A deliciously wicked take on casino/real-estate mogul Donald J. Trump. Drawing on a wealth of sources, Hurt (For All Mankind, 1988, etc.) offers an exhaustive, gossipy rundown on a golden boy of the so-called greed decade who lost his touch—and way—in the hard realities of the 1990's. Capitalizing on political contacts made by his father, who amassed a fortune building and managing apartment houses for working-class residents of N.Y.C.'s outer boroughs, the erstwhile Wunderkind made a flashy name for himself in Manhattan property development. Moving on to Atlantic City's glittery gambling dens, the cocksure Trump (who turns 47 this June) took a great fall when his faith in ever-rising asset prices proved unfounded. In the wake of an acrimonious divorce that ended a 13- year marriage to the Czech-born Ivana (inducing bankers to review Trump's balance sheet with greater care), the ambitious hustler's leveraged empire and its trophy holdings now languish in undeclared bankruptcy. While Hurt doesn't wholly dismiss the possibility of a comeback, he leaves little doubt that Trump is bucking tough odds. Nor does the author overlook many opportunities to dish the dirt on his subject's star-crossed personal life and dubious business practices. Cases in point range from the Trump family's long- standing ties to organized-crime figures through The Donald's fling with Marla Maples; inability to weigh a deal's downside risks against its potential rewards; midnight demolition of a Manhattan landmark; and world-class talent for manipulation. Lacking the insider's edge of John R. O'Donnell's Trumped! (1991)—but, still, a slick, informed account of an upstart wheeler-dealer whose brass may be exceeded only by his reach. (Photographs—not seen)
Pub Date: June 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-393-03029-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
