Tag: Joseph Finder

The Book Shelf: Part 3

Here we go with the third and final part of this year’s Book Shelf. I hope you have enjoyed it and perhaps found an idea for a Christmas gift or two for yourself. Go ahead . . . treat yourself!

One Good Deed — Having never read anything by author David Baldacci, I chose to begin with this one. Upon finishing it, I immediately went back for more. This is the first of three books (so far) chronicling in true Mickey Spillane fashion the experiences of Aloysius Archer, who is fresh out of a federal penitentiary when he finds himself in the middle of a handful of bodies and a number of suspects. I have always felt that for this type of book to be successful it needs a likeable lead character; Baldacci has created one with Archer. . . . The second book in the Archer series is A Gambling Man, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did One Good Deed. Fun stuff! . . . And the third one is Dream Town, with Archer doing some work in Los Angeles. Mickey Spillane would be proud.

Paper Trails: From the Backwoods to the Front Page, a Life in Stories — Roy MacGregor, one of Canada’s best-ever columnists/essayists, was a magazine/newspaper writer when the owners had money and didn’t mind spending it. So he got to see the country and, indeed, the world, and he has stories — oh, does he! — about politicians and hockey players and just plain Canadians. But he also writes about his life, his family and a whole lot more. It’s a book full of, as he calls it, MacGregor luck. This was one of 2023’s most-enjoyable reads.

Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe — This is the thoroughly engrossing story of Jim Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma who came out of the Carlisle, Penn., Indian School to earn recognition as the world’s best all-around athlete, especially after winning gold in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. His medals later were taken away after it came to light that he had played minor professional baseball for two summers. His life became something of a roller-coaster after that, even though he would go on to play big league baseball and pro football. Author David Maraniss has given us a meticulously researched look at Thorpe’s life . . . warts and all. You really don’t want to miss this one.

The Powers That Be — This is the late David Halberstam’s amazingly well-researched look at four American media giants — Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CBS-TV and Time magazine — as they navigated through the arrival of television, the Vietnam War and Watergate. Give it a read and gain a real understanding of the power of the press. Be prepared, though, because this is a long read.

Razorblade Tears — If you love crackling writing, and don’t mind violence and blue language, author S.A. Crosby has another winner for your perusal. This one follows two fathers who are seeking vengeance following the murders of their sons, who also happened to be husband and wife. Oh my, there are a lot of life lessons among the great writing here. Crosby also wrote Blacktop Wasteland, another winner.

Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada’s and America’s Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples — Chief Clarence Louis was first elected by the Osoyoos Indian Band in 1984. Under his leadership, that Rez has become known as The Miracle in the Desert. This is his story and it really should be mandatory reading for all Canadians. It really is an amazing and startling read.

Sports Guy: In Search of Corkball, Warroad Hockey, Hooters Golf, Tiger Woods, and the Big, Big Game — These days, Charles P. Pierce waxes cynically, sarcastically and wonderfully on politics for Esquire. But it wasn’t that long ago when the focus of his writing was almost entirely on the sporting world. And he was masterful, as evidenced by the 30 essays that appear on this book’s pages. Published in 2001, it more than holds its own more than 20 years later. Excellent! 

Summer of ’49 — Oh boy, do I ever love this book! Written by the prolific and award-winning David Halberstam, it’s the story of the 1949 American League pennant race between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Originally published in May 1989, the tension of the run to the World Series comes through on every page. There are all kinds of anecdotes involving the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Tommy Henrich, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr et al.

The Switch — Joseph Finder, who also wrote The Fixer that was mentioned earlier in this series, strikes again, this time with a neat story involving switched briefcases. One belongs to a U.S. senator who foolishly downloaded a top secret file on to it. The other is the property of Michael Tanner, a coffee wholesaler who is fighting to keep his business afloat. Lots of neat twists and turns in this one. And, yes, the secret file being where it shouldn’t be is rather appropriate in these times.

The Tales of an Athletic Supporter — In cleaning out some bookshelves I came upon this gem from Trent Frayne. Published in 1990, this is a book written by one of the greats of Canadian sports journalism who was there for a whole lot of sporting history. For 300 pages, Frayne reminisces about his career, one that began at the Brandon Sun, took him to the Winnipeg Tribune and then to various Toronto-based outlets. And, oh, the places he went and the people he met and watched perform! And, yes, the man knew his way around a keyboard. If you can find a copy of this one you won’t be disappointed. 

True North: A Life Inside the Music Business — As a manager, promoter, producer and a lot of other things, Bernie Finkelstein had a front row seat as the Canadian music business grew into what it is today. This is his story, and the story of that business, and it’s an entertaining read.

Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments — Joe Posnanski, the author of the glorious The Baseball 100, is back with another wonderful baseballcentric book. This one features a series of anecdote-filled essays on 50 of the sports’ significant occurrences. There also are a number of other highlights scattered throughout.

Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped — Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, a Russian, now lives with his family in self-imposed exile in the U.S. This book was published in 2015 after Russia, under Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine in 2014. It is frightening how much of this book remains devastatingly pertinent as Putin is again waging war on Ukraine.

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My top 10 reads from 2023:

  1. Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, by John Vaillant.

2. Paper Trails: From the Backwoods to the Front Page, a Life in Stories, by Roy MacGregor.

3. The Tales of an Athletic Supporter, by Trent Frayne.

4. Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada’s National Hockey Team, by Paul Quarrington.

5. Brave Face: Wild Tales of Hockey Goaltenders in the Era Before Masks, by Rob Vanstone

6. Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, by David Maraniss.

7. Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped, by Garry Kasparov.

8. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski.

9. Lucky Man: A Memoir, by Michael J. Fox.

10. City of Dreams, by Don Winslow.

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(THIRD OF THREE PARTS)

The Book Shelf: Part 2

The second part of this year’s Book Shelf is headed up by the best book I read in 2023. It is everything a thriller should be, except that it isn’t fiction.

Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast — This is at the top of the list of best books I read in 2023; it easily was the most-terrifying. Author John Vaillant takes an in-depth look at the fire that took out most of Fort McMurray, Alta., in May 2016. Reading about what the citizens of Fort McMurray went through was eye-opening; reading about what the first-responders dealt with was beyond that. But Vaillant also writes about the past and the future, about the warnings from the scientific community regarding CO2 emissions that began so long ago and how Big Oil’s choosing to ignore it all has helped lead us to where we are today with climate change. As I started this book, we were cloaked in smoke; as I finished it, fires had Hawaii by the throat. Knowing what I had just read, I wasn’t surprised. (Note that you also are able to find this book under the title Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.)

The Fixer — Rick Hoffman, who once was an investigative reporter, is about to restore the aging home in which he grew up when he discovers a huge pile of cash hidden away. His lawyer father is unable to communicate, a stroke having robbed him of much of his quality of life a few years ago. So what’s with all the money? How did it get there? Author Joseph Finder provides a fast-paced thriller that is perfect for spending a cold winter weekend with while under a warm blanket.

Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath — Bill Browder first chronicled his issues with Vladimir Putin’s Russia in Red Notice, and now he’s back with Freezing Order, which is even more explosive. Browder, a hedge fund CEO, was a big investor in Russia, but not these days. His lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, uncovered money laundering and a whole lot more, something that Browder writes resulted in his murder in prison. Browder details all of that and a whole lot more in Freezing Order.

The Guards — This is the first of the books on which the TV series Jack Taylor is based. If you have seen any of the TV shows, you know how Taylor oozes grit. This book is no different as author Ken Bruen introduces us to Taylor, a man with a drinking problem and a few other issues. There were 16 books in the series through 2020, with one more scheduled to be published in 2024.

Hometown Heroes: On the Road with Canada’s National Hockey Team — As Team Canada prepared for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, which were to be held in Calgary, author Paul Quarrington went along for the ride. He provides a true outsider’s look at the ins and outs of a team that surprised the hockey world by winning the 1987 Izvestia Cup in Moscow and proving that a team of non-NHLers could compete at that level. An entertaining and lively read.

The Jack Widow Boxset — Gone Forever, Winter Territory and A Reason to Kill are the first three books in Scott Blade’s series about Jack Widow. He goes by Widow and he breaks a lot of noses, mostly with headbutts, as he makes his way here and there. These are quick reads, perfect for the cottage and three rainy afternoons.

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley — After watching the movie Elvis, I went back and re-read both of these books, by Peter Guralnick. Oh my, does he ever pull back the curtains and let in the light on the life led by Elvis Presley. It’s all here, the ups and downs, the raging and the temper tantrums, the girls and women, and Col. Tom Parker . . . all of it. Superbly researched and reported in painstaking detail. Well done! 

Lucky Man: A Memoir — Author Michael J. Fox — yes, that Michael J. Fox, the pride of Burnaby, B.C. — writes mostly about the relationship he and Parkinson’s disease have with each other. It’s amazing to read about how he continued to work in movies and TV while hiding the symptoms of P.D., as he calls it. Amazingly, he lived that way for about seven years before making the decision to let the world in on his secret. It all started with a trembling left little finger and it led to this fascinating and emotional book.

Moscow Rules — In this book, author Daniel Silva’s eighth in what now is a 23-book series, Gabriel Allon, the Israeli government’s spymaster assassin, is working to bring down Ivan Kharkov, a Russian oligarch and arms dealer. If you are a fan, this one won’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a character on which to get hooked, you can’t go wrong with Allon.

Next in Line — This is No. 5 in author Jeffrey Archer’s series of books chronicling the career of William Warwick, now a Detective Chief Inspector with Scotland Yard. This one, which takes place in 1988, deals with the Royalty Protection Command and features Princess Di. And, yes, career criminal Miles Faulkner is front and centre, as is his ex-wife. If you like Archer’s stuff, this is good escapism.

No Plan B — This is the latest in the Jack Reacher books, and it’s good Reacher. Written by Lee Child and his brother, Andrew, there is an intriguing plot and Reacher beats the crap out of a whole lot of bad guys. What more could you ask for if you’re looking to escape reality for a few hours?

A Passing Game: A History of the CFL — In a book published in 1995, former CFL quarterback Frank Cosentino examines the league and all of its happenings from 1969 to 1995. Cosentino had access to all kinds of official league papers, from minutes of meetings to a whole lot of finance-related numbers. And when you are done reading, you will wonder how the CFL has been able to survive. Sometimes it’s fantastic foibles; other times it’s Keystone Kops. And it always is amazing. Be aware, though, that this book is a dry read, drier than July in Kamloops, and a lot of writing rules regarding punctuation are nowhere to be found. And you would think that a book about the CFL would include the correct spelling of the surname of one of its greatest kickers — it’s Ridgway, not Ridgeway.

October 1964 — The 1964 MLB season was memorable for a couple of reasons. For starters, the Philadelphia Phillies of manager Gene Mauch blew a 6-1/2-game lead atop the National League in late September and finished second behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who went on to play the New York Yankees in the World Series. The prolific David Halberstam tells the story of that season, culminating with the World Series. Also notable? This signalled the end of the Yankees’ dynasty. You are able to read all about it in this book that was published in 1995.

(SECOND OF THREE PARTS)

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