Strong story with a capable heroine, an authentic historic setting and real-life personages to boot.
In Durham’s novel, a radio announcer working in Berlin spies for the Allies during World War II.
Irish-American Maggie O’Dea is beautiful, intelligent and resourceful—and she hates the English. In 1938 in Heidelberg, Germany, she falls for handsome Kurt Engel, who wants her to accompany him to Berlin. To remain in Germany, she must work. Due to her language skills, she’s quickly hired by an English language service and is soon preparing radio scripts that sing the praises of the German military while degrading the British. Maggie’s cohort is the obese and often intoxicated Clive Barnes (known on the airwaves as “Lord Lyon”) whose primary battle is fought with a bottle of gin. After Kurt is deployed, Maggie spends more time at work, growing ever closer to co-worker Dieter Schmidt. While recovering from a war wound, American soldier Erich Greinke is approached by war hero Bill Donovan, whose real-life exploits were portrayed in the film The Fighting 69th. One night when Clive is too drunk to go on the air, Maggie steps in, assuming the role of “Betty from Berlin.” Erich sees an opportunity to tap Maggie’s connections to the German inner circle, including her association with Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. Maggie increasingly questions the information being disseminated by radio and coincidentally, is offered the dicey job of transmitting intelligence by code. Quick-thinking Maggie is a fully fleshed character who comes across as an auburn-haired Linda Darnell, with the power to fascinate and influence men on both sides of the Maginot Line. Her credible transformation from full-fledged believer in the German right of conquest to supporter of the Allies is handled with finesse. The author makes good use of characters from history, including Goebbels and also Donovan, who eventually becomes the head of the Office of Strategic Services. There’s chemistry aplenty in the wisecracking banter and the pacing is even. The narrative is well written and offers a lesson in history for those in need of a refresher.
Strong story with a capable heroine, an authentic historic setting and real-life personages to boot.Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 397
Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher
Review Posted Online: Sept. 4, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A discerning historical journey that could use more context.
A Westerner recalls his journey into China’s interior in the late ’80s.
Schwartz’s 1987 journey into China’s interior balances “a China of the mind against the stirrings of a culture hungry for modernization.” It’s clear from the outset that his trip is no vacation. In addition to partaking in the calming meditative practice of zazen, he documents the political and economic discord of a nation in transition, while also exploring his own psyche on the 10,000-mile unescorted trek. The excursion, pursued with academic vigor, is a culmination of his early fascination with China. His intense studies also provide a reprieve from strained relations with his father and struggles with sexuality. He achieves varying degrees of success with his objectives: spending a night in a Chinese monastery, ascending a Buddhist holy mountain and a pilgrimage to Lhasa, Tibet, all against a backdrop of dao (the way), te (innate power) and wu wei (effortlessness). In his earnest writing, Schwartz describes people who have often lost their connection to history in favor of consumerism. The lamentation is mostly detached as he insightfully recognizes sociological and cultural constructs, such as an escaped pet bird symbolizing flight from oppression. Refreshingly, Schwartz doesn’t sermonize; readers will be presented with frustrating travel minutiae—he fibs to obtain a better train ticket and gets annoyed with temporary travel companions—rather than arcane lessons in philosophy or religion. The detailed descriptions of frustrating ticket purchases help illuminate the difficulty in reaching the ultimate destination, geographically and psychologically, yet some details, such as the items on food menus, aren’t as intriguing. Other times, Schwartz’s account is (perhaps unintentionally) humorous when it diverges into seemingly mundane observations, as with the amusing anecdote of Schwartz helping robed monks sweep while he wears his Tang Dynasty T-shirt. (The monks recognize that they’ve got “a live one.”) The 25-year-old account could have benefitted from comparisons to China today. As it stands, the scant one-page afterword is hardly sufficient for giving this journey a broader perspective. Still, the astute religious survey and portrait of Chinese–Tibetan relations will make the book useful for historians, travelers, natives and cultural explorers.
A discerning historical journey that could use more context.Pub Date: April 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-1470094898
Page Count: 260
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An entertaining, well-organized account for fans.
A pioneering Latin actor chronicles his life on and off the stage and screen.
Sometimes acting is heart and soul; other times it’s technique. Henry Darrow says he’s given himself over to both, but, perhaps more pointedly, he embraces his roles as work. This “lightning in the bottle” was so dubbed because of his obvious love of labor, as well as his renowned versatility and resilience in the professional and personal realms. His satisfaction in acting derives not only from starring roles, but also from the so-called little parts. The tenacity to “out perfectionist nearly anyone” helped him become the first actor of Puerto Rican heritage to star in a TV series. That gig on “The High Chaparral” was preceded by a 10-year personal climb, an ascension attentively recounted in the first third of the book. The middle section is even more detailed, covering various aspects of the western series that catapulted him to fame. The final third covers his life post-“Chaparral,” including not only his TV roles, but also his role as an activist promoting Latinos in the industry. Darrow and Pippins skillfully intersperse the historical context with thoughtful analyses and often-lighthearted vignettes regarding various gigs and circumstances. Darrow’s contemplation of an Anglo name change, for example, is managed amusingly; however, the deeper subject of ethnic identity is treated with focused consideration. The authors adeptly blend such identity issues with the broader entertainment landscape in which, ironically, Darrow’s career direction was partially the result of the western genre’s decline and a backlash against violent programming. Nonetheless, the biography’s unfolding often reflects Darrow’s penchant for performance. The collection of his quotes can sometimes seem less than remarkable, although a train of thought regarding emotion is particularly inspiring. However, maintaining interest in Darrow’s life after “Chaparral,” including his smaller TV roles, could be a drawback for casual readers.
An entertaining, well-organized account for fans.Pub Date: Feb. 29, 2012
ISBN: 978-1593936884
Page Count: 392
Publisher: BearManor Media
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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