THE PAINTER'S CHAIR : GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE MAKING OF AMERICAN ART
by Hugh Howard

George Washington never did relish sitting for an artist. But, as he had done so for various times, he resigned himself to it. This was the only way painters could produce his likeness on canvas.
In the eighteenth century, art in America was not as popular or current as it was in Europe.
That was soon to change with the emergence of Charles Willson Peale, the man who was everyone's friend; John Trumbull, an aristocrat, who thought very highly of himself; Benjamin West, a mentor to all artists; and Gilbert Stuart, probably the most gifted one. (His unfinished portrait of Washington is on the one-dollar bill.)
These men produced works of their hero, who became an icon to the American republic.
Hugh Howard does an incredible job of depicting the lives of the painters and Washington's interaction with them.
There's some neat trivia, here, too. Both Robert Fulton and Samuel F.B. Morse make an appearance.
The Painter's Chair is a marvelous book, full of history and detailed descriptions of the works. There are sixteen pages of colored plates.
The author's sources for the text were the papers of Washington, the artists, scholars and books. Quite an extensive bibliography (twelve pages worth), notes and an index round out this exceptional book.
Highly recommended.

CLOSING TIME : A MEMOIR
by Joe Queenan

Joe Queenan is well-known as a humorist, critic, author, satirist, who rants and raves about everything that is not right about America.
In his latest book, his tenth, he turns to writing about himself: growing up in Philadelphia in horrible neighborhoods.
As a young child, he and his sisters lived in a housing project. They are forced to wear clothing considered off-brand (Made in Pakistan, not the label saying Made in U.S.A.) and eat food mostly out of cans. Most of the time, they are starving. Their horrendous existence is due to Joe Queenan Sr., an alcoholic that cannot keep a job for any period of time. His nightly bouts of rage, fueled by liquor, turns him into an emotional ball of terror, which he then inflicts on his children, beating them with his belt.
Joe Jr. knows that this is not the life or future he wants for himself, so he starts looking for ways to get out. When he's eight years old, his first job, at six dollars a week, is working for a man who owns a clothing store that can barely stay in business. Seven years later, he is behind the counter at a pharmacy, filling prescriptions, his boss in the back chain-smoking and cooking gourmet meals for his hungry protege. These men become both his mentors and surrogate fathers.
Joe's love of books and music sustains him and he's an excellent student at school. At one point, he desires to become a priest and enters a seminary. It's short-lived and he is told not to return.
Closing Time is a fierce, dark story about poverty and rising above it. Queenan's writing is superb and even though he's very cynical, there's much to laugh at. He's very detailed, descriptive and honest.
A terrific read.
Highly recommended.

VANISHED SMILE : THE MYSTERIOUS THEFT OF MONA LISA
by R.A. Scotti

She is the most famous face in the world of art. Millions of people flock to see her every year. They are mesmerized, captivated by her eyes. The French consider her a national treasure.
On August 21, 1911, Mona Lisa vanished from the Louvre. Twenty-four hours passed before the museum realized that she was gone. The news media went wild. Tons of people came to see the empty space on the wall. Everyone was in mourning. Flowers and notes were left. For more than two years, she was missing. Then, she reappeared, a few blocks from where she had originally been painted.
Vanished Smile is a spellbinding story. The skills of R.A. Scotti as a historian makes for fascinating reading. The chapter called The Mystery Woman could be another book in and of itself. Who exactly was this woman, fact or fiction? The methods that Leonardo da Vinci used to paint this portrait, how long it took him, why he chose her, what she wore, etc.
If you like art, mystery, and detective work, make sure to read this one.
Highly recommended.

MR. AMERICA : HOW MUSCULAR MILLIONAIRE BERNARR MACFADDEN TRANSFORMED THE NATION THROUGH SEX, SALAD, AND THE ULTIMATE STARVATION DIET
by Mark Adams

Bernarr MacFadden was a brilliant, ambitious, eccentric genius, in the early part of the twentieth century, who influenced the world with his take on health and diet. From his humble upbringing, being orphaned at eight years of age, he would eventually become a multimillionaire with Physical Culture, a magazine that dictated exercise, how and what to eat, fasting, alternative medicine (he never went to a doctor) and sex education.
MacFadden would launch the New York Evening Graphic considered to be the worst newspaper in United States history. Walter Winchell was the gossip columnist. The sports writer was Ed Sullivan. At one point, Eleanor Roosevelt was hired to edit articles about babies.
Mr. America is a wonderful biography of a lost American entrepreneur. The book is inundated with a fascinating array of trivia. Upton Sinclair, Charles Atlas, Jack LaLanne, Fiorello LaGuardia, C.W. Post, John Harvey Kellogg and many others all make some kind of appearance within the pages.
The author, Mark Adams, is a terrific writer and has done incredible research. Check out the Acknowledgments on who he interviewed and what he found. The Notes and the Bibliography are quite extensive.
If you want to learn how to live a long and healthy life, read this book and have a good laugh at the same time.
Highly recommended.

HUNTING EICHMANN : HOW A BAND OF SURVIVORS AND A YOUNG SPY AGENCY CHASED DOWN THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS NAZI
by Neal Bascomb

He was chief of Department IVB4, following Hitler's orders to annihilate the Jews. His goal was to remove every one of them from Hungary. But then, the war ended, Hitler committed suicide and the operational manager of the Final Solution vanished.
Adolf Eichmann spent the next fifteen years living, incognito (or so he thought), in Buenos Aires.
Many people searched for him and it became an international manhunt.
Eventually, the Mossad captured him and brought him back to Israel for trial.
Hunting Eichmann is an incredible story. Neil Bascomb used newly declassified documents and exhaustive research and has written a masterpiece.
If you want drama and suspense, pick up this book.
Highly recommended.

THE LOST CITY OF Z : A TALE OF DEADLY OBSESSION IN THE AMAZON
by David Grann

Percy Harrison Fawcett was such a great Victorian explorer that accolades were written about him for decades. His adventures enthralled the public: he lived in the jungles of South America and was attacked by tribesmen; fought anacondas, piranhas, vampire bats and other nasty creatures; drew maps of unexplored regions. Fawcett was called the "David Livingstone of the Amazon." Scientists would flock to hear him speak whenever he returned from his exploits.
In 1925, Fawcett set off for the Amazon convinced that there was an ancient civilization. His oldest son, Jack, came with him. It was a small expedition consisting of only a few men. While they were away, Fawcett sent dispatches that were carried through the jungle and were eagerly gobbled up by every man, woman and child.
Then, messages stopped coming. Nothing further was heard from them.
They had simply vanished.
The Lost City of Z is one hell of a story. David Grann is a superb writer and keeps you riveted.
Using diaries, letters, journals and logbooks, his terrific skills as a reporter enables him to piece together the true-to-life tale of what really happened to Fawcett.
Truly, one of the best books I have ever read.
Highly recommended.

THE GARDNER HEIST : THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST UNSOLVED ART THEFT
by Ulrich Boser

Isabella Stewart Gardner always dreamed, as a teenager, to be a collector of art masterpieces and have a place to display them. Fifty years later, her dream came true when a four-story palazzo was built, in Boston, and filled with paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, drawings and pieces of antiquity.
On March 18, 1990, two men broke into the museum and stole a Vermeer, three Rembrandts, and five Degas. It was the largest art heist in history.
Harold Smith was an art detective and he worked on the case for years. After he died, the author, Ulrich Boser, who is a reporter and editor of a crime magazine, tried to pick up where Smith left off. Boser explored the art underworld and met an extraordinary group of personalities. He eventually uncovers the names of the men who burglarized the museum.
The Gardner Heist is a terrific story. Even though the artwork has never been found, just reading about the potential leads is riveting. It's very well-researched with sources for every chapter. There's even a website : www.thegardnerheist.com for anyone interested in knowing more about the case or having information on the locations of the paintings.
Don't miss this one.
Highly recommended.