A rewarding testament to a life's work, and a treasure trove for true-crime buffs. (35 b&w photos throughout, 1 b&w...
An engaging history of Trenton State Prison by a man who spent his career there.
Harry Camisa spent 50 years inside one of New Jersey's toughest maximum-security facilities. Beginning as a corrections officer in 1950, he retired in 1979, then returned to the prison as a civilian employee, remaining on staff until 2002. During that time, he witnessed 13 executions, befriended numerous murderers, rapists and thieves, and watched the changes in society as a whole–and specifically its philosophy about corrections–reverberate within the walls of the prison. He relates his observations and experiences in compelling detail, offering a close look at the structure of the prison itself and its evolution over time, as well as first-hand impressions of several notorious inmates: Rubin "Hurricane" Carter; Dutch Schultz's assassin, Charlie "the Bug" Workman; serial killer Rich Biegenwald; Jesse Timmendequas, whose rape and murder resulted in the passage of "Megan's Law"; and accountant/killer John List, a fugitive for 17 years who was finally captured after being featured on America's Most Wanted. In each case, Camisa presents his perspective based on his own interactions with the prisoners, as well as extensive descriptions of their crimes, captures, trials and, in certain cases, escape attempts. Though co-authored by Camisa and Franklin, the voice throughout is entirely Camisa's, and the research on the included cases blends naturally with his personal reflections. Aside from his remarkably humane, non-judgmental acceptance of some of society's worst, he offers his deepest introspection when describing the electrocutions he witnessed–the powerful feelings evoked by watching a man die, and his continued ambivalence about capital punishment.
A rewarding testament to a life's work, and a treasure trove for true-crime buffs. (35 b&w photos throughout, 1 b&w illustration)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-9726473-0-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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