The Bold Frontier

1The Bold Frontier – by John Jakes

I first must admit – I’m not a huge fan of the short story.  Usually the only time I read a collection of short stories is when one of my favorite authors releases an assemblage.  I’m not sure why I’m prejudiced against this particular type of format.  It might be because I enjoy reading so much, that anything under 100 pages seems too brief.  After completing an account that lasts only 25-30 pages, either I either wish the author would have fleshed out the story longer (if I liked it), or that the author would have just forgotten about it and tossed it in the recycle bin (if I did not like it).  So when reviewing a book such as this, I need to be careful and lay these prejudices aside, but also warn other readers if they happen to have the same feelings as I do.

Those who know John Jakes know that he’s well known for his historical fiction accounts.  He’s written several well-known collections of books as well as self-standing novels that tend to deal with some part of the history of the United States – usually from the 1600s to the mid-1900s.  His emphasis tends to focus mainly on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and he seems to favor tales about the American Civil War.  So much so, that whenever I pick up a new book by him that focuses on the Civil War, I’m a bit disappointed.  There’s only so many different tales you can tell using that calamity as a backdrop that it seems like he repeats himself too often.  One area that Jakes never focused on too much when telling stories of America’s history, was the Old West.

So this book lets him explore this genre.  Again, though, there’s an awful lot here.  Every Old West cliché is written about.  We have the cowboys, the Indians, the widowed sheriffs, the riverboat gamblers, the trappers, the prostitutes with the heart of gold etc.  He leaves no stone unturned.  I should also point out that, if I’m not mistaken, these are not all “new” stories, yet ones that he’s written over his lifetime.  I never compared notes after each story, but some of these tales did come across as a bit pretentious.  There were a few stories that lasted around 15 pages and the author seemed to try to wrap things up a bit too neatly in an attempt to leave the reader satisfied, or rather…happy.

Still, though, I enjoyed the vast majority of the pieces here.  It’s probably too late for me to wish such a thing (Jakes is 82 years old as I write this), but reading these stories make me wish that Jakes would write an entire novel around the old west, or maybe even a series of books.  Think of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove series, and you have an idea of what John Jakes is capable of when he tells a story.

This was an overall nice diversion from what readers have come to expect.

The Innocent

The Innocent – by David Baldacci

Another new David Baldacci book, another new David Baldacci character that will, it seems, show up again in more of his books.  Will Robie is a government “hit man”.  He’s called on, from time to time, to commit quick and easy kills on some of the world’s most infamous baddies.  Quite often, Robie doesn’t know who or why he is killing.  His job is to follow orders.  He really doesn’t even know who his bosses are.  But he does what he’s asked because he’s doing a greater good for the world, and he is working for the good guys.  Right?

Well, on one mission, Will gets cold feet right before he pulls the trigger.  Something doesn’t feel right, so he abandons the mission.  Big big mistake.  People in Will’s position don’t pull such acts of insubordination, and now the hunter has become the hunted.  Boy, has he ever.  Every few pages it seems like Robie “barely misses” an assassination attempt.  This is a serious deal.

In order to tell a good story, we find Robie thrown together with a 13 year old foster child named Julie.  It seems Julie is on the wrong end of the stick as well, as her recently killed parents were somehow involved in some bizarre government circumstance as well.  So Robie and Julie are a team. This, dear reader, is the worst part of this whole novel.  Julie is a 13 year old foster child, but apparently has the brains of a 50 year old PhD.  That might be believable, but sadly, she also has the attitude of a six year old spoiled brat.  Frankly, it’s an unbelievable combination that simply doesn’t work.  The conversations between Robie and Julie are so awfully written that it makes your stomach churn.  I would suggest that the next time Baldacci tries to create a character of such age and background, he do a bit of research into how such kids really think and talk.

Well, like just about every other Baldacci book, the story borders on the excitement and the absurd.  There are so many clandestine operations that are going on behind the scenes in our nation’s capital, that no one ever really knows who to believe and/or trust, and every time you turn around, there just so happens to be another fresh trail of dead bodies clouding up any sense in this story.

I really hated every time I had to read interactions between characters within this book, but when Baldacci was, instead, describing situations, I thought it more than made up for the inadequacy of the former.  Strange, because as someone who has never attempted to write, I would think the opposite would be the case.  So for future books, I would prescribe more description and less interaction.

I also like the fact that the majority of the chapters are very short and sweet – it seems like the longest chapters where no longer than a few pages.  This makes for a faster story, and I’m not sure if I would like this book had it been drawn out much longer.  In the end, everything sorta wraps us nicely, or as nicely as it could with all the bizarre twists and turns.   I would rank this book as “pretty good” amongst the majority of Baldacci’s novels.

The Broken Window

The Broken Window - by Jeffery Deaver

Another Lincoln Rhyme book.  Like most Lincoln Rhyme books, I really enjoyed this one.  I must point out, however, that if you’re new to the series, I strongly recommend that you read these books in the order that they were written.  Unlike many other recurring literary heroes, the saga of Lincoln seems to progress rather nicely from book to book.  No, it’s not essential that you read them sequentially, but I would encourage such a practice.

This book deals with a bad guy that works (or at least seems to) at a high tech, online tracking company.  We’ve all heard the nightmare scenarios before - anything that you do online, can and will be tracked by the government.  Not only do they know what kind of car you drive and where you purchased it, but they also know where you’re driving at any given moment and what radio stations you have preset in your vehicle.  So not only can our baddie kill people in gruesome ways, but he can also create online tracks that easily frame other people quite convincingly.  And, if you’re a police officer that’s getting too close to uncovering clues about this criminal, you might just wake up with a faulty computer implication declaring you a drug addict and forcing you to have your license and weapons confiscated.

Well, it just so happens that one of our framed individuals for a murder is a family member of Lincoln Rhyme.  A family member that was very close to Lincoln years ago, but things have happened to estrange them.  You get the impression that Lincoln is more concerned about solving a case that helping his relation that duped him many years ago.  In a sense, this is a good thing because it allows author Jeffery Deaver to tell more of a story as opposed to sticking with dry facts around the particular case.  Each book, we learn just a bit more about Lincoln’s history and makes us care just a bit more about the old crank.

Other times, however, such diversions can be a bit of a distraction.  The author actually “tidies” up some stuff from the last Lincoln Rhyme book “The Cold Moon”.  I found it unnecessary, and unless you have a pretty good memory, or just finished that particular book, most of the connections are lost.

I must also say that this book was a bit low on the “Wow” factor that has become so prevalent in Jeffery Deaver books.  He’s the master of the plot twist, and the last 100 pages or so in most books can really throw the reader for an enjoyable loop.  That really isn’t present in this book, which left me a bit disappointed.  I still enjoyed the book immensely, however, and I had a hard time putting the book down as the plot continued to thicken.

This is a great addition to a great series.

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham

This is one of those biographies that, while rare, I consider it nearly perfect.  Perfect in so many ways - it’s treatment of its subject, its ease of readability, and its balance of George HW Bush’s life among other things.  As someone who reads a lot of presidential/historical figure biographies, I can assure you that such cases are rare.  Meacham seems to know exactly how much detail to include in each phase of this man’s life.  I also appreciate biographies that don’t sugar coat the subject, but don’t turn it into a mudslinging effort trying to smear the particular individual.  I’m sure, however, that those who worship the man will find that it can be too critical, whereas those whose politics lean far to the left won’t like such a rosy picture painted of one of those oh-so-nasty Republicans.

About half of this book takes place prior to Bush becoming Vice President, and about half after the fact.  This, in my judgement, is a very good balance.  I’m guessing that most people want to read about his presidency (and vice-presidency), and don’t really care much about his youth, nor his less significant positions within the federal government. I was reminded of H.W. Brands’ excellent biography of Ronald Reagan that seemed to follow  a similar timeline.  

We first read about the powerful family that Bush was born into.  Oh, sure, we know he was born into a life of wealth.  Yes, he had to work for what he achieved, and it is very obvious that a family with wealth and power can give you a significant head start in any endeavor you wish to begin.  Still, though, most of his accomplishments could have never happened without his own drive, dedication, and hard work.

We read about his heroics in World War II, and his successful wheeling and dealing as a young oil entrepreneur in Midland, Texas.  We read about his beautiful new wife and wonderful family - taking a bit of detour when he tragically loses his toddler daughter to leukemia.  Politics is next on the list.  Some elections are won, some are not, but again, it helps when your family is so well connected.

The book then zooms by as we briefly read about his Ambassadorship to China, his chairing of the Republican National Committee, and his tenure as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.  During these events, he’s actually strongly considered to be a VP running mate to both Nixon and Ford during different times, but as close as he comes to securing the office, he’s always a bit short of the elusive brass ring.

Then we come to 1980, and the book really takes shape.  Once Bush starts his campaign for president against the ever popular Ronald Reagan, we see politics at its best (or worst).  Initially, Reagan doesn’t like Bush.  It seems the “voodoo economics” statement really hurts the Governor’s feelings.  When Reagan secures the nomination, he doesn’t want Bush on the ticket with him.  Advisors disagree.  It seems Reagan wants former President Gerald Ford, but having an ex-president as a future vice-president has too many unknowns, so Bush is selected at the last minute.  Fortunately for both, Bush serves his role admirably, and the two end up having incredible respect for each other, become great friends, and having Reagan as such a strong ally assists Bush in securing the head office in 1988.

Bush makes great strides as Commander in Chief.  Ironically, it’s Reagan’s “voodoo economics” that leaves the economy in a bit of a pinch, and Bush decides that the best thing for the country is to abandon his “read my lips” pledge, and he raises taxes.  Furthermore, it’s the staunch Republicans that are the most ticked off at the broken pledge.  You would think that Democrats would applaud the man, but, no, this is politics.  I guess it’s more important to point out that the guy on “the other team” screwed up than in it is to ensure the country stays on track.  What really kills Bush, is that he won’t emulate Ronald Reagan and look the American people in the eye and admit his mistake.  He feels he just doesn’t have Reagan’s charisma to pull off such a thing.  Even VP Dan Quayle tells his boss that the best thing for Bush to do is to admit his mistake publicly.  Alas, Quayle’s advice goes unheeded.

At this point in my review, I feel it’s important to bring up the fact that much of this book takes its notes from Bush’s own, published diaries.  The author quotes George Bush’s memoirs extensively, and I mention this here, because according to Bush, anyway, he seems to lose a lot of the passion during the second half of his presidential term.  When it’s time to start campaigning for the 1992 reelection, it seems as though Bush is struck with a sudden blow of ennui.  When he campaigned against Governor Bill Clinton, he definitely seemed disconnected and, sadly, had almost no appeal with the younger generation.  Clinton, on the other hand, was doing live Q&As on places like MTV talking about his underwear. Young people found him hip.  Not surprisingly, Bush loses his reelection bid.

The book continues with Bush now retired from the presidency.  Yes, we read about his involvement and his feelings as his oldest son runs and wins the presidency eight years later, but Bush Sr., as he has done his whole political life, elects to stay in the background for the most part when the spotlight should be on someone else.  The job is now his son’s, and if dad ever does give much advice, it certainly isn’t recorded anywhere.  He never really cared much for Donald Rumsfeld (the two have had a bit of a checkered history), and he feels as though Dick Cheney steered his son towards some paths that probably should have been avoided.  Other than that, Bush Sr. seems to feel at peace by staying on the sidelines and avoiding the headlines wherever possible.

I loved this book.  I have a lot of respect for the man, even though I didn’t agree with a lot of things he did or stood for.  Human beings are human, and George HW Bush handled such immense responsibility better than most people could have.  I also felt he was a much better communicator than he gave himself credit.  

Tip O’Neal summed it up nicely when he told Bush  in 1992 “You ran a horrible campaign for reelection, but history will remember you fondly.”