The Fifth Column

THE FIFTH COLUMN                            ANDREW GROSS

February, 1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. In New York City, twenty-two thousand cheering Nazi supporters pack Madison Square Garden for a raucous, hate-filled rally. In a Hell’s Kitchen bar, Charles Mossman is reeling from the loss of his job and the demise of his marriage when a group draped in Nazi flags barges in. Drunk, Charlie takes a swing at one with tragic results and a torrent of unintended consequences follows.

Two years later. America is wrestling with whether to enter the growing war. Charles’s estranged wife and six-year-old daughter, Emma, now live in a quiet brownstone in the German-speaking New York City neighborhood of Yorkville, where support for Hitler is common. Charles, just out of prison, struggles to put his life back together, while across the hall from his family, a kindly Swiss couple, Trudi and Willi Bauer, have taken a liking to Emma. But Charles begins to suspect that they might not be who they say they are.

As the threat of war grows, and fears of a “fifth column”—German spies embedded into everyday life—are everywhere, Charles puts together that the seemingly amiable Bauers may be part of a sinister conspiracy. When Pearl Harbor is attacked and America can no longer sit on the sideline, that conspiracy turns into a deadly threat with Charles the only one who can see it and Emma, an innocent pawn.

PAT'S REVIEW

I received a free “THE FIFTH COLUMN” BY ANDREW GROSS from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. I found this book to actually be a suspenseful book at times, full of mystery and intrigue as you follow Charlie and the choices he had made from when he was a professor and lost his job. Which began the fall of his marriage, due to his drinking. Drinking is where we find Charlie in 1939 and he is depressed because of his job being gone, no way to support his family and losing his brother who went off to fight the Germans. Charlie and his family are Jewish and now he feels like he has let everyone down. Brother, wife, daughter you get the point. Then when he is deciding to leave a group of protesters come marching down who are shouting in favor of Hitler wearing the cloths and shouting pro-Nazi sayings. Remember 1939, the crowd becomes loud and he takes a swing at one of the protesters. Days later Charlie is in court and sentenced to prison, his marriage is over. Two years later when he is released America is on the brink of war times and attitudes have changed. He is able to see his daughter but for the most part, she is taken care of by the elderly couple from across the hall. Charlie begins to suspect them as spies but knows no one will take his word so he must find proof. Here is where the story becomes more intense if you can believe it. I was hooked with this story from beginning to end. I really liked all of the characters and also liked how the author shows a part of history for America that is really not talked about. The protests, and then the spies that the Germans had working on the East Coast were many. One they really wanted was the Norden bombsight which was accurate at 1,200 feet. That really changed the war in Europe first. Anyway a very good book I really enjoyed it. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

Dogfight over Tokyo: The Final Air Battle of the Pacific and the Last Four Men to Die in World War II

DOGFIGHT OVER TOKYO                     JOHN WUKOVITS

When Billy Hobbs and his fellow Hellcat aviators from Air Group 88 lifted off from the venerable Navy carrier USS Yorktown early on the morning of August 15, 1945, they had no idea they were about to carry out the final air mission of World War II. Two hours later, Yorktown received word from Admiral Nimitz that the war had ended and that all offensive operations should cease. As they were turning back, twenty Japanese planes suddenly dove from the sky above them and began a ferocious attack. Four American pilots never returned--men who had lifted off from the carrier in wartime but were shot down during peacetime.

Drawing on participant letters, diaries, and interviews, newspaper and radio accounts, and previously untapped archival records, historian and prolific author of acclaimed Pacific theater books, including Tin Can Titans and Hell from the Heavens, John Wukovits tells the story of Air Group 88's pilots and crew through their eyes. Dogfight over Tokyo is written in the same riveting, edge-of-your-seat style that has made Wukovits's previous books so successful. This is a stirring, one-of-a-kind tale of naval encounters and the last dogfight of the war--a story that is both inspirational and tragic.

PAT'S REVIEW

This story like a few others from WWII is really about four airmen who did not make it home that day, yet we're so close to the final destination. The author uses letters, diaries, flight logs and interviews with members of the families. What is really heartbreaking is that when reading this you get the sense that the men in charge, higher-ups knew the war was ending but still sent them up anyway. Why? Also why was not anything ever spoken about these men yet I have read and seen multiple stories about the USS Indianapolis and what was done to her Captain and she was sunk after the war ended. The sad part of this whole story was the families at home and finding out what happened and still morning the loss of their loved ones. Again as far as history goes you can look back to World War one when Pershing still had American soldiers fighting up to the eleventh hour and of course past I felt once again who men who are in charge will say anything to justify their reasoning, but I still feel that they knew a surrender was going to be signed and yet sent these men to their deaths. A very good book well researched and very well written. If you enjoy history you will truly like reading this book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars follow us atwww.1rad-readerreviews.com

The Case Against the Supreme Court

THE CASE AGAINST THE SUPREME COURT        ERWIN CHEMERINSKY

Most Americans share the perception that the Supreme Court is objective, but Erwin Chemerinsky, one of the country’s leading constitutional lawyers, shows that this is nonsense and always has been. The Court is made up of fallible individuals who base decisions on their own biases. Today, the Roberts Court is promoting a conservative agenda under the guise of following a neutral methodology, but notorious decisions, such as Bush vs. Gore and United Citizens, are hardly recent exceptions. This devastating book details, case by case, how the Court has largely failed throughout American history at its most important tasks and at the most important times.

Only someone of Chemerinsky’s stature and breadth of knowledge could take on this controversial topic. Powerfully arguing for term limits for justices and a reassessment of the institution as a whole, The Case Against the Supreme Court is a timely and important book that will be widely read and cited for decades to come. 

PAT'S REVIEW

This is a 2014 publication and I am just getting around to reviewing. I found this book to be very interesting though I had already agreed with most of the author's ideas or what he was trying to say as far as the Supreme court has and still is looking out for business mostly big business. That has been the way it has been since the beginning of our country. Really one just needs to think about the words all men are created equal. Yet the Supreme court in the late 1700s, 1800’s until today it is still not the case. The U.S. Government still has rules and regulations for American Indians on what percentage of blood qualifies you to be Native American. This is backed up by the Court. I really would have liked the author to have gone into more detail with some of the cases that affected the course of our Nation and how they led to a huge change for both good and bad. For there was a time in the ’50s and early 60’s when a change was happening and the court was the cause for a lot of that change. Including laws to protect rights when getting arrested for example. The ’60s was when the court started the Miranda warning that everyone now takes for granted. Those kinds of examples would have been nice along with how railroads and other big businesses were allowed to take land and really do whatever they wanted. Overall the book was good. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com