Prior to embarking on a solo career, Rafferty was a member of two bands; The Humblebums (which included Billy Connolly, the same fellow who later gained fame as a comedian) and Stealers Wheel. The latter group enjoyed considerable success in the mid 1970s, scoring big hits with “Stuck in the Middle with You” (which was later featured in the film Reservoir Dogs) and “Star.” I have an excellent compilation of Rafferty’s music on the Raven label titled Days Gone Down: The Anthology 1970-1982. This CD includes some of Rafferty’s material from those two bands along with a bunch of his solo recordings. Of course “Baker Street” is featured, but there are many other impressive songs on this single disc, including “Right Down the Line”, “Get it Right Next Time”, “Home and Dry”, and the awesome title track “Days Gone Down (Still Have the Light in Your Eyes).” Anyone who calls Rafferty a one-hit wonder was obviously not paying attention.

Rafferty possessed a very distinctive, soothing voice, one that fit his tunes like the proverbial velvet glove. He was not a shouter or gritty rocker, nor a particularly eloquent musical poet, but his songs were of high quality and all these decades later, they still stick in your head. Rafferty reportedly battled alcohol problems in recent years and during the past decade there were numerous reports of drinking binges and mysterious disappearances. Sadly, Rafferty passed away from liver failure last year. But it’s never too late to discover some of the musical jewels he left behind.

In the early days/years of operating the bookshop, I used to buy books from secondhand dealers at Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market to supplement my stock. But in recent years I haven’t had to leave my shop at all due to the constant stream of people dropping by to sell or exchange books. We end up having to turn down many books because we are so overwhelmed with stuff. Not only are regular customers and tourists coming to do the selling and swapping, we also have many local Thais arriving with books to sell. Most of these “dealers” (for lack of a better term) get their books from local homes, apartment complexes, or hotels, and then sell them to us. The titles can be a mixed bag of languages (we see a lot of Swedish and Russian books, for example) and genres. Sometimes there are brand-new titles and sometimes I find books that are older than I am. Inside the books we uncover sundry items; old bookmarks, airline boarding passes, naughty photos, dead flowers, dead insects, and occasionally some money! Whether the book has collector’s value or not is of no concern to me. I’m certainly no antiquarian dealer (in fact, I think it’s fair to see that I despise the whole collector’s racket); I just think it’s a lot of fun to peruse the old titles.

Last week’s cache of books unearthed a particularly cool find: Flavours: Thailand’s 200 Most Interesting Restaurants by Harry Rolnick. That might not sound like a very interesting title, until you look inside and notice the publication date: 1972. Hoo, ha, this is going to good, I thought. And yes indeed it was, akin to a stroll down memory lane, and made even more fun by the irreverent writing style of Harry Rolnick.

Obviously, some of the restaurants listed in this book are long gone, but more than a few ARE still in operation. One of my friends and customers, Ing, came by the shop and perused the book, saying how it brought back so many memories of growing up in Bangkok during the 60s and 70s. She bought the book, but left it with me to look at for a few days. I thumbed through it and found some real gems. For example, the listing for Chokechai Restaurant in Thonburi says:
Snake? Bat’s Blood? Bear Salad? Elephant Knuckle? If such be your taste, Chokechai supplies the dishes. The English menu once was a discarded hunting license (they’ve since gone sophisticated and mimeographed one of the most hilarious and rare menus I’ve ever seen) and the game is fresh, much of it prepared at your table from just-killed animals. Mainly patronized by country people, the Chokechai is a bit difficult to find, but the dining is al fresco, the dishes quite splendid, prices ridiculously low, and even if your taste doesn’t run to crocodile tail, you’ll be entranced by the atmosphere. P.S. Elephant knuckle must be ordered 48 hours ahead of time … defrosting, you know.

For another place, dubbed “Khao Ka Moo,” Rolnick writes:

The reason for the obscure address is that there is no real name for this restaurant, it only serves one dish, and they’re all sold out by noon. The dish is roast pork leg with rice, it is reputed by pork-lovers to be THE restaurant for the stuff, and between 6:30 a.m. and noon, you’ll see crowds literally queuing up to taste it. Not being one of the Mystic Order of the Roast Pork Leg people, I find myself unable to understand the fascination, but swineologists swear by it, so who am I to be the sceptic?

And the listing for Thaweesak Bakery on Sukhumvit Road:
If you can walk by without buying a box or two to take home, you have the culinary emotions of a Cyclops. The atmosphere is decidedly youthful, with long-haired Thai and American teenagers torn between the éclairs and the sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Remember; this was written in 1972! The book has chapters for Thai, Western, Other Asian, and Outside Bangkok. It also includes a glossary of Thai foods, and “a selected list of rarer dishes.” Even though this guide is 40 years old — or maybe that fact actually enhances the appeal — this is fun reading for anyone who enjoys Bangkok history or Thai food.

After thumbing through the restaurant guide, I was intrigued: Who was this Harry Rolnick fellow? Looking at the author photo in the back of the guide, he appeared young at the time of publication, so I deemed it quite possible that he was still alive and kicking … and eating. I did an online search and found this Wikipedia entry:

Harry Rolnick is an American author, editor and music critic. His writing often examines Asian lifestyles and culinary traditions. Eating Out In China (1979) was the first book to explore People’s Republic restaurants. His other restaurant guides, to Hong Kong, Bangkok and Macau, prompted Alan Levy to write in The Foodie’s Guide to the World, “Nobody eats in Asia without consulting Harry Rolnick first”.

Rolnick has written a history of coffee, a guide to feng shui, and a social history of Macau. He also co-authored The Chinese Gourmet with William Mark. A native of New York, Rolnick was a Merchant Marine before taking residence in Thailand, where he was one of the first editors of the Bangkok Post and later Hong Kong, from where he traveled throughout Asia and East Africa for two decades. He has written articles for Lonely Planet, Newsweek, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, GEO and many other publications. In 1998, he edited the first English-language lifestyle magazine in Budapest, before returning to Manhattan.

Rolnick’s most recent book is Spice Chronicles: Exotic Tales of a Hungry Traveler (2008, Seven Locks Press)

It sounds like Rolnick has kept VERY busy since his young days in Bangkok. And his latest book, Spice Chronicles, sounds like a must-read for fans of food and travel.

Prior to Kazuko’s trip in late January, I e-mailed her some images of photos I had taken in November and asked if she could make prints and give them to two of the teachers at the school. There is no photo shop in the Nyaungshwe area (the closest one is in Taunggyi, nearly an hour’s drive away), so Kazuko made the prints in Japan before she left. While at the school in Tat Ein this time, Kazuko took some photos of her own and attached a few of those to the e-mail she sent me. Thank you! I look forward to seeing the whole Tat Ein bunch — and maybe Kazuko too, if our schedules overlap — when I return later this summer.

Since the early 1970 John Hiatt has been writing songs, lots of songs. He’s written clever songs, funny songs, wistful songs, tenderly beautiful songs, and foot-stomping numbers that leave a smile on your face. Rock, Country, Folk, R&B, Blues; he can do it all, and do it all well. Hiatt has a wicked sense of humor, but he’s also a compassionate and tender writer. Really, there is no style of song or type of music that this guy can’t write. Many of Hiatt’s songs have been covered by artists such as Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King and Eric Clapton, Jeff Healey, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt, Delbert McClinton, Nick Lowe, Patty Griffin, and even some fellow named Bob Dylan. Not surprisingly, there is a tribute album of artists covering Hiatt songs; It’ll Come to You: the Songs of John Hiatt.

In addition to being a superlative songwriter, John Hiatt has recorded twenty most memorable solo albums. His songwriting has always been of the highest quality and he has gained the reputation for being a vibrant live performer (I was lucky to see him perform with a band one time in Florida), but over the years he has also developed into a fine singer too. Check out his powerful 1994 live album, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan for a dose of his energetic and electric side. No, this album wasn’t really recorded at the famed Japanese venue where Cheap Trick also experienced concert success, but the title – not to mention the hilarious cover — does serve as proof that John Hiatt has a definite sense of humor.

Hiatt began his career as a songwriter for a publishing company in the early 1970s. His first brush with success came in 1974 when Three Dog Night scored a hit with one of the songs he had written, “Sure As I’m Sitting Here.” That same year he recorded his debut album, Hangin’ Around the Observatory for Epic Records. That album and the next year’s Overcoats, sunk like molten bricks, and Hiatt was promptly released from his contract. He signed with MCA and made two even more impressive albums, Slug Line and Two Bit Monsters, before finding himself out of a contract once again. Next came a stint with Geffen Records, where he made three more wonderful albums; All of a Sudden, Riding with the King, and Warming Up to the Ice Age.

But those records also failed to sell as well as hoped, and Hiatt went label shopping once again, eventually signing with A&M. That led to a nearly decade-long streak (from the mid 80 to the mid 90s) of wonderful albums such as Bring the Family, Slow Turning, Stolen Moments, Perfectly Good Guitar,  and Walk On (the later two with yet another different label, Capitol). While Hiatt didn’t turn into a Michael Jackson hit-making machine during those years, his albums did finally start selling better and cemented his reputation as a top-notch songwriter and recording artist. Hiatt was part of super-group Little Village, an ensemble that also featured Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner. Those same musicians played on Hiatt’s perfectly crafted Bring the Family album in 1987, but as Little Village they only recorded the one album in 1992.

Hiatt eventually abandoned the major label ship and has continued to steadily release consistently fine new albums on smaller labels such as Vanguard and New West. His latest offering, 2011’s Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns is a particularly outstanding collection of tunes. Songs like “Damn This Town,” “Train to Birmingham,” and “Adios to California” rank as some of the best he’s ever written. Considering the wealth of gems in his back catalog, that is saying a lot.

Shadid spent many years covering stories in various countries in the Middle East, such as Iraq, Syria, and Libya. He was employed by the New York Times at the time of his death, but also wrote for the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Associated Press during his career. I first noticed his articles about the war in Iraq in 2003. I was living in Cambodia at the time, and his wire service reports ran in an English language newspaper published in Phnom Penh. Shadid’s reporting stood out for its honesty and objectivity. Clearly, he had a passion and empathy for the people of the country he was covering, and he didn’t gloss over the atrocities committed by the US military or the American government’s many missteps. Later, I read his excellent book, Night Draws Near, about the effect of the war on the Iraqi people.

Shadid was obviously a talented writer, but he also possessed a poet’s grace and soul. He was one of the few journalists working today who I think embodied the true spirit and integrity of the profession. Unlike so many working in journalism nowadays, Shadid was no muckraker or sensation seeker, but a true reporter who went out of his way to seek the truth. I find it immensely sad that he has passed away so soon.

A new memoir by Shadid, House of Stone, is slated to be published in the US next month. This book explores his life growing up in the US, his family’s “roots” in Lebanon, and his work around the Middle East. Even in advance of its release, the book is garnering rave reviews. It’s one I’ll definitely want to read.

I dropped by the Tower Records branch in the Lot 10 Shopping Center on Monday afternoon and was immediately alarmed by what I saw when I entered the shop. The store sign was gone and a few of the fixtures were bereft of CDs. Employees in some sections of the store were busy boxing up stock. “Are you open?” I asked one of the employees. The guy assured me that yes, the shop was open, but they were in the process of moving. At the end of this week they will be relocating to the ground floor of the nearby Times Square shopping center. I did a quick run-through of the shop and bought six CDs, including a rare Gatemouth Brown title that I neglected to get last trip. I’m just happy that this branch of Tower is staying in business. The US chain filed for bankruptcy and closed a few years back, and all the Bangkok branches (I used to manage two of them) morphed into CD Warehouse locations in the late 90s, but even those are now shuttered. I mentioned to the manager of the KL store that I used to work for Tower in Bangkok back in the mid to late 90s. “The good old days,” he sighed. We talked a bit about the current state of retail and he bemoaned the trend of so many music listeners to illegally download songs and albums nowadays. Needless to say, it’s done irreversible damage to retail shops and chains like Tower.

Speaking of bankrupt retail chains, Borders Books in the US, is also going the way of the dinosaur. I think they have closed most, if not all, of their US stores by now. They used to have a large branch here in KL also., in the same Times Square where Tower is moving, but they closed it and downsized to a smaller Borders Express about 2 years ago. I assumed that branch had also closed, but now I’m not sure. I went to the Curve shopping center in Petaling Jaya (a large suburb of KL) yesterday and was startled to see a very large (two floors) branch of Borders still open there. Even more startling was what I saw in their travel section; books from my friends at Things Asian Press. They had Janet Brown’s wonderful Tone Deaf in Bangkok,  the photo book Lost & Found Bangkok (which has photos of my bookshop on a few pages!), and To Vietnam with Love. I was disappointed that they didn’t have To Myanmar with Love, or Ma Thanegi’s excellent Defiled on the Ayeyarwaddy, but it was still cool to see of those Things Asian books in stock. And today when I was in Bangsar Village Shopping Center I saw a Borders Express shop. So, like Tower, some of the Borders are still afloat here in Malaysia.

Malaysia remains a very easy country to visit in regards to visa and immigration. Unlike Cambodia, Myanmar, or Laos, in Malaysia there is no visa fee, they don’t have any of those annoying forms to fill out (for either immigration or customs), and no photos are required either. Plus, you can stay up to 90 days on a tourist visa, as opposed to a limit of only 30 days in the other Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand. What can’t all the ASEAN countries be as easy as Malaysia?

The LRT subway/light train system here remains very convenient and inexpensive (compared to Bangkok). They now have completely automated machines that can sell one-way tickets or used to top-off your multi-trip card. It took me three times to figure out the machine, but now I feel like a seasoned pro.

My flight from Bangkok was over an hour late in departing, solely the fault of some bimbo who left one of her bags in the terminal (it probably contained something of life-alerting significance; most likely her iPhone) and was allowed, along with 4 of her companions, to exit the plane and go look for it. After almost 90 minutes of waiting the plane finally took off without her or her posse. Urrggh!!! Actually, as annoying as that was, I didn’t let it upset me. And the rest of the passengers were also surprisingly calm during the long wait. It’s an Asian thing, don’t you know. Why worry! At least we arrived in one piece. The only person to vocally express her displeasure was a young woman who had a connection to make in KL. I hope she made it, along with her luggage.

After running around to book sales yesterday (one of which turned out to be non-existent), and stopping by the Rock Corner branch in KLCC, I had a late dinner at the always amazing Coliseum Grill. Afterward, I hoofed it back to my hotel and used the computer to check news and e-mail, and to re-charge my MP3 player. Of course the big news online was the untimely passing of singer Whitney Houston. Honestly, I was never a big fan of her singing style. Sure, she had a great voice and could belt out a song with impressive intensity, but I find such vocal gymnastics more than a bit boring after a short period of time. I don’t think she deserves to be put in the same league as truly great female singers and song stylists such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, or even a lesser-known wonder such as Candi Staton (more about her in a future post; her Fame label recordings are a MUST hear!). Those artists all recorded numerous songs and albums of very high quality. The doomed Whitney may have racked up a bunch of hits during her career, but I don’t think the quality of her recorded output was nearly as high as it could have been.

But Whitney’s death brought back memories of when I first heard her: on the album One Down by Material in 1982. By my calculations, that would have made her only 19 years old at the time. Material was the brainchild of musician Bill Laswell. They made several good albums during their career, Seven Souls being an absolute classic, but One Down was the funkiest and most groove-alicious thing they ever recorded. In addition to Whitney’s handling of vocals on a song called “Memories,” Nona Hendryx (formerly of LaBelle) turned up, adding propulsive fuel to tracks such as “Take a Chance” and “Bustin’ Out.” One Down is another one of those albums that should have been much better known, and praised. Look for it!

I was doing some serious flip-flopping earlier today. I wanted to post something before I left for the airport early tomorrow morning (Where? You’ll have to wait for that one!). Should I write about some of the bizarre books that have passed through my shop this week? Maybe a rant about the deluded outspoken Christian athletes who are making the news lately (sorry dude, Jesus didn’t help you make that touchdown pass/three-point shot; the fact that you practiced a lot was the key!)? Or a tribute to more recently deceased musicians? Or perhaps something about the disturbing trend of the police stopping pedestrians and making random bag searches here in Bangkok? Ah, I don’t have the energy for anything that deep right now. So it’s time more photos from my last trip to Myanmar. And hey, this is the last of the bunch. At least for now. Enjoy the smiles from these delightful children. They ARE the future.

Betty Wright had a monster hit with “Cleanup Woman” back in 1971. “Where is the Love” and “Shoorah! Shoorah!” were two more of several hit singles she had that same decade, and she released the enormously popular Live album in 1978. Recalling all those “oldies”, one would assume Betty Wright is now a gray-haired granny living comfortably in retirement, but she was only 17 years old when she recorded “Cleanup Woman”, and at the relatively young age of 58 she is still going strong. She continued to record albums in the 80s and 90s, many of them critically acclaimed, but due to label issues and the always turbulent changing trends in the music business, Betty Wright pretty much disappeared from the radar of most listeners. I admit to being one of those oblivious listeners — in my case, caught up in the world of “alternative music” — who didn’t realize that she was still recording albums during that period.

Until she resurfaced with a new solo album in late 2011, Betty Wright: The Movie, she had not released any new music in a full decade. But Betty Wright kept busy writing songs, contributing background vocals for other artists, and even doing some production work. With her new album, recorded with The Roots, Betty Wright has reclaimed her position as one of the most dynamic soul divas around. Not having heard any of her 80s or 90s albums, I can’t compare those recordings to this new one, but Betty Wright: The Movie is simply an outstanding album. If I were still compiling Top 10 lists, this album would have easily made my “Best Of” for 2011. Her multi-year absence from recording solo albums has obviously not eroded any of her vocal ability; she still sounds like a house on fire: raw, spunky, vivacious, and most of all … vital. Co-producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the Roots has incorporated some contemporary hip-hop elements into the mix, but it doesn’t dilute the soulfulness and power of these very strong songs. In addition to members of the Roots, other guests popping up during this sprawling collection of songs (78 minutes of music on a single disc) include Lenny Williams, Lil Wayne, Joss Stone, and Snoop Dogg.

Booker T. Jones, the keyboard whiz of Booker T. & the MGs fame, also released a new album, The Road from Memphis, in 2011. Once again, members of the Roots can be found contributing to the musical vibe on the recording. Busy guys! This wasn’t really a comeback album for Booker, though; that distinction goes to Potato Hole, an album he released the previous year. Nominated for a Grammy award, Potato Hole was a rough and funky collection of instrumentals, featuring members of the Drive-By Truckers, and a wayward guitarist by the name of Neil Young. Not the classic Booker T. & the MGs sound, but still mighty fine listening. The Road from Memphis, however, does indeed have more of that classic 60s soul vibe, Booker’s distinctive organ playing propelling the songs to dizzying heights. It’s a scintillating album of strong material, featuring both instrumental and vocal numbers. In addition to those workaholic Roots fellows, Lou Reed, Yim Yames (from My Morning Jacket), and Sharon Jones join the party. Obviously, the musicians here are top notch, but the songs themselves are also a cut above the rest. When Booker himself sings “Down in Memphis” you can close your eyes and picture the streets of the city. It’s such a joy to listen to music this well performed, and so heartfelt.

Speaking of Booker T. & the MGs, the guitarist from that band, Steve Cropper, also released a new album last year, Dedicated. Like Booker’s The Road from Memphis, Cropper’s album is a mix of both instrumental and vocal numbers, and features an array of special guest vocalists. Croppers cast includes Steve Winwood, Lucinda Williams, Delbert McClinton, B.B. King, Bettye LaVette, Dan Penn, and Sharon Jones. What? Nobody from the Roots is on here? They must have been resting that week! If you are wondering about the album title, it is indeed a dedication of sorts; a tribute to the music of the 5 Royales, an influential Memphis band from the 1950s. Cropper was influenced by the band’s guitarist, Lowman Pauling, and the songs on Dedicated are all ones originally performed by the 5 Royales. Once again, an awesome bunch of musicians are gathered for a funky musical feast. It SOUNDS like they are all having a blast, and that’s always a big plus.

Joe Boyd – White Bicylces

The book, subtitled “Making Music in the 1960s,” also bleeds a bit into subsequent decades, a period when Boyd was working with some of the more interesting musicians on the planet as a manager, producer, and label owner. Boyd started off working with blues and folk artists in the US, until migrating to England, where he worked closely with the likes of Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and The Incredible String Band. Some marvelous stories and anecdotes help to make this an engrossing read. The only gripe I have is that, considering Boyd’s multi-decade career, the book is too short and doesn’t go into more depth on some of the fascinating artists he met. Perhaps he’s saving more stories for another volume?

Norman Lewis – A Voyage By Dhow

This is a collection of essays that the great travel writer penned from various locations over a multi-decade period. Lewis died at the age of 95 in 2003 and was travelling — and writing — until near the very end of his life. Back in the early days of his career as a journalist, Westerners seldom visited some of these destinations (Yemen, Paraguay, Soviet Union, etc.) that he covers in this book. His earlier books about Southeast Asia (A Dragon Apparent and Golden Earth) are especially fascinating for their observations of countries such as Burma and Cambodia. As always, Lewis has an astute eye for detail and the ability to see the big picture. In one particularly penetrating essay in this collection, Lewis comes across a dubious group of missionaries in Venezuela who are attempting to “convert” a primitive tribe to Christianity, and in the process wean them from their traditional way of life. Sadly, of course, such missionaries are still allowed to spew their poison around the world. We could use more writers like Lewis who question — and challenge — such destructive practices.

Loren Estleman – Roses are Dead

Estleman has written dozens of books over the years, most of them stellar examples of classic crime fiction (he also writes Westerns once in a while). His Amos Walker series is particularly good. This novel, however, is one in his Peter Macklin series about a Detroit hit man, published in 1985. I had never read any of the Macklin books before, so I was looking forward to this one. While it was good, I didn’t think it was nearly as well written as the Amos Walker books or his excellent Detroit historical crime fiction series (Whiskey River, Motown, King of the Corner, Edsel, Jitterbug, etc.). Still, this is a writer more mystery fans should read.

David Leavitt – The Indian Clerk

Leavitt is one of the writers who is so good that he leaves you in awe of his talent. I read two of his books many years ago (The Lost Language of Cranes was particularly good), so I figured it was time to get back on board. And I’m glad I did. Set in the early 1900s, during the First World War, this is very compelling story enriched by Leavitt’s elegant prose. Leavitt introduces the reader to a bunch of quirky, closeted British mathematicians who are contacted by a young man from India who turns out to be a mathematical genius. These were all real individuals in history (Bertrand Russell also pops up in this tale), but Leavitt has taken a few liberties with their lives to spice things up.

Michael Koryta – Sorrow’s Anthem

I’m on a roll with this Koryta guy, devouring any new book I can find by him. This is one in his Lincoln Perry series, featuring a young private investigator, ex-cop who reluctantly takes on an unusual case. Fans of crime fiction authors such as Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and John Sandford should go for Koryta’s books. Everything I’ve read thus far has been quality stuff.

Lawrence Block – A Drop of the Hard Stuff

This is the long-awaited new book in Block’s long-running Matt Scudder series, featuring a recovering alcoholic. I couldn’t wait for the paperback, so I sucked it up and bought the hardcover. That’s how much I like Lawrence Block’s book. Rather than a brand new contemporary adventure in Scudder’s life, however, this one takes the reader back to a case that Scudder was working on about thirty years previously. As usual, Block’s characters are an agreeable bunch, all of whom always seem to be on the same page, both literally and figuratively. It’s almost as if they could finish one another’s sentences. Nonetheless, this is an addictive page turner that Block fans will devour. Because the story takes us back in time, we are not treated to current Scudder characters, most notably new wife Elaine, or his funky rhyming’ sidekick T.J.

Fannie Flagg – I Still Dream About You

I’ve enjoyed reading Fannie Flagg’s books for many years. Reading this latest novel, however, I was shocked at how poorly written it was. The writing was simplistic and full of so many dull clichés that it made me wince. Where were the editors? It makes me wonder who really wrote this book. Certainly not the same author who penned gems like Fried Green Tomatoes and Welcome to the World, Baby Girl. I hope this one was only a freak misstep and not the sign that Fannie Flagg has totally lost it.

Mark Kurlansky – 1968

This is an account of the many turbulent events that took place around the world in 1968. In addition to what happened in the US that year (assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, student protests, LBJ declining to run for another turn, the rise of Nixon, etc.), Kurlansky sheds the spotlight on the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and incidents in Poland, France, and Spain. Most of this book were very good, but Kuransky’s account of the year didn’t grip me as much as I had hoped. Admittedly, I found the parts about Poland and other European countries of little interest, and would have liked more detail about the ramifications of what happened in the US during that tumultuous year.

Bill Granger – There Are No Spies

Two decades ago, Granger was hailed by no less than Ed McBain as “America’s best spy novelist.” A pity he is not better known nowadays. Perhaps such “spy” tales now seem dated, but this and other books in the Granger’s “November Man” series are all very entertaining reads. There Are No Spies is also part of “November Man” series, and it’s another cracker (as the Aussies would say). With its many double-crossing characters and nefarious espionage activity, it reminds me a bit of those great Ross Thomas novels. Really, I think Granger is that good a writer.

Miguel Syjuco – Ilustrado

This was a recemt winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize. In awarding that prize, the judges called this novel “brilliantly conceived, and stylishly executed.” Stylishly executed? That should have been a hint right there. I tried, but I couldn’t even finish this one. Syjuco show signs of being a very good writer, but the story jumps around so much — in both location and points in time, all while offering different narratives, that I lost interest . Like many of the regular Booker Prize winners, this was yet another highly-praised book that gave me a headache and puzzled the hell out of me.