Greatest Hits: Book Reviews
'1960 - LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies' by David Pietrusza
 The 1960 presidential campaign season was dominated by three men, each of whom became president. One was assassinated, one was shamed out of office and one resigned in disgrace - just ahead of impeachment.
David Pietrusza chronicles the tales of each, the interactions, the flaws and the election itself where race and religious bigotry played major roles. 1960 was the first presidential race of the modern era of campaigning, using media and branding. The author relates the events seemingly without bias; even after completing the book, I couldn't guess the his political leanings.
The supporting cast is amazing: meddlesome old Eleanor Roosevelt, the witty, and indecisive egghead Adlai Stevenson, a bitter Harry Truman, mob boss Sam Giancana, Judith Campbell Exner, the mistress Giancana shared with JFK, explosive-tempered Frank Sinatra, calculating Chicago mayor Richard Daley, professional SOB Bobby Kennedy, an overwhelmed and outgunned Hubert Humphrey, a skeptical Republican-leaning Martin Luther King Jr. and many more.
I remember the election of '60; it was my political awakening during high school; the campaign, personalities and issues were much discussed amongst my friends. But there were so much new information that I learned from this book:
• How much Ike had dumped on VP Nixon, seemingly at every opportunity over eight years
• The anti-Catholic propaganda put out by the Humphrey campaign in Wisconsin and West Virginia
• Richard Nixon's tempestuous Iowa backseat meltdown
• John F. Kennedy's amphetamine-fueled debate performance
• Why Nixon looked like death warmed over in the first televised debate
• Lazy, patrician Republican VP candidate Henry Cabot Lodge took afternoon naps in his pajamas on the campaign trail and wouldn't work after 6 pm.
• Boston's Cardinal Cushing boasting that he and Joe Kennedy got JFK elected
• Lyndon Johnson's overt racism. Robert Parker, LBJ's long-suffering manservant, said, "He especially liked to call me 'nigger', in front of Southerners and racists like Richard Russell (senator, D-GA)." Johnson told Parker he'd never be called by his Christian name: "Let me tell you one thing, nigger, as long as you are black (and) you're gonna be black till the day you die, no one's gonna call you by your goddamn name ... you're just a piece of furniture." Wow ... just wow.
• Frank Sinatra berated Teddy Kennedy when Teddy showed up at a campaign stop in Honolulu with three cheesy-looking bimbos. Sinatra, his sense of decorum offended, loudly cursed Teddy for hanging with seedy hookers and told him off in front of dozens of high level Kennedy supporters. Teddy quickly left. In the end, nearly every state Teddy K. oversaw lost to Nixon.
• On Election Day, Richard Nixon ran off to Tijuana, Mexico and lunched on enchiladas.
This book is not merely dry history; Pietrusza has created a riveting, larger-than-life page turner. I highly recommend it. (posted 3/11/10, permalink)
'Going Rogue: An American Life' by Sarah Palin
The author paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska, her political endeavors (local, state and national) and the joys and frustrations of trying to balance family life and a high-profile elected office. She explains who she is and defines clearly what she stands for. Her story is compelling and her words resound with folksy sincerity.
Her strong Christian beliefs resonate throughout the book. She writes frankly yet lovingly about her five children. She acquaints the reader to the specifics of hunting, fishing and raising babies. The book is well-written, interesting and an easy read. I strongly recommend it.
Some East Coast press reviews opined that this was a get-even book, with Sarah vindictively criticizing those who opposed her. My impression was that she truthfully related events, without mean-spiritedness. Many of her tales were self-deprecating, written with good humor. If that irritates Katie Couric, so be it.
I was, however, disconcerted by multiple references to 'moose lasagna'. I remembered Moose Lasagna as a South Philly loan shark. In Alaska, there's apparently a dish named for him.
At the end of the book, she discusses a way forward for America, espousing what she calls 'common sense conservatism'. Many of the Beltway 'experts' - including conservative pundits - are dismayed that she's not doing the Things Everyone Must Do to be a viable political candidate: hobnobbing at D.C. functions, making rounds at the appropriate cocktail circuits, spending time in Iowa, releasing high-toned Policy Position Papers on International Matters, schmoozing with the top-tier journalists, etc.
Instead, Sarah is posting her opinions and reactions to important news developments on her Facebook page, where her musings are unfiltered and uncontaminated by the mainstream media. That may be the Ultimate Smart Move, an end run around political business as usual, and the beginning of 21st Century Politicking in America.
Time will tell. (posted 1/8/10, permalink)
'Common Sense' by Glenn Beck
This is a not a bad book but quite brief (192 pages, including a reprint of Thomas Paine's original work of the same name) and not particularly deep. It stresses that this country was founded on liberty, the right to self determination and personal responsibility, noting that our government has strayed substantially from these ideals.
Beck points out that Congress continues to pass laws that apply to others but not Congress and that our legislators and president think they know what's best for people instead of letting individuals make their own decisions. Nothing to disagree with here but I have found other conservative tomes more insightful. (posted 9/8/09, permalink)
'The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression' by Amity Shlaes
The conventional wisdom, as expounded in 'approved' history textbooks and countless PBS documentaries, is that the Roaring Twenties was a period of low morals, speakeasies and rampant stock-trading on margin. And that the Great Crash was its comeuppance. And that Herbert Hoover turned the Crash into a Depression through his obdurate refusal to take control. Then St. Franklin Roosevelt came along, produced the New Deal and the 'patient' was on his way to recovery. And everyone sang, "Happy days are here again."
Of course, you can find opposing viewpoints which demonize Mr. Roosevelt: Goldberg's 'Liberal Fascism' and Coulter's 'Treason' are two well-written examples.
Amity Shlaes has written an insightful reinterpretation of the Great Depression, presenting - I think - a more balanced view. Shlaes traces the mounting agony of the New Dealers as they discovered their proposed mini-utopias didn't work. She shows how both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt failed to understand the prosperity of the 1920s. She attempts to answer why the Depression lasted so long and why it took World War II to bring it to a close. She chronicles the ineptness Republican attempts at communicating the shortcomings and shortfalls of Roosevelt's various schemes. And Shlaes shows how the Depression truly devastated the Forgotten Man - the hard-working American taxpayer. The real heros portrayed in the book are neither the bureaucrats nor the politicians but rather the ordinary hardworking taxpayers and business owners who fought the Depression and the draconian National Recovery Administration in their own ways.
I was in the midst of reading 'The Forgotten Man' and had gotten to the part where the Roosevelt Administration was trying to change the name of Hoover Dam to Boulder Dam in order to further diminish the ex-president when the news broke that some folks "on Capitol Hill" were planning to yank former President Ronald Reagan’s name off the local airport and returning it to its previous generic moniker: Washington National Airport. Déjà vu.
Shlaes makes a substantial argument that private business success has been the key to U.S. economic expansion and that each step of the New Deal was a further blow to business confidence.
This remarkable book gave me a new perspective on the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's role and the lessons to be learned from government intervention - no matter how well-intentioned. (posted 7/17/09, permalink)
'Remembering Northeast Philadelphia' by Dr. Harry C. Silcox
When you live in a particular area, you're often oblivious to its rich history, the significance of street names or particular buildings. I was reminded of this as I read and reread this fine book.
I grew up in Frankford and Northeast Philadelphia but was unaware of much the region's history. I learned that many of its main roads dated back to the 17th Century: Bridge St. and Frankford Ave.(1683), Oxford, Bustleton and Adams Avenues (1693). The Jolly Post Inn and Tavern opened its doors in 1682 and hosted such colonial-era luminaries as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, French general Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington himself. It stood on the west side of Frankford Avenue, just north of Orthodox Street until its demise in 1911.
The various neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia vibrant stories to tell and Dr. Silcox presents them in an informative and entertaining way. Frankford was the site of the nation's first psychiatric hospital as well as the popular Unity Street open-air market in Frankford. (Hey, that Unity-Frankford grocery name had to come from somewhere.)
Years before the civil rights movement, Greenbelt Knoll (near Holme Ave. and Welsh Rd.) became Philadelphia's first planned racially-integrated housing development. The country's first solar energy-powered device was developed in Northeast Philly. The first photographic portrait of a human face was made by man whose summer residence was located in what is now Wissinoming Park. He purchased trees for his residence during his travels throughout the world. Many can still be found in the park.
I learned about the Holmesburg, Tacony and Frankford Trolley Co. which operated on Levick St. from the 1900s to the 1920s. Residents nicknamed it the 'Hop, Toad and Frog Line.' Silcox wrote that it was a "classic Toonerville Trolley Line. Featuring open cars covered by canvas during winter, with outside rear platforms and no heat, the line did not provide the most luxurious of rides. The cars became overcrowded at peak travel times and often required passengers to disembark at the Levick Street hill to push the trolley up the slope to Magee Street."
Even though I once lived about three blocks from Boulevard Pools and swam there as a child, I had never heard the amazing alligator wrestling story. Or that the place once had sandy beaches and was called "the Northeast's Seashore."
If you're from the area or have an interest in Philadelphia history, I recommend this well-written, readable book. (posted 7/1/09, permalink)
 'Driving Like Crazy: Thirty Years of Vehicular Hell-bending' (subtitled: Celebrating America the Way It's Supposed To Be - With an Oil Well in Every Backyard, a Cadillac Escalade In Every Carport and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Mowing Our Lawn) by P.J. O'Rourke
Mr. O'Rourke is familiar to regular readers of The View Through The Windshield; he has been awarded the Quote of the Day on several occasions - an honor which confers more prestige than two free Big Mac Extra Value Meals or four Grammys.
O'Rourke was born with a vested interest in cars. His family owned a Buick dealership in Toledo, OH. Ever the auto enthusiast, P.J. became a scribe and was soon famous for his satirical world-view and his writings about politics, popular culture and cars. He has published 14 books, including three New York Times bestsellers.
'Driving Like Crazy' is a compilation of some of the best O'Rourke automotive pieces, from a career writing for publications like Car and Driver, Automobile, The National Lampoon, Playboy, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard. He has taken the trouble to update many of the older essays, something not done often enough in compilation books.
At his best, P.J. O'Rourke is a thoughtful Hunter S. Thompson, with considerably lower systemic drug levels. His trademark rapier wit, often seen on various on-air gigs, shines through in the book. Here is a sampling:
• O'Rourke believes that our nanny-government bureaucrats (he refers to them as "Fun Suckers") "think cars will run on six AAA batteries. And that might work too. Put half a dozen batteries in a sock, hit a gas station cashier over the head and steal thirty gallons."
• He describes the Ford Flex as a "Sport Futility Vehicle."
• "After the World Trade Center attack, Patriot Act largesse was showered on police departments. New Hampshire's small towns used the money for extra traffic patrols in case Osama bin Laden has one taillight out."
• "I always rent Town Cars for that nostalgic "Avast, matey! Right full rudder!" road feel."
• On his adventure driving the Grand Trunk road in India: "The road was celebrated in Rudyard Kipling's 'Kim' and dates back at least to the fourth century B.C. - especially in the matter of stoplights and lane markers."
• During a 1986 visit to a Philippine auto shop, the noise "was enough to break a word processor's adjective key."
• At speeds of 50 mph or more, his improperly aligned Jeep Cherokee caused "more of a shudder than the details of Monica Lewinsky's private life."
I won't even begin to reveal the details of dinner in the midst of a 1979 motorcycle trip by a bunch of drink-loving car enthusiasts. It begins at a restaurant bar with one of them ordering "a pig trough full of bourbon." Just buy the book and read the whole story.
'Driving Like Crazy' is 288 pages of vehicular hilarity. (posted 6/1/09, permalink)
'Liberal Fascism' by Jonah Goldberg
I finally finished this 400+ page tome. I struggled through it off and on for five months. This was not because it's a poorly-written or dull book. Rather, it was because the information presented was so dense. I would read a few pages and then have to stop and absorb the facts and ideas therein. And mutter 'Holy Cow' a lot. (Perhaps I'm the one who is dense.)
The book changed the way I think about history and fascism - a word tossed around loosely these days as a vague tyrannical insult.
Goldberg makes a compelling case for the fascist roots of modern American liberalism, exposing Margaret Sanger, Woodrow Wilson and, yes, St. Franklin Roosevelt his-own-self as those who believed that an all-powerful People's State should always trump the individual, controlling the citizenry's culture, education, information and health - a Nanny State.
Jonah writes, "It is my argument that American liberalism is a totalitarian political religion." Yes, and its most recent doctrinal encyclical was Man-made Global Warming. Thomas Sowell has called 'Liberal Fascism' "the most outstanding political book of 2008." Francis Porretto of Eternity Road has praised it as well.
I highly recommend this book. I found it well worth my (many hours of) time. (posted 1/12/09, permalink)
'The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating The Global Competition' by Michael Shuman
The title is very misleading. I expected bulleted, specific step-by-step How-Tos for small retailers. Got general platitudes instead. I wanted Tom Peters' 'In Search Of Excellence'-style detailed success stories. Got unhelpful Profiles Lite instead.
This book is mostly a woe-is-us rant from a ... (more >>>) 1/9/08
'Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life and Times of Doc Pomus' by Alex Halberstadt
Jerome Felder was a white Jewish guy with polio who, in the '40s, changed his name to Doc Pomus and became a renowned blues singer in New York's black club scene. In the 1950-60s he gained more fame as prolific, chart-topping songwriter. How unlikely is that? ... (more >>>) 8/6/07
'America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II): From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom' by William J. Bennett
In my August 3rd posting, I reviewed Volume I of Bill Bennett's book and gave it high marks, declaring it "a readable, down-to-earth overview of American history." Volume II is more of the same, covering the period from the outbreak of World War I through the end of the Reagan presidency.
This volume was, for me, an ... (more >>>) 8/15/07
'America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I): From the Age of Discovery to a World at War' by William J. Bennett
I've never liked history textbooks; even in my day, they were dry, dumbed-down and controversy-filtered in order to increase salability to various school districts. Today, such textbooks are - additionally - vetted by the PC police, making sure that Indians are portrayed as nature-loving, Chock-Full-O-Native-Wisdom saints, slavery is presented as The American White Man's Evil Invention and the Founders' references to God are removed. Or changed to Gaia.
In contrast, Dr. Bennett has produced a readable, down-to-earth overview of American history. Filled with interesting facts and tidbits ... (more >>>) 8/13/07
'The Men Who Loved Trains: The Story of Men Who Battled Greed to Save an Ailing Industry' by Rush Loving
This work covers 50 years of behind-the-scenes railroad corporate intrigue and boardroom battles - all in less than 350 pages. ... (more >>>) 8/1/07
'America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It' by Mark Steyn.
Steyn has written an easy-to-read, oft-witty but very serious book on a scary subject. He posits that the struggle to save Western Civilization will fall on the shoulders of America, alone - hence the title.
Mark presents a compelling argument that the world will be soon divided between America and a new medieval Islamic order. For our sake, America had better win.
If you care about the world in which your children or grandchildren will live, this book is a must-read. (posted 12/29/06, permalink)
'Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era' by Ken Emerson
This book enthusiastically recreates a wonderful and historically significant time in music - those 10 or so years beginning in the mid-to-late 1950s, when rock-and-roll and do-wop merged into a mainstream American sound. It chronicles 14 songwriters; all inhabitants of two music buildings in New York City, the Brill Building and 1650 Broadway. It's full of gossip, biography, music critiques and sociology. Tales are well-told and interwoven into a very readable work.
Here are some gems I gleaned from reading it ... (more >>>) 8/21/06
Two of the books I received at Christmas were remarkably similar on the surface. Both were written by very funny Jewish celebrities. Both authors are similar in age. Both books are about growing up in New York.
'The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue' by Robert Klein details his life from ages nine to 25. He's an smart guy but the book's content was soooo self-indulgent. Sometimes it seemed that this tome's primary focus was the author's sexual encounters. Other characters in the book - parents, girlfriend, etc. were minor players without substance. It's All About Robert.
'700 Sundays' by Billy Crystal is a pleasant memoir. Crystal details his relationship with his father (who died when Billy was 15) and how that affected other aspects of his life. The book is funny and poignant. The stories are memorable, ranging from Crystal being taken to his first movie by Billie Holiday to his grandmother suggest to Louis Armstrong the he fix his trademark phlegmy voice by "coughing it up." The book quickly settles in as a sentimental journey in time and an enjoyable read.
While I admire Klein's intellect, after reading both books I think Billy Crystal's the guy I'd rather have a beer and conversation with. (posted 2/9/06, permalink)
'Argomania: A Look At Argus Cameras And The Company That Made Them' by Henry J. Gambino
Allow me to begin by admitting that I'm not a camera guy. To me, they're just something to point and shoot. Nevertheless, I found this book about cameras surprisingly interesting.
Argus Camera is an American business saga - with clever inventiveness, creative marketing schemes, financial cliff hangers, soap-opera ownership changes, etc. It is a story well-told by Henry J. Gambino, a prolific author and camera buff. He brings drama to ... (more >>>) 9/9/05
'The Journal Of Ride Theory Omnibus' by Dan Howland
This collection of articles, facts and trivia about amusement parks is interesting and amusing, especially some of the 'inside dirt' on Disney's parks.
One article noted the demise of Disney's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in 1997. It was replaced by a tame, lame Winnie the Pooh ride. Angry protesters wore green T-shirts which read 'Ask Me Why Mickey Is Killing Mr. Toad'. Meanwhile, certain Disney Imagineers had shirts made up bearing the message 'Pooh Happens'. When we first visited Disneyland in 1972, Mr. Toad had the longest line of any ride - it was quite popular.
A section on Bad Ideas has an illustration of a ride never constructed - a Ferris wheel running on a roller coaster track. Scary!
There was also an segment about various world's fairs. One mentioned was Expo 67 - the Montreal's World's Fair which was held at Ile Ste-Hélène on the St. Lawrence River. The centerpiece of this 1967 fair was the U.S. pavilion - covered by a gigantic, 20-story, see-through geodesic dome, designed by R. Buckminster Fuller. The segments of Bucky's dome were glazed with bronze-tinted Plexiglas acrylic sheet.
There were four or five different shades of transparent bronze used. The pieces near the top had the darkest shades; the ones near ground level were the lightest to create a gradient effect and reduce heat loads near the top. Hexagonal acrylic flat pieces were heated and free-blown (with air-pressure) to form low-rise bubble shapes. These were bolted to the welded steel skeletal structure. Because acrylic was flammable, the entire structure was sprinklered. As I recall, there was one sprinkler head for every Plexiglas panel.
The sprinkler system was plagued with leaks, so the sprinkler system was turned off most of the time. In 1976, some welding repairs to the steel structure were being carried out. Despite the presence of an open flame neat the combustible acrylic, the sprinkler system was off and, when a fire started, no one present knew how to turn it back on. By the time it was turned on and the system repressurized, the dome was engulfed in flames. Poof!
At the time of the dome's construction, I worked for Rohm & Haas - then the maker of Plexiglas. R&H decided to send one of their professional engineering photographers to get some documentary photos of the structure. The photographer worked for a manager named Bob who was an arrogant, ex-military guy and professional know-it-all. (Think Dilbert's boss but with better posture and a brush cut.) Bob bumped the photographer from the trip and went himself. (Montreal - a chance to eat, drink and carouse on the company's money.) Even though he had no knowledge of photography, Bob declined any lessons. He shot ten rolls of 35 mm film. When developed, all were blank. Bozo Bob never removed the lens cover.
I highly recommend Dan Howland's book; it's very entertaining. (posted 7/28/05, permalink)
'Playing With Trains: A Passion Beyond Scale' by Sam Posey
My friend and fellow car/train nut from Pennsylvania sent me this book. I wanted to like it because the author is a former race car driver and train buff. Unfortunately ... (more >>>) 10/16/04
'Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul' by Tony Hendra
In this tribute to his spiritual mentor, Father Joe is presented as a wise but unassuming Benedictine monk who brings common sense and truth to the problems Hendra offers him over a 40-plus year period. A stuttering, big-eared, ungainly man, cloistered in an ancient abbey on the Isle of Wight, Father Joe is a good listener and deeply spiritual. He is undoubtedly a saint and, for Hendra, an anchor in a storm-tossed life.
Of Tony Hendra, things are less certain ... (more >>>) 9/15/04
'Concept Cars' by Larry Edsall
As a young lad, perusing Motor Trend, Motor Life, Mechanix Illustrated and the like in the 1950s, I was always fascinated by photos of 'dream cars' created by Detroit. And by Bertone, Pininfarina, etc. The ones with soaring fins, bubble tops, sparkling pearlescent paint mixed with crushed fish scales and acres of chrome. I never thought I'd ever get to view any in person. Looking over this book, I'm surprised at how many of these show cars I have seen over the years - at the Henry Ford Museum, Pebble Beach, the original Harrah's in Reno, Concours Italiano, the New York Auto Show, etc. Even today, I still salivated over the excellent photos of the early dream cars in this book.
It has been published by Barnes & Noble as a 'B&N Exclusive' - meaning that B&N can price it any way it wants without fear of price cutting by Overstock.com, Amazon or the like. A car buddy gave the book to me as a gift. It cost him sixteen bucks or so - and, for the price, the book is a good value. But it is by no means a comprehensive view of the subject. I found several errors. And the book gives short shrift to early dream cars, focusing heavily on recent models. There are too many sketches at the expense of photos. Too much emphasis is on design schools and individual stylists. The cars and photographs of them should be the stars here.
Interestingly, a book with the exact same title was produced by B&N in 2000; the author was Chris Rees. While the photos weren't as good, the book covered the subject a little more comprehensively. That said, both books offer a superficial hot wax spray, rather than a thorough detailing of the subject.
The best and most comprehensive concept car book ever published is 'Ford Design Department Concept & Showcars' by Jim & Cheryl Farrell (1999). Unfortunately, it only deals with FoMoCo products. Another fairly detailed book is 'Dream Cars' by Jean-Rodolphe Piccard from 1981 - it covers many automobile marques. For GM fans, I'd recommend 'GM Motorama: Dream Cars of the Fifties' by Bruce Berghoff from 1995.
Finally, 'The Last Dream-O-Rama' by Bruce McCall (2002) - a hilarious parody of the GM Motorama - is a must for any '50s dream car aficionado. Happy reading! (posted 7/12/04, permalink)
'Big Russ and Me: Father and Son - Lessons of Life.' by Tim Russert
The host of NBC's Meet The Press has penned a tribute to his dad, Big Russ. His father grew up poor, survived a plane crash in World War II and, later, supported his wife and four children by working at two jobs for thirty years. The book offers well-deserved praise from a son to his dad. The problem is that the much of the substance of the book had already been revealed in countless hype-the-product television interviews (especially a disgustingly saccharine one with a fawning Tom Brokaw) before I even got to page one of my Father's Day gift. Including the oft-repeated Ford Crown Vicky versus Cadillac story.
I rarely watch Meet The Press but I enjoy Russert's Saturday MSNBC show. I was prepared to like this book. And I did. But it didn't reveal much that I hadn't already heard in the rounds of on-screen promotional appearances. To be sure, I was exposed to some funny anecdotes. But there was little depth or insight in the 352-page tome - almost no mention of his siblings or his mom. And he quickly glossed over his parents' late-in-life divorce.
Privately published and presented to friends of Big Russ, this would have been a nice little book of praise. But, as a mainstream publication by a big-time television talking head, it pales in comparison to books by the late David Brinkley, Peggy Noonan and others. 'Big Russ and Me' has been given much free publicity and kind words by Mr. Russert's esteemed colleagues - perhaps in the hope that he'll return the favor for their next book.
One wonders if a book titled 'Big Jim and Me', written by an earnest, loving, non-famous son in Podunk, Iowa, would have been so uncritically reviewed ... or even noticed. Presented as a top-of-the-line Cadillac DeVille, 'Big Russ and Me' is a mediocre vehicle - not even a Crown Victoria. More like an off-lease, bare-bones Ford Taurus. A underperformer, failing to measure up to the hype. (posted 6/30/04, permalink)
'The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market' by Micheline Maynard
This excellent book discusses all of the things my friends and I always complain about - American cars are used to be great; now they're getting beaten in every way and in almost every market by ultra-reliable Japanese vehicles. Of course, the book goes into great depth about How This Came To Be. I found myself nodding in agreement as I turned the pages.
There is an odd quote from Bob Lutz opining that the current-model Toyota Camry is "the ugliest vehicle on the road today." This from the vice-chairman of General Motors - a company which produces the hideous Pontiac Aztek! And its unappealing soulmate, the Saturn Vue SUV. And the boxy, Über-butch Hummer H2. And the blocky, repulsive Cadillac CTS. And don't forget that Lutz was an executive at Chrysler in the 1980s when they were producing all those homely K-car variants.
Personally, I like the lines of the Camry. It has the traditional 'three box' sedan shape, not unlike the shape of the shoulder-carried palanquins in which royalty traveled in previous centuries. A very noble and worthy silhouette. (posted 6/15/04, permalink)
'The Last Good Time' by Jonathan Van Meter
I truly enjoyed this book about Skinny D'Amato, his 500 Club and Atlantic City. I learned many things - Atlantic City was founded in 1854 when a rail line was constructed from Camden, New Jersey to Atlantic City. The first permanent boardwalk was built in 1883; the wicker rolling chairs on the boardwalk were leftovers from the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
John Phillips Sousa played for 20 summers on Steeplechase Pier, beginning in 1903. In 1900, Philadelphia had one saloon per 1,000 people; New York had 5; Atlantic City had 14.55!!
In those days ... (more >>>) 6/1/04
'Crosswords of Commerce - The Pennsylvania Railroad Calendar Art of Grif Teller' by Dan Cupper.
Here's the official description: "Each year, starting in 1925, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) commissioned a striking oil painting of a PRR engine in a dramatic setting, which was featured on a large wall calendar that the company distributed by the hundreds of thousands to customers and the public. Grif Teller painted 27 of the 33 scenes. This book reproduces his paintings in full color and recounts his life and career."
And beautiful paintings they are - carefully reproduced in this softbound book. Teller also did work for other railroads and transport companies and did privately-commissioned paintings on various subjects. Surprisingly ... (more >>>) 5/22/04
'Thus Spake David E.' by David E. Davis Jr.
This book is a compilation of Davis' columns in Car & Driver and, later, Automobile. Fine ... but the authors of such compilations have to be very careful when stringing columns together.
First, you have to edit out duplications and repetitions. Secondly, you must amplify and clarify your thoughts - since you're no longer restricted to a 500-700 word limit. For Davis, this meant fleshing out some of the people mentioned. Finally, you must explain yourself more thoroughly - you're writing for a broader and possibly less-knowledgeable audience. Unfortunately, none of this was done and Davis' book suffers for it.
Davis refers to Elmore Leonard but never says who Elmore is. (He's a prolific writer of novels and screenplays, including 'Get Shorty'. Leonard's probably not well-known to the average car nut.)
He never explains who Jean Lindamood is and why he values her opinion so. And what the big deal is about her ratty Dodge truck. I was puzzled by his desire for a Volvo 242GT and a Lotus Elite - both crap cars - and that Volvo 242 GT is so dull and ugly.
Davis tends to cross the line from raconteur to bloviator sometimes but I did like his comment that if Ford could offer Eddie Bauer editions of its SUV, why couldn't Chevrolet offer a Brooks Brothers Blazer?!
He also has the wrong derivation of the word Yuppie. Its not Young Upwardly Mobile Professionals (yumpie) as he claims; it's Young Urban Professionals. And, since most of the yuppies in London live in the Sloane Square area, the British don't call them yuppies. Over there, they're known as The Sloane Rangers.
The photos in the center of the book don't match up well with the stories in the book. Davis devotes an entire chapter to driving the obscure Aston Martin Bulldog concept car of 1980, but doesn't include a photo of it. (Car nut that I am, I had never heard of it and had to do some research to find out what it looked like.)
One of the other photo captions refers to a raccoon destroying the interior of the Davis' Ferrari 328S - and says that AAA paid for it. Nowhere in the book is this meager caption fleshed out into what must have been an interesting tale.
The golden rule is to never speak ill of the dead - unless you fully justify it to the reader. We're told that his friend and fellow auto writer Henry N. Manney III was bitter in his later years. How did he get this way? What happened?
John R. Bond (legendary editor of Road & Track) was "eccentric, suspicious and out-of-touch" - this needs to be explained. How could a suspicious guy be described in the next sentence as "lovable"? And Elaine Bond - there's a chapter about her, too - but, when you're done reading it, the chapter's not a profile - it's a lightly-penciled unfinished sketch. And of the still-living: Davis doesn't like Lee Iococca but likes Carroll Shelby even though Shelby apparently cheated Davis out of money. Huh? Why? Justification, please.
That said - I still found much of the book enjoyable - another aging car-nut who likes adventure, good food and wine. How could I not enjoy it?! (written 4/5/02, permalink)
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Disclaimer
The facts presented in this blog are based on my best guesses and my substantially faulty geezer memory. The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author and are protected by the U.S. Constitution. Probably.
Spelling, punctuation and syntax errors are cheerfully repaired when I find them; grudgingly fixed when you do.
If I have slandered any brands of automobiles, either expressly or inadvertently, they're most likely crap cars and deserve it. Automobile manufacturers should be aware that they always have the option of giving me free cars to try and change my mind.
If I have slandered any people or corporations in this blog, either expressly or inadvertently, they should buy me strong drinks (and an expensive meal) and try to prove to me that they're not the jerks I've portrayed them to be. If you're buying, I'm willing to listen.
Don't be shy - try a bribe. It might help.
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