Review: The Devil In The White City

Full title: The Devil In The White City - Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Author: Erik Larson
Publisher: Vintage Books
Total Pages: 447

What do the 1893 World's Fair and a serial killer have in common?  This is the question Erik Larson answers in his work The Devil In The White City.  Set in Chicago, Larson's book depicts the series of events that brought the fair to the Windy City, while also describing the rise of one of America's most gruesome murderers.

While tackling two very different subjects, this work intertwines the two together quite nicely.  Larson illustrates the difficulties encountered in winning the fair bid and then the arduous task of preparing to host such a monumental event.  At the same time, he also provides the profile and history of a very scary individual, who is determined to continue killing, all the while covering his vile acts.  As if this wasn't enough to engage his readers, Larson continues to draw out other interesting facts and associations of well-known Americans who were somehow associated with the fair throughout the telling of this tale.

From a reading perspective, Larson does a nice job of keeping the sections short, allowing the reader the opportunity to read small pieces, providing good stopping places.  These short sections, of course, can also be read together without losing readability.  The style of writing is very good, allowing for easy reading and absorption of the text.  While the story of the World's Fair does receive the largest amount of attention, the author does a nice job of interspersing his tale of the "devil" in a contrasting way.  This helps keep the story moving.

This book is, as the author admits, more than just the story of a murderer or the World's Fair.  It is also a very telling story of the human condition in Chicago near the turn of the 20th Century.  Well-written and extremely engaging, this book is definitely one worth reading.

Bottom line:

Would I read it again? Yes

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes

Review: Not a Good Day to Die

Full title: Not a Good Day to Die - The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda
Author: Sean Naylor
Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group
Total Pages: 425


Sean Naylor takes readers on a journey into a modern day military operation in this book which, as the title suggests, tells the story of Operation Anaconda.  The goal of the mission, involving primarily the men of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions, was to penetrate the Shahikot Valley of Afghanistan with the intent of capturing senior Al Qaida leaders in early 2002.

From the opening paragraphs, the reader is thrust into the action.  The author does a commendable job of providing ample descriptions of both the combatants and their surroundings, which truly makes the events of the story come alive.  While the reader is placed in the action of the operation in the opening pages, Naylor does take the time to introduce readers to the participants and various military and para-military groups, as well as helping explain the leadership structure for the operation itself.  While at times this becomes a bit cumbersome, it does serve to give the reader a very accurate picture of all the planning and coordination that an operation such as this requires.

Naylor's narrative includes many, many first hand accounts (there is a long list of interviewees included in the book, as well as many government documents, which adds to the realism, in my opinion.  At parts, it is a hard book to read, not because of poor writing (the writing is very good), but rather because of the poor communication between the various groups involved in the operation, which left me feeling very frustrated as I read.  This is not the author's fault - just a consequence of the way the operation was conducted.  On the whole, this work is very educational in helping illustrate how such an operation is conducted.  It is also an inspiring work, allowing readers to see, throughout the conflict, incidents of heroism.  Finally, it is an unvarnished look at a military operation, showing both the good and the bad in its execution.  While this book may not be for everyone (those who do not care for books on military action), it is an engaging read and more than just a mere treatment of another military operation on foreign soil.

Bottom line:

Would I read it again? No

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes

Review: The General & The Jaguar

Full title: The General & The Jaguar - Pershing's Hunt for Pancho Villa, A True Story of Revolution & Revenge
Author: Eileen Welsome
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Total Pages: 403

While the names of United States Army General John Pershing and the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa, may be familiar to many, Eileen Welsome's work lays out, in great detail, the events that intertwined the lives of two men.  A town most have likely never heard of, Columbus, New Mexico, and the events that transpired there in early 1916, would forever link these two historical figures.

Welsome begins by describing the political unrest in Mexico that lead to Villa's ascension to one of Mexico's chief revolutionaries.  In doing so, the author also reveals the strained relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as, Villa's motivation for attempting to rally the common man of Mexico against the ruling government.  Ultimately, Villa launches an attack on the U.S., in the small, sleepy border town of Columbus.  After the attack, Pershing was assigned to lead what became know as The Punitive Expedition, traveling into Mexico with the intent of bringing Villa and his men to justice.  

The descriptions, both of the geographic locations, as well as the individuals themselves, are tremendous.  Welsome does a beautiful job of helping the reader visualize the events that took place throughout the book.  The author also does an admirable job of providing the reader with the overall sentiment of the people - both U.S. and Mexican citizens - and their reactions to what transpired throughout the book.  Great attention is also paid to the interaction between the two governments, as well.  As might be expected, the reader is introduced to a large and varied cast of characters.  At times, it does become a bit challenging to remember who is who.  A fair number of maps aid in helping to illustrate the movements of both Villa and Pershing.  Pictures are also included of most of the central characters, as well as the town of Columbus.  The final chapter of the book provides the reader with a summary of the survivors of Villa's raid and Pershing's expedition, outlining the course their lives took following these events.

While I knew of both Pershing and Villa, it was not until I read this book did I realize the connection between these two men.  At the conclusion, I felt I had not just learned about the events involving Pershing, Villa, and the town of Columbus, but that I had also learned a great deal about the history of Mexico and U.S.-Mexican relations during the early 1900s. I always find books like this, where I end up feeling I've learned a great deal more than I know before, to be worth my time.    

Bottom line:

Would I read it again? Yes

Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes