Al Capone Does My Shirts
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • kcs shirts
  • "If you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else"
  • My class really enjoyed Al Capone...
  • Al Capone Does My Pants Is Super
  • Al Copone Does My Shirts
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Gennifer Choldenko
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142403709

Book Description

Murderers, mob bosses, and convicts . . . these guys are not your average neighbors. Unless you live on Alcatraz. It's 1935 and twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to the infamous island that's home to criminals like notorious escapee Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and of course, Al Capone. Now Moose has to try to fit in at his new school, avoid getting caught up in one of the warden's daughter's countless plots, and keep an eye on his sister Natalie, who's not like other kids. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents' expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.

A Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Notable Book
People magazine Best Kids' Book
A School Library JournalBest Book of the Year
A Kirkus Editor's Choice
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Children's BOMC selection

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars kcs shirts.......2007-10-05

Moose Flanagan, he is a 12 years old boy, he is a kind person compared to the kids of Alcatraz some are trained well because there children of the gaurds and he loves baseball. Moose was forced to live here because of his mother and his dad he is one of the gaurds there too. Moose gets scared his first night because he never knows when a murderer might show up. The island of Alcatraz is not where you want to live because that is where all the worst of the worst go like murderers and full on gangsters that will kill you no matter what. So Moose has to fit in at this island, not be tricked by this girl Piper, and keep his young and imature sister out of danger. I thought this book was intresting. i would recommend this book to middle schoolers or people who like out door books or who likes reading. I learned how it is to have a younger sister.

4 out of 5 stars "If you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else".......2007-07-28

Moose Flanagan and his family arrive on Alcatraz Island in 1935 so his father Cam can work as an electrician and guard at the prison and his sister Natalie can have a chance to attend a "special" school for children with Autism. At the time it's not called Autism, but that is what the reader of today is lead to believe. Moose is caught in the middle of Piper the wardens daughters' schemes and her mad drive to meet Al Capone and his mothers desperate need to get Natalie into the only school that can help her. Moose is the only one that can really reach Natalie and the decisions and realities that the family has to face can just be too much for a 12 year old boy. Maybe Al Capone is his only option.

5 out of 5 stars My class really enjoyed Al Capone..........2007-06-28

I used this book in a three week summer school course with eighth graders. I needed a high interest but easy to read novel to catch their interest. AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS was a great choice! They found the setting of Alcatraz very interesting, and they really loved the well-developed characters, especially Moose and Natalie. There are many, many teacher resources for this novel available on the internet. Using ideas from the internet and adding my own personal material, the unit was very easy to plan and carry out. The students wrote daily journal responses to questions relating to various aspects of the book (ideas for prompts are available on Scholastic's web site).

We did some background study which I think added to the students' enjoyment and understanding of the novel. We watched a biography of Al Capone, and we did an internet scavenger hunt to research two topics: Alcatraz and Autism. Doing this early on helped provide context for the students.

The characters in AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS are probably the most interesting aspect of the book. My students seemed particularly fascinated by how Natalie, the main character's sister who has autism, changes and develops through the story. They could really relate to a lot of the things the protagonist (Moose) goes through, even though he lives on Alcatraz in 1935. To me, that's the power of a great book -- it contains themes that are universal. I would highly recommend this book for middle school students, whether it be as a group study or individual reading. It has a great ending too!

4 out of 5 stars Al Capone Does My Pants Is Super.......2007-05-24

Al Capone Does My Shirts

I liked this book because it has some comedy and it talks about what some kids would actually do because it is a real place.
Other kids might like this book because they might want to learn a little bit of history or they might want to laugh. If you like cliffhangers you will really enjoy this book.
The book had a lot of cliffhangers and thought provoking scenes. It also talks about Alcatraz Island.
This book tells how Moose's dad gets a job on Alcatraz Island as a prison guard. This book also tells how Moose and his friends try to get Moose's sister, in to a private school called the Esther P. Marinoff.

5 out of 5 stars Al Copone Does My Shirts.......2007-05-22

I loved the book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes comedy/history books. I liked the book because I thought it was funny and entertaining.
Someone else might like the book because you learn about convicts that lived on Alcatraz. Someone else might also like it because you learn a little about autism in this book.
The book had a lot of facts about Alcatraz. The book was funny at times but at others it wasn't. You should read this book because it is funny, entertaining, and educational.
The Brother: The Untold Story of Atomic Spy David Greenglass and How He Sent His Sister, Ethel Rosenberg, to the Electric Chair
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The End of the Affair
  • rehash and one interview
  • A Triumph
  • Author should have shown, not told
  • A significant addition to Rosenberg case literature
The Brother: The Untold Story of Atomic Spy David Greenglass and How He Sent His Sister, Ethel Rosenberg, to the Electric Chair
Sam Roberts
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375500138
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Book Description

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were tried for and convicted of conspiring to steal atomic secrets. In 1953, their execution tore American apart. Fifty years later, the acrimonious debate over the Rosenbergs' guilt, and the raw emotions unleashed by a case that fueled McCarthyism and the cold war, still reverberate.

One man doomed the Rosenbergs: David Greenglass, Ethel Rosenberg's brother, the young army sergeant who spied for the Soviets at Los Alamos during World War II and whose testimony later sealed his sister and brother-in-law's fate. After serving ten years in prison, he was released in 1960 and vanished.

But Sam Roberts, a New York Times editor, found David Greenglass and, after fourteen years, finally persuaded him to talk. Drawn from the first unrestricted-access interviews ever granted by Greenglass and supplemented by revelations from dozens of other key players in the case--including the Russian agent who controlled Julius Rosenberg; by newly declassified American and Soviet government documents; and by personal letters never before publishes, among them on from Albert Einstein; The Brother is the mesmerizing inside story of misplaced idealism, love and betrayal behind the atomic-espionage case that J. Edgar Hoover condemned as the Crime of the Century.

In more than fifty hours of tape-recorded conversations with the author, Greenglass intimately detailed his recruitment into espionage on Manhattan's Lower East Side, how he spied for the Russians at American's most secret military installation, and how the plot unraveled and led to the arrests of David, Julius, and Ethel.

But even beyond that, this book reveals how Greenglass perjured himself during his riveting courtroom testimony--testimony that virtually strapped his sister and brother-in-law into Sing Sing's electric chair.

Delivering a narrative punch on every page, The Brother is the story of a family. It is a story of atomic espionage. It is the story of the trial that turned a nation upside down and that even now divides the American left. Convincingly and with authority, The Brother tells a tale driven by secrets, suspense, and intense human intrigue.

Download Description

Roberts, a New York Times reporter, tracked down David Greenglass, Ethel Rosenberg's brother, to get the shocking, detailed, and disturbing story of the Rosenberg spy case--the trial and execution for atomic espionage that tore America apart.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The End of the Affair.......2003-05-27

Sam Roberts found David Greenglass and persuaded him to talk for this very readable 500 page book. It tells of their family histories. How did David Greenglass get assigned to Los Alamos (p.70)? Perhaps due to his talents? He was cleared by Army and FBI investigators (p.71). Soviet atom bomb development began in 1939, they deduced American research in 1940 (p.80). Julius Rosenberg became involved with Soviet espionage, and a recruiter of people who could provide "technical information". The crime is committed when the message is relayed (p.92). Life in Oak Ridge or Los Alamos is likened to a socialist paradise where the government provides for everyone; but not all enjoy Army life (pp.100-1). None suspected that DG's insatiable curiosity was to gather information for a foreign government (p.104). Winston Churchill's scientists asked for dynamite lenses (p.107). How to steal a proximity fuse? Get a defective reject then replace the broken parts with working parts (p.109).

With the war over, DG was no longer interested in helping the Soviets (p.147). The Soviet atomic research resumed in 1943 (p.182), their first atomic test occurred in 1949. This affected the political outlook in Washington (p.183). When they deciphered a message on gaseous diffusion in refining uranium, this led to its author and prime suspect - Klaus Fuchs (p.188). Another deciphered message said a spy at Los Alamos went on vacation in Jan 1945 (p.197); 100 suspects were turned up. The two prime suspects were Luis Alvarez and Edward Teller - the best friend of Klaus Fuchs.

DG's confession is on page 242. He hired O. John Rogge and cooperated with the FBI; he could not testify against his wife (p.261). Greenglass and Gold were interviewed together to harmonize their stories (p.278). The Government wanted Julius Rosenberg to confess and identify other members of the spy ring (p.282); the death penalty was the threat (p.287). David was trained as a draftsman and had surprising neat handwriting (p.297). Page 317 says his handwriting needed to be typed, and this implicated Ethel in the crime. The trial found them all guilty. The Rosenbergs got death, but they insisted on their innocence and never cracked. They were convicted on the word of the Greenglasses alone, there was no independent corroborative evidence given at their trial. I think the failure to show spending or money from their spying was a failure in the Government's case. The rule is that spies get paid for their information ("The Double-Cross System").

Some questioned the scientific value of Greenglass' atom bomb sketch. It was "valuable information" to corroborate the information given by Klaus Fuchs (p.408). The 1946 Smyth Report gave much more information on atomic energy research than given by Klaus Fuchs (p.410)! Page 425 lists the information that Julius could give to delay their execution; nothing was asked of Ethel. President Eisenhower denied clemency because they "increased the chance of atomic war and may have condemned tens of millions of innocent people to death" (p.430).

Chapter 36 has Greenglass' "final confession". He thought the worse thing he did was working on the atomic bomb because it killed a hundred thousand people (p.469). He didn't regret his spying if it prevented another war (p.479). David and Ruth now said they didn't remember Ethel typing the notes, but "that's the way it would have been done" (p.483). Without this, Ethel might not have been convicted. Why didn't Julius and Ethel save themselves? Because it would mean putting other people in their hot seat (p.493). DG's verdict: they were guilty, but they didn't deserve to die (p.496). This disproportionate punishment may explain Pope Pius XII's call for clemency. The Prosecution team never again won distinction in their careers.

3 out of 5 stars rehash and one interview.......2003-01-26

The book is an extremely readable book . My major complaint seems to be that it is a rehash of previous boks such as the Rosenberg File by Ron Radosh and Implosion Conspiracy by Nizor. The only original research is at the end of the book in which Roberts is granted an interview with david Greenglass. There were many questions that could have been asked. Greenglass seems to be in current money difficulties and may be twisting events of long ago to suit his current needs. Greenglass appears to be operating under the assumption that Roberts will give him a favorable portrayal. Roberts shows the negative side of what Greenglss did. If true that the government had David make aallegations about Ethel it is a sobering display of prosecutorial misconduct. Robert does not comment on the implication od this and this should be a cental component (if true) on the historical commentary of this case.

5 out of 5 stars A Triumph.......2002-07-31

The Brother by Sam Roberts is a masterpiece, capturing the crime of the century that has been troubling the nation for decades.

3 out of 5 stars Author should have shown, not told.......2002-06-18

Author Sam Roberts has done a thorough job of telling the story of David Greenglass, so one is mystified at why he felt compelled to demonize his subject. Readers are fully capable of drawing their own conclusions about Greenglass, brother of Ethel Rosenberg. Roberts has given us more than enough material to sift through, his narrative skills are impressive. Actually one shouldn't be surprised at Roberts' bias, his contempt for Greenglass is obvious in the book's subtitle. Editorializing about Greenglass (who sold atomic bomb information to the Russians in 1945 while serving in the military at Los Alamos) should have been reserved for an afterword. This, along with sometimes excessive detail, are rather large blemishes on an otherwise exemplary work. Roberts provides a rich account of growing up a poor Jewish immigrant in 1930's New York, the U.S. during World War II and the homefront during the Cold War. But I'd have appreciated developing my own distaste for Greenglass, had that been my choice. Indeed it's possible to feel some sympathy for Greenglass and his plight.
This is, nonetheless an important work on the Rosenbergs, American Communist ideals and the curious business of spying.

5 out of 5 stars A significant addition to Rosenberg case literature.......2002-05-31

In this unique book, which is based upon interviews with David Greenglass, light is shed on the complex family relationships that led to a brother testifying against his sister. The most significant new information offered by the book is the role played by Mrs. Greenglass, a willing member of the espionage ring, and her husband's desire to shield her from prosecution at the expense of his sister. Other pertinent reading on this case includes The Rosenberg File by Radosh and Milton, and the recent book by Aleksandr Feklisov.
God Is My Broker: A Monk-Tycoon Reveals the 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Investors advice
  • More than a parody
  • A Classic From America's Foremost Satirist
  • Ignore the bleating of sheep!
  • Help yourself
God Is My Broker: A Monk-Tycoon Reveals the 7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth
Brother Ty , John Tierney , Christopher Buckley , and John Marion Tierney
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0553479504
Release Date: 1998-03-02

Amazon.com

Audio allows for playful enhancements to this capricious send-up of Catholicism, capitalism, infomercials, marketing consultants, and most everything American middle management holds dear. Set in an upstate New York monastery-turned-theme-park, this tale of wayward monks is performed with great spirit by Mark Linn-Baker (an actor whose credits include Shakespeare and a starring role in TV's Perfect Strangers). Dramatic organ and choral music accompanies the seven and a half spiritual laws and accompanying meditations and exercises ("Number six: He who throws the first stone usually wins"). Phrases in Latin, renditions of the Bee Gees, and Italian and southern accents distinguish characters and scenes and add dramatic dimension to this spoof on self-help and business books.

The chronicler of this good book is Brother Ty, a failed Wall Street trader with a touch for the bottle who has chosen to mend his ways by becoming a monk. He joins the order of St. Thaddeus, whose only renown comes from the bad wine they produce. The monks are in desperate financial straits, but they are led by a remarkably ambitious Abbott whose discovery of Deepak Chopra is the start of many a strange event and revelation. Chopra, the Abbott determines from his reading of Creating Affluence, is telling the monks how to make money. For example, when Chopra writes, "Go first class all the way and the universe will respond by giving you the best," the Abbott translates this into buying brother Ty a first-class plane ticket to Chile so he can buy wine to replace the orange dreck the monks sell. And on this trip Brother Ty does strike gold, although he contends that the tip he acted upon was from God. The Abbott insists on giving the credit to Chopra. And so it goes. The monks turn to self-help gurus, Brother Ty sticks with the Almighty, and soon the monastery is awash in money, fame, and ultimately, trouble with the Feds, the Vatican, and of course, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes.

Brother Ty, Christopher Buckley, and John Tierney have written this book unashamedly and with infectious fun, and that fun will radiate blatantly through your audio speakers. Not recommended for listeners who can't muster a laugh at issues concerning the Church, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the wisdom of Chopra and other self-help wizards. (Running time: 360 minutes, four cassettes) --A.E.D.

Book Description

With this latest work of fiction, a collaboration with New York Times writer, John Tierney, Christopher Buckley promises to be every bit as hilarious and witty as in his previous audiobook, Thank You For Smoking. In God Is My Broker, Buckley aims his sharp humor at the self-help gurus; and the likes of Stephen Covey, Anthony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra had better watch out.



Down to their last $304, the abbots in this story make a bunch of money playing the stock market--and then get carried away in today's commercialism and self-help principles when they begin to market their homemade wine. From redecorating their decrepit digs in the "peasant chic" style to outrageous television commercials to a "Cask-cade" water slide and artificial alp behind their monastery, (and passing off "decent Chilean table wine" as their own $16 a bottle brew) these monks will stop at nothing to get to the top of the wine business!



God Is My Broker includes actual excerpts from the writings of Robbins, Chopra, and Covey, and lists hysterical questions about God, money, etc., that followers of the "progam" can ask themselves!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Investors advice.......2007-05-29

This book is hilarious to read - a MUST for every broker and investor!!

5 out of 5 stars More than a parody.......2007-02-06

Anyone who's read Christopher Buckley's collection of essays, Wry Martinis, might expect his novels to exhibit a similar degree of hilarity. Buckley's essays often take the form of parodic fictionalizations such as memos, journals, and letters, and occasionally fictional personal anecdotes that serve to prove his larger points (Art Buchwald often employed the same technique). God Is My Broker meets, and exceeds, this expectation, being a book-length expansion of the concept that also gains something in the expansion.

This is, in part, a parody of the crop of self-help books that has sprung up over the last few decades, as typified by the works of Deepak Chopra (whom the authors confront directly in the novel, including excerpts of Chopra's work, complete with page numbers for reference). But it's important to emphasize that God Is My Broker is a great deal more than that; anybody could mimic the format and style of Chopra's (or some other guru's) works, and produce something that's funny...for a while. But who would want to read a book-length Chopra parody? All the laughs would be wrung out of it in the first few pages (and frankly, most of the joke could probably be gleaned from the table of contents). The "7 1/2 Laws of Spiritual and Financial Growth" of the book's title are interspersed throughout a legitimate story of a New York monastery and the monks who make its ill-tasting and unprofitable wine. Brother Ty, the ostensible "author" of this Buckley-and-Tierney-"edited" book, is a quite likeable, fully-realized character whom we follow through his skewering of Chopra's platitudes (which have become a new fad at the financially-struggling monastery) and his exploration of the Bible as a dispensary of financial advice.

I imagine this was probably shelved in the humor section of bookstores, and though it is a parody, it's labeled, quite justly, as fiction, and hilarious fiction it is. Store placement doesn't matter now, of course, since it's out of print as of this writing. Rumor has it that this has been shopped around as a potential film. I can't imagine it translating to the screen as well as Buckley's Thank You For Smoking did, but such a venture would at least get the book back in stores. In the meantime, if you see a copy, grab it. Come for the parody, stay for the plot.

5 out of 5 stars A Classic From America's Foremost Satirist.......2004-11-10

Christopher Buckley's brilliant satire of get rich quick books and self help muck that might strike a bit too close to home, mocking catholicisms wanning prevelance in society and its eagerness to catch up with modern culture as well as the books themselves. Some might think it as obvious, and thus chastise it for being superficial. I like to think that it's blunt, and a little more truthfull to a somewhat touchy public making it less popular, as is common for true satires to be. Critics sometimes want satires to be subtle and vague, but Buckley once again presents his readers with the obvious hilarity rather than the mundane and snobbish.

5 out of 5 stars Ignore the bleating of sheep!.......2004-06-09

If you're at this site, then chances are you're sort of sick of business books. Probably, that's a kind way of saying it. Seeing another book by Stephen Covey or some other idiot spouting out laws, truths, and platitudes in big print, wide-margined, brightly colored business books inscribed with fulsome praise from every other author of big print, wide-margined, brightly colored business books probably makes you ill like you just ate something slimy that fell out of the nostril of a leprous hippopotamus.

Or else it makes you so angry that the rest of the business world (that is to say, all those bleating sheep that come up with words like "consens" and "mute points") expects you to converse in this stuff that you have to read it and be able to remember authors when you could be using your time more wisely like beating your head over and over and over again with bowling pin.

If that's the case, this is the book for you.

Buckley and Tierney have written the book that everyone who ever wanted to scream in despair and fury at The Oz Principle can worship. It is an excoriation of all the senseless business books that infect our lives.

It is the story of a group of monks who begin to become wealthy by pure happenstance (or perhaps through miracles) and find themselves suddenly regarded as business men. So, to run their business they hire marketing people, public relations people, and all begin to read books by Deepak Chopra and the like.

The result, as you might imagine, is not a very sound fiscal enterprise.

The wit is sharp and biting. It is required reading for anyone who ever read one of the 7 habits and thought that their life was changed.

It's an amazingly fresh example of why acumen, expertise, and intelligence can never be truly replaced.

It teaches the businessman to ignore the bleating of sheep.

READ MORE AT INCHOATUS.COM

4 out of 5 stars Help yourself.......2004-04-28

I guess I'm firmly in the growing Christopher Buckley fan base, and so I'm not sure how objective I am when I write a review of one of his books. Suffice it to say that this one -- written with collaborator John Tierney-- has the same crisp writing, the same kinds of unusual story lines and plot twists, the same kinds of colorful characters that made Mr. Buckley's other novels wonderful examples of worthwhile light reading.

In this story, a failed investment banker becomes a monk and in the incarnation of Brother Ty, he somehow becomes a catalyst in the ethically flawed rebirth of the monastery's wine. The story is a satire that takes aim at self-help books, but as someone raised Catholic (and practically living in the shadow of the Vatican), a former financial journalist, and a wine lover ... well, a story line that among other things takes aim at the Holy See, Wall Street, and Napa Valley hit close to home in too many ways for me not to love it.
Dark Angel
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Toxic Son - Hang on, it's Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride!
  • Richie's Picks: DARK ANGEL
Dark Angel
David Klass
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374399506
Release Date: 2004-08-26

Book Description

A taut psychological thriller for teens
Seventeen-year-old Jeff thought he would never again have to deal with his older brother, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. But after six years, Troy’s sentence has been overturned on a technicality and he is released from prison. He returns to a family deeply divided about having him back home. Jeff can’t forget how his life was disrupted by his brother, how his family had to move to another state and start over. Still, his parents believe things will be different now. But Troy’s return makes a mess of Jeff ’s life – at home, at school, and with his girlfriend. When Jeff ’s rival on the soccer field turns up missing, Jeff suspects Troy is involved, and he sets out to prove it. But nothing could prepare Jeff for what happens as he gets closer to the truth.

With unexpected flashes of humor, David Klass once again gives readers a gripping, multilayered novel about good and evil and the powerful bonds of family.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Toxic Son - Hang on, it's Gonna Be a Bumpy Ride!.......2005-10-06

Jeff, 17 dreads the day his 21-year-old brother Troy is returning home. Troy served 5 years in a New York State penitentiary for murdering a classmate. Troy's infamy and history of violent, erratic behavior acted as a toxic substance in the family and Jeff suffered fallout from his brother's bad reputation.

Troy's homecoming is somewhat anticlimactic. Their father's friend, Walter Smith hires Troy as a bag clerk at his grocery store. A genuinely kind and fair man, Smith believes in giving people chances and, in an amazing show of faith allows Troy access to the cash registers. Smith's son, nicknamed "Smitty," is much like his father - a big, gentle boy, he cries over the plight of loggerhead turtles, dolphins, fish and other marine life. He has a heart as big as he is.

Jeff has a lot to contend with. After years of keeping Troy a secret, he reluctantly disclosed Troy's existence and the family secret to his girlfriend, Beth. This results in her father forcing her to break up with Jeff. Jeff's English teacher, a brilliant man whose scientific career was derailed by an insensitive professor encourages his pupils to ponder philosophical issues. A progressive man, he insists his pupils shoot for the stars. It is plain he cares a lot about his pupils.

Jeff and his classmates play an especially cruel prank on a vulnerable student who never forgives them. Once the cat is out of the bag, the boy who'd been tricked attacked the prankster, which resulted in an act of violence. Jeff, too is targeted for violence when his teammates beat him in the shower after another classmate goes missing after a run-in with Troy.

Troy, meanwhile is noxious gas in the family. He brings suspicion into the house; he is at the top of everybody's short list when Jeff's classmate disappears. The local police hound the family and finally, Troy moves to a neighboring town.

In time, Jeff finally goes to visit Troy. He unearths facets of Troy's personality that he never knew existed. In spending a day with Troy with some hair raising experiences, Jeff decides that walking on the wild side is not for him. As he leaves Troy yet again, he discovers clues that lead him down an very dangerous path.

This is a very intense and serious book. There are parts that might make you cry. The natural kindess of Walter Smith and his family are especially moving and the story's close is sure to bring tears to the eyes. This is definitely an author to watch out for - this is one very cutting edge book!

5 out of 5 stars Richie's Picks: DARK ANGEL.......2005-10-02

"The links between brain chemistry and behavior reveal problems facing research in social and political science if the life sciences are ignored. An estimated 11 million American children take Ritalin and many others exhibit ADD, ADHD, or other learning disabilities. Over 83 million Americans take Prozac, Zoloft and other medications for depression or other psychological conditions, including seasonal affective disorder and sexual addiction. More directly related to politics, environmental toxins such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, or manganese can damage the brain and increase risks of criminal violence and other behavioral problems. These empirical observations are relevant to public policies in education, criminal justice, or health care, and indicate the need to reconsider theories of human and social political behavior. To do so, however, is impossible without a detailed knowledge of human biology."

--BIOLOGY AND POLITICS: Linking Nature and Nurture by R. D. Masters, Department of Government, Dartmouth College.

"My parents went to get Troy in our SUV. It was a Saturday and they left early in the morning. It would take them till about noon to make it to the prison, and I figured they would be home with Troy before nightfall.
"I didn't go. I didn't need to make an excuse or offer an explanation--I just said that I wasn't going, and they didn't press me.
"I figured I would see him soon enough.
From our front porch, I watched my parents walk across our front lawn toward our blue SUV. My mom was all decked out for the reunion in a yellow dress, pumps, and carefully applied makeup. I wondered if while she had been applying her eyeliner and lipstick, she had been conscious of the fact that she was on her way to a state penitentiary.
"My poor mother. When she reached the SUV's door, she turned and waved to me once, and there was such tension in the simple gesture that I wanted to go give her a hug and beg her to stay here with me, and not subject herself to this ordeal. My mom is a tall woman, just an inch or two shorter than my dad. She's had a problem with nervous tension over the past few years, and she's on medication to help her stay calm.
"I could tell by looking at her eyes that she hadn't slept a wink the previous night. I wondered how many pills she had taken that morning."

Seventeen year-old Jeff Hastings used to live in Upstate New York with his parents and his big brother Troy. But the family was totally ostracized by their community--and Jeff seriously beaten up--after Troy was arrested, tried as an adult, and convicted of plunging a seven inch knife into a classmate. Troy received a life sentence for the crime.

The family has made a new start in a small town amid the New Jersey pine barrens. Jeff has a beautiful girlfriend Beth, lots of friends on the soccer team where he's a backup wing, and the reputation for being a good guy.

But after five years in prison Troy is being released on a technicality and coming back to live with his family. Jeff is convinced Troy's coming to Pineville will ruin Jeff's life a second time. More importantly, Jeff is sure Troy is evil and dangerous.

"Had Troy really changed? Do bad people become good through penance and reflection? I sat there on the corner of the bed and watched the afternoon give way to evening, as the branches from the crab apple seemed to twist longer and longer in the fading light, and I couldn't help doubting it. I knew Troy. For years he was my big brother, my closest friend, my teacher. I had learned from him, and then, even as a young child, I had sensed that there was something wrong with him, something missing in him, and I had gradually turned against him. By the time he was arrested for murder, I had become very afraid of him.
"Leopards don't change their spots. Crab apple trees don't suddenly grow cherries. Troy would never change."

"Don't you plead me your case, don't bother to explain
Don't even show me your face, 'cause it's a crying shame
Just go back to the rock from under which you came
Take the sorrow you gave and all the stakes you claim
And don't forget the blame."
--Fiona Apple, "Criminal"

Jeff is incredibly bitter before Troy even arrives. When he informs Beth about the impending arrival of the brother he'd never previously told her about, Beth's protective father immediately forbids her to even talk to Jeff.

Jeff doesn't dare tell anyone else about Troy.

In the most suspenseful young adult novel I've read since the Edgar Award-winning ACCELERATION, David Klass probes the biochemical, societal, and religious theories regarding the roots of evil.

Klass' 2001 young adult novel YOU DON'T KNOW ME remains one of my all-time favorite YAs. In DARK ANGEL, as with YOU DON'T KNOW ME, we meet a beautiful girl and her seemingly overprotective father. The significant teacher character this time is a science teacher, Mr. Tsuyki, rather than the music teacher, Mr. Steenwilly. (We do get an extremely brief look at Beth playing her cello that hints of the band practice descriptions in YOU DON'T KNOW ME.) But the darkness in John's story of abuse from YOU DON'T KNOW ME doesn't begin to compare to this disturbing tale of two brothers.

Landry's Law - The Landry Brothers (Harlequin Intrigue, 545)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful series
  • Landry Family
  • landry's law
  • EXCELLENT, Kelsey Roberts has done it again!
  • A great read
Landry's Law - The Landry Brothers (Harlequin Intrigue, 545)
Kelsey Roberts
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  1. His Only Son (The Landry Brothers) (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 535) His Only Son (The Landry Brothers) (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 535)
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ASIN: 0373225458

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful series.......2004-07-23

Fun character, compelling plot, humor, suspense, and great plot! Can't wait for the other brothers!

5 out of 5 stars Landry Family.......2001-04-23

I enjoyed reading Kelsey Roberts first book in the series His Only Son and I enjoyed reading Landry's Law. I can't wait for the rest of the series. The next book in the series (Bedside Manner) was due out in July 2000 but I have not been able to find it. Does anyone know if it came out in July or when it is due out?

4 out of 5 stars landry's law.......2001-02-02

One of the best books I've read. Can't wait until the rest of the Landry Brothers series comes out. Trying to find Bedside Manner also by Kelsey Roberts. Keep the series coming!

5 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT, Kelsey Roberts has done it again!.......2000-07-24

This is yet another wonderful story beautifully crafted by an incredible talent. It has great characters, a lot of plot twists and turns and Kelsey Roberts's special ability to write funny dialogue. I can't wait to read the rest of the Landry Brothers Series. She's the best of the Intrigue authors.

4 out of 5 stars A great read.......2000-05-30

kelsey Robersts in the best Harlequin Intrigue writer. Her books are always as romantic as they are suspensful. Brava Ms.Roberts you did it again.
Abduction!
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent Introduction to Real-Life Suspense for Young Readers
  • Abduction!
  • Kelsis Review
  • Abduction
  • Dont talk to strangers!
Abduction!
Peg Kehret
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142406171

Book Description

When Matt leaves his kindergarten class for a quick trip to the bathroom, he never imagines what will happen next. He suddenly finds himself in a stranger's car traveling to an unfamiliar place. But who is this man, and is he really a "stranger"? When the school bell rings and Matt is nowhere to be found, his sister, Bonnie, is frantic. She quickly realizes that her little brother is not lost, but missing! And she must do everything in her power to save him…even if it puts her own life in danger.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to Real-Life Suspense for Young Readers.......2007-03-17

ABDUCTION is an excellent suspense novel with a lot of good information about what families go through and can do in the event of an abduction. Peg Kehret combines a tremendous amount of facts throughout the tense narrative, such as the fact that most kidnapped children are taken by non-custodial parents and how an Amber alert works.

But the story is the real draw here. Matt, a kindergartener, goes missing from his school. His kidnapper is his biological father, a man he's never laid eyes on. Denny Thurman, Matt's dad, is a gambling addict whose latest scheme involves "borrowing" money from his sister and brother-in-law to raise his son.

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, Matt's sister, gets caught up in the search for her little brother. Kehret pulls the reader into Bonnie's world, sharing her helplessness and frustration as well as the sharp fear that fills her.

The pacing is frantic as the reader flips back and forth between the scenes involving Bonnie, Matt, the kidnapper, and a few extra characters (like the elderly couple that finds the abandoned family dog, Pookie, and decides to take him home).

The climax of the book is exciting and uses a lot of the Seattle setting shown in the novel. Bonnie is a true heroine, but she's not of the Wonder Woman variety. She uses her wits and her heart, and stands her ground with the kidnapper to protect her little brother.

ABDUCTION is a great read to share with a pre-teen or even to be read to an aggressive third- or fourth-grader who likes being read to. My son and I enjoyed this book a lot, but some of the tense scenes made him nervous. He couldn't stop thinking about Matt and his situation until we turned the last page. More than that, he knows more about Stranger Danger and that there are a lot of agencies that look for missing children.

5 out of 5 stars Abduction!.......2006-12-22

The Amber Alert goes off. You turn on your T.V. faster than a man running across hot coals. Someone has been reported missing. Abduction is a scary thought, especially when you are very young. Most of us have been told to never to talk to strangers. Unfortunately, an eight-year-old boy named Matt encounters this situation in Abduction!
Matt was excused to go to the bathroom one day at school. On the way, he met a stranger. The stranger lied to him and told him his dog Pookie was hurt. He said Pookie was in the car, and Matt went into the car. He doesn't realize his father kidnapped him.
The eight-year-old struggles through many hard times while he was a hostage to his dad, who also was his mom's ex-husband. Matt realizes his father gambles often, and because of that, he loses money frequently. His dad tells another lie, saying his mom and sister were in a car accident and died. In Abduction!, the author shows the importance of family and not talking to strangers. This book is filled with adventure, sadness, and happiness. It teaches a valuable lesson to go along with the twists and turns of the exciting plot.

5 out of 5 stars Kelsis Review.......2006-12-13

Matts dad, Denny Thurman, dresses up as a UPS Delivery man and goes to Matts school and kidnaps him so that he can take Matt to his sisters and make his sister feel sorry for him and want to give him money. At the same time that Denny is taking Matt to his sisters, Bonnie is leaving her school to go get Matt from his. MAtt and Pookie, his dog, are nowhere to be found in this great book. It was the best book i have ever read! I didnt want to put it down!

5 out of 5 stars Abduction.......2006-12-05

It all started when Denny went to Matt's house to get a dog in Matt's so he could make come to his car by telling him that the dog has been runned over.Later Matt wanted to go to the restroom Denny left the dog tied on the post with Matt not noing.The other day Denny told him if he Matt wanted to go to the baseball game he said yes.Bonnie's friends told her if she wanted to go to the game she said yes. When Matt went to the game Bonnie saw Matt,but Matt did not see her.Then they tried to escape from Denny but Denny saw them leave so he got them back.Denny tried to get Bonnie killed, but Matt did not let that happen.The police took them back home safely.

5 out of 5 stars Dont talk to strangers!.......2006-11-22

Imagine your a little boy going to school and playing by the rules. Then all you have to do is use the bathroom and then in seconds your gone. Taken by a person who claims that he is your dad. You probably think that this is unreal and foolish but not Matt. He was that little boy he got so scared and began to ask himself the unthinkable Am I going to die? Will I see my mom again? I would think that a 5 year old wouldn't have to go throught that.Do you?
My Brother's Keeper: Faith-Based Units in Prisons
Average customer rating: Not rated
    My Brother's Keeper: Faith-Based Units in Prisons
    Jonathan Burnside , Nancy Loucks , Joanna R. Adler , and Gerry Rose
    Manufacturer: Willan Publishing (UK)
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 1843920611
    The Big House
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • 2006-07 TX Bluebonnet Award Nominee
    • Original New Novel for Middle Readers
    The Big House
    Carolyn Coman
    Manufacturer: Puffin
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0142407402
    Release Date: 2007-02-01

    Book Description

    When the judge declares their parents guilty of embezzlement, sending them to the big house for twenty-five years, Ivy and Ray are sent to live with Marietta and Lionel Noland, their parents' accusers. As soon as they arrive at the Noland mansion, Ivy begins planning their escape . . . and trying to find a way to free their parents. The two collect evidence, including a shrouded portrait and a hidden document in Marietta and Lionel's decaying wedding cake. Finally they bring Marietta to trial—with Ivy as the judge—and family secrets begin to emerge. Can Ivy and Ray put the pieces together to convict Marietta of lying? Will they be able to spring their parents from the big house? The Big House is multiple award-winning author Carolyn Coman's first book for younger readers.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars 2006-07 TX Bluebonnet Award Nominee.......2005-12-16

    "With their parents in prison for embezzlement, Ivy and her younger brother, Ray, must live with the snobby heiress whose accusations sent them "up the river." Ivy and Ray discover secrets that prompt them to case the joint, get the skinny on what's really going on, and make plans to spring their parents." (summary by Texas Library Association)

    5 out of 5 stars Original New Novel for Middle Readers.......2004-11-03

    Ray and Ivy are absolutely outraged when their two beloved parents (Dan and Carol) are sent "up the river" (to jail) for embezzlement. Sure, it sounds like fun for Ray and Ivy to get to live in the lap of luxury, but when you're living under Marietta Noland, and her decrepit, ancient husband, Lionel's rules, things take on a different light. Outward appearances make The Big House look like a wonderful place to live, but inside are strange things, like the strange, violent-looking tool Marietta uses to remove the shell from her egg every morning, or the shrouded portrait upstairs that bears a strong resemblance to Dan. And what about that small spider living within the frosting of the decaying wedding cake that Marietta has kept for all these years? Everything is just plain wacky, but things go from wacky to worse when Ray begins wetting the bed, and soon Ivy is coming up with a crazy, hair-brained scheme to get Marietta out of her life, and her parents out of jail.

    With THE BIG HOUSE, Carolyn Coman has created an amazing children's novel, much in the same format as E.L. Konigsburg's classic FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER. Ivy is a determined, hard-headed, wise-cracking leader, while Ray is more of a follower. Together they start more trouble than anyone could ever imagine, while sticking together, and showing readers that the bond between a brother and sister can never be broken. Each page is filled with crazy ideas, hilarious commentary, and brilliant illustrations by Rob Shepperson, and is extremely hard to put down. Fans of contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery will enjoy THE BIG HOUSE, but will be saddened to see it come to an end.

    Erika Sorocco
    Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
    The Brother: The Untold Story of the Rosenberg Case
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • We may not care for what he did........
    • Reserve A Space for This Book in Your Library
    • The Tragedy of the Rosenbergs
    • Many new insights and great background on this sad case
    • Greenglass Breaks His Silence
    The Brother: The Untold Story of the Rosenberg Case
    Sam Roberts
    Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0375761241
    Release Date: 2003-05-13

    Book Description

    Fifty years after their execution in June 1953 for conspiring to steal atomic secrets, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg remain the subjects of great emotional debate and acrimony. The man whose testimony almost single-handedly convicted them was Ethel Rosenberg’s own brother, David Greenglass. Though the Rosenbergs were executed, Greenglass served a mere ten years in prison, after which, with a new name, he disappeared. But journalist Sam Roberts found Greenglass, and then managed to convince him to talk about everything that had happened.
    So here at last is the mesmerizing inside story of the Rosenberg case: What were their lives like growing up on the Lower East Side? How was David Greenglass enlisted in a plot to hand over to the Soviets our greatest national secret? And how, finally, did the whole thing unravel? Even beyond that, The Brother reveals how David Greenglass perjured himself in testifying about his sister and her husband—testimony that virtually strapped them into the electric chair.
    The Brother is a great narrative, far more mesmerizing than anything else written on the subject. It is a story of espionage. It is the story of a trial. And, most tragically, it is the story of a family.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars We may not care for what he did...............2007-09-09

    .....but that doesn't change the truth of what he said. A virtual infinity of books have been written about the Rosenberg case, most by people having an agenda, one way or the other; this is one of the best, and most important...further, Sam Roberts does not have an agenda. I was only 6 when the Rosenbergs went to the chair, but I remember it well. I have never doubted their guilt; I have little doubt that my Dad would have pulled the switch. Numerous authors have proclaimed the Rosenbergs innocent victims of a government frame-up; these are often Communists, or at least leftists, who base their assertions on the belief that the principle prosecution witnesses, David and Ruth Greenglass, were lowlifes.

    This fine book is the story of David Greenglass, brother of Ethel Rosenberg, atomic spy, soldier turned traitor, a man who turned government witness and "sent his sister to the chair". Many know the basic story...Ethel and David grew up in a poor family, and embraced Communism while young. Ethel married fellow Communist Julius Rosenberg, who strongly desired to aid the Soviet Union. During WWII, David was drafted into the Army, and worked in the machine shop at Los Alamos, where the atomic bomb was being developed...Julius found out about David's assignment, and recruited him to steal secrets for Russia...David passed the information to spy courier Harry Gold...after the war, the house of cards eventually fell...scientist Klaus Fuchs was caught...that led to Harry Gold...........

    When arrested in 1950, David and his wife Ruth gave up Julius and Ethel; there was certainly no desire to "send them to the chair". They figured that the Rosenbergs would confess, as others had done, and the chain would go on. But, the Rosenbergs never confessed; apart from Morton Sobell, the rest of their spy ring remained free. They were tried, convicted, and, after a two year legal fight, executed. Sobell [who was not involved in atomic espionage] got 30 years, served 18 of them, and has never repented. Greenglass got 15 years, served 9, and disappeared behind an assumed name into a city somewhere in the northeast. He is now 85, and has expressed no regrets about being a government witness, still angry that the Rosenbergs got them into the mess. Ruth was never indicted......

    There have been many charges of frame-up, and misconduct, on the part of the government. Certainly, there were improprieties; prosecutor Alexander Saypol wanted to be a Judge, and he was. Judge Irving Kaufman would have given his front seat in the Synagogue for the Supreme Court; despite a long, honored, career as an appeals judge, he never got it. But, none of this changes the Rosenbergs' guilt...in fact, the government had evidence it didn't dare use...the Venona intercepts implicated the Rosenbergs, and others, but use of them in open court would have let the Soviets know we had broken the code. The FBI even had an informant in Emmanuel Bloch's office while he was preparing the Rosenbergs' appeals...he gained even more evidence of guilt, but, of course, it couldn't be used.

    We can debate capital punishment in general, and in this specific case, particularly for Ethel...like Mary Surratt, she was guilty, but peripherally. In fact, J. Edgar Hoover was strongly opposed to executing her. The Rosenbergs died by choice, giving their ultimate loyalty to a lie; on execution night, FBI agents were present to receive their confession, and President Eisenhower was at his desk with a commutation order.

    The Rosenberg case has legal, political, psychological, military, philosophical, and religious, elements that will be debated forever. This book will give you a whole different view. Read it; also, read "The Rosenberg File" by Ronald Radosh and Joyce Milton. Radosh is a former Communist sympathizer who set out to prove the Rosenbergs' innocence, and got a big surprise. Also, "The Implosion Conspiracy" by Louis Nizer, another rare author with no agenda, is well worth your time.

    5 out of 5 stars Reserve A Space for This Book in Your Library.......2007-04-23

    Although I was only [...] when the Rosenberg's were executed on June 19, 1953, I do have vague recollections of their execution. The book is over 500 pages long but worth its length. Without going into lengthy details, as I understand the story, in 1945 Julius Rosenberg asked his sister-in-law, Ruth Greenglass, to suggest to her husband David, who was working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico, to provide details about the makings of the atomic bomb to be passed on to the Soviets. This David agreed to do since Russia had been an American ally during World War II. There appears to be some doubt as to what Ethel Rosenberg's role in this scheme was. Ethel apparently knew what her husband Julius was up to and was even agreeable to it. When her brother David was arrested, he agreed to cooperate with the government providing his wife would not be implicated. Instead David claimed that Ethel did the typing of his (David's) notes from Los Alamos. When author Sam Roberts interviewed David for the book David wavers as to who actually did the typing of his notes. He now states that it most likely was his wife Ruth. This apparently is where he is said to have sent his sister to the electric chair to save his wife Ruth. Would David have done this had he known a death sentence was facing his sister? From his interview with author Roberts I would have to say yes he would have although even though they were guilty they didn't deserve to die. One of the Rosenberg's two sons, Michael, is quoted as saying, "My mother went to the death house and Aunt Ruth goes home to make dinner." If you enjoy American history this is a book that you will want to make sure you have in your library. This is riveting American history.

    4 out of 5 stars The Tragedy of the Rosenbergs.......2006-02-05

    Although over 50 years have lapsed since Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were electrocuted at New York's notorious Sing Sing prison just before Shabbat on 19 June 1953, their grim fate still inflames emotions today.

    This racy account of family betrayal intertwined with political espionage by Sam Roberts of the New York Times, gives a fresh slant to the tragic story. As one of the 10,000 `spectators' at the funeral of the Rosenbergs, Roberts' interest in their case was rekindled in the 1980s when he decided to track down David Greenglass, Ethel's younger brother, whose crucial, though flawed, testimony in the Rosenberg trial helped send his sister and brother-in-law to the electric chair. In 1960, Greenglass had vanished from public view and adopted a pseudonym after serving ten years of a fifteen-year prison sentence for espionage. He was doggedly pursued by Roberts and ultimately agreed to discuss his version of events, not so much to set the record straight, but because, as he admitted, `I need the money'.

    'The Brother' crackles along at a brisk pace describing the early family life of David Greenglass in Manhattan's politically radical Lower East Side, then his stint as an army technician at Los Alamos, New Mexico. This section of the book is overly detailed, and could have done with some tighter editing, but Roberts eventually shows how Greenglass came to be recruited as a spy by Julius Rosenberg, via David's wife, Ruth. It was here where David Greenglass supplied Julius with rough sketches of the implosion device used to trigger the atomic bomb.

    It was not long before the FBI began investigating stolen uranium from the premises where Greenglass worked. It soon unearthed a web of espionage in which David Greenglass was heavily implicated. He panicked and quickly admitted to the FBI his role in spying for the Soviet Union. Greenglass' full confession was conditional, however, on Ruth not being indicted, even though Roberts shows she was more culpable than her sister-in-law, Ethel.

    Coincidentally, the trial judge, Irving Kaufman, the prosecutor and chief defence lawyer were all Jewish (but none of the jury). This did not stop the government secretly enlisting the heads of major Jewish organisations to deflect potential allegations of anti-Semitism. Kaufman spared Greenglass because he showed deep remorse for his treachery, and agreed to confess, and name associates - most tellingly his sister and brother-in-law. But the pious judge showed no such mercy to Julius and Ethel, and seemed to share the hyperbolical sentiments of FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, that the Rosenberg's actions were `the crime of the century'. (Roberts barely conceals his disdain for Kaufman who desperately wanted to put the Rosenberg saga behind him. Unfortunately for Kaufman, when he died, the Times Square electronic zipper proclaimed, `Rosenberg Judge Dies', and at his funeral service, a lone heckler at the back of the synagogue screamed, `He murdered the Rosenbergs. Let him rot in hell'.)

    As if to underscore the gravity of Greenglass' explosive revelations, Roberts describes, in gut-churning detail, the build up to the Rosenbergs' execution, for example how their young sons, Robby and Michael, were wailing on the eve of the execution `one day to live, one day to live' and how Michael, incandescent with rage, vowed revenge against his uncle David. When a reunion was recently broached by Roberts between Greenglass and his nephews, Greenglass was game, but the Meeropol boys (their adopted name) pointedly refused, labelling Greenglass a `sleazy, despicable person'. The book contains some fascinating archival photos of all the key participants, including David and Ethel together in happier times, as well as a morbid, heart-rending picture of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, side-by-side in their coffins, with Julius wearing a kippah and draped in a tallith.

    During the more than fifty hours of uncensored conversation (unknown to his wife) and in an earlier interview with America's Sixty Minutes II, David Greenglass dropped a bombshell - that he had committed perjury when he initially claimed that he witnessed Ethel typing his incriminating notes for Julius to pass to the Soviets - evidence that led to Ethel's arrest. Greenglass has since claimed he does not recall this event, arguing he was coached at the time by his wife, Ruth, to corroborate her story. (Apprehending Ethel is now generally regarded as a ploy to get Julius to crack, rather than because of her complicity.)

    When confronted over his role in the disproportionately harsh punishment inflicted on his sister (and Julius), Greenglass was unrepentant. He maintained he never expected the death sentence to be handed down, let alone carried out, but also contended the Rosenbergs sealed their own fate through their `stupidity' - their naïve and dogmatic belief in communism, and stubborn refusal to cooperate with the government.

    The Brother points to other ways the sad denouement could have been avoided - with a more impartial judge, by the US government tempering its zeal to prosecute with a little compassion, and yes, a contrite and less intractable stance from the Rosenbergs themselves, even if it meant the unravelling of what was undoubtedly an espionage-ring in New York (though the Kremlin never publicly conceded that Julius was a spy).

    On the other hand, maybe the Rosenbergs were doomed from the outset, notwithstanding the damning testimony of David Greenglass. Afterall, the events so vividly portrayed in this book took place against a backdrop of the Korean War, hysterical anti-communism, McCarthy witch-hunts, and an intensifying Cold War. One can only hope in vain that governments today can rise to the occasion and deliver justice to all its citizens, irrespective of the political and social climate that is prevailing at the time.

    5 out of 5 stars Many new insights and great background on this sad case.......2004-01-09

    I got more out of this book than I thought I would. Mr. Roberts does a very good job of telling the story of David Greenglass, his wife Ruth, and his sister and brother-in-law, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. The Rosenbergs were executed the year before I was born and it is a sad story I have heard various versions of throughout my life. Depending on your political leanings it became a kind of vision test. What you saw in it revealed a lot about how you saw the world and what you believed about the Cold War.

    Mr. Roberts gives a lot of background material to provide context and to help modern-day readers capture more of the atmosphere of the time. One example that affected me was the link many made between the onset of the Korean War with Stalin having atomic weapons sooner than he would have without Fuchs, Greenglass, and the Rosenbergs. (Ted Hall played a significant role as well, but no one outside the Intelligence community knew about him until the 1990s.)

    The author provides unequivocal evidence of Julius acting as an agent and spy for the Soviet Union. He also has no doubt that Ethel was aware of and approved of her husband aiding the USSR. They were naively supporting an ideal politics that did not exist. Julius also seemed to enjoy the importance he felt he attained by doing this work. He also seems to have provided other technologies to the Soviet Union including a proximity fuse.

    But Roberts expresses grave concern over even charging Ethel and provides evidence that she was being used as a lever on her husband. Mr. Roberts seems to doubt that there was enough real evidence to even indict Ethel let alone convict and execute her (actual guilt being a different issue). There is no doubt that everyone involved wished that Julius would cooperate so their sentences could be commuted. But Julius and Ethel were committed to their ideology more than their own lives.

    The bombshell in this book is provided in the summary of a series of interviews that Roberts had with David Greenglass (now living under a different name) wherein Greenglass says that he did say things on the stand that weren't exactly correct. He did not see the photographic table he testified to (although he knew that Julius did do photographic spy work), and, more explosively, that he had no personal recollection of the famous scene of Ethel typing the pages of atomic bomb notes. He testified to it to corroborate his wife, Ruth's. testimony. Greenglass, however, confirms and says that he has no doubt of Julius and Ethel's guilt. He also says he was shocked when they received the death penalty.

    This is a story that seems to have no resolution. Those who remember it tend to be very committed to one version or another. For the rest, it is an old event that is evaporating from memory with only vague notions of what was at stake and without historical context. Mr. Roberts has done us all a great service by getting the real story with wonderful detail and good analysis. If you are interested in this story, this book is a must read. I believe that no matter what you think you know about this case, this book will give you many new insights and a greater understanding of this sad historical event.

    5 out of 5 stars Greenglass Breaks His Silence.......2003-05-27

    Sam Roberts found David Greenglass and persuaded him to talk for this very readable 500 page book. It tells of their family histories. How did David Greenglass get assigned to Los Alamos (p.70)? Perhaps due to his talents? He was cleared by Army and FBI investigators (p.71). Soviet atom bomb development began in 1939, they deduced American research in 1940 (p.80). Julius Rosenberg became involved with Soviet espionage, and a recruiter of people who could provide "technical information". The crime is committed when the message is relayed (p.92). Life in Oak Ridge or Los Alamos is likened to a socialist paradise where the government provides for everyone; but not all enjoy Army life (pp.100-1). None suspected that DG's insatiable curiosity was to gather information for a foreign government (p.104). Winston Churchill's scientists asked for dynamite lenses (p.107). How to steal a proximity fuse? Get a defective reject then replace the broken parts with working parts (p.109).

    With the war over, DG was no longer interested in helping the Soviets (p.147). The Soviet atomic research resumed in 1943 (p.182), their first atomic test occurred in 1949. This affected the political outlook in Washington (p.183). When they deciphered a message on gaseous diffusion in refining uranium, this led to its author and prime suspect - Klaus Fuchs (p.188). Another deciphered message said a spy at Los Alamos went on vacation in Jan 1945 (p.197); 100 suspects were turned up. The two prime suspects were Luis Alvarez and Edward Teller - the best friend of Klaus Fuchs.

    DG's confession is on page 242. He hired O. John Rogge and cooperated with the FBI; he could not testify against his wife (p.261). Greenglass and Gold were interviewed together to harmonize their stories (p.278). The Government wanted Julius Rosenberg to confess and identify other members of the spy ring (p.282); the death penalty was the threat (p.287). David was trained as a draftsman and had surprising neat handwriting (p.297). Page 317 says his handwriting needed to be typed, and this implicated Ethel in the crime. The trial found them all guilty. The Rosenbergs got death, but they insisted on their innocence and never cracked. They were convicted on the word of the Greenglasses alone, there was no independent corroborative evidence given at their trial. I think the failure to show spending or money from their spying was a failure in the Government's case. The rule is that spies get paid for their information ("The Double-Cross System").

    Some questioned the scientific value of Greenglass' atom bomb sketch. It was "valuable information" to corroborate the information given by Klaus Fuchs (p.408). The 1946 Smyth Report gave much more information on atomic energy research than given by Klaus Fuchs (p.410)! Page 425 lists the information that Julius could give to delay their execution; nothing was asked of Ethel. President Eisenhower denied clemency because they "increased the chance of atomic war and may have condemned tens of millions of innocent people to death" (p.430).

    Chapter 36 has Greenglass' "final confession". He thought the worse thing he did was working on the atomic bomb because it killed a hundred thousand people (p.469). He didn't regret his spying if it prevented another war (p.479). David and Ruth now said they didn't remember Ethel typing the notes, but "that's the way it would have been done" (p.483). Without this, Ethel might not have been convicted. Why didn't Julius and Ethel save themselves? Because it would mean putting other people in their hot seat (p.493). DG's verdict: they were guilty, but they didn't deserve to die (p.496). This disproportionate punishment may explain Pope Pius XII's call for clemency. The Prosecution team never again won distinction in their careers.
    CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
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      CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
      Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
      Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: CD-ROM

      MariologyMariology | Catholicism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
      Luther, MartinLuther, Martin | ( L ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
      Augustine, SaintAugustine, Saint | ( A ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 1931848076
      Release Date: 2006-12-15

      Product Description

      The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.

      Books:

      1. Algebra and Trigonometry (2nd Edition) (Beecher/Penna/Bittinger Series)
      2. All Night Long: How to Make Love to a Man Over 50
      3. Angels & Demons
      4. At First Sight
      5. At Home in the Muddy Water: A Guide to Finding Peace Within Everyday Chaos
      6. Biology, Sixth Edition
      7. Bob Books Set 1-Beginning Readers
      8. Bobbi Brown Living Beauty
      9. Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
      10. Case Histories: A Novel

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