Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018)

What a great book to read in these crazy times. Historian Goodwin takes a look at Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson. She looks at how each of them grew up, what their influences were, how they were educated, then she takes us through some of their early ventures into politics and leadership roles. Each of them faces some personal tragedy that he has to overcome. Lincoln lost an election and went back to practice law. Teddy Roosevelt lost both his mother and wife at the same time. We all know how Franklin Roosevelt was stricken with Polio, but I did not know how he formed a community with other polio patients and created a rehabilitation center in Georgia that not only looked for ways to improve physical health, but also mental and social health. LBJ had a heart attack. Each took time off and learned from their losses, gained skills in working with people.

Goodwin takes us through the rest of their political careers, culminating in them becoming president. Teddy and LBJ became unexpected presidents from a vice-president's role, when their presidents get assassinated. Both of them had their own agendas that they could now put into place. All four took the country through some very difficult times. Lincoln managed to hold the country together through the Civil War. I did not realize that the Emancipation Proclamation was a presidential executive order changing the legal status of millions of slaves to be free. Wow! And then to come out of it with one country. Not an easy task. I probably should read up on the South and why they continued being part of the union. Teddy Roosevelt faced a major coal miner strike and though the president was not supposed to interfere in conflicts between labor and business owners, he did step in to negotiate an end to the strike, as people around the country were beginning to freeze without the coal supplies. Franklin Roosevelt took over as the country fell into the greatest depression in its history. He had to come up with the "New Deal" to get people working (and develop our national parks in the process) and prepared for war. LBJ is best know for his ability to pass major legislation insuring civil rights, voting rights and much more in his plan for a "Great Society." Unfortunately he did not understand foreign policy as well as he did domestic policies, and was responsible for getting us deeply involved in Vietnam. I was in 4th grade when Kennedy was shot, so I am sure I was mostly oblivious to Johnson's reign, but I have a much higher respect for him. He got amazing amounts of legislation passed in the first year and a half of his presidency, because he knew how to work with congress. It just makes me sad to see how dysfunctional our congress is today. People with different opinions were able to work out practical legislation for the good of the country. And it took strong leadership, that took into account everyone's needs.

Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin (2016)

I like Melanie Benjamin's historical novels and this is of a time and place close to my own history, though the first meeting of Truman Capote and Babe Paley and some of the other "Swans" of New York was the year I was born. 

I have to say that this one I had a harder time reading, as the goal of being beautiful and perfect by itself just sounded so empty. The energy that Babe Paley put into making herself and all her homes beautiful, and her husband Bill Paley's (founder of CBS) life go smoothly, would easily qualify her to run her own company or foundation or something. All the ladies in this circle of friends had their main goal to look fabulous, marry rich, send their kids off to boarding schools, maintain numerous abodes and attend lunches and galas. One sentence just got to me - that they elegantly pushed their fancy French meal around on their plates, because to fit in those designer clothes, they of course could not eat it. Ugh! What a waste. I grew up in the generation that rebelled against this. In high school, I would go with my parents to the City Opera at Lincoln Center. You could go in a sequined gown or torn jeans.

But somehow, the socialites were befriended by Truman Capote. He had a lousy childhood and obviously did not fit in Alabama as the precocious gay boy. His one friend from home, interestingly enough, was fellow writer Harper Lee (of To Kill a Mockingbird fame, which is about their home town and the two of them used to go to court hearings for entertainment.) Plus the courtroom provided material for stories that Truman told all his life - some true, some imagined. Capote ended up in New York and began to write stories and scripts. So by the time he met the socialites of New York, he was a known author with a flamboyant flair.

When he met Babe Paley, while tagging along with a friend on the Paley private plane, he and Babe connected. He would tell great stories, loved to gossip, but also really listened. Over the years he gained the trust of Babe and her socialite friends. He did also work on writing, and became obsessed with a murder of a family in Nebraska - going out there to interview the townspeople, the cops, the murderers, and wrote the whole story up in his most famous book In Cold Blood. (Maybe I should read it.) After the success of that book he threw his famous Black and White Party in 1966, where he invited his 540 closest friends -  a combination of writers, artists, socialites, politicians, movie folks and also invited a family from the Nebraska town. Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. Unable to write anything else, he ended up writing about his socialite friends, and Babe and Bill in particular, and was outcast from their society.

The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin (2018)

Fascinating look at the early years of movie making through the (fictional) eyes of two of the first women that were involved. Mary Pickford, who even I have heard of, and Frances Marion, a screenwriter of the times that won two academy awards. They were very close friends for quite a while, as Francis wrote parts for Mary where she could be a little girl that movie goers loved. Mary married Douglas Fairbanks, a swashbuckling hero, though neither did very well when silent movies went to talkies, but they were a beloved Hollywood couple around the globe. Melanie Benjamin takes all the facts she can find about historical characters and then weaves a tale of how these people might have felt and what they might have thought and said. I understand it is fiction, but it works for me.

I found it fascinating to hear about how the early movies were made, how the film companies evolved. Mary, Frances and Charlie Chaplain founded United Artists and were founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts. Though I am not a movie buff, I would really like to see how movies are made one day. If my son continues to live out in California, I just might get around to it.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (2016)

Thank goodness this is just a duology. I thought things ended pretty well for the good guys and not so well for the bad guys. but I did want to read it soon after the Six of Crows, as this was a complex world with a lot of characters and I was afraid to forget them, if I waited too long.

The gang, led by Caz, has returned from the Ice Palace, but were cheated out of their reward and now they are all being hunted by various factions. Things look desperate, but Caz Brekker again thinks up a most convoluted scheme with a lot of moving parts, all of which need to happen close to perfectly, for all of them to be safe and relatively undisturbed, with funds in their pockets to follow their dreams. And the bad guys, while still alive, having lost their reputations and empires, whether they be merchants or Barrel lords.

(Another abbreviated note, as I seem to not be finding the time to write these up, but at least I have a touch point to what I have read. This one was read in June, but I occasionally upload a draft as is.)

Drift by Rachel Maddow (2013)

(Written around 2014-15, so forgive the old references - but interesting to see how I thought.)

I like Rachel Maddow's news show on MSNBC, though there are times it just feels like too much, so I go back to Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert, that have a similar stance, just with more humor. I was not sure I wanted to listen to a book about our military, but I wanted to see what Maddow had to say, and was very glad that I did.

Maddow had done extensive research and then strung it together in a cohesive narrative taking us through the military history of the U.S. throughout the 20th century to today. I didn't realize that the constitution had set it up, so that the president could not declare war by himself, but this declaration had to be made by congress, so no one person could get us into war. This power has now been relinquished by slowly chipping away at the concept till today the congress is out of the loop.

Unfortunately I never finished my thoughts on this book, but since she has a new book out that I will be reading soon, thought I might as well get this up there. I will also note that I now prefer Rachel Maddow's show to the comedians, though I still watch them at times. Trevor Noah is now my favorite, as he has found a lighter touch on the disastrous news of the day.

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (2016)

I could live in these rural worlds that Colgan spins forever. No, I don't want to live there, just visit and hang out during her stories. This is about the fictional island of Mure off the northern coast of Scotland. Yes, there are plenty of islands out there and somebody lives on them and tourists go visit them.

Flora grew up in Mure, but went to live in London and works in a law firm, where she is in love with her workaholic boss Joel. But, they have a rich client Colton, who wants the law firm to help him win a case to move a wind turbine field away from the island, so it doesn't ruin the view from his new exclusive resort. 

Flora is sent up there to be a liaison with the town. She does not want to be there, as she left in less than ideal circumstances after her mother died. After failing to feed her father and brothers with fancy food from the city, she discovers her mother's cookbook and starts recreating her mom's wonderful recipes and healing herself.

When she meets Colton, he is nice enough, but he has totally ignored the town and its inhabitants and is not liked there. Flora starts mending the relationship and one example is that he owns a storefront that he has kept empty, while young islanders go off the island to find summer and permanent jobs. Flora is put in charge of opening up a cafe in the storefront, which becomes very successful with the locals and visitors. Anyway, a nice mix of people and lives. I also like that Colgan doesn't just rip her character out of the city life and plop her in the country, but she keeps contact with her city friends and keeps them involved in her life. Next book please...

Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall (2018)

Had to check out the latest Caldecott Medalist. Wonderful story of a lighthouse keeper, who lives alone until his wife comes and they have a child and he is displaced by an electronic light that does not need to be maintained by a person. Gorgeous, creative illustrations - of the power of the sea, the cut away of the different floors of the lighthouse, how they all lived and worked there and obviously loved it. The inside back cover has the story of how the author became interested in light houses and all the facts she dug up to create this charming book for kids and the rest of us.

Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward (2018)

I bought this book after seeing Woodward talking to Stephen Colbert. I admired his work during Watergate, and remember reading All the President's Men and Final Days, but for some reason haven't read any of the many books he has written since. This is the only book I have read about the current president, as I feel we hear about him way too much already. Even during the election process, I kept thinking, can't the late night shows just take a break and not mention him for a week, or even just a night. But I did want to know how the insiders have been dealing with him, so I bought the book, I started it, and then it just ended up on the bottom of my pile of books to read. Then I just asked for it in audio, and taking it in bits, with other books listened to in between, I got through it.

It is pretty incredible how the staff of the White House have to work around this guy, who is not only uniformed, but not interested in learning anything - he already knows best about everything - and obviously he doesn't. There were voices of reason trying to educate, explain how the government works, smooth his ruffled feathers, and counting on him forgetting things - removing documents from his pile to sign, just to avoid some embarrassing or disastrous move. Woodward kept calling some of the meetings like Groundhog Day, where the same arguments would be made every month or so - on issues like tariffs and our presence in South Korea.

No reason to go into the range of issues Woodward covered, but I do realize this book came out in 2018, before a lot more s#&t has hit the fan, so I actually may read Woodward's next installment on this most dysfunctional of presidencies not only in my lifetime, but possibly in the history of this country.

The question I did not get an answered was - why did these people even promise to work for the guy? How did they deal with their own conscience? I get that working in the White House is one of the most prestigious positions one could have, but for him? Maybe some felt they were serving the country by trying to bring some sense and order to the White House, and true, many people resigned when they felt they could no longer work with him any more, where he was refusing to take their sound advice. But did they ever think he was a good president? I guess some of them did agree with some of his economic policies, but two phrases sent shivers down my back. One was being thankful that a wet blanket was removed from the economy. I hear that as all the deregulation that has happened that will now endanger the environment, workers, consumers and the world. The other phrase that the guy used a lot was something like - They don't understand anything, they are not business like. e.g. why don't we make the world pay for all its own protection. Well the government is not like a business. There are some business principles that are useful, but people have worked for decades to create a stable world in which all can prosper, and the richer countries have to shoulder a bit more. He also kept jeering at global thinkers - sorry bud, we live in a globally connected world, we can't disconnect. All in all, the book was not surprising, just disheartening and scary.

A Great Reckoning by Luise Penny (2016)

I think that inspector Armand Gamache has become the fictional character I would most like to meet and Three Pines the village I would most like to visit, stay at the B&B, eat at the cafe, visit the bookstore, meet cranky Ruth and her duck and all the other characters, and hang in the kindness of the place and Penny's world.

If I had the time, I would go through all the Louise Penny books I have read so far and see how she weaves the major plot line of the corruption of the Surete du Quebec throughout many books. In the ninth book How the Light Gets In, it all comes to a head and Armand gets injured. He spends a couple of books recuperating. One I read a while ago about a local boy finding a gun, but the last one I read - The Long Way Home was when he helps Clara look for her estranged husband Peter. But now he is ready to take on a new project - cleaning up the Academy for the Surete, as it has been producing cruel, uncaring agents in the last years. He starts by firing half the instructors, but keeps on the second in command, Leduc, hoping to gather evidence to put him away and prevent him from harming any more cadets.

We get to see the evolution of four cadets - two in their last year of classes and two first year students, one of them, Amelia, seemingly the least likely candidate to become a Surete officer with her piercings and tattoos, but she is bright and desperate to find her way in life. They are all standing around looking at an old, strange map of Three Pines - and Gamache assigns these four figuring out the map. This seems a random assignment, but becomes the second most important thread in the book and gives the cadets experience in investigation and teamwork.

Again, many plot lines interweave:

• Corruption in the academy
• How do you raise effective, caring and kind officers?
• Who is Amelia and why did Gamache approve her application to the Academy
• Gamache's relationship with childhood friend Michelle (not sure how spelled, but a guy), but who becomes one of Gamache's biggest enemies, but why does he ask him to come back to teach?
• Annie is pregnant and Jean Guy is just so wonderful to watch as doting husband.
• Mystery of the map found in the walls of the Bistro
• Who was Anthony Turcott, the great mapper of Quebec, but why did he keep Three Pines off the map
• The story of the village Roof Trusses
• Reine Marie working on the local archives, including the stuff found in the walls of the Bistro
• What tale does the stained glass window of young WWI soldiers tell?
• Clara is working on a self portrait - how will that turn out?
• How can the people of Three Pines help the four lost cadets from the Academy.
• Ruth - she is always a plot in and of herself.

I had to get used to the new reader, and though it was strange for a while, at some point I didn't even notice anymore.

Among the Mad by Jackquline Windspear (2009)

This must be my third Maisie Dobbs book, and for some reason I don't care if I read them in order. This one is set in 1931 and Maisie has her own investigative business with one assistant. It is at the end of December in 1931. She sees a man blow himself up on a London street. Then the Prime Minister receives a threatening letter promising loss of many lives if the soldiers of the Great War are not taken care of. The letter mentions Maisie, so she is called in to a special branch of Scotland Yard to help. She provides insights that help solve the case and stop the mad man from completing his plans.

The focus in this book is on PTSD or shell shock after the war. Not only are many of the men who served in the military affected, but almost everyone is affected, including Maisie herself. But the theme is woven through many people's stories, including her friend, who is financially sound, has a husband and kids, but still despairs at times. Her assistant's wife is unstable after the loss of one of her children, and through her experience we see some of the horrors of the way some mental patients were treated in those days. We also see the aftereffects of the chemical warfare experiments, where the researchers sometimes tested the substances on themselves and other workers. Again, more details fleshing out that time period and the continued growth of Maisie, as she forges ahead with her life.