Die Hard Cardinal Fan

Stan Musial: An American Life   by George Vecsey

In 1999, the Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig decided to try a marketing ploy to create fan excitement, involvement and participation. Baseball fans were asked to vote on the top 25 players of the twentieth century. Selig did anticipate there would be some significant players from the past that would be overlooked, so he did set up a panel of experts to rectify any oversights.

One of the most glaring oversights was the omission of Stan Musial from the St. Louis Cardinals.  Musial, a first ballot Hall of Famer and widely considered in baseball circles to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, is perhaps the most underrated athlete of all time.  Sports journalist and writer, George Vecsey, with his recent book (2011) Stan Musial: An American Life, sets out to correct this oversite and give Musial his due as one of the greats in baseball.

This book was fairly well timed, because in less than two years, baseball and the city of St. Louis, would be mourning the passing of one of its greatest ballplayers.  On January 19, 2013 at the age of 92, Stan the Man Musial passed away.  Vecsey uses this biography to illustrate what a great player and person Stan Musial was. Vecsey really doesn't spend much time talking about specific games or Musial's play in the field.  Instead  he tells Musial's life story through the remembrances of those who played beside, worked with, and covered “Stan the Man” over the course of his nearly seventy years in the national spotlight.  Vecsey equates the quiet, dignified and gentlemanly way Musial conducted his life to the fact he is often underrated and overlooked when discussing baseball greats.

But consider these statistics and ask yourself if Stan the Man doesn't belong in the top tier of great baseball players.  During his long career (1941-1963) with the St. Louis Cardinals, Stan Musial batted .331, amassed 3,630 hits, won three National League MVP awards, and was named to 24 All Star teams.  Definitely recommended for any die hard Cardinal fan, but also for any baseball lovers or afficionados.

Story of the First Encyclopedia

The Philosopher's Kiss by Peter Prange

Anyone who has followed this blog knows by now my love for historical fiction.  The amazing aspect of this work of historical fiction is how much of it is TRUE.  All of the characters in The Philosopher's Kiss are real.  This is the story of the development and creation of the first comprehensive encyclopedia.  For history buffs, the individual responsible for the creation and concept of developing a comprehensive book of knowledge, the acclaimed French Encyclopédie, is the French philosopher, Denis Diderot.

The story follows a young Sophie Volland (a historical figure about whom little is known).  There is a historical record that Diderot was in communication with a Sophie Volland. Since so little is known about Volland and her relationship to Diderot, Prange uses the character of Sophie to explore the conflict between the pursuit of secular knowledge that characterized the Enlightenment and the autocratic power of the Catholic Church and the French monarchy.  Diderot's concept of developing a bible-like encyclopedia, containing all "human knowledge", becomes a threat to the Catholic Church and their control over the citizenry and influence on the monarchy.  Diderot is quickly persecuted and the lives of everyone associated with the production of the encyclopedia, including such famous names as Voltaire and Rousseau, are in danger.  

This historic tale is compelling and well written, and Prange particularly brings Paris to vivid life, and what it was like to live at a time when expressing new ideas or espousing a different viewpoint could place your life in danger. (Come to think of it, has much really changed?  Back then they had the Bastille and the guillotine, today we have semi-automatic rifles and Guantanamo.)  This historical novel does make you think.

Unfortunately Sophie, his heroine, is less interesting than the supporting characters, particularly the king's mistress, Madame de Pompadour and the king's censor, Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, who ultimately saves Diderot and the encyclopedia.  You will have to read the book to learn what happens to Malesherbes. 

More on the Dragon Tattoo

The Tattooed Girl: The enigma of Stieg Larsson & the secrets behind the most compelling thrillers of our time.

This book is a fascinating collection of stories and commentary.  John-Henri Holmberg, a Swedish author and close friend of Stieg Larsson for more than three decades, provides a unique insider’s look into the secrets of the author’s imaginative universe, his life, and his ideas for future books-including the mysterious “fourth book” in the series, which Larsson had started but not finished at the time of his death. 

Through insightful commentary and revealing interviews with other Swedish crime writers, you will enter the unique world of Lisbeth Salander, Mikael Blomkvist—and of Stieg Larsson himself. You will discover the fascinating real-life experiences and incidents involving Swedish politics, violence against women, and neo-Nazis that are at the heart of Larsson’s work.  Reading this book convinced me the literary world, and the world of investigative journalism, is going to sorely miss the work and writings of Stieg Larsson.  I only hope the "fourth book" in the Millennium trilogy will somehow find its way into Eva's hands, so that she can bring Stieg's world and story back to life. 

This book also proved to be a great source to learn about other writers of Swedish crime thrillers.  I have ended up purchasing a couple of additional titles of Swedish thrillers.  Any fan of the Millennium trilogy and eager to learn more about Stieg Larsson, should take the time to track this book down.  It will show you how even an interesting and well written nonfiction title can quickly absorb you.