Review of Bag Man by Rachel Maddow & Michael Yarvitz

Author: Rachel Maddow & Michael Yarvitz

Release date; December 8, 2020

Publisher: Crown

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bag-Man-Audacious-Cover-Up-Spectacular/dp/0593136683/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=bag+man&qid=1607468584&sr=8-5

Is it possible for an American vice president to direct a vast criminal enterprise within the halls of the White House? To have one of the most brazen corruption scandals in American history play out while nobody's paying attention? And for that scandal to be all but forgotten decades later?

The year was 1973, and the vice president in question was Spiro Agnew. Long on firebrand rhetoric and short on political experience, Agnew as governor of Maryland and a Baltimore County executive had carried out a bribery and extortion ring in office for years. Then at the height of the Watergate investigation, three federal prosecutors discovered his crimes and launched a mission to take him down before Richard Nixon's own downfall made way for Agnew to ascend to the presidency.

“The crowds who came out to his rallies reveled in Agnew’s unapologetic take-the-paint-off-the-walls partisanship. His increasingly confrontational taunts became a constant presence on the network newscasts . . . Agnew’s political brand was built around the idea that he was an outsider . . . and if he didn’t actually appear to care whom he had offended, that became a feature of his candidacy . . . Rather than hurting him, his ‘slip ups’ seemed to solidify his support with the Republican base.”

Does that sound familiar? Decades before Donald Trump entered politics and began regularly making inflammatory remarks at his rivals. Agnew used this same style of impetuous name-calling and bullying tones to gleefully mock liberals and anyone who stood in his way. He did everything he could to bury the investigation: dismissing it as a "witch hunt," riling up his partisan base, making the press the enemy, and, with a crumbling circle of loyalists, scheming to obstruct justice.

Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz is based on her Peabody Award-nominated podcast of the same name. In this wildly entertaining and informative investigation, Maddow and Yarvitz detail the probe that uncovered Vice-President Spiro Agnew's sordid crimes attempted cover-up and plea bargain that eventually forced his resignation. Maddow is the Emmy Award-winning host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, as well as the New York Times bestselling author of Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power (2012). Yarvitz is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning television producer and journalist.

“And yet, for all his real impact. Agnew’s story is largely forgotten today . . . what exactly promoted Agnew’s resignation from office in 1973. It was some pennyante tax evasion back in Maryland, right? Part of the reason for the lost history of Spiro Agnew is the simple factor of time.”

Bagman is the story of Spiro Agnew’s crimes. It is a saga that played out in the shadows of Watergate, and although most of Agnew’s misdeeds such as criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud occurred prior to his time as vice president he did continue to receive kickbacks from contractors while in office. On October 10, 1973, after months of maintaining his innocence, Agnew appeared before the federal court in Baltimore, and pleaded no contest to one felony charge of tax evasion, and resigned from office. Because of this, he has the dubious distinction of being the only sitting vice president to be convicted of a felony and only the second to resign. In 1832, John C. Calhoun resigned after being elected to the US Senate from South Carolina.

Spiro Agnew was crooked long before he arrived in Washington, and the history of his efforts to cover-up his wrongdoings make a fascinating tale. Maddow and Yarvitz are wonderful storytellers and capably engage the reader by expanding on her podcast with even more details and expert analysis of Agnew's numerous criminalities. Most notably, they convey the scandal’s lasting impact on American politics and the media. Bag Man is a thoroughly consuming reexamination of one of the most shameful scandals of American political history.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on December 8, 2020: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/bag-man-wild-crimes

Review of Sex with Presidents by Eleanor Herman

Author: Eleanor Herman

Release date: September 22, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Presidents-Outs-White-House/dp/0062970569/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=sex+with+presidents&qid=1600982506&sr=8-2

Why are so many Americans obsessed with the sexual transgressions of their elected officials? On one level, it’s quite simple to see because it’s just another version of the old saying that sex sells; on another level, it’s just weird. Each time a new scandal breaks it seems to shock the public and there are new ones surfacing practically daily; and the question at the center of it all is character: What was he or she thinking? How could they have taken the risk? But what if, before people judged, they could see inside the person, see the humanity, see what it feels like to be them? Why do we put our political leaders on a pedestal only to tear them down? This is one political issue that everyone seems to have an opinion about, and yet people still ask: Why did they do it?

Sex with Presidents: The Ins and Outs of Love and Lust in the White House by Eleanor Herman attempts to answer some of these questions. She does a remarkable job of psychologically profiling and detailing the many sex scandals that have dogged nearly a dozen men who have held our nation’s highest office, as well as other high-profile politicians. Herman is the New York Times bestselling author of several books that include Sex with Kings (2004) and Sex with the Queen (2006). She is also the host of Lost Worlds for the History Channel, The Madness of Henry VIII for National Geographic Channel, and America: Facts vs. Fiction for the American Heroes Channel.

“It is a logical assumption that most sane people would not want to become president of a nation . . . Americans have a reputation for being straight-laced, many of the nation’s leaders have been anything but puritanical.”

In this fascinatingly humorous and surprisingly illuminating book, Herman does a terrific job of psychologically profiling and re-examining the sex scandals that shook the White House and the nation. She does a thorough and exceptional job of answering several tantalizingly provocative questions: What is sex like with a president? Does charisma, passion, and zest for power make it better than average? Does a strong sex drive has any relevance to political success or failure? And does rampant adultery show a lack of character needed to run the country?  

“The sex drive . . . is resistant to common sense. This primeval instinct overpowers us, causing us to lose all self-control. Such loss of control never has had more explosive consequences than when played out in the bedrooms of world leaders . . . They affect entire nations.”

Overall, Sex with Presidents is a delightfully shocking read, and like with her previous books on sex with powerful people, Herman maintains both her sense of humor and commitment to research. With loads of spicy tidbits that include riveting insight into the past, Herman brings sympathy and kindness to those who deserve understanding, explaining that it isn’t easy to stand next to a person in power who displays despicable behavior while keeping your head held high.

She also declares, “Given that so many men who seek high office suffer from hubris syndrome, bipolar disorder, narcissistic disorder, and a superfluity of testosterone, it is likely many of them will continue to seek sex on the side, in ways both dignified and sordid.” Thus if you find yourself mesmerized by the private sex lives of public figures such as US Presidents then this is the book for you!

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on September 24, 2020 - https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/sex-presidents

Review of Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

Author: Gill Hornby

Release date: April 7, 2020

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Purchase at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Austen-Gill-Hornby/dp/1250252202/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586561626&sr=8-1

England, 1840. For the two decades following the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen has lived alone, spending her days visiting friends and relations and quietly, purposefully working to preserve her sister’s reputation. Now in her sixties and increasingly frail, Cassandra goes to stay with the Fowles of Kintbury, family of her long-dead fiancé, in search of a trove of Jane’s letters. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is a touching and exceptionally well-researched fictionalized account of Cassandra Austen’s life, both before and after her famous sister’s death. Hornby is the critically acclaimed author of several novels that include The Hive (2013), All Together Now (2015), and the young readers biography Who Was . . . Jane Austen: The Girl with the Magic Pen (2009). 

Alternating between the past and present, Miss Austen begins with an aged Cassandra Austen, as she travels to the tiny village of Kintbury in West Berkshire. There she visits Isabella, a family friend and niece of her late fiancé Tom Fowle. Isabella's own brother, a local clergyman has recently died, and its learned that she has to vacate the home they shared. Feeling sad and depressed, Isabella doesn't know what to do and is not overjoyed to have to entertain an unannounced visitor. Nonetheless, Cassandra is determined to stay and help Isabella pack and move. But her real motivation in visiting Isabella is to search for and destroy any letters that were written by her famous sister that might be damaging to the literary legend’s legacy.

“She was tired from the day, and quite exhausted by Isabella. But there was little sleep that night. Work must be done . . . All correspondence had been individually arranged, tied into packets with pale blue ribbon . . . She took them out, and there below—a rich rush of love flooded through her—was the writing of Jane . . . There had been a time when Cassandra—grief raw and still smarting—would stumble across some little trace, and the slow-healing wound would break open. . . . But all that had passed. The pain had abated. The practical was here her concern . . . First, and as soon as possible, she would deal with the letters of Jane . . . She unfolded the paper and began to read.”

As Cassandra begins to examine these letters a highly personal journey unfolds in which she is forced to reevaluate her very own life choices. In this highly emotional and entertaining novel, Hornby successfully illustrates the many joys and heartbreaks of both Austen sisters. She does a terrific job of relating how these critically important events helped shaped them both, especially Jane’s literary works.

In Miss Austen, Gill Hornby had created an exceptionally entertaining addition to the Jane Austen legacy. In this exciting new interpretation of historical fiction, fans of the genre will not be disappointed and undoubtedly will cheer the opportunity to revisit the grandeur and anguish of the extended Austen family. With poignant intricacy and unique perspective, Hornby gives a voice to and brings to life an extraordinarily charming adaptation of one the most overlooked and most important people in Jane Austen’s life, her older sister Cassandra.

This review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on April 7, 2020

https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/miss-austen-novel

Review of Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O'Connor

Author: Carlene O'Connor

Release date: February 25, 2020

Publisher: Kensington Books

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Irish-Cottage-Village-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07R7RXMKQ/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=charlene+O%27Connor&qid=1582665693&sr=8-6

Family is everything to Siobhán: her five siblings; her dear departed mother for whom the family business, Naomi's Bistro, is named; and now her fiancé, Macdara Flannery. So precious is her engagement that Siobhán wants to keep it just between the two of them for a little longer.

But Macdara is her family, which is why when his cousin Susan frantically calls for his help, Siobhán is at his side as the two garda rush from Kilbane to the rural village where Susan and her mother have recently moved. Unfortunately, tragedy awaits them. They find Susan, who is blind, outside the cottage, in a state. Inside, Aunt Ellen lies on her bed in a fancy red dress, no longer breathing. A pillow on the floor and a nearby teacup suggest the mode of death to their trained eyes: the woman has been poisoned and smothered. Someone wanted to make sure she was dead. But who?

Devout believers in Irish folklore, the villagers insist the cottage is cursed—built on a fairy path. It turns out Ellen Delaney was not the first to die mysteriously in this cottage. Although the townsfolk blame malevolent fairies, Siobhán and Macdara must follow the path of a murderer all too human—but just as evil. . . .

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of the Irish Village Mystery series. Murder in an Irish Cottage is the eagerly anticipated fifth installment of the wildly successful series. Other books in the collection include Murder in an Irish Village (2016), Murder at an Irish Wedding (2017), Murder in an Irish Churchyard (2018), and Murder in an Irish Pub (2019).

In Murder in an Irish Cottage, summer has arrived in the picturesque village of Kilbane, County Cork, where Siobhán and her brood are on a short 10-day vacation. We soon learn that she and fellow police officer Dara Flannery’s slowly evolving romance has now blossomed into a secret engagement. The action heats up when Dara receives a panicked call from his cousin, apparently his Aunt Ellen is in some sort of trouble. Distressed by the call, the pair heads off to find out what has happened and soon horrifyingly discover that his aunt has been murdered. We follow the pair as they try to unravel the mystery and find the killer.

Wonderfully captivating, Murder in an Irish Cottage does not disappoint. Interwoven with charming descriptions of lush green Irish landscapes and tales of folklore and legends, it is a thrilling addition to the murder mystery series. Readers have over time bared witness to Siobhán O’Sullivan’s personal growth from the beleaguered caregiver of five siblings to self-confident police officer.

“The meadow glistened and Siobhán could smell the peat and imagine how soft the ground would be beneath their feet. The sun was out now, and just as Siobhán had the thought, she turned and saw it; just behind the largest hill arched a magnificent rainbow. The colors were so bright and clear, it didn’t look real.”

Carlene O’Connor has continued to evolve the story lines of each of her characters into people that are likeable and engaging. She has done an outstanding job of crafting distraction and misdirection that is essential to any successful murder mystery. As the plot unfolds in this current tale, there are loads of twists and turns that keeps the reader riveted to their seats, guessing whodunit until the very end.

The review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on February 25, 2020 - https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/murder-irish-cottage

Review of The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde

Author: Maja Lunde

Release date: January 14, 2020

Publisher: HarperVia

Pages: 304

Buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/End-Ocean-Novel-Maja-Lunde/dp/006295136X/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=maja+lunde&qid=1579110586&sr=8-2

In 2017, 70-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him.

Twenty-two years into the future, David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They have been separated from their rest of their family and are on a desperate search to reunite with them once again, when they find Signe's abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore. As David and Lou rummage through personal effects from Signe's travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe's, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit.

The End of the Ocean is Maja Lunde’s second foray into adult fiction and is a spellbinding read that focuses on the realities of climate change though the eyes of a father and daughter. Lunde is one of Norway’s most prominent authors and screenwriters, who is best known for writing the critically acclaimed international bestseller The History of Bees (2015). Her previous writings focused on children and young adult themes.

First published in 2017 in Norway, The End of the Ocean centers on base level survival in the not too distant future. Mankind is facing possible multiple ecological calamities that include droughts and a lack of sustainable resources. The plot focuses on three characters: Signe, David, and Lou. Signe's narrative is based in present day Norway where she has lived a lifetime of activism fighting for conservation of natural resources. During her college years, she meets Magnus, and they become lovers. Both initially want to protect the environment, but after graduation Magnus takes a different path that leads him to harvest glaciers and sell the ice. Because of this the pair drift apart. The legacy of their actions impact the future.

“All life is water, all life was water . . . It gushed from the sky as rain or snow, it filled the small lakes in the mountains, lay in the form of ice in the glacier, it flowed down the steep mountains in thousands of small streams . . . The ground, the mountains, the pastures were tiny islands in that which actually was the world. I called my world Earth but thought that is should actually be named Water.”

Storyline two follows the father-daughter duo of David and Lou. They reside in France several decades in the future where mankind is struggling to survive in a world filled with chaos. Because of severe drought there are massive wildfires ravaging Europe and food, water, and medical supplies are in short supply.  

“. . . the stores were emptied of food staples, and the city became emptier, quieter. And hotter. The drier the earth became, the hotter the air. Previously the sun had applied its forces to evaporation. When there was no longer any moisture on the earth, we became the sun’s target.”

Chillingly frank in its discussion of our planet’s fragile ecological system and the fight to save our basic natural resources, Lunde’s two superbly written interlinking narratives are emotionally charged and the beautifully expressed underlying message of hope, love and forgiveness helps to soften the ominous realties that could befall humanity if nothing is done to reverse the bleak certainties of climate change.

***This book review first appeared at the New York Journal of Books on January 14, 2020 - https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/end-ocean-novel