|
Logos Bookstore's Recommendations
By H. Harris Healy, III, President, Logos Bookstore
1575 York Ave (Between 83rd and 84th Sts.)
New York, NY 10028
Phone (212) 517-7292, Fax (212) 517-7197
Want some diverse reading to keep you entertained anytime of the year? Well here is a suggestion: a historical novel, A Journey West (iUniverse, $16.95)set in the late 19th century tellling the story of Jacob Rocker, who sets off on a journey from New York City to California, traveling via ship through New Orleans and Galveston. He becomes a freight handler in Texas and encounters in New Mexico, such dynamic characters as the Apache chiefs, Geronimo, and Victorio and territorial governor , Lew Wallace.
The author of this book, Michael Boloker, is also the author of a most humorous book, Bananaman: Grumblings At An Imperfect World. (iUniverse, $12,95) His essays will make you laugh as you agree with his frustrations with and his criticism of contemporary society. He keeps himself well-occupied in his 'retirement years', speeding on the Arizona Highways and facing the consequences of being detected by radar and enduring a remedial driving class which cost less than paying the actual fine. In that class he got to rub shoulders with America's youth and observe them in all their finery: bluejeans with holes in knees and butts and belly buttons exposed, some tatoos and nose and eyebrow rings as well as backward baseball caps and flannel shirts opened over T-shirts. Boloker also has time to clean up after others and lecture them in the process by either letter or in person. The author really gets the reader intrigued by what he will do next. Something is going on with the Bananaman!
What does it mean to be a dog and a mortal being? Rover Khayyam, the barking bard of Philadelphia with the help of Edward Fitzhound translating from the original Dalmatian presents a dog's answer to the well-known Rubaiyat Of Omar Khayyam. All dog lovers will enjoy Rover's thoughtful meditations on the life of a dog as presented in the Rubaiyat of Rover Khayyam (iUniverse, $9.95). You like what you see here, get in touch with us at Logos Bookstore and buy copies of these books.
Another great choice for leisure reading is When The Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods And Grand Hotels In A Gilded Age by Justin Kaplan. The author's careful rendering of the various different Astors' personalities and their actions make this book read like a good novel.
From Waldorf, Germany to the New World, from being a butcher's son to collecting fur pelts for trade to the proud owner of extensive real estate holdings and luxurious hotels in the USA, John Astor became very wealthy and possibly the USA's first millionaire by the time of his death in 1848. His son, William Backhouse protected and increased the Astor fortune, married into a native blue blood family, the Armstrongs, and with his wife produced three sons. One, Henry, married a farmer's daughter and was ostracized by the family for marrying beneath his class. The other two, John Jacob III and William Backhouse, Jr. lived side by side in adjacent brownstone mansions on Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets. They shared offices in the family business, but did not get along well and this conflict continued with their sons.
The book's main focus is on the two cousins, William Waldorf, son of John Jacob III, and John Jacob IV, 'Jack', the Astor who went down with the Titanic, son of William Backhouse, Jr. and Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, the famous Mrs. Astor of the New York 400. A moving story within a story is that of William Waldorf, an avid art lover who as a youth on a trip to Italy fell in love with a young Italian, but was not allowed to marry her and was called back to his duties as an Astor heir in the USA. It was he who had the Waldorf hotel of the original Waldorf-Astoria constructed on the site of the family mansion, where he grew up between 33rd and 34th Streets on Fifth Avenue. His cousin, 'Jack' Astor joined in the venture by building the Astoria Hotel right next to the Waldorf in the same style, but seven stories higher. Both hotels remained there until demolished in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building.
This book is well illustrated with wonderful black and white photographs of the original Waldorf-Astoria, as well as pictures of the Astors themselves and William Waldorf's Cliveden estate in England.
|
|
