THE LONG NIGHT : WILLIAM L. SHIRER AND THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH

It's still known as "The Big Book" (over 1,000 pages) and when it was published in 1960 one million copies were sold. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich would become William L. Shirer's one true masterpiece and it would sustain him, financially, for the rest of his life. (He wrote it because he had no solid employment and needed money, badly.) The way Shirer envisioned it, nobody else could could produce such a monumental tome on the Nazis' rise to power and then their ultimate defeat. He lived it, in Berlin, for six years broadcasting all of the important events working for CBS news.
Shirer would never have imagined that one day he would become the first American reporter giving eyewitness accounts of the German Army's conquests in Austria (the annexation), France (the armistice), and anything else that showed Germany's superiority. People all over the world listened to the broadcasts. What Shirer read, though, was not what what he had originally planned to say. He would write up a script and the censors would cross out just about everything. Shirer wanted to speak the truth but instead most of what came out of his mouth were lies: sheer propaganda. It drove him crazy. Fortunately, he was able to document anything that he heard either from officials or other foreign correspondents via letters and journals. He kept a diary in which he laid out his true feelings (most of this would be used in his master work).
In The Long Night Steve Wick was able to recreate William Shirer's incredible experience by using his collection of papers held at the library of Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa ( Shirer's alma mater). The book is both an eye-opener and a page-turner.
Recommended.

WE IS GOT HIM : THE KIDNAPPING THAT CHANGED AMERICA
by Carrie Hagen

1874 was a pivotal year for Philadelphia. The city was going to host America's centennial celebration. They were thrilled to have taken it away from New York. Amidst the planning stages, a horrific crime took place that almost derailed the historic event.
Charley Ross was playing in his front yard, in Germantown, when he was kidnapped (enticed by candy). The following day the first of many (23) ransom notes arrived demanding $20,000.
For months the police in both Philadelphia and New York searched for the little boy (four years old) inspecting every building. The public was only able to follow the news via newspapers and the search became nationwide.
Carrie Hagen does a tremendous job in laying out the characters, showing the ineptitude of the police force, the despair of the family, the frightened hysteria of the citizens, the depravity of the criminals. Some great tidbits concerning the origins of Germantown and other parts of Philadelphia are woven into several chapters.
There's eight pages of black-and-white illustrations and the Appendix gives the unabridged versions of all the ransom letters.
She is got me. From page one to the end, I was hooked.
Very highly recommended.

NOTHING DAUNTED : THE UNEXPECTED EDUCATION OF TWO SOCIETY GIRLS IN THE WEST
by Dorothy Wickenden

In 1916, two close friends from childhood, Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamund Underwood, left their home in Auburn, New York to teach in Elkhead, Colorado. Their actions scandalized family and friends because they were "society girls" and were expected to settle down and marry well, not gallivant off to the Wild West. They were bored with their cosseted life and were ready for adventure. Neither of them had ever taught before yet they were up to the challenge.
Dorothy and Rosamund lived with a homesteading family and rode on horseback to the school every day even in blizzards; deflected amorous cowboys who hoped to marry them; learned how to break up fights amongst contrary children.
Until the end of their lives, they never forgot that year and how it influenced them.
Author Dorothy Wickenden (granddaughter of Dorothy Woodruff) found letters (written almost one hundred years ago) in an old desk and from these she wrote the story of the women's incredible journey.
I did not want this book to end. The writing is superb and Wickenden captures the picture of the American West succinctly. Life was hard but the two women embraced the environment that surrounded them and in turn the lives of the children and their families were enriched.
Very highly recommended.

STEALING REMBRANDTS : THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NOTORIOUS ART HEISTS
by Anthony M. Amore and Tom Mashberg

Rembrandt van Rijn is the most stolen artist in history. He put out over 2,000 pieces of which 80 of them have been taken from museums, galleries and private homes. Rembrandt was quite prolific because he worked in three mediums: oil paintings, drawings, and metal etchings. Everything that he produced encompassed Dutch life in the seventeenth century. Whatever he saw would become a work of art: autopsied bodies, children playing, hangings, beggars, hay farmers, artisans, blacksmiths, etc.
He had such an eye for detail. His portraits are superb. The faces are not flat but are full of emotion and you can see the creases in the forehead, the lines in the cheeks, the cleft in the chin. Due to the fact that he painted anything, his art is very recognizable and encourages theft.
Stealing Rembrandts is quite interesting. You are taken on a tour around the world at all of the locations where the heists took place; how the robbers planned their M.O. (Motive of Operation); how museums that are steeped in security are still stymied by multiple break-ins; the investigations of the police, the FBI and INTERPOL. There's actually an interview between one of the authors, Tom Mashberg, with Myles J. Connor Jr., a well-known art thief. Museums should take notice and pay close attention.
Even if you're not well-versed in art, this book will definitely keep your interest afloat. Some historical information about Rembrandt's life is included and to make it even more appropriate, his home in Amsterdam has been robbed numerous times.
The other author, Anthony Amore, is head of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum (they had thirteen works of art stolen back in 1990 that have never been recovered) and is very knowledgeable about the shady dealings of priceless masterworks.
Amore and Mashberg did a great job in presenting all of the information. There's even a website for updates and more details: www.StealingRembrandts.com.
A very good read.
Recommended.

THE PERFECT NAZI : UNCOVERING MY GRANDFATHER'S SECRET PAST
by Martin Davidson

What did Bruno Langbehn do during World War II? For the family, it was always a deep, embarrassing secret. Not until he died was the truth finally discovered by author Martin Davidson, his grandson.
Bruno's childhood was heavily influenced by the military. Columns of marching soldiers were a part of his life right outside his window. His indoctrination began with the uniform. School lessons were mostly about fighting in wars. By the time World War I was over and with the humiliation of Germany's defeat, Bruno knew that he wanted to join some kind of group that could give him the fulfillment that he needed.
On May 17, 1926, Bruno joined the Nazi Party at the age of nineteen. He also affiliated himself with the SA (storm troopers). Several years later, Bruno would be in the SS.
His fanaticism, egotistical views, unwavering support for National Socialism and unrepentant attitude lived on within him until his last dying day.
The Perfect Nazi is both an important and disturbing book. Davidson is a terrific writer and seamlessly weaves together the history of the two world wars. (His background is an editor for the BBC and has produced many documentaries.)
Anyone who is interested in the Third Reich must read this story.
Recommended.

SEASON TO TASTE : HOW I LOST MY SENSE OF SMELL AND FOUND MY WAY
by Molly Birnbaum

Although she majored in art history while in college, Molly Birnbaum spent most of her time reading cookbooks and checking out recipes on the Internet. Being a chef was her passion. Before being trained at the Culinary Institute of America, she got a job at a restaurant and started to learn the true basics in the preparation of food. Molly loved being challenged. Soon she would get more than she bargained for.
While out running, Birnbaum was hit by a car: her pelvis was broken, her knee totally torn up and her skull was fractured (it went through the windshield). Everything eventually healed except her sense of smell. There went her dreams of being a great cook. If she can't smell, she can't taste.
Birnbaum goes to doctors who tell her that there is no hope, no medications, that she has to live with her loss. Not content with this news, she visits scientists who study olfaction and pheromones; meets neuroscientists, one of them being Oliver Sacks; goes to a flavor lab in New Jersey; and takes a two week course in southern France at a renowned perfume school. She is determined to understand what is going on with her nose and how to compensate.
Who knew how important scent is in our lives? Just reading about her descriptions of rosemary, cinnamon and lavender and how the brain processes each molecule for a complete entity is fascinating. Never take your nose for granted.
Birnbaum's writing is superb. Her perseverance and strength brought her success. She changed careers but didn't lose her love of cooking and can obviously do each one quite well.
Recommended.

CHASING APHRODITE : THE HUNT FOR LOOTED ANTIQUITIES AT THE WORLD'S RICHEST MUSEUM
by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino

Museums have dirty little secrets and American ones are the worst offenders. For years, they spent millions of dollars buying classical art that was stolen from ancient tombs in Greece and Italy. Curators dealt with deceptive middlemen, smugglers and corrupt art dealers. The objects had fake histories of ownership (known as provenance) and would be displayed with a short commentary of where the piece originated, how old it was, and where it was bought from. Everything was a lie. The CEOs, the directors, the board members, all knew that the antiquities were looted and yet they approved the purchases. All they cared about was buying the next big masterpiece.
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles took center stage with their acquisitions. Over forty years, they spent an enormous fortune to get a bronze athlete, a funerary wreath and many others. The seven-and-a-half-foot statue of Aphrodite would cause the Getty's demise and create a huge scandal.
Felch and Frammolino are investigative reporters and they did a heck of a job exposing what goes on behind the scenes that the public never gets to see. What they found, through their intensive research, is astonishing. Over and over again, antiquities were bought, illegally, and international laws were violated through greed, arrogance, hypocrisy and deception.
Chasing Aphrodite is a terrific read. It's quite a tale and will make you think twice the next time you walk into a museum.
Recommended.