Sinatra’s Century: One Hundred Notes on the Man and His World
By David Lehman
Harper. $24.99
What better way to remember and celebrate the 100th birthday (Dec. 12) of Frank Sinatra’s birthday than listening to some of the singer’s signature music and reading this book.
David Lehman has created these short pieces that cover nearly every facet of Sinatra’s life. From the entertainer’s childhood in Hoboken to his love affairs with some of Hollywood’s biggest leading ladies, Lehman touches all the bases.
You’ll find some fascinating material on members of the infamous “Rat Pack” Sinatra associated with, accounts of how he squared off against individuals as diverse as Bing Crosby and Marlon Brando and how the Copacabana nightclub became the stage for so many pivotal moments in the singer’s career.
These one to three page essays can be read in any order and can be enjoyed for just a few minutes of reading time or a much longer session. Lehman doesn’t gloss over his subject’s faults and weaknesses but he certainly admires Sinatra and that definitely shows through in this collection of “notes”.
For younger readers not familiar with “The Chairman of the Board”, this little book would be an excellent way of learning about the legendary singer. This book would also make the perfect holiday gift for anyone who enjoys Sinatra’s music and considers him to be one of the country’s greatest musical entertainers.
Goldy’s Kitchen Cookbook: Cooking, Writing, Family, Life
By Diane Mott Davidson
William Morrow. $24.99
When mystery writer Diane Mott Davidson created her Goldy Schulz series she made sure her caterer/sleuth heroine always shared a few of her recipes in each installment.
It was just a matter of time before 160 of these recipes would be brought together in a cookbook. Featuring some old favorites plus a few brand new ones created especially for this book, the author combines the ins and outs of food preparation with a few paragraphs and anecdotes about writing, cooking and other subjects dear to Davidson’s heart.
Make no mistake, though; this is a cookbook with lots of excellent recipes on everything from bacon-wrapped artichokes and hot crab dip to enchilada pie, shrimp risotto and chicken piccata supreme.
I call this a “no frills” cookbook because there are no color photos or drawings worked into the text. What you’ll find are the straight recipes and how to prepare each one. To hold the price down the publishers figured the reader didn’t need visual inspiration.
If the instructions are clear and the ingredients easy to find, I don’t think the serious cook needs much more. There’s no “mystery” here to why this book will appeal to more than just those who read the mystery novels featuring Goldy. If you are looking for a way to enhance mealtime at your house, this is a cookbook you’ll certainly want to check out.
Big Science: Ernest Lawrence and the Invention That Launched the Military-Industrial Complex
By Michael Hiltzik
Simon & Schuster. $30
Anyone who has attended UC Berkeley is familiar with the large science complex nestled in the hill above the campus behind the football stadium. The Lawrence Radiation Lab, as it is know today, housed a cyclotron (a particle accelerator) that made Nobel Prize winner Ernest Lawrence world famous.
This detailed book charts the career of the scientist who eighty years ago used his invention, the cyclotron, to not only revolutionize nuclear physics but also launch the military-industrial complex that changed many facets of everyday life.
At the time, the work Lawrence and his colleagues focused on was directed towards ending World War II and out of their efforts came innovations such as radar and the atomic bomb.
Since then these efforts, which are often referred to as “Big Science”, have been utilized in numerous ways from more advanced weapons development to space travel.
Anyone interested in how all this came about and how Lawrence ushered in this new era will find a wealth of information in this lengthy (over 500 pages) but highly readable volume. Accompanying the text are over twenty pages of black and white photos that help flesh out this fascinating story.
Also, for those who attended UC Berkeley and didn’t fully realize what was happening “up on the hill at the rad lab” and what some of their classmates were engaged in, this book will fill them in and provide the answers to some of their questions.
A Royal Experiment:
Love and Duty, Madness and Betrayal The Private Lives of King George III and Queen Charlotte
By Janice Hadlow
Picador. $25
Be prepared for a lengthy read (over 600 pages), but if you enjoy books about England’s royal families you’ll find this book fascinating. This is actually the story of a royal marriage. King George III and Queen Charlotte were an interesting couple who worked at creating a harmonious relationship. With thirteen sons and daughters the couple certainly had their hands full if they intended to have a hand in rearing the children and providing them with some type of “normal” family life.
Attempting to find a balance between ruling the country and his family life, George was often pressed by the challenge. The fact that he had a revolution going on in his North American colonies and had to cope eventually with the onset of some serious mental problems, which earned him the moniker “Mad King George”, didn’t make this task easier.
As the author explains, “George, Charlotte and their children were the first generation of royals to be faced with the task of attempting to live a truly private life on the public stage, of reconciling the values of domesticity with the requirements of a crown.”
This isn’t an easy job as these royals and those who have followed them have discovered. In fact, in many respects members of England’s royal family are still grappling with trying to achieve that balance between normalcy and constantly being on a public stage.
Nicely illustrated with portraits of the major players in this family saga, this book is manageable if you read it in small increments of a chapter or two at a time. Naturally it doesn’t read like a novel, but Hadlow’s flowing style isn’t a chore to follow either. So take your time and once the narrative takes hold this will be somewhat like enjoying the weekly installments of television series like “Downton Abbey”!