Legerdemain

Review: Legerdemain: The President's Secret Plan, the Bomb, and What the French Never Knew by James J. Heaphey

James Heaphey was only 22 years old when, as a fresh Air Force undercover agent, he was sent to Morocco to assist with Operation Camelback. Morocco was still a French protectorate, but the seeds of revolution were sprouting. Heaphey's assignment was to establish contacts within Moroccan nationalist organizations to encourage them to be sympathetic to American interests and allow American bases, specifically secret nuclear bomb storage facilities, to remain in Morocco after the French were overthrown and Morocco was independant.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word "legerdemain" as 1. slight of hand; 2. a show of skill or deceitful cleverness. That second definition perfectly sums up the macinations of this book. Heaphey is a naive, wet-behind-the-ears young man as his story begins, and we experience the bewildering twists and turns of high stakes espionage. We feel his nerves as he meets dangerous, powerful men from Britian's M16, Israel's Mossad, the Moroccan Istiqlal and Zaouia Brotherhood, along with other nationals from Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece. We experience his emotions as he meets two beautiful, intelligent women, and hurt with him as his trust is betrayed.

Heaphey has written a fascinating book. This is the best kind of nonfiction. This book reads like a novel - sometimes I had to remind myself I was reading this guy's real life. There were times I got a little bit lost in the unfamiliar politics, but in general Heaphey does an excellent job of unraveling the mysteries that were Morocco in the early 1950s. It was interesting to read about the warnings that some national leaders were sounding about the emerging Muslim fundamentalist movement, especially in light of current world politics.

I was completely engrossed in this story from the first pages to the last. I would encourage history buffs to pick this book up - I think you will really enjoy it!

Finished: 6/29/08
Source: Lisa Roe, online publicist
Rating: 8/10

Man, I love this guy almost as much as my husband.

Review - Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

It's almost impossible for me to think of something intelligent to say about this book, other than "Go read this if you don't you're insane", but I know that's not terribly helpful for people who have 1000s of titles calling their name. It's a book of short stories, poems, character sketches, and a novella, so it's an easy book to dip in and out of, as I have been doing for the past couple of weeks. I've had a bit of a book-crush on Gaiman since reading his "Sandman" series - this isn't quite as heart stopping as that series, but it's pretty dang close.

Here's what Gaiman does better than just about anyone else - he writes a first sentence that makes it impossible to not keep reading. Here's a sample of first lines from this book:

"It is the immensity, I believe. The hugeness of things below. The darkness of dreams."

"October was in the chair, so it was chilly that evening, and the leaves were red and orange and tumbled from the trees that circled the grove."

"I like things to be story-shaped."

"In every way that counted, I was dead."

" 'If you ask me,' said the little man to Shadow, 'you're something of a monster. Am I right?' "

Don't you just want to know what comes next? This collection has a detective story, a zombie story, an alien story, a story about an epicurean club, a story set in the world of The Matrix, several poems, and so much more. If you like stuff a little weird, but beautifully written and with amazing ideas, I'd encourage you to jump into Neil Gaiman's head with this book. It's worth it!

Finished: 6/27/08
Source: my bookshelves
Rating: 9/10

The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex

Review - The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex and other true stories by Pagan Kennedy


What do Dr. Alex Comfort, author of The Joy of Sex, Amy Smith, director of the International Development Initiative at MIT, and Dr. Gordon Sato, former resident of the Manzanar interment camp in California, all have in common? They, along with the other 9 people profiled in this book, are modern-day pioneers, attempting in their own unique ways to "reinvent this country (and others) as a kinder, sexier, smarter, funnier, or more compassionate place." And as the subjects of Pagan Kennedy's essays, they are all fascinating.

Pagan Kennedy is the writer we all want to write our biography. She has an incredible way of figuring out what makes each person interesting while still allowing that person to tell their own story. None of her subjects are perfect, but she is so obvious in her compassion for them that we can't help but feel it too. I would love to see several of the chapters expanded into books themselves, because Kennedy has infected me with the desire to know these people and their lives.

As an additional treat, the last 3 chapters are personal essays about her own life. Kennedy's writing truly shines in these stories, as she discusses alternative family arrangements, shares a vacation story, and allows us a glimpse of her own family and their quirks. Again, I was left wanting even more. It is always a treat to discover a new author who you can't wait to read again, and Pagan Kennedy certainly falls into that category for me.

Finished: 6/22/08
Source: Santa Fe Writer's Project
Rating: 8/10