The Lone Survivor
Author: Marcus Luttrell
My Review:

Written in 2005, this is an excellent non-fiction  story of 4 US Navy SEALS who were dropped into Afghanistan during the ill-fated Operation Redwing. It has all of the elements of a great novel: discipline, action, and Afghani tribal people befriending US forces. This is a feel-good book, but I don't think it is for all audiences as there are some pretty intense descriptions of real-life battle. For those who can stomach it, this is a must-read.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Search for Lincoln's Killer
Author: James L. Swanson
My Review:

I found this book to be very intriguing, giving minute details of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It's about the 12-day hunt for John Wilkes-Booth and about the other two people who were assassinated that same evening. The book is written in modern language and told of what it was like to be hunted (from Wilkes perspective) and what it was like to be the hunter. The climax of the book details the capture and psyche of Booth.

The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?
Author: Francisco Goldman
My Review:

This book was published in 2006 and is a non-fiction account of the killing of the most-influential bishop in Guatemala at the time. His name was Francis Gerardi and he was a human rights activist. Goldman presents a well-written story of how the paramilitary, secret service, and police, under the direction of the Guatemalan president killed Gerardi because of the stand he was taking against the Guatemalan regime. The thing I liked about the book is that the Guatemalan people stood against the army to protect Gerardi, risking their own lives. He ultimately died, but there is justice at the end of the book.

Gang-Leader for a Day
Author: Sudhir Venkatesh
My Review:

This is a new non-fiction book about a south-side gang (The Black Kings) who used to run out of the Robert Taylor Home (1995). The book is written by a University of Chicago student who became a confidant of the gang leader J.T. I found this book to be an insightful narrative on how gangs are run like the mafia with captains, privates, etc and I was surprised to read about how complicit the police and housing authority were in the sale of drugs at the time.

Eight Lives Down

Author: Chris Hunter

My Review:

This is a gripping book about a British platoon leader who's job it was to dismantle live roadside bombs in Basra, Iraq in 2004. Hunter, who was that British soldier, talks of dismantling bombs while under live fire from insurgent snipers. Get ready to blow off work or stay up really late because I couldn't put this book down once I started it.

Sin in the Second City

Author: Karen Abbott 

My Review:

This book is a tremendous read about prostitution in Chicago from 1890 to 1915. This book primarily focuses on two sisters who were madams of a high-brow brothel with clients like Marshall Field Jr. (who was actually shot inside one of the brothels). This book gives you a sense of what it was like to have a red-light district in the 3300 block of S. Dearborn in Chicago around the turn of the century. The book gives insight into the not-oft seen side of famous Chicagoans like Jack Johnson (famous Boxer). These women lived until about 1960 and lived to tell their story. Obviously not for everyone, but a good read for a history buff.

Operation Homecoming

Author: Andrew Carroll 

My Review:

This book chronicles the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the words of the soldiers who fought in them. The book was publicly funded by an National Endowment for the Arts grant which brought top-name authors and front-line soldiers together and created a unique opportunities for the soldiers to tell what it was like in their own words. The book was both depressing and enlightening. One of the most touching accounts I read in the book was about the process that fallen soldiers go through and about the respect that shown them from their fellow soldiers. Overall, the book tells about 250 stories from various points of view. I definitely recommend this book.

Generation Kill

Author: Evan Wright (2004)

My Review:

This book is about a platoon of 20 marines, who are on the 'tip of the spear' on the front-lines when our invasion of Iraq started. The book is written by an embedded reporter. The book chronicles the chaos and unpredictability of war as this platoon moves village by village towards Baghdad. The cast of characters includes "Captain America" and "Officer Wackjob." This platoon was supposed to be a 'sacrificial lamb' but they made it all the way through to Baghdad and even went north of there. The thing I liked about the book was that 98% of the soldiers are good and decent human being and only 2% break down under the stress of combat. This book is currently in part 2 of a 7 part mini-series on HBO.

Accardo: The Genuine Godfather

Author: William Roemer (1996)
My Review:
This was a long book but intriguing, written by William Roemer, a former FBI agent, about Tony Accardo who headed the Chicago and west coast mobs for 50 years and never went to jail. He started out as Al Capone's second-in-command whose underlings included Sam Giancana and the Spilotro Brothers. I have always had a fascination with the Chicago mob and the Italian mafia in general, a couple of quick stories, I once sat across the table from Tony Spilotro and his brother in a Chicago restaurant. At the health club I go to, I've become friends with a Jewish man who's father sold clothing to Al Capone, Al Capone befriended this man's father and one time when his car was stolen, Capone got it back for him within ½ an hour and his store was never vandalized again. I think it's cool that I've gotten to meet people who were close to the real thing that I only get to read about.

Paddy-Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster

Author: T.J. English (2006)
JP Review:
This book starts out showing the roots of the Irish Mob which originated in Ireland. The Irish were battling with the English and formed gangs in the 18th century and 19th century. The biggest influx of the Irish into the U.S. was in during and after the potato famine in Ireland in 1845. The Potato Famine was had as much to do with farming methods as it did with the English starving the Irish to death.
This book portrays such characters as Old Smokey Morrisey battling opponents with butcher cleavers around 1870 in New York City (think the movie, 'Gangs of New York'). This book also portrays Joe Kennedy Sr. as a boot-legger, Hollywood mogul and womanizer.
The Irish had a stronghold on organized crime in the U.S. at the end of the 19th century and dominated up to and during the years of prohibition. Eventually they were rubbed out by the Italian and Jewish mafias.
One of the things in the book I found interesting was when the book goes into the murder of Jimmy Hoffa by one of his close friends, Frank Sheeran, a mob hit about which Frank was quoted as saying, "if it wasn't me, someone else would have done it." This book winds up talking about the Irish Mob in Boston and about Whitey Bolger (aged 79) who is still at-large because Boston FBI Agent John Connelly tipped him off (backdrop for the movie, "The Departed").
Overall I really enjoyed the book it was a very thorough treatement of the subject and I was able to make a lot of connections with other mob books I have read.