Just M-E
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November 1996: I loved this. I was on the cover of a national magazine… and nobody was going to recognise me from it, and thus I was not going to be...
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Fred Astaire has such godly amounts of swagger
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Postscript: “Maurice Sendak: Every Shadow Mattered,” by Adam Gopnik
For more from the New Yorker on Maurice Sendak, read Cynthia Zarin’s...
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SUBMISSION: 1910-2010: 100yrs camera collection by Graham Powell of Obsessionistas
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Choose your literature. (by Greh Fox)
Found this interesting article while looking for information on the Richard Harrow character on Boardwalk Empire. In the series, Harrow is a WWI vet who lost his eye during the war and wears a mask to cover his disfigurement.
I haven’t read any other books on Al Capone so I can’t compare but Mr. Hendley seems to have summarized the existing research on Capone (which I’m sure is extensive) and added his own thoughts and research. The result is concise and to the point much like a long magazine article. The book illustrates how Capone rose from his humble beginnings in New York as the son of Italian immigrants to become Chicago’s top gangster.
A few points I found interesting: 1. The contradictions of Capone as a man, he was smart, ambitious and a ruthless killer but also a loyal family man. 2. Chicago in the 20s and 30s was practically lawless! I find it amazing that all that violence took place without much of a reaction by the police. 3. After all the murder and mayhem, Capone goes to jail for tax evasion. 4. I had no idea that Capone eventually died from complications of Syphilis.
A very informative read. I would have liked to know more about Capone’s state of mind while running his empire but I guess that is a book in itself.
Note: I’m a fan of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and a young Al Capone is featured in the series. The series takes place in Atlantic City but you can picture how Capone was able to rise to power in Chicago: another city with extremely corrupt cops and politicians during the Prohibition era.
