Everything Nonfiction

Review

You are here: Home / Archives for Review

By Leave a Comment

Review of Touching History

Review of Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama that Unfolded in the Skies over America by Lynn Spencer
Rating *****

The author opens this book by comparing what happened on 9/11 to Pearl Harbor, and I don't think too many people would disagree. The comparison is even more true for those of us who make a living in aviation. Like Pearl Harbor, we all know what we were doing that day when we first learned of the attacks. I happened to be off that day. I heard from a few people who were flying on 9/11, but this book sheds light on the stories that I was not aware of.

I remember as the events unfolded thinking that this was an event that would be covered in numerous books and films. I thought about writing about it myself. As it happened, I was already involved in the research and writing of my own book about another aviation disaster. Besides, I was certain that big name writers like Mark Bowden or Hampton Sides would be the type of writer that would end up telling this story. Lynn Spencer didn't have the same reservations that I had and went forward on what had to have been a long and arduous journey in writing her first book.

The fact that this book was written by a professional pilot lends authenticity to it. I have read numerous books about aviation written by writers with no aviation experience and their lack of knowledge and understanding is glaringly obvious. Only someone with first hand experience could have told this story as effectively as Lynn does here.

The book is written mostly in the present tense, jumping back and forth between the ground and the numerous aircraft that were still flying as the hijackings were taking place. Lynn expertly portrays the confusion confronting flight crews as they received unprecedented instructions from dispatchers and controllers concerning the closure of airspace and airfields. She describes the panic of FAA and airport managers who unnecessarily evacuated airports and air traffic facilities leaving airplanes still in the air vulnerable to further mishaps.

There are numerous stories of pilots and air crews and how they dealt with this unprecedented event. A few that stand out include the crew of Delta Airlines Flight 1989, which became a suspected hijacking because of a missed hand-off between centers. Then there was the story of John Ashcroft and his attempts to fly to Washington in a Gulfstream IV after the U.S. Airspace had been closed. Another interesting story involved the crew of Korean Air Flight 85 that in an effort to show that they were aware of the hijackings decided to squawk the hijack code (very dumb move).

The military response to the attacks is also covered in great detail. I was aware of maybe four F-15s that were launched that day. I had no idea that there were far more than that. I do, however, disagree with the author's contention that pilots who departed with no weapons were prepared to sacrifice themselves if necessary to bring down a hijacked plane. Just as no airline pilot would intentionally fly an airliner into a building, I can't imagine any pilot intentionally flying his plane into another plane, especially a civilian airliner, under any circumstance. They may make that claim after the fact, but I can't see it actually happening.

I remember hearing about the possibility of a fifth plane. I'm convinced that there was in fact a fifth plane that was to be hijacked that day. The flight attendants reported four suspicious Arab passengers in first class. We know that the hijacked planes had teams of five hijackers. The fifth hijacker was undoubtedly Zacarias Moussaoui. The plane, which was scheduled to depart out of Boston on a transcontinental flight, was stopped on the ground before it could takeoff and the passengers were free to go. I have not heard anything that would lead me to believe that these four passengers were cleared or even investigated.

This book required a monumental effort on the part of the author. The end result is a compelling story that will be of interest to anyone who wants to know what was happening behind the scenes in the skies and in the air traffic system on that tragic day.

By Leave a Comment

Review of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse

Review of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse written and directed by Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper
Rating *** 1/2

This is a making of documentary of the film Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola with most of the footage being shot by his wife Eleanor.

The film was shot over several months in 1976, a time before making of documentaries were common place. The footage shot by Eleanor was never released before because Francis wasn't happy with the way he was portrayed. He changed his mind when he was approached by the filmmakers.

The filmmakers use a combination of Eleanor's footage along with interviews of many of the people behind the film. Eleanor serves as a narrator. It makes for an interesting documentary.

The film Apocalypse Now was a spectacle film on par with Jaws and Star Wars. It was one of the few films where I had to stand in line to get in. I remember the film as being cinematically great. The story and characters were only so so. The weakest link in the film was Marlon Brando.

The access that Eleanor had to Francis gives this film an edge over similar making of films. You get to see and hear Francis as he struggles with the many obstacles facing him: finances, politics, logistics, etc. I didn't know, for example, that Francis had his own assets at risk should the film flop.

Any fan of the film or even of the film making process would appreciate this documentary. In fact, I plan to watch the movie again soon.

The DVD had an audio commentary by Francis and Eleanor. But it is a completely blown opportunity. I honestly think Francis was either asleep or he left after the first hour, because his comments are few and far between. The only insight he gave was that he was in over his head. He also had a few things to say in defense of his handling of Martin Sheen's heart attack. He says nothing about having to replace Harvey Keitel. He doesn't have anything to say about working with Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando, though Eleanor points out how difficult Brando was to work with on the film. And he says nothing about the two and half years from the end of shooting to the film's release. Are you telling me that he couldn't sit down for an hour and a half and find something interesting to say about a film which was such a big part of his life? I'm still ticked off about the audio commentary, but I'll recommend the documentary.

Update: Okay I just finished watching the film. Blockbuster had Apocalypse Now Redux which is a re-edited, extended version of the film. It's been nearly thirty years since I first saw the film and I don't know how this compares to the theatrical release, but it was fantastic. I was totally wrong about the story and characters being only so so. For this film to hold up so well after thirty year is a testament to the quality of this movie. Watching the film after watching the documentary only added to my enjoyment. This is definitely a classic.

By Leave a Comment

Review of Chapter 27

Review of Chapter 27 directed by J.P. and Jarrett Schaeffer
Rating ** 1/2



This film is about the killing of John Lennon by Mark David Chapman as seen from the killer’s eyes. This is mostly a one man show by the lead actor Jared leto. The only other star of note is Lindsay Lohan who does a fine job as a Lennon groupie.


The film covers the three days leading up to the murder. Voice over narration is used to convey Chapman’s internal dialogue. It works in this film which is about a solitary man with delusions and paranoia.


A lot of the story takes place in front of the Dakota where Chapman waits to meet John Lennon. The idea of him killing John Lennon is one that comes and goes. At first he is just an obsessed fan who wants an autograph. But an article he reads in the days leading up to the murder turns him against Lennon. When he finally does meet his idol, Lennon is kind and gracious. This causes even more internal conflict. He comes very close to simply walking away with his autographed album cover. I’m sure that is what he wished he would have done.


The motivation for the murder is tenuous: a fascination with the character Holden Caulfield from the Catcher in The Rye, a desire for recognition, a twisted mind.


I would have liked to have seen the filmmakers go back to when he left Hawaii. It would have given the viewer a little more insight into the character. In one scene he places a phone call to someone in Hawaii. There isn’t enough information given to determine if the person he’s talking to is a therapist, a religious adviser, a family member, a friend, or his girlfriend.


There are no special features on the DVD. Nothing about the real Mark David Chapman. No audio commentary. Had they included any of these I might have given it a little higher mark.

By Leave a Comment

Review of The world Without Us

Review of The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
Rating **** 1/2

My wife picked this book up at the library. When I saw what it was about I stole it from her. This isn't Will Smith doing his thing against zombies in I Am Legend. This book looks at what would happen to the earth if humans were suddenly to vanish.

From this interesting concept the author shows how we humans are damaging the environment. In some cases, the results of our negligence will take millions of years for the earth to rebound to its natural state. In other cases it may never recover.

This book is a good companion piece to the following books and films: The Omnivore's Dilemma, The 11th Hour, Who Killed The Electric Car, and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. I feel much more environmentally aware after reading and watching these books and films.

It's an accepted fact that the human race will undoubtedly go extinct at some point in the distant future, just as all other species before us. The when and how is not known; perhaps when the sun engulfs the earth. Other possible scenarios have large portions of the population dying off rather quickly but with some survivors. The author gives the example that even if 99.9 % of the human race is killed off that would still leave several hundred thousand survivors.

If I'm lucky enough to be among the survivors, I intend to head for Montana. Because the heavily populated areas of the world are not going to recover very quickly. We've simply done too much damage. The one place you definitely do not want to be is Houston, Texas. The description of what happens to the oil refineries and pipelines after we're gone is not a pretty sight.

The many stories the author uses to illuminate his points are fascinating in their own right. From the luxury hotel that was left vacant for several years, to the demilitarized zone in Korea, to plots of soil untouched by human intervention and pesticides, each example flows effectively with the overall narrative.

Everyone should read this book. It will give you a new perspective on how your actions affect the environment for possibly thousands of years after you're gone.

Definitely add this book to your list. 

By Leave a Comment

Review of Escape From the Deep

Review of Escape From the Deep by Alex Kershaw
Rating **** 1/2


The best nonfiction transports you to another place and time. This is certainly true of this excellent book by Alex Kershaw. I finished the book on my Caribbean trip. Whether I was reading on the plane or sitting by the pool, I was a crew member on a WWII sub. A sub that had the misfortune of being sunk by it’s own torpedo.


I first read about circling torpedoes from the book Scorpion Down. That book is about another sub sinking. In that story the cause of the sinking is unknown. A circling torpedo is one of the top theories. In this story it’s known for a fact that the sub was sunk by its own torpedo.


The writer does a good job of giving just enough background material to build a foundation. You learn a little about the crew and Commander Richard O’Kane.


Before the fateful last voyage of the Tang, the author takes you along as the crew sinks ship after ship. What’s not discussed with any detail is what happens to the thousands of men whose lives are lost as the result of the Tang’s torpedoes. When a ship is sunk and disappears beneath the waves, the men celebrate. But I’m thinking about the fate of the men who are left behind in the water.


In one story involving the commander of the Tang, the author talks about another sub that successfully sunk several large ships in a single battle. He talks about there being thousands of Japanese sailors floating in the water. When one of the men in a life raft opens fire on the sub with a hand gun, the commander of the sub uses it as justification for slaughtering the defenseless men in the water. It was one of the largest massacres of the war. After reading about the many lives lost as a result of the Tang it almost seems like payback when the sub is finally sunk by its own torpedo.


The resulting fight for survival and the subsequent ordeal undergone by the survivors makes for an interesting read. Here again I was drawn not only by the stories of those who survived but also to the men who gave up and decided to lie down and await their fate inside the sub.


Just when you thought every story that could have been told about WWII has been told, you find another gem like this.

By Leave a Comment

Review of Jimmy Carter Man From Plains

Review of Jimmy Carter Man From Plains directed by Jonathan Demme
rating *** 1/2

I was interested in seeing this documentary for a number of reasons. For one I'm a fan of Jonathan Demme. One of my favorite films is Something Wild. I also admire Jimmy Carter. I think he got a bum deal. He was one of our better presidents. Another reason I wanted to see this film is because it follows Jimmy Carter on his book tour for his book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. Since I'm doing my own book tour now, I wanted to see what it was like to go to a book signing where you sell 1600 books as opposed to mine where I'm lucky to sell six books.

The book tour is the force that drives the film, allowing the filmmakers to travel across the country with Jimmy Carter, but the theme of the movie is the controversy behind the book, especially the title. I have not read the book. I plan to now after seeing this film. But from the film I now know that the book basically accuses Israel of persecuting the Palestine people in much the same way as white South Africans persecuted blacks during Apartheid. And after listening to Jimmy Carter explain the realities of what's going on, I have to agree with him. Who would want to live their lives behind a forty foot wall.

The title of the book alone is enough to stir up controversy. Most of his critics, however, haven't read the book. They get hung up on the title and become so inflamed that they can't contain themselves. But if they would step back and listen (and read) they would see that the book gives both sides of the issue. He condemns the violence from Palestine. And the word in the title that angers so many people fits what's happening. Apartheid is defined as when one group of people forces their influence over another group of people.

Jonathan Demme also gives the issue fair balance. In one of Jimmy Carter's speeches he shows a student pointing out the drastic decrease in the number of suicide bombings since the wall was erected. I don't remember his response. I do remember it wasn't one of his better responses. He said something to the effect that he was okay with the wall as long as it was on the border and not inside Palestine. I don't agree with that at all. There should be no wall. Period. If you imprisoned every Palestinian, there would be a drastic decrease in violence as well. But is that a solution?

As far as selling books, it helps to be a former president. You name the media outlet and Jimmy Carter gets full exposure: PBS, CNN, Charlie Rose, the New York Times. The only thing missing was Oprah.

The DVD had an interesting commentary track with Jonathan Demme and one of the film's producers.