Reviewed by Jim McCarthy Rachel Maddow is an uncontested star of MSNBC’s cable news and a powerhouse behind its ratings. In the opening pages of Blowout, she traces the history of ExxonMobil from the days of John D. Rockefeller setting… Read More ›
Book Review
THOMAS JEFFERSON’S EDUCATION by Alan Taylor
Book Review by Frank Blechman Thomas Jefferson was a Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Governor of Virginia, Member of the Continental Congress, US Ambassador to France, Secretary of State under George Washington, Vice-President under John Adams, third President… Read More ›
A WARNING by Anonymous
Book Review by Michael Fruitman You’ve no doubt already read elsewhere the more newsworthy excerpts from this book, but it is worth reading in its entirety. It goes far beyond the regrettable details of the President’s daily life in the… Read More ›
THE NIGHT FIRE by Michael Connelly
Book Review by Jim McCarthy I am not embarrassed to admit that I am a habitual fan of the genre of police procedurals, whether British, Italian, Canadian, or any other well-woven criminal investigation. Michael Connelly has developed an extensive franchise… Read More ›
ALIENATED AMERICA by Timothy P. Carney: A Review
Reviewed by Frank Blechman What surprised me most about this book was the fact that it shared more with communitarians like Amitai Etzione (Spirit of Community) and Robert Bellah (Bowling Alone, Kids) than his work at the American Enterprise Institute… Read More ›
THE JEZEBEL REMEDY by Martin Clark: A Review
Reviewed by Jim McCarthy In its September 1, 2019, issue, VoxFairfax reviewed Clark’s The Substitution Order, the first of a number from this Virginia gentlemen of the bench. The author’s experience as a district court judge clearly informs both his imagination and story… Read More ›
THE SUBSTITUTION ORDER by Martin Clark: A Review
Reviewed by Jim McCarthy The author is a retired circuit court judge having served 27 years on the bench in Virginia. The Substitution Order, the latest of four works, was recently reviewed in The New York Times Book Review, catching this reader’s… Read More ›
CARELESS LOVE by Peter Robinson: A Review
Reviewed by Jim McCarthy Admitting to an addiction always generates some anxiety even if the habit is fixed to fictional police procedurals. Peter Robinson has created Inspector Alan Banks and woven two dozen intricate and intriguing crime tales to challenge… Read More ›
THESE TRUTHS by Jill Lepore
Reviewed by Jim McCarthy A history read can often be a serious undertaking but sometimes not difficult, especially concerning the United States since most folks have studied the subject in school. Sometimes a history read is difficult because of the… Read More ›
IN A HOUSE OF LIES by Ian Rankin: A Review
Review by Jim McCarthy This reviewer has previously admitted to an addiction to legal and police procedural fiction. Ian Rankin’s franchise of novels, taking place in Scotland and centering upon the irascible, unpredictable detective John Rebus, present a world of… Read More ›