Astute character reading and solid research combine with ingenious and stylish prose: a superior portfolio from a journalist...
Narrative nonfiction in the mode of A.J. Liebling and Ernie Pyle, from bestselling journalist Bowden (Black Hawk Down, 1999, etc.).
Diverse pieces in varying lengths, drawn from his files over several decades, range from quite proficient to excellent. The author’s prowess as a fly-on-the-wall police reporter is showcased in his story of a huge coke deal in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and in the longest piece here, the tale of a whoremaster informant and cops on the take in Philadelphia, Bowden’s longtime beat. (Formerly with The Philadelphia Inquirer, he is now national correspondent for The Atlantic.) The City of Brotherly Love is also featured in a Runyonesque yarn about an effigy of Rocky Balboa (Sly Stallone’s alter ego), and in first-rate profiles of Mike Schmidt, Phillies third baseman of 20 years ago, and recent Eagles center Hank Fraley. Bowden’s sportswriting talent extends to high-school football and basketball with equal verve and understanding, and even those unfamiliar with the fine points will enjoy his story of baseball’s great potato pick-off play. Moving overseas, the reporter provides a solid public-affairs backgrounder in a profile of Saddam Hussein before his capture. Bowden is also proficient in domestic political matters. His report on Al Sharpton’s feckless run at the Oval Office is pointed and current, though a dispatch from the Republican convention of 2000 seems slightly out of date, and a 1984 profile of Norman Mailer has whiskers. More substantial and current is Bowden’s considered analysis of the art and science of interrogation and the need to coerce information from prisoners. His reportorial range is wide, indeed, including coverage of the world’s oldest gorilla, the inelegant problem of bladder relief for female fighter pilots, charging elephants in Zambia, and charging linemen on the line of scrimmage. Throughout, Bowden’s reporter’s gut instinct serves him and this collection well.
Astute character reading and solid research combine with ingenious and stylish prose: a superior portfolio from a journalist who stays at the top of his game with remarkable consistency.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-87113-876-X
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2004
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
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BOOK TO SCREEN
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Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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