As a life-long Cub fan, I always wanted this book. I finally got it for Christmas a couple years ago and had it finished in 3 days. I was lost in this book, from the early days of the White Stockings, right up to the Ryne Sandberg era. I saw the updated version at a bookstore and had to have it. I've read it countless times, but I always anticipate what's up ahead. Peter Golenbock did a tremendous job!