Category: American History

Dorothy, “An Amoral and Dangerous Woman”: The Murder of E. Howard Hunt’s Wife – Watergate’s Darkest Secret

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25246114On January 23, 2007, E. Howard Hunt died in Miami, Florida at the age of 88.  Hunt is best remembered for his conviction as a result of his role in the Watergate scandal that helped end the presidency of Richard M. Nixon.  Hunt was also a prime suspect in the murder of John F. Kennedy. His son St. John, spoke with his father prior to his death and their discussion is referred to as his deathbed confession about what he knew about the events in Dallas, Texas.  In the years following his death, truths about his role in the Central Intelligence Agency and the events in Dallas disproving his claim to be just a ‘bench warmer” in the crime.   Next to Hunt throughout the Watergate crisis was his first wife Dorothy who perished when United Flight 553 crashed on December 8, 1972 as it approached Chicago Midway Airport to make its landing.   The NTSB attributed the crash to pilot error but researchers have long suspected sabotage in the crash and have alluded to a long number of disturbing facts surrounding the crash.  On the surface, it seems to be just a tragic accident that killed a housewife en route to visit acquaintances.  But upon deeper examination of the crash and her life as revealed by her son in this book, the real story of the life of Dorothy Hunt is nearly as intriguing as that of her husband.

St. John Hunt has made himself known in JFK assassination circles.   His prior book. Bond of Secrecy: My Life with CIA Spy and Watergate Conspirator E. Howard Hunt, looks into the life of his father and the effects of his profession on their family.  Here, the focus is on his mother and her untimely demise.   No stranger to the world of covert operations, Dorothy also has a past with intelligence work, having been station in Europe on more than one occasion.  Her marriage to the blossoming operative Hunt, was a bond between two intelligence assets deeply involved the back channels of Washington and tied to a president facing a dark fate.

The early parts of their lives reads like a great novel; two young adults, meet, fall in love, start a family and move from one country to the next as their father is reassigned from one post to another.  Enter Watergate and the scandal that turned their lives upside down.  It is at this point in the book that the rug is pulled right out from under our feet and the dark side of Richard Nixon and Washington politics is revealed.  Those old enough to remember Watergate will not be surprised in what is contained in this book. In fact, the book is not a complete source on the investigation as St. John himself points out.  This is purely what he saw his parents go through as his father faced criminal prosecution and the impact his mother’s dad had on his life and those of his siblings. What is evidently clear from taped conversations at the Nixon White House and St. John’s account, is that his father’s legal defense was being paid for by Nixon and the money was also intended to keep Hunt quiet.  Following her death, Hunt ended up being convicted and served thirty-three months in prison for his role in the Watergate scandal.

The lives of St. John and his siblings would never be the same again.  Fallout from Watergate and the loss of their mother caused splits between siblings as each struggled to put their lives back together and come to terms with what they had been through.  I do not believe they will ever get over what happened but have learned to cope with it on a daily basis.  It is clear that  St. John, the first son of the family had a special bond with his mother.  The heartache and grief he experienced is evident in the pages of this book. And through his words, her memory continues to live on.

At the conclusion of the book, there is a section on the crash itself and the investigation by Sherman Skolnick (1930-2006), a noted conspiracy theorist and activist who challenged the NTSB’s position of pilot error.  This part of the book is an added bonus and reveals a ton of incredible and troubling information about the crash.  And what was once believed to be an open and shut case is revealed to be far more complicated and sinister.  While it is not inconclusively proven that Dorothy Hunt died as a result of homicide, there are dozens of deeply disturbing facts about the incident that should have raised the eyebrows of anyone investigating the crime. And next to 9/11, it is the only case I can think of where the FBI preempted an investigation by the NTSB, removing key evidence from the scene while preventing emergency personnel from completing their assigned tasks.  The complete story of what really happened that day may never be known but what we do know is that many strange things were occurring that had nothing to do with pilot error.

JFK Assassination researchers may be looking for a smoking gun but it will not be found here. In fact, not much about Dallas is discussed.   In St. John’s defense, that was not the purpose of the book.  His intention was to bring his mother’s story to light which he succeeds in doing.  And although he did get some factual information wrong,  the story is still a good read about a family caught up in one of the greatest crimes in American political history.

ISBN-10: 1634240375
ISBN-13: 978-1634240376

A Sniper In The Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders-Gary M. Lavergne

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whitmanOn August 1, 1966, the citizens of Austin, Texas woke up to yet another brutally hot summer day.   The heat was typical for the summer season but that day would be remembered for more than just the temperature.  At 11:35 a.m., Charles Whitman (1941-1966), a former United States Marine and student at the University of Texas, ascended to the observation deck of the UT Tower and unleashed a deadly shooting assault on suspecting civilians below.  In ninety-six minutes, Whitman murdered fourteen people and wounded at least thirty-one before he was shot and killed by responding law enforcement officers Houston McCloy and Ramiro Martinez who were joined by civilian Allen Crum. The shooting left the city shocked and ushered in a new concept in American history; the mass shooting spree.

Post-mortem, it was discovered that Whitman has a pecan sized tumor in his brain but whether it played in role in his actions of that day has not been conclusively determined. However there is strong evidence to believe that it did not as summarized concisely by Gary M. Lavergne (1955-) in this chilling account of Whitman’s life and his grisly crimes.  The long standing question is why did Whitman do it? The truth shall never be known and went with Whitman to his grave. What we do know is that he carefully planned every step, in particular the murders of his mother Margaret and wife Katherine.  Their deaths, combined with the rampage on the afternoon on August 1, left many who knew him in a state of bewilderment.  The key to understanding a criminal is to study their past.  Lavergne recounts Whitman’s life as we search to familiarize ourselves with Charles J. Whitman.

The book is thoroughly researched and reaches deep inside the dark side of Whitman’s mind.  His childhood is explored and the system of chaos that ensued at home takes center stage as Whitman and his father become arch enemies. The elder Whitman could easily be the antagonist in the book but at no point does Lavergne attempt to cast blame on him for any of the actions of that day.  He is spectator and so are we, to a father and son relationship driven by dysfunction and destined for destruction. And in a cruel twist of fate, the elder Whitman would outlive his wife and all three of his sons.  Lavergne personally interviewed C.A. Whitman and even years after the tragedy he still came off as a most peculiar figure.

As we make our way to August 1 in the book,  the suspense builds up and is enhanced by Whitman’s actions which are nothing sort of bizarre.  Lavergne pulls no punches and all of the grisly details are relayed to the reader.  And quite frankly, the remainder of the book is not for the faint at heart.  The story approaches the verge of descending deeper into what could only be called hell on earth.  With vivid detail and a play-by-play style of writing, Lavergne replays the events of that day in its entirety bringing the past alive.  In fact, during the book, I found myself overcome with chills. Whitman’s ability to kill in cold blood and his deviously calculating mind have placed him high in the annals of American crime.  However, his story would not be complete without the inclusion of the courageous officers who risked their own lives to put an end to the carnage.  Lavergne has done a great service to former Austin Police Officers Houston McCoy (1940-2012) , Ramiro Martinez (1937-) and Billy Speed (1943-1966).  None of them could have imagined that day would turn out as it did. And for Speed, he could not have imagined that it would be his last day on earth.  In this book and the story of Whitman, their names live on.

In 1975, MGM Television aired The Deadly Tower starring Kurt Russell as  Charles Whitman.  Russell does a good job of portraying Whitman but regrettably, the producers of the film took several liberties that are in no way accurate to the real life story. Regardless, the film stands as the big screen adaptation of Whitman’s murder spree.   Since that dreadful day in Austin more than fifty years ago, there have been other mass shootings in the United States that have cause nationwide grief and renewed the debate about the gun laws in America.  The names of Columbine, Orlando and Sandy Hook have become embedded in the minds of Americans as reminders of the deadly consequences of mentally unstable and hateful individuals in the possession of weapons designed to kill.  In the future, it is hoped that our response to such acts are swift and effective.  The Austin police department found itself unable to accurate respond to a previously unknown threat on American soil. As we moved forward, it is imperative that history does not repeat itself.  This is the story of Charles J. Whitman and one of America’s darkest days.

ISBN-10: 1574410296
ISBN-13: 978-1574410297

Circle of Six: The True Story of New York’s Most Notorious Cop Killer and the Cop Who Risked Everything to Catch Him-Randy Jurgensen

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April 14, 1972-The New York City Police Department’s 28th Precinct receives a ten-thirteen, the code for an officer in distress.  Units are dispatched and responding officers enter the location given by the caller,  West 116th Street and Malcolm X. Blvd. The building is the Nation of Islam’s Muslim Mosque No. 7, then under the control of Minister Louis Farrakhan.  The officers are locked inside, beaten severely and Officer Philip Cardillo is mortally wounded in the sternum and later dies from his wounds.  The responding officers are ordered out of the mosque by superiors and members of the Nation of Islam begin to clean the building, contaminating crucial evidence and rendering future investigations nearly impossible.  Cardillo’s killer remained hidden for several years and it seemed as if his identity would never  be known. However one New York City Police Detective refused to give up and risked his entire career to see the killer brought to justice. This is the story of Det. Randy Jurgensen (Ret.) and his never-ending efforts to catch the murderer of Philip Cardillo.

Jurgensen was one of the many officers that responded to the scene and gives us a play-by-play description of the events as they transpired.  He was critically wounded himself that day and the encounter between the police and the NOI nearly resulted in  a complete riot. Upon his recovery he is tasked with investigating Cardillo’s murder, but as we see in the book, it was nearly an impossible feat as he faced obstruction on all fronts and incredibly, within the NYPD.  Political aspirations and social concerns resulted in NYPD brass instituting strict controls over the ensuing investigation and a potential mutiny by patrol officers with the backing of the PBA, threatened to bring New York City to a complete halt. The submission of power by the NYPD and public officials to the NOI under Farrakhan’s control served to demoralized the detectives pursuing Cardillo’s killer and the officers that stood near his side on that tragic day in April, 1972.

Jurgensen purposely changed the name of some of the individuals in the book for obvious reasons. But their actions and the wall of stone he encounters throughout the book will cause the reader to question the value placed upon those who put their lives on the line every day in service to the City of New York.  A brush with death is sometimes hidden behind the next corner and every call has the potential to be the last. But nonetheless, the men and women of the NYPD continue to do their   Jurgensen refuses to give up and his efforts pay off in the apprehension of Cardillo’s killer.  The arrest and subsequent trial are bittersweet moments highlighting the precarious nature of a jury in trial with strong racial overtones. We are forced to examine ourselves and our beliefs towards law enforcement and the concept of right and wrong.   The end result may not be what the reader will expect but shining moment in the book is the truth surrounding Cardillo’s murder being revealed at last.  It is a moment that will cause pride to surface in the heart of every New York City Police Officer.  Today the City hardly resembles its 1972 version.  The Nation of Islam is still prevalent but the  Muslim Mosque No. 7 has since relocated.  Minister Louis Farrakhan continues to remain the in the public light although he has advanced into his senior years. Randy Jurgensen  entered Hollywood following his retirement and worked as a technical consultant on ‘The French Connection’, ‘The Cruiser’ and ‘Donnie Brasco’.   He continues to honor Cardillo’s memory and has pushed for the renaming of a street in the late officer’s name.   Jurgensen will  even make a return to Hollywood as this book is set to be adapted by the silver screen.  Cardillo will never been forgotten and for Jurgensen, Farrakhan and the others present on April 14, 1972, the events of that day will remain firmly implanted in their memories until their last day.  This is an invaluable part of New York City history as told through the incredible story of the circle of six.

ISBN-10: 1932857850
ISBN-13: 978-1932857856

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong-James W. Loewen

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“There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know ” – President Harry S. Truman

In comparison to many countries around the world, America is still a young nation.  Our history dates back several centuries which is far shorter than the thousands of years of history claimed by countries such as Greece and China. However, in the short time the United States has been in existence,  the world has witnessed its development and transformation into a world superpower. The image that is projected is of the land of the free and the home of the brave.  The battle for independence against Great Britain and the Declaration of Independence are considered to be hallmark moments that defined the future course of the United States.  But if we take time to examine our history here, we will find that much of what we have learned is not only wrong but has also caused many of us to live in ignorance, unaware of how our country became what it is today.

In two days, Columbus Day is upon us yet again.  In New York City, the Columbus Day Parade will march down 5th Avenue.  On October 4, the city of Denver, Colorado did something no other state has ever done before when the city council voted 12-0 to remove Columbus Day as an official holiday. The city has renamed the day Indigenous People’s Day.  Denver joins several other cities that have taken similar measures to pay homage to the plight of America’s Native American ancestors.  As a kid, I was taught that Christopher Columbus “discovered” America and without him, America would not exist.  I continued to believe that as I  grew up until several years ago when I came across an article that revealed the truth surrounding the arrival of Columbus, his brother Diego and their entourage in the Caribbean.  As the truth became clearer and the veil of deceit was lifted, I was forced to think not only about the myth of Columbus but about hundreds of other things I learned in history classes throughout the years.  My brother, aware of my love of history, picked up this book for me by James W. Loewen.  The cover alone is enough to provoke interest and suspicion but what’s inside the book is truly invaluable.

The idea that a teacher has lied about a historical event sounds preposterous to some. But as I made my way through this book, I began to see that the failure of teachers to teach the truth about America’s past is a small part of a larger problem, a system wide defect that has plagued classrooms for decades.  The poor vetting of information contained within history books and the desire to show our history in the best light possible has resulted in generation after generation being misinformed.  In fact, there are times at which our knowledge of our own history is so inferior that foreigners have a deeper wealth of knowledge as to how America was founded.  Our patriotism and sensitivity to criticism has caused many of us to automatically reject any notion that what we have been taught in school could possibly be completely wrong.  But if we are to learn the truth, then the first step is admit that we have been wrong. And with this book, James W. Loewen leads the way.

I cannot imagine that a book of this nature was easy to write for a number of reasons.  But I have always felt that true patriots love their country but never excuse its wrongdoings. Just as we take to task our siblings and friends for their transgressions, we bear the responsibility to ourselves and our fellow citizens to acknowledge  that our past has not always been glamorous and has a very dark side.  The demographics of America continue to change and we truly are a nation of immigrants.  However  class division, racial discrimination, genocide and domineering foreign policy became staples of the foundation of the United States.  Acknowledging this does not make any of us less patriotic but it helps us to understand how are we have come and how far we still have to go.  All Americans should read this book and I belive it would be highly beneficial to make this book mandatory reading in all schools.  And even for those who are not American, it might confirm what you already knew or enlighten you to other things you do not yet know

ISBN-10: 0743296281
ISBN-13: 978-0743296281

America’s Deadliest Export-Democracy: The Truth About US Foreign Policy and Everything Else-William Blum

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The recent terror attack in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood highlighted the concern many Americans have about fellow citizens of the Islamic faith that have originated in or spent considerable time in the Middle East.   The oft-asked question is usually “why do they hate us?”. Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, are only a few out of many nations in which the United States has involved itself in the nation’s politics.  To many Americans, the dislike and/or intense hatred of America displayed from the region boggles the mind and is utterly incomprehensible. But if we take a closer look at things from another point of view, we come to see there is more than meets the eye as author William Blum points out in this book that is guaranteed to make you question everything you thought you knew about American foreign policy.

From the start, this book will be hard for many Americans to accept.   Blum pulls no punches but instead goes full steam ahead, methodically showing how U.S. foreign policy has destabilized nations resulting in the removal of dozens of foreign leaders and political turmoil which continues to haunt many of those nations to this day.  David Talbot, author of ‘The Devil’s Chessboard‘, revealed the dark rise of the CIA and its actions which influenced American foreign policy following World War II.  Similar to Talbot, Blum brings to light many dark secrets that the average American would rather not know.  Almost all of us born in America were raised to believe that the United States is the leader when it comes to democracy, justice, liberty and freedom for all.  Throughout the years, we have enforced our system of government around the world, or as Blum puts it, exporting democracy.  But a critical question arises.  In the nations to which  we exported democracy, was it needed or asked for?  As Blum shows us, U.S. foreign policy dictated that it was. But in many countries nations, it wasn’t needed  and as a result, millions of people around the world have suffered at the hands of U.S. foreign policy.  Air raids, propaganda and economic penalties are just some of the methods used against those nations which do not comply with the agenda of the U.S.  From Mossadegh in Iran in 1954 to the current war on terror, many important facts have been hidden from the American public, allowing us to believe that all actions carried out in the name of freedom have been in the best interests of the people of the United States.  On a regular basis, the media shows us a purported new “threat” from a number of foreign nations.  But as Blum asks us, “who is really going to attack the US?”.

Some will read this book and believe that Blum is unpatriotic, cynical and even treasonous. But I believe that thoughts of that nature are severely misguided.  Contrary to what many may think, it is possible to be patriotic but still question and even expose the wrongdoings by our own government.  And as Jesse “The Body’ Ventura recently said in a video regarding Colin Kaepernick, the government has to earn patriotism.  In the eyes of many around the world, we are seen as the big brother that exerts his influence wherever he goes. But our most tragic mistake is to believe that everyone desires to live as we do.   No government is perfect and every country has its regrettable moments.  But is the duty of every American to acknowledge when our country is wrong and/or misguided and see things from the eyes of those who we persecute either intentionally or inadvertently.  I’ve always felt that people who are the most critical of this nation are also some of the most patriotic.  It is their belief in the good of the nation that forces them to confront its shortcomings.  People such as William Blum are doing their part to show other Americans what has been occurring right under our noses.  You don’t have to agree with everything he says, but if you open your mind and digest what he’s written, you may find that you have a new understanding of the pitfalls of a misguided foreign policy and why it brings shame on the United States of America.

ISBN-10: 1783601671
ISBN-13: 978-1783601677

The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles and Their Secret World War- Stephen Kinzer

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the_brothersOn July 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signs the National Security Act, establish a new intelligence agency to gather information deemed critical to the protection of the United States from foreign threats.  The new agency is known as the Central Intelligence Agency and its initial members are former members of the Office of Strategic Services which had been discontinued following the allied Victory in World War II.   As the Cold War heated up with the Soviet Union and new leaders came to light in several continents, the members of the new agency felt a surging sense to act preemptively to what was perceived to be direct threats to the safety and stability of the western hemisphere.  Among the large number of those afraid of Communist infiltration and the end of U.S. business interest were two brothers who controlled an overwhelming majority of power over U.S. foreign policy whose names today are largely unknown to the younger generation.  John Foster and Allen Welsh Dulles, the former Secretary of State and Director of the C.I.A., remain controversial and pivotal figures in 20th century American history.  In this expose about their time in high posts within the U.S. government, author Stephen Kinzer reveals the dark side of the U.S. government as two brothers used the White House, military and Central Intelligence Agency to advance their financial agenda across several continents resulting in the overthrow of governments, assassination of foreign leaders and financial exploitation of smaller nations caught in the grip of U.S. occupation.

Many years have passed since the Dulles brothers controlled the foreign policy of the U.S. government but the effects of their policies were felt and are being felt even today.   Following World War II, many nations began to seek a different course after witnessing and in other cases, learning of the atrocities in Nazi controlled Germany and in parts of China occupied by the Japanese Army.   The Soviet Union, seeking to expand its influence and domain, began to offer to support smaller nations looking to break the shackles of colonialism and implement an independent government. This new form of free thought combined with the looming threat to business interest and monetary gains would result in some of the darkest moments in the history of U.S. foreign policy.  Some of these actions would forever tarnish the reputation of the C.I.A. and even today in 2016, more information once classified is coming to light revealing the true nature of business of the once mysterious agency.

One month after the assassination of John. F. Kennedy, former president Harry S. Truman penned an article including a strong advisory that the nation needed to watch the actions of the C.I.A.  Since its inception, the agency had grown to become a government in itself and as Stephen Kinzer shows, the collaboration between two brothers in positions of power, had deadly implication for those determined to be enemies of the United States. Patrice Lumumba, Mohammed Mossadegh,  Jacobo Arbenz and Fidel Castro are only a few of the many figures that became targets of the Dulles’ vengeance.   Kinzer’s research brings the past alive and takes us right into the lion’s den to bear witness to the process in which the plots unfolded and the course of history was change.  And similarly as author David Talbot also points out in ‘The Devil’s Chessboard‘, the agency at its height, was unstoppable committing illegal and treasonous acts.  The programs known as Operation Paperclip, Operation Sunrise, MK Ultra and ZR/Rifle have opened the public’s eyes to the deadly and mind-boggling programs initiated by the agency in under the tutelage of Allen Dulles himself as both an operative of the C.I.A. and as its director.  And many of these actions came with the blessing and encouragement from Foster as Secretary of State to President Eisenhower.

Today, the Dulles’ brothers are nothing more than relics of history to most. Foster died on May 24, 1959 and Allen on January 29, 1969.  And aside from Washington Dulles International Airport,  their names have been forgotten by most.  But as Stephen Kinzer reminds us in this excellent inside look into their lives and actions, there was a time in United States history when the two of them controlled U.S. foreign policy and waged their own secret world war.

“Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan” President John F. Kennedy, April, 1961

ISBN-10: 1250053129
ISBN-13: 978-1250053121

Blood On The Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln-Edward Steers, Jr.

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20180602_234541On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth changed the course of United History.  The murder of Abraham Lincoln marked the first time a sitting U.S. President had been slain by an assassin.  Tragically, Lincoln would not be the last to be assassinated.  John F. Kennedy would meet his tragic fate on the streets of Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.   Lincoln’s murder has become fodder for conspiracy theorist intent on proving that a web of deceit surrounded Lincoln paving the way for the tyrannical Booth to execute his plan.  But just how much of a conspiracy was there? And did it involve members of the Confederacy?  Was Edward Stanton complicit in pulling back Lincoln’s security detail?  And was Mary Surratt rightfully convicted? Edward Steers, through painstaking research answers those questions and more in what is the definitive examination of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

By all accounts, the general consensus is that John Wilkes Booth committed the murder and then jumped to the stage breaking a bone in his left leg in the process.  His declaration of “Sic semper tyrannis” remains some of the most remembered and chilling words ever recorded in American history.  Nearly two weeks later he was shot and killed by Sgt. Boston Corbett in a barn at the Garrett farmhouse.  Nearly four years would pass before Booth’s body was returned to his family for internment at Green Mount Cemetery Baltimore, MD, where it continues to rest today.  But with any famous murder, rumors, suspicion and misinformation arise leading to false conclusions and even more unanswered questions.  Drawing on statements by those with first hand knowledge of the crime as a witness or subsequent participant and government documents, Steers has masterfully reconstructed the events leading up to the murder, the night itself and the aftermath that followed.  And what is revealed, may change the way you look at an event that had a profound impact on a nation and helped shape the modern-day United States.

The facts of the murder and grisly details are scenery for those seeking gory bits of information.  But the key to viewing Lincoln’s murder lies in the reasons behind the venom that consumed Booth and his conspirators.  The Civil War in all of its ugliness, serves a predicate for the murder and in this book we are shown the treasonous acts carried out by members of the Confederacy as the Union neared closer to forcing it into submission.  Lincoln, the Republican star,is seen by many in the south as a deadly threat to the system of slave labor.  He forever changed the course of America with the emancipation of slaves, striking a severe blow to the southern way of life.  However, sympathetic supporters could be found throughout the country even in the north and it is among these groups of individuals that Booth is able to form his nexus of assassins.  And had the full plan been carried out, perhaps Steers would have been forced to write even more about the events of that night.

Many years have passed since Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth took their last breaths.  Their secrets went with them to the grave with each having never written a full autobiography.  The two had never met  before that night yet they are joined in death from a critical moment in time which remains with us today.  While the possibility of more unknown accomplices does exist, Steers has put to rest many unfounded rumors that serve to detract from the true story.  And doing so, he has given us a gift in the form of a book that does the most efficient job of telling us what happened on that tragic night.  It is often said that hindsight is always 20/20. In this case, it’s not only 20/20 but beyond crystal clear.

ISBN-10: 0813191513
ISBN-13: 978-0813191515

The New Jim Crow-Michelle Alexander

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974In the 240 years that the United States has been in existence, the feats and accomplishments of this nation have been nothing short of history changing and in some case earth shattering.  As one of the world’s superpowers, the United States continues to be a prime destination for immigrants all over the world looking for a new opportunity in the land of the free and home of the brave.  And while the public face of the country touts freedom, liberty and justice for all, there’s a much darker side to the country  rarely seen by many of the people wishing to immigrate to America an those who currently live in the nation.  Incarceration rates have been on the rise in the United States since the start of the 1980s. And shockingly, the United States continues to incarcerate people at a higher rate than any other country on earth.  The rates show no sign of slowing down or even declining and as a result, more prisons are being constructed and more Americans of all backgrounds are entering prison cells than ever before.

I vividly remember as a kid in the 1980s, the government’s commencement of the war on drugs.  Television commercials, posters, documentaries and news broadcasts regularly reminded us of the dangers of narcotic use.  Nancy Regan famously reminded us to just say no.  In 2016, the  war on drug continues, but its success and consequences remain the topic of fierce debate.   While the primary focus of the war may have been the elimination of illegal drugs, there was a heavy price to be paid by those on the wrong end of the campaign. The laws passed as a result of the anti-drug campaign have resulted in some the harshest prison sentences in the world for drug use.  Young African-American and Latino make up the majority of all drug convictions pursuant to those same laws and the system of mass incarceration has appropriately been called by Michelle Alexander in this phenomenal book, the ‘New Jim Crow’.  While the Jim Crow laws that cast a dark cloud on the United States were struck down many decades ago,  the systematic incarceration and ostracism that convicted men and women find themselves in, is some ways equally as dangerous as the former system of legal segregation.  Those who do enter the system, often find that they carry a stigma for life as a felon and sometimes never fully re-integrate into society thus becoming the unwanted and living with the shame and neglect as many minorities did during the violent and regretful Jim Crow era.

Alexander has done a masterful job of bringing to light what could be considered an epidemic in American culture.  The fallout from the war on drugs and high incarceration rates among Black and Latino youths, has resulted in the continuation of the destructive cycles in the ghettos across America that were responsible for their lifestyle from the beginning.  Thoroughly researched and thought-provoking, her investigative report challenges us to re-examine our own opinions about convicted felons and drug use. She also forces us to considered the economic benefits from the incarceration of millions of Americans and the financial black hole that has resulted from the war on drugs.  Her reporting is shocking and infuriating for it reveals many dark secrets about the American penal system and the American attitude to crime and punishment. And as someone who was raised in an environment that produced many young men and women who have fallen victim to the new Jim Crow, this book is a brutal reminder of the life long consequences of a life in the street and the cost of the mistake for many Americans that are otherwise productive members of society.

This book should be required reading in homes and classrooms across America in the effort to prevent young men and women from entering a life long system of discrimination and oppression. Michelle Alexander has done a great service to the citizens of this nation who are unaware or unwilling to face our fear of topics of race, prison, poverty and politics.  Only then, can we begin to dismantle the new system of Jim Crow and successfully rehabilitate those in the penal system and help end the decades long poverty that has plagued neighborhoods all across America.

ISBN-10: 1595586431
ISBN-13: 978-1595586438

Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy-M. Stanton Evans

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97084356_com-blacklisted-by-history-the-untold-story-of-senatorOn May 2, 1957, Joseph Raymond “Joe” McCarthy dies at the age of 48 in Bethesda, Maryland from the effects of acute hepatitis.  The late Senator from the state of Wisconsin is famously remembered for his campaign to extricate employees from positions within the United States government suspected of being members of the American communist party, under the direction of the Soviet Union.  During his campaign and for many years following his death, McCarthy was viewed as being  paranoid about communism, intent on ruining the lives and reputations of honorary citizens and a self-destructive force who died in part due his own personal demons.  One of the beautiful things about history is the ability to look back and re-examine events in the quest to find out what really happened.   More than 50 years after his death, McCarthy’s name is still mentioned in conversation and used as the end of jokes about anyone who is suspected of being overly concerned about any type of foreign influence on the domestic policies of the United States.  But just who was the real Joseph McCarthy? And was he the out of control hunter of communist who attacked his targets at all costs?

M. Stanton Evans answers these questions and more in this definitive look into the life and actions of the late Senator.  Painstakingly researched, Evans’ account is both eye-opening and sobering for it reveals the true Joseph McCarthy and his beliefs regarding communist ideology in American society and the espionage that had been occurring throughout the U.S. government by agents of the Soviet Union.  Through Evans’ research, a new picture of McCarthy emerges that is in stark contrast from the historically jaded image that we’ve come to recognize.   A new McCarthy is seen, as man who through patriotic beliefs, leads a crusade against what was then a threat to the national security of the United States.  Targeted by enemies in the State Department and the Truman administration, a war was unleashed to discredit McCarthy at all costs.   Fabrications, missing evidence and evasive testimony would serve as the foundation for endless attacks upon his credibility and beliefs.   The Watkins committee and its final result remain the darkest time in McCarthy’s life next to his untimely death.

Evan’s account is a masterpiece of investigative and contains a full roster of some of the most remembered names in history, many of them making an appearance in the book.   He was hated by some and loved  by others, but his name and crusades remain a critical part in U.S. history.  Judgment is often passed quickly upon him, but most fail to see the true Joseph McCarthy and the patriotic battle he waged against an enemy within.   The most tragic part of his story, is that it took decades for his vindication to take place.  We now know that not only was he right about his beliefs but the hunt for Soviet moles within the U.S. government continued for decades after his death and would reach its culmination under the direction of the mysterious CIA Chief of Counterintelligence, James J. Angleton.  Harry Truman once remarked that the only truth is the history we do not yet know.  Truer words have never been spoken.  For the real story on the crusade of Joseph McCarthy, this is it.

ISBN-10: 1400081068
ISBN-13: 978-1400081066

The Brother: The Untold Story of the Rosenberg Case-Sam Roberts

On By Genyc79In American HistoryLeave a comment

index1June 19, 1953- Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York.  The couple had been convicted in espionage based on the testimony of Ethel’s younger brother, David Greenglass.  The execution is the first time a woman is punished by death since the civil war era.   The Rosenberg case has been the subject of intent debate for over 60 years with supporters and critics sticking to their respective positions.   Because all of the major figures from that case and era deceased, the full truth about what really happened may never be known.  However, Sam Roberts has put together this incredible book about the Rosenberg and Greenglass families and the connections to the NKGB, the Soviet intelligence apparatus.  It is primarily the story of David Greenglass and his relationship with Julius Rosenberg, who in turn had forged connections with other important scientist and blue-collar individuals also passing along military secrets to the Soviet Union.

One of the biggest questions about the case is how could David and Ruth testify in the manner in which they did, knowing it could send Julius and Ethel to the electric chair?  By meticulously researching the history of both families, the official transcripts from the courts and even interviewing David himself,  we are able to get a more complete picture of how their mission collapsed and why David and Ruth gave the statements they did.  Their actions force us to examine our relationships with siblings and even ask ourselves if we could give testimony that would mean death for our brother or sister.   The trial and conviction of Julius and Ethel allows us to travel back and time to the McCarthy era when almost anyone who displayed either left-wing tendencies or empathy towards the Soviet Union, was branded as a communist.  The communist paranoia and hunt for moles, destroyed countless lives and careers and nearly crippled the Central Intelligence Agency before director William Colby in 1974, moved to remove the Chief of Counterintelligence, James J. Angleton.

The Rosenberg case will forever remain a critical part of American history and cause many of us to ask whether they deserved death and just how honest were David and Ruth in their statements.  And had the defense known about the many inconsistencies in both David and Ruth’s account, would Julius and Ethel had been spared?  Some may argue that at this point in time, it no longer matters and for today’s generation, the Rosenbergs are nothing more than relics in a mostly forgotten time in American history.  But for students of history and believers in patriotism and democracy, this book is an invaluable insight into one of the biggest cases of the 20th century.

ISBN-10: 1476747385
ISBN-13: 978-1476747385