Category: Biographies

Revolutionary Suicide-Huey P. Newton

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huey“The first lesson a revolutionary must learn is that he is a doomed man” -Huey P. Newton.

Those prophetic words spoken the late Huey P. Newton serve as a reminder of the fate is to be accepted when one decides to become a revolutionary intent on change through armed struggle.  Successful revolutions throughout history were often violent with climactic endings that forever changed the history of the nation in which they were executed.  Here in the United States, some would argue that the revolution for civil rights has never ended.  The faces may have changed but the age-old problems remain.  While the days of Fidel Castro and Chairman Mao have long passed, their efforts, successes and failures are case studies for the positive and negative effects of armed struggle.  The 1960s proved to be a turning point in both American and world history as young men and women found an ideology they could relate to in the teachings of Marx, Lenin and Engels.  The Black Panther Party emerged during this decade giving African-Americans and other minorities a source of pride and confidence against systemic discrimination.   Created by Huey and Bobby Seale, the party later became a target of the FBI’s illegal COINTEL program which helped contribute to its self-destruction.

Revolutionary Suicide is Huey’s autobiographical masterpiece takes us deep inside his mind and conscience which was always on and moving in several different directions at once.  Functionally illiterate by the time he graduated high school, he would eventually learn to read and write and became a voracious reader resulting in one of the sharpest analytical and political minds the civil rights movement ever  produced. Earning a Ph.D from the University of California in Santa Cruz, he evolved into a gifted writer full of energy and raw emotion and his words and thoughts are conveyed in an engaging matter bound to keep the reader engaged.  His life was anything but ordinary and he was charged and tried for murder more than once. Known to have a hair-trigger, he admits his past mistakes and his disdain for authoritative figures.   It was a trend that would continue his entire life. Defiant and stoic, this is Huey in his own words.   And if you like this you might also like David Hilliard’s Huey: Spirit of the Panther.

ISBN-10: 0143105329
ISBN-13: 978-0143105329

Gil Scott Heron: Piece of a Man – Marcus Baram

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917sqf1-ymlOn May 27, 2011, Gil Scott-Heron died of congestive heart failure at the age of 62. The late activist, poet, writer and musician who was considered an early pioneer of what would later become rap music, had been plagued by years of addiction to crack cocaine.  Heron had been a long time user and the brutal drug had taken its toll on his mind and body, reducing the always slim Heron to even slimmer proportions.  When he died, fans went into mourning, tributes were organized and in death he became immortalized.  His life however, was not as smooth as the lyrics in his songs and poems.  Marcus Baram has put together the definitive account of Heron’s life appropriately titled ‘Pieces of a Man’ for the real Heron was a man undefined by anything in particular and composite of many faces.

The native of Chicago, IL became a leading voice in music inspired by the times and events of the generation in which he lived.  His words and actions were striking and his influence on those around him and generations that followed is nothing short of profound.  But behind the creative genius was a man often in turmoil with an equally tumultuous life.  Infidelity coupled with illegitimate children and paternity issues were haunt the star and towards the end of his life as the effects of years of drug use took their toll, destitution would become a constant threat to his well-being.  And upon his return from his last European tour, his body finally gave out marking an end to the life of one of the most brilliant minds the music industry has ever seen.  He has been gone for several years but not a day goes by where somewhere or someplace, there is someone playing his songs, watching his films or reading his poetry.   And no matter which gift of Heron’s we choose to accept, we will come away understanding why he said the revolution would not be televised.

ASIN: B00JTIRUSE

Wishing on the Moon: The Life and Times of BIllie Holiday-Donald Clarke

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290115On July 17, 1959, a shock wave was felt through the jazz industry and a somber mood filled the corridors of the New York Metropolitan Hospital. Eleanora Fagan, known by her stage name Billie Holiday, died tat the age forty-four from the effects of cirrhosis of the liver and the failure of several additional vital organs.  In death the final chapter of her short and tragic life reached its foreseeable conclusion.  Holiday had struggled with drug addiction and had found herself embroiled in dysfunctional and abusive personal relationships.  On stage, she captivated audiences and left her mark as she became Lady Day.  Her life story has been revived on Broadway as Lady Day at Emerson’s Grill starring Audrey McDonald.  The play became a New York Times’ critic’s choice and earned McDonald high praise. To this day, Holiday is help up as a vocal icon for young singers seeking to imitate the class and talent of the fallen star.  Behind the music, makeup and soulful voice existed another Billie Holiday, suffering in pain from physical and emotional turmoil.  Donald Clarke takes us deep inside of this world with this definitive biography.

Clarke is a known writer on American music and has published several books on the subject. He still follows his passion today and continues to publish posts on his blog.  His account of Holiday’s life was originally published in 1994 and then reprinted in 2000 under the title Billie Holiday: Wishing On The Moon.   Regardless of which printing in which the reader decides to indulge, the story has a life of its own and the revelations about her personal life are startling and ultimately give way to empathy.   At the height of her career, segregation was the law of the land and Jim Crow still held the Southern United States in a vice grip.  Holiday was forced to confront this demon as was dozens of other African-American performers enlisted to perform in front of white audiences but denied entry through the front door.  This regrettable social situation in America at the time plays a significant part in the path her life takes and the people that she finds herself involved.

Her story however, would not be complete without the inclusion of narcotics and their presence takes center stage as her life spirals out of control. The pressures of show business, racism and a family history of dysfunction combined to destabilize any semblance of normality that she sought to obtain.  Her rise to fame and eventual downfall is beyond heartbreaking and her actions at times will make the reader recoil in disbelief. Clarke does an exceptional job of showing this side of Holiday and the truth while unpleasant is critical to understanding the inner turmoil that plagued Lady Day.

 

As the book progresses the reality that her life is on a collision course becomes readily apparent. The reader will be able to see the deadly conclusion as Holiday’s story unfolds. But like a runaway freight train, she is unable to stop her life from its predestined ending. The irony however is although she realized this, she makes decisions that will leave the reader speechless.  The physical transformation that occurs as she ages and her demons take the best of her is one of the darkest parts of the book.  Her emotional instability and ability to involve herself with men determined to break her will and take advantage over her, cast an even more detrimental cloud over her that followed her until her last days. And as she lived out her final moments in a hospital ward, the spiral continued making her death a departure and release.

Since her death, no one has been able to replicate the aura of the famed Lady Day.  By no means was she the only talented performer of her time, but in death she has earned a legacy that remains intact.  It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the loss of a great star gone before her time.

ISBN-10: 0670837717
ISBN-13: 978-0670837717

After The Dance: My Life With Marvin Gaye -Janis Gaye with David Ritz

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after the danceIn 1977, sixteen year old Janis Hunter married soul singer Marvin Gaye becoming his second wife following Gaye’s earlier marriage to Anna Gordy, the younger sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy.   Their marriage produced two children before the couple divorced several years later.  Now in her later years, Janis tells her story of what her life was like being married to the legendary recording artist.   As a starstruck teenage girl, she easily falls head over heels for the soul singer whose seductive charming personality, good looks and fast track lifestyle captured her heart and interest.   Following the wedding bells, reality set in and a host of demons that plagued Gaye throughout his life rise to the surface transforming the fairy tale marriage into a relationship destined to implode. Marvin’s life was an enigma in itself and it can be said that he never did find peace on earth.  His ability to self-destruct and engage in life threatening behavior became staples of his career and were factors in his death after a violent confrontation with his father on April 1, 1984.  Depression, a dysfunctional relationship with his father and narcotics formed a deadly triumvirate from which Gaye was never able to escape. Janis became first hand witnesses to this and as a result of her close proximity to him, she also faced her own demons that threatened to consume her own life.   This is the true story of what really did happen when she married the man that was once Motown’s prince.

It may seem absurd to some that she was only sixteen when she married Gaye.  But surprisingly, the marriage was consented to by her family. Had they voiced opposition perhaps this book would not exist. As Janis tells us herself, sixteen was a young age to be married but when Marvin Gaye is pursuing you it is tough to turned down an invitation that millions of other women would love to have had.  Clearly in awe of him and his many social connections including Margot Kidder, Teddy Pendergrass, Frankie Beverly and other stars formed a surreal atmosphere that Marvin used to cover up his demons from which he could never escape.

Drugs, mistrust and infidelity began to swarm around the marriage causing a pattern of self-destruction from which the couple never recovered. And in the book, there are several episodes recounted by Janet that will cause the reader to wonder how Gaye was even able to function at times.  As a father of two children, his instability of mental and emotional levels threatened to put their lives in turmoil and their safety is in the hands of their mother Janis. But what happens when the mother is being dragged down the same self-destructive path as the father.  For Janis, this was her reality and as she realizes the man she loves will also be her downfall, she gathers the strength and courage to finally part ways with him. But the struggle was not easy and she admits to her own shortcomings including her relationships with Pendergrass and Beverly.  Beverly is featured throughout the book and for good reason; Marvin was the one who discovered him and his band Maze who went on to become legends in the genre of rhythm and blues.

As outrageous as the story is at times, it is necessary to remember that this was the life a woman who had not yet reached twenty years of age for the early part of their marriage. Her youth was unconventional and shaped in part by a destructive spouse unable to face his own demons.  Thankfully she did not follow Marvin down the path of destruction and is alive today to live the only life that she has.  I know that she will never forget her time with him and will always love him.  This look inside the private life of Marvin Gaye is a good memoir of one of music’s most tragic figures.

ISBN-10: 006213552X
ISBN-13: 978-0062135520

James Baldwin, A Biography-David Leeming

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baldwinOn May 24, 1963, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy met with a group composed of authors and civil rights icons at his Central Park South apartment.  Among those in attendance were Lorraine Hansberry and her friend and fellow author, James Baldwin (1924-1987). The meeting quickly became volatile as the activists accused the Kennedy administration of dragging its feet on civil rights legislation. Their frustrations at the rampant discrimination in the United States and the inability of the government to take action, boiled over and Kennedy found himself in a hornet’s nest of raw emotion.  The meeting left a permanent mark in his memory but in time he would become a vocal advocate for equal rights for all American regardless of race, creed or gender.  His resurgence as the candidate of the poor and the downtrodden became the basis for his 1968 president campaign that ended tragically with his assassination in Los Angeles on June 5 ,1968.  Baldwin outlived Kennedy by nineteen years and today both are remember for their efforts to transform the American conscious and way of thinking.   In recent years, his work has been rediscovered and studied for its messages that were accurate then and are accurate now.   Baldwin’s public stance of many topics was blunt and non-confusing. He did not mince his words and his delivery was direct and always mean to stir thought.  But for all of his public actions, his private life is a story on its own that shows the author in a completely different light.  His friend for many years, David Leeming, wrote this biography of his late friend to show the world who the real James Baldwin was.  And what he has composed is a definitive account of the life of the late author.

The story of Baldwin’s life reads like a Shakespearean tragedy.  As a Black American born during the Jim Crow era and an openly homosexual, he was in unique position to observe the world classified under two groups of individuals openly persecuted in American society.  The New York native struggled to find himself and his journey in life took him back and forth across the ocean to Europe where he would find a second him in France.  And it was in France that he took his last breath after succumbing to the effects of a protracted battle with lung cancer.  During a visit to Istanbul, Turkey in 1968, he met Leeming and the two formed a friendship that lasted for the rest of his life.  Leeming was present when Baldwin passed and had also become close to Baldwin’s brother David who is featured throughout the book.

Homosexuality was a topic that Baldwin had no fear of addressing. His classic Giovanni’s Room tackles the taboo subject and did so at at time when such topics were only discussed in secrecy.  However the book breaches a subject to which millions of people can relate as they face the same struggle daily.  And when he wrote the all-time classic Go Tell It On The Mountain, he took us deep inside a blended family with a long history that continues to affect present day affairs. The book’s protagonist John, is forced to navigate this world as he finds his true calling in life.   The reality of his works is that his own personal experiences helped shape his literary accomplishments.  The same can be said about other authors such as Lorraine Hansberry, John Steinbeck Ernesto Che Guevara, M.D.  Baldwin’s personal life and his orientation proved to be his most difficult challenges and throughout the book we are witnesses to his enduring struggle to find true love.  In an ironic twist, the author who loved his people and his country, never found that love at home but instead traveled the world in search of it and himself.

Baldwin has been gone for nearly thirty years but I believe that in the next few years, his voice will become heard again as America continues to deal with discrimination.  The cause in which he enlisted is far from over but his voice remains to guide us along the way.  After reading this book, I felt inspired by his courage and gifts to us and ashamed for  not having known more about him prior to this.   For some he may come across as a radical too outspoken but for others, he is an icon and a voice of truth when most did not want to hear it. David Leeming has done a great service to his friend with this excellent biography with one of America’s greatest writers.

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” – James Baldwin 

ISBN-10: 1628724382
ISBN-13: 978-1628724387

As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling- Anne Serling

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As I knew himWhen Rodman Edward “Rod” Serling, died on June 28, 1975, he left behind a legion of fans who fondly remembered and loved his hit show ‘The Twilight Zone’.   The show is an American classic and every year on New Year’s Day, the Sci-Fi channel runs a full marathon.   The show aired from 1959 to 1964, and in those fives years, a legacy was created that shows no signs of slowing down.   The popularity of the show has resulted in fan sites, Instagram and Facebook pages, that pay homage to what many be the greatest science fiction show in television history.  Classic episodes such as Nightmare at 20,000 Feet starring William Shatner of Star Trek fame and Nothing in The Dark with a young Robert Redford are some of the author’s favorites among a vast collection of outstanding creative genius.  But who was the smooth talking man who appeared in a suit at the end of the episode with a cigarette in hand?  His daughter Anne answers these questions in this intimate portrait of the man she called her dad.

In this book, Anne tells the story her father’s life giving the reader a good biography of the late icon.  I personally learned several great facts about Serling including his military service in World War II.   His entry in journalism and then Hollywood set the path he would walk for the rest of his life.  Marriage and fatherhood shows us the man who was not just a suit but in reality a family man with a brilliant creative mind. His talents and success caused the relocation of his family several times and Anne is very candid about life living on more than one coast.  The beauty of the book is the relationship between father and daughter.  The love that existed between the two can be felt as the passages in the book are read.   Serling’s wit and unconventional personality lend an air of spontaneity to their lives and it seems as if even when the show was not on the air he was still in character.  Nonetheless, his ways of teaching and caring for his daughters are an example of the importance of a father in his daughter’s life.

Serling’s signature pose is with one arm up and a cigarette in hand.  His cigarette habit and health issues began to take their toll towards the end of his life.  The decline in his health combined with his unwavering addiction to smoking are two of the three tragic moments in the book next to his untimely death.   We can ask ourselves why he did not change his lifestyle but only Serling knows the answer to that question.  What we do know through Anne’s words is that his death devastated his family and to this day, I do not believe she has fully recovered from his death.  If I found myself in her position, I do not know if I would have recovered.  At age fifty, Serling would be considered young by today’s standards and could have possibly lived for another thirty to forty years.  His sudden departure precluded him from watching his daughters continue to mature, becoming a grandfather and living out his golden years after a productive and inspiring career in the television and film industries.  In death, he reminds us of the shortness of life and and our own mortality.

Many years have since passed since Serling’s death but his legacy is intact and more important with each year that passes.  Through the episodes of the Twilight Zone he was able to get his messages across about society and all of its problems.  And he did not hesitate to remind the world of the horrors of warfare and discrimination.  As a proponent of civil he dedicated several episodes to the topic of racism and the Holocaust inspired in part by his Jewish heritage.   Nature, space, religion and human nature were all explored in his writings and had he lived, I believe the possibilities were endless.  The saving grace however, is that we do have an enormous amount of material he created and this heartwarming and poignant memoir by his loving daughter, Anne.

ISBN-10: 080653673X
ISBN-13: 978-0806536736

I am Raymond Washington: The Authorized Biography About the Original Founder of the Crips -Zach Fortier with Derard Barton

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Raymond WashingtonOn the night of August 9, 1979, a series of events occurred that changed the face of the Crips gang organization in California.   Raymond Washington, the founder of the Crips, is shot and mortally wounded on a street corner as he responded to a car that had pulled up in front of where he was standing.  He was rushed to the hospital but died from his wounds.  He was 25 years old and his murder has never been solved.   Over time he faded into history and is largely unknown by those outside of the gang culture in southern California.  As a lifelong resident of the east coast of the United States, I have only seen images and videos of the ongoing wars between the Bloods and Crips gangs. And until I read this book, I had very little knowledge about the life of Raymond Washington.

Stanley “Tookie” Williams was executed by lethal injection at California’s San Quentin prison on December 13, 2005 after being convicted of multiple homicides in two separate trials.  He is often mistakenly referred to as the founder of the Crips gang. This assertion has been disputed on numerous occasions and in search of an answer for myself, I found this excellent book by Zach Fortier,  a former police officer with over 25 years of experience in the law enforcement field.  To date, this is the only authorized biography about Washington.  To the young generation of today, Washington’s name is unfamiliar and a relic of a time long gone.  In fact, his reasons for founding the original set do not hold true.   The formation and emergence of additional Crips sets has resulted in a loosely compiled network of gangs sometimes as war with each other as well as their enemies in the Bloods gang.  But the truth remains that Washington is the man started it all.

To some it may be surprising that a former police officer wrote this book.  Personally, I am not surprised as police officers with gang experience have intimate knowledge of the subject and access to critical information.  Some, such as Greg Kading, have used their books to continue investigations that have stalled within the police department.  Fortier is unbiased and does not at any point defame Washington or criticize his actions.  It is strictly an investigation report about the founding figure.   Without the statements of law enforcement officers who knew Washington, it is difficult to say how high on their radar he was.  He is not considered nor has he been a “noted figure”. Furthermore, he never wrote any notes about himself or gave interviews.  As a result, what is known about his life comes from school transcripts, arrest records and personal interviews with family and friends.  Fortier, the season officer, already knew this and in this book we find the interviews with his surviving siblings and personal acquaintances who knew him best.

It is not enough to simply explain who the founder of the gang is.  Fortier also gives us answers as to why the Crips were founded.  The answers may surprise the reader and induce bewilderment at the current day state of the notorious outfit.  We can only wonder that if Washington were alive today what his thoughts would be on the gang culture that has nearly destroyed the African-American community through the senseless deaths of thousands of young Black men and women.   His message is no longer heard and the Crips today continue the destructive cycle of violence that continues to decimate communities and shatter homes.  Would Washington feel guilty? We will never know.  But what we do know thanks to Fortier, is how and why one of the most notorious gangs in the United States came to life.   We also now know the true story of the life of its late and mythical founder.

 

ISBN-10: 0692359877
ISBN-13: 978-0692359877

Lady Q: The Rise and Fall of a Latin Queen-Reymundo Sanchez and Sonia Rodriguez

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Queen.jpgThe Almighty Latin King & Queen Nation (ALKQN) has become one of the biggest street gangs in the United States with chapters in multiple cities and towns across several states including my hometown of Brooklyn, New York.  It was founded in the city of Chicago and has an estimated 50,000 members and counting.  Showing no signs of slowing, the gang continues to recruit young men and women who are seduced by a life of power, money and acceptance.  The attraction of the street life proves irresistible to many and masks the dark side of life on the streets.   There is an old saying that there is no honor among thieves.  And to live like an angel when you are surrounded by demons is not an option.  The life of a gangster is a mix of excitement, incarceration, violence and death.  Supplementing these are the lures of fast money and fast women.  This is the life that Sonia Rodriguez, known on the streets of Chicago as Lady Q, exemplified for the majority of her life.  Her story is presented to us by author Reymundo Sanchez who is the author of several books on the Latin Kings, and former gang member himself.  The story of the female gangster is rarely heard of and in most cases overshadowed by the male counterpart.  Sonia’s story showcases what it truly means to be a Latin Queen.  Like many of the members of the ALKQN, she is of Puerto Rican ancestry and has lived on the island at different points in her life.  Her home was occupied by several stepfathers and a dysfunctional mother stuck in her own abusive relationship cycle. The toxic elements set the stage for Sonia’s descent into the streets where she meets members of the ALKQN and embraces the gang life that nearly destroyed everything she believed in.

If you ask most gang members why they joined, a large number will say they feel as if they belong to something and feel accepted.  The broken home has always been considered a source of social dysfunction and resentment in the men and women that choose the streets over a life at home.  Her story could be that of any number of young women.  The horrors of sexual and emotional combine with the birth of her daughter to play an integral part in her development into a young woman who struggles to break the cycles in which her mother has fallen victim.  On the streets, she rises to become the top member of her chapter and even makes an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show and in the process becomes a high value target.  Nonetheless, she perseveres throughout each crisis and is alive today to talk about it.  But tragically, the time she spent on the streets and her lack of a formal education have made a normal life seemingly impossible and even after her status as Lady Q, chaos and uncertainty continue to dominate her life.   Her trials and tribulations are examples for other young women attracted to the false promises of the gang life.  The truth is brutal and repulsive at times, but necessary in preventing others from making her mistakes.

With this book, Sonia has joined a long list of men and women who have put their gang life behind them and face daily changes to live a straight life. The lure of the street is always present and the past has a way of coming back to haunt us when we least expect it.  For Sonia, time will tell where her life will go.  We hope that she does not revert back to her gangster lifestyle but she is the only one who can control that decision. For a fascinating read about the female experience in the Latin King & Queens organization, this is a good place to start.

ISBN-10: 1569762856
ISBN-13: 978-1569762851

Heartbeat of Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Yuri Kochiyama – Diane C. Fujino

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YuriOn February 21, 1965, Malcolm X (1925-1965) was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York.  The image of him laying mortally wounded while surrounded by his close aides shows the savagery employed by his killers.  His death was violent and unmerciful, taking place in front of his wife Betty and their six daughters.   From the initial volley of shots, it was clear to most that Malcolm’s wounds were fatal.  First aid was administered to no avail.  Among those who rushed to his side was a friend and dedicated civil rights activist named Yuri Kochiyama (1921-2014).  She is rarely mentioned in stories about the legendary Muslim leader but her life was one of dedication to civil rights for all human beings.

You may be wondering why you have not heard of Kochiyama before. I asked myself the same question. I never learned anything about her in school and her name does not appear in any history textbooks. But by chance, I  discovered her as I studied the photo of Malcolm’s final moments.  Curiosity set in and I kept asking myself who was the Asian woman in the middle of Malcolm’s followers?  After learning her name, I found this excellent biography by author Diane C. Fujino, a professor in the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara.

Kochiyama’s story begins in San Pedro, California and her youth is centered around the detainment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. The experience would never leave her or millions of Japanese who struggled to be accepted in the United States as suspicions about their loyalty to Japan mounted.  Her internment in Jerome, Arkansas may have possibly been the spark that resulted in a life-long pursuit of justice and equality.  As she matures to adulthood, she meets her husband Bill and the couple would produce six children.  The Kochiyama family settled in New York City and became a  fixture in the struggle for civil rights, operating out of their apartment in Manhattan.    Fujino met personally with Kochiyama, her family and those who knew her, conducting interviews and recording the memories about her life.  The end result is an incredible biography of an incredible woman who’s life story is as American as the reader could possibly ask for.

Yuri’s fateful encounter with Malcolm X at the Downstate Medical Center protest took her life in a new direction and allowed her to fulfill the destiny that awaited her.   Her efforts on behalf of the movement have earned her a place on the list of those who frequently went above and beyond.  Her story is inspiring, encouraging and allows us to see the good in humanity.  Horace Mann once said that we should “be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity”.  This is never more true than in the life of the late Yuri Kochiyama, who’s life should be studied in every school in the United States.  The amount of work undertaken by the family is nothing short of staggering and their doors were seemingly always open.  But they never complained and continued to press forward. The recollections given to Fujino are simply awe inspiring but critical in giving the most accurate picture of a forgotten icon.

On June 2, 2014, Yuri Kochiyama died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 93.  Incredibly, she had outlived nearly all of the iconic figures from the Civil Rights Movement. And as her health began to slowly decline, she continued to partake in the movement giving her voice and wisdom when needed.  She is now gone but her memory lives on through her work and this definitive biography by Fujino.   This is the life of Yuri Kochiyama and the heartbeat of struggle.

“Life is not what you alone make it. Life is the input of everyone who touched your life and every experience that entered it. We are all part of one another” – Yuri Kochiyama

ISBN-10: 0816645930
ISBN-13: 978-0816645930

Lemay: The Life and Wars of General Curtis LeMay-Warren Kozak

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LemayOctober 1, 1990-General Curtis E. LeMay (Ret.) dies at the age of 83 at March Air Force Base in Riverside County, California.  The former General became a legend in the United States Air Force after reorganizing the Strategic Air Command and pushing for the development of the B-29 bomber which changed the Allied effort in World War II.  Satirically nicknamed “Bombs Away Lemay”, he developed a reputation as an extreme patriot willing to go to whatever length was appropriate in the protection of the United States.  And in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. StrangeLove’, the character  of Jack D. Ripper is based on of Lemay.   Warren Kozak’s account of the life of the late General is the definitive account of LeMay’s life.

Born in Columbus, Ohio on November 15, 1906, the young LeMay would find his calling in the U.S. Air Force in a career that last through several Presidencies.  He was both lionized and feared by the oval office and subordinates.  His decision to drop the altitude of the B-29 during the firebomb runs over Tokyo caused Robert McNamara to remark in Errol Morris’ ‘Fog of War’ that if we had lost the war we would have been prosecuted as war criminals.  LeMay had also pushed for preemptive strike against the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis and said quite frankly that we should bomb the North Vietnamese back to the stone age during the Vietnam War.   When segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace ran for President in 1968, he convinced LeMay to be his running mate  and the decision would haunt LeMay for years to come.  Interesting Wallace had served under the 20th Air Corp under LeMay in World War II but had never met the General prior to the campaign.  LeMay’s decision to back Wallace confused and shocked many as Wallace was known to be a stanch segregationists where as LeMay had advocated for the fair treatment of all soldiers regardless of race.   As we now know, Wallace lost and LeMay faded away remaining retired and living a quiet life until his death.  Opinion about LeMay will always be divided but the fact remains that the late General, with his flaws, served his nation during World War II and was a patriot of the highest order.

ISBN-10: 1596985690
ISBN-13: 978-1596985698