CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehouse

September 17, 2023szfreiberger Fiction/Literary Leave a comment

By 1971 New York was a city under siege. During the liberal Republican administration of John Lindsay New York residents experienced a transit strike, a garbage strike, rampant crime, and the daily political corruption that seemed to dominate the city. Colson Whitehead, who first addressed the plight of New York of the 1950s and 60s in his entertaining and substantive novel, HARLEM SHUFFLE returns with a sequel, CROOK MANIFESTO where Ray Carney once again has to navigate the city’s minefield. As in the first novel, Whitehead breaks down his story into three components. First, 1971 when Carney who had given up his ancillary career as a crook; 1973 focuses on Carney’s partner in crime, Pepper, and Zippo Flood, an old “colleague” of Carney who has inherited a substantial sum and is making a Blaxploitation film in Harlem; and third, how Harlem deals with the 1976 Bicentennial. Whitehead uses his novel as a vehicle to investigate a neighborhood which finds itself at a tipping point in time accurately depicting the satire of this world and immersing himself into the hearts of his characters.

As the novel opens New York is in the midst of a shooting war between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army which wants to overthrow the existing system. Carney finds himself trying to stay legitimate as he has done for four years eschewing his “fencing” and “laundering” activities and keeping his furniture business afloat. As the novel unfolds it becomes increasingly difficult for Carney to avoid “bent” activities.

Similar to HARLEM SHUFFLE in his new endeavor, Whitehead intersperses his social commentary throughout. His first foray deals with the concept of revolution as seen by the Black Liberation Army which wants to overthrow the government and replace it with some type of socialist entity, and the Black Panthers who work partly within the system introducing social programs like free lunches and legal aid to minority communities. Police corruption still dominates the novel as Detective Munson reappears and the policy of framing blacks for crimes continues unimpeded. This led to the Knapp Commission under Lindsay to investigate police corruption and introduce Frank Serpico (the subject of a great film) to city residents. The idea that the war in Vietnam and life in America’s ghettos have similarities takes hold under Whitehead’s rendering and provides interesting food for thought. By the novel’s conclusion the depth of governmental corruption is fully laid bare.

Carney’s return to the world of crime is a function of his desire to be a loving father. His daughter May is obsessed with the Jackson Five who are appearing at Madison Square Garden, and she begs him to get tickets for the sold out performance. Desperate, Carney turns to Detective Munson who he is still paying “protection money” to try and obtain tickets. This will lead Carney back into the “life” as he gets subsumed into Munson’s corrupt world of bribery, burglary, and murder. It seems Munson and his partner Buck Webb have stolen jewels belonging to an organized crime headed by Notch Walker who also happens to be funding the Black Liberation Army. It seems Webb and Munson have been called before the Knapp Commission and realize it’s time to tap out. Munson’s plan is to screw his partner, rob an important card game created by another interesting character named Corky Bell and use Carney as his associate in return for the Jackson Five tickets. For Carney, Whitehead’s description is spot on, “He had been straight for four years, but slipped once and everybody is glad to help you slip hard. Crooked states crooked and bent stays straight, The rest is survival.”

Whitehead brings in two characters from HARLEM SHUFFLE and gives them a prominent role in the novel. Pepper, an older “thug” has developed into an older brother figure in Carney’s life serving as a sounding board, a partner in crime, and in general comes across, despite his underworld activities somewhat sympathetic. Another is Zippo Flood, a photographer that Carney had used in a revenge plot who emerges as a film maker having received a windfall from a Russian immigrant who escaped pogroms named “Heshie” who had taken a liking to him. Zippo always wanted to be a film director and he uses the money to make the film; “Secret Agent: Neferititi” which Whitehouse uses to explain how black films are made and to integrate Chink Montague, a gangster that Carney is familiar with as an investor and the subject of a possible kidnapper of the film’s star, Lucinda Cole. Once Pepper is hired by Zippo to find her the story becomes more interesting as he takes us through a “centric romp through the film industry, the Black comedy revolution, and the paradox of underground stardom.”*

Throughout the novel Carney is caught between recidivism and redemption, but as the bicentennial approaches events will catch up to him. By 1976 Harlem was burning as “firebugs” were responsible for over a third of the 12,000 blazes that occurred. Carney became distraught when he learned a young boy, Albert Ruiz, was injured in one of the fires and the furniture king decided he would find the person responsible. He employed Pepper in the task, and it would lead to an interesting conclusion involving Alexander Oakes who was running for Manhattan Borough President. It was the same Oakes that represented the best in Strivers Row and the man Elizabeth’s parents wanted her to marry, not the scum that her mother and father felt Carney represented. This aspect of the novel is highlighted by Whitehead’s explanation as to how the city operated – City Hall corruption, burned out buildings, urban renewal, federal anti-poverty funds, insurance payouts, and pyromaniacs all linked in a push to clean up the city. As I think back to growing up in the city at that time and driving a taxi in college, Whitehead’s theory makes a great deal of sense.

Jason Heller is correct when he points out that “What truly makes this series, or any series, work is the way it compels the reader to revisit its characters, to invest in them, to compel you to care enough to see their narratives through. Whitehead knows it, and CROOK MANIFESTO proves it. Ray, May, Elizabeth and Pepper in particular are by turns exasperating and aspirational. Life gets thrown at them, and they throw themselves back in return. These are people you crave to catch up with, and in Whitehead’s hands, the vast and intangible forces of society, injustice, morality, survival and love are distilled in them. ‘I want you back,’ sang the Jackson 5 so famously. It’s how Whitehead makes you feel the instant you close CROOK MANIFESTO does that mean it’s utterly necessary to go back and read (or re-read) HARLEM SHUFFLE before diving into its sequel? No. But it would be a crime not to.”*

* Jason Heller, “Crook Manifesto takes Colson Whitehead’s heist hero in search of Jackson 5 tickets,” NPR, July 18, 2023.

HARLEM SHUFFLE by Colson Whitehead

September 12, 2023szfreiberger Fiction/Literary Leave a comment

When someone begins a novel writing, “Carney was only slightly bent when it came to being crooked” you know the author knows how to engage his readers. In this case, the author is Colson Whitehead who has already been awarded two Pulitzer Prizes and a National Book Award for the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKLE BOYS. Colson is also the author of eight other works of fiction and non-fiction. The prequel to his latest work, CROOK MANIFESTO recently released is HARLEM SHUFFLE which immediately introduces a fascinating and somewhat complex character in Raymond Carney, a furniture salesman who also fences jewelry and other items for his cousin Freddie. When Freddie draws him into a larger heist the internal dilemma that always seems to rattle around in Carney’s brain takes hold between Ray the striver, and Ray the crook.

The novel is centered in Harlem in the late 1950s and early 1960s where Whitehead presents an accurate picture of the socio-economic condition of its residents. Carney owns a furniture store on 125^th street with a side door for other monetary opportunities. Whitehead begins with an accurate description of the West Side Highway (a traffic abomination that I personally drove with my father at that time!). Whitehead is clear about the dichotomy of downtown and uptown Manhattan into the Bronx and the types of “crooks” that exist in pinstripe suits with loafers and those who dress in a more casual style.

(125th Street, Harlem, circa 1960s)

This contrast is evident throughout the book as “negroes” living uptown strive for acceptance in white society and try and develop their own upper crust in Harlem. The ambiance of small business during the period is emblematic of Carney’s store and other businesses and patrons he interacts with. Whitehead expertly weaves the history of Harlem during the period throughout the novel. The Apollo Theater, Adam Clayton Powell, Cab Callaway’s band, the Hotel Theresa, the “headquarters the Negro world” all make appearances. Organized crime is a dominant force as the Italian Mafia makes inroads uptown and ally with local gangsters.

Whitehead delves into a series of themes that are highlighted through dialogue and actual historical events. The racism of the period is on full display as Carney is ignored by white business types when he tries to conduct business. Commentary dealing with light v. dark negro skin color is a harsh reflection of the self-concept of negroes as they try and fit in. The Civil Rights movement makes an appearance through Carney’s wife, Elizabeth who works at Black Star Travel a business that tries to secure accommodation for negroes all over the country, particularly in the south. As the book shifts to 1964 the author explores the Harlem riots and the motivations of protestors and police alike. The violence and frustration of Harlem residents is obvious. The split within the negro community is ever present with “uppity” negroes who control the Alexander Dumas Club which hosts the leading political and economic figures in Harlem. It is interesting how Whitehead uses Carney’s father-in-law, Leland Jones, one of Harlem’s top accountants as the epitome of reverse negro racism as does Alma his wife who also abhors Carney and what he represents.

(Harlem, 1960s)

Corruption also dominates the novel as we see how the local mail service works. It is made up of bribes and payoffs for protection as money is sequestered in envelopes to be delivered or picked up on a weekly basis. This involves many policemen highlighted by Detective Munson who works with Carney. Cops, drugs, pimps all interact as part of the “accepted system.” Political corruption is a daily occurrence under the regime of Mayor Robert Wagner and Tammany Hall as nothing seems to get done in the city without a payoff.

Other themes that come to the fore include racism in America’s segregated army during World War II reflected in Pepper’s experience in Burma. Jewish-Black tension dealing with rents, jewelry and such though Mr. Moskowitz, a downtown jeweler seems somewhat honest as he fences gems for Carney, but also provides an education in dealing with jewels and their purveyors.

The plot goes round, and round as social commentary leaps off each page. For Carney who has been swindled by Wilfred Duke, a banker and senior member of the Alexander Dumas Club, it is all about revenge. However, that revenge leads him further into the nether land of Harlem’s underclass. Further, there is poor cousin Freddie who seems to have crossed the Van Wyck family, one of New York’s finest, despite the undercurrent of bribery, and Chink Montague, a Mafia boss. The problem is that his association with Freddie leaves Carney open to all kinds of extortion, fear, and in the end questioning if his lifestyle of half crooked and half not is worth despite its benefits. With a successful business, a wonderful wife and two children, Carney has a lot to think about.

Overall, the novel is an extraordinary story about an ordinary man who lives a double life. Whitehead writes with insight and humor and the story is an easy read. Despite some mean characters, Whitehead has the ability to bring out their inner humanity, but overall, it is a story about how the straight world operated during the day and at night the bent got to work. To sum up, Karan Mahajan in his 2021 New York Times review states it perfectly, Whitehead rights the ship by the third section of the novel, “which focuses on another crime to which Carney is an unwilling accomplice, with potentially deadly repercussions for the people he loves. And the crime story, which had become inert, suddenly revs to life, reminding us that Whitehead, beneath all the shambling and high jinks, remains an American master.”

Colson Whitehead

(Colson Whitehead)

FRANCE ON TRIAL: THE CASE OF MARSHAL PETAIN by Julian Jackson

September 1, 2023szfreiberger Uncategorized Leave a comment

At the trial of Marshal Philippe P��tain (1856-1951) at Paris (France). In July 1945.

(August 1945 Trial of Marshal Petain)

In 1969, the two-part documentary film, “The Sorrow and the Pity” directed by Marcel Ophuls depicting collaboration between the French Vichy government and Nazi Germany during World War II was released. Controversial from the outset, the film explored the reasons behind the collaboration, including anti-Semitism, Anglophobia, fear of Bolshevism and Soviet invasion, and the desire to acquire and maintain power during the German occupation. By the end of the war, the entire Vichy experience fostered a deep fissures in French society and no one depicted this state of affairs more than Marshal Philippe Petain, the great World War One hero at the Battle of Verdun who led the Vichy government and after the war became the lightning rod dealing with French collective guilt and retribution.

Petain is the focal point in British historian Julian Jackson’s latest work dealing with France during World War II entitled, FRANCE ON TRIAL: THE CASE OF MARSHAL PETAIN. In his comprehensive monograph Jackson zeroes in on Petain’s three week trial after France was liberated examining the central crisis of French history in the 20^th century – the collapse of France within six weeks after the Nazi invasion in April 1940; the signing of an armistice with Germany; and Vichy’s policy of collaboration.

(Pierre Laval)

Jackson begins his narrative providing a photograph of a picture of Petain and German Chancellor Adolf Hitler shaking hands on October 24, 1940, and describes the symbolic importance of that act- a propagandas coup for the Nazis and a shock for the French public. The result of that meeting meant that France was no longer a combatant in the war and was now considered neutral, though the French public assumed that the hero of Verdun must be working behind the scenes with the British or the French resistance led by General Charles de Gaulle. As Petain’s trial would show, he was not working behind the scenes with anyone and was collaborating with the Nazis no matter what his defense attorneys would argue. The word “collaboration” became controversial when used in a speech on October 11, 1945, no matter how many times Petain denied that characterization of his government, it is part of the historical record.

Jackson describes the trial which opened in Paris on July 23 and ended on August 15, 1945, in minute detail. He offers unique portraits of the major characters ranging from Petain; his lawyers, Jacques Isorni and Fernard Payen who despised each other, the prosecution led by Public Prosecutor Andre Mornet and Pierre Bouchardon; to Charles de Gaulle, Pierre Laval, and numerous other personages which include collaborators, members of the wartime resistance, and the role of past and future politicians like Paul Reynaud, Leon Blum, and Francois Mitterand. Jackson relies on trial transcripts, archival research, and most importantly to convey the mood of France during the trial and after, contemporary journalistic accounts.

(Paul Reynaud)

One of the key themes of the book was to decide whether Petain was a hero or a traitor. Each side in the debate had its own agenda. Some wanted to protect their reputations as many served the Vichy government, others wanted to maintain Petain’s reputation as the epitome of a French hero who had given his life in service to the French people. Taking place after Liberation, the trial witnessed the return of many French persons returning from deportation and forced labor and the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps. Many call this period as the “Epuration,” or purge of the French body politick as so many had worked with and for the Germans.

Jackson draws a number of important conclusions drawn from interrogations of Petain. First, his answers reflected “a mixture of evasiveness or forgetfulness, self-delusion, blame shifting or mendacity, and self-pity….,” with some believing what else could be expected from an eighty-eight year old man. Since he was quiet at the trial, witness interrogation offered a glimpse as to what his real views were. Third, Petain’s hatred for Charles de Gaulle is readily apparent, though their earlier careers saw them working together. Fourth, his lawyers were at a disadvantage as Petain provided little to create a more positive narrative for the events between 1940 and 1944. Defense attorney Isorni had to invent the Petain that he needed as he had little to work with. Fifth, rivalries among former Vich courtiers remained intense, and lastly, when evidence emerged against Petain, blame would be shifted to Pierre Laval.

The Acte d”accusation zeroed in on Petain’s responsibility for signing the armistice on June 22, 1940, and three constitutional acts promulgated on July 11, 1940, which went beyond the powers that he had previously been given which lent credence to the idea that he was involved in a plot against the Republic before the war. The second charge dealt with tracing Petain’s treason after July 1940; for example, contributing to the German war machine, allowing the Germans to use French airfields in Syria, and firing on allied troops in North Africa in November 1942. Lastly, he was charged with being fully behind the “abominable racial laws” and creation of a special section to enforce them. All in all, he was guilty of attacking the internal security of the state and colluding with the Nazis to favor his own ambition which correlated with those of the enemy.

(Charles de Gaulle)

Jackson describes Petain’s demeanor during the trial which mostly appeared to be one of indifference, impassivity, as if he were in another world, though there were a few short outbursts defending himself. Petain’s defense argued that by collaborating Petain “cunningly outwitted the Germans while allowing the subordinates to pursue a secret resistance .” Further it was argued that Petain did not join the allies in North Africa after November 1942 because he believed his mission was to stay with his people. Petain was therefore a “sacrificial martyr who supposedly had secret contact with the British and secretly supported the allied landing in North Africa in November 1942. Lastly, Petain was not a “free agent,” he was answerable to Laval. In the end this defense was not effective.

As far as the fate of the Jews is concerned, very little was mentioned at trial. But, it is clear from the work of American historian Robert Paxton proves that under Vichy Jews were excluded from the civil service and other professions, the internment of Jews in the Unoccupied Zone, and the French carried out the arrest of Jews at the behest of the Germans. Interestingly, Jackson points out as occurred in other countries when Jews returned to their homes after the war the atmosphere became poisonous as they tried to reclaim their property. In fact, the Vichy Commissioner for Jewish Affairs, Louis Darquier (who Petain referred to as “the torturer), and the head of the French police during occupation, Rene Bousquet had no regrets concerning their role in sending Jews to Auschwitz and other camps.

An area of controversy discussed involves the United States which hoped to woo Vichy away from the Germans. The US had diplomatic relations with Vichy and during the trial Washington was afraid that old wounds would be brought out, particularly French distrust for the United States. Historian William Langer tried to whitewash the American relationship with Vichy, but Jackson, Paxton and others reported the truth of American complicity with Vichy.

Apart from the trial itself, Jackson vividly portrays the anguish of retribution as those who had collaborated with the Nazis found themselves spit upon, physically attacked, had their heads shaved, and criminally charged for their actions. The period following the trial makes up a quarter of the book whereby the author describes how Petain’s supporters continued to fight to resurrect his reputation and place in history, even after he died and is buried on the French island of Il’ Yeu.

(Francois Mitterand)

After the trial ended and Petain was imprisoned on the island the physical trial may have ended for Petain, but not for France. Petainists and anti-Petainists continued the arguments presented at trial through various organizations, publications, and the personal agendas of many. One of the more interesting characters was Charles De Gaulle who seemed to want the support of both sides. Isorni continued the fight trying to exhume Petain’s body and have it moved to the national cemetery at Douaumont to be buried with other heroes of Verdun and petitioning for a new trial to overturn Petain’s conviction. Petain remained a “political football” for decades after his death forcing politicians to make decisions which remained problematic as many French persons refused to let his actions go undefended.

It is clear that what is referred to as France’s “darkest hours” according to Agnes Poirier in her The Guardian, review of June 11, 2023, was one of cowardice, bad faith, dishonor and moral ambivalence.” I agree with her further characterization that “what is chilling in Jackson’s beautifully researched and meticulous account of the trial is the hopeless mediocrity of almost all people involved in it: from judges and jurors (résistants and parliamentarians) to lawyers’ prosecutors and witnesses. Everybody seemed animated by petty or self-serving feelings; they were either out of their depth or spineless, but above all most were morally ambivalent. Before it began, De Gaulle had presciently talked of Pétain’s trial as a ‘lamentable but inevitable’ event.” If you have an interest in exploring France’s greatest moral downfall in its modern history then Jackson’s comprehensive efforts should satisfy.

“As Jackson explains: “De Gaulle knew he was on thin ice when claiming that Vichy was illegal. For that reason, he generally preferred to talk about legitimacy.” In the end, the difference between Petain and De Gaulle, between Vichy and the Free French, was their idea of honor. France’s duty had been to fight on whatever the risks, whatever the sacrifices. De Gaulle and his army of resistance saved France’s honor by the skin of their teeth. And as far as this French citizen is concerned, Petain and his clique can rot in hell for eternity.”

(August 1945 Trial of Marshal Petain)

THE KING’S PLEASURE: A NOVEL OF HENRY VIII by Alison Weir

August 20, 2023szfreiberger British History, Historical Fiction Leave a comment

Holbein - Henry VIII — (Hans Holbein the Younger, *Portrait of Henry VIII,* 1540, oil on wood, Palazzo Barberini, Rome)

The concept of “popular history” has proven to be a bone of contention between writers who engage in the genre and more academic historians. According to one definition popular history is “dramatic storytelling often prevails over analysis, style over substance, simplicity over complexity, and grand generalization over careful qualification.” In response author Alison Weir argues that history is not only for academic historians who engage in deep research and hope to uncover a new thesis that plays well in the academic community. For Weir the author of seventeen works of historical non-fiction and fourteen works of historical fiction history belongs to all of us and if it is written in an entertaining manner based on extensive research it can be labeled “popular,” if so I am proud to be one of its practitioners!

Weir’s latest work of historical “popular” fiction is THE KING’S PLEASURE: A NOVEL OF HENRY VIII, a novel that purports to tell its reading audience the life of the outsized English monarch from his point of view. After writing the six Tudor Queens series, individual novels which explore the lives of Katherine of Aragon, continuing with Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katheryn Howard, and Katherine Parr, Wier decided it would be useful to present Henry’s views to balance those of his detractors. Wier has also written a work of non-fiction about the life of Henry’s mother entitled, THE WHITE ROSE: A NOVEL OF ELIZABETH OF YORK.

Catherine Of Aragon Engraved portrait of Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), the first queen of Henry VIII of England. She holds a bible in one hand. (Photo by Stock Montage/Getty Images)

(Katherine of Aragon)

Weir’s Henry VIII was a sensitive young man who lost his mother at the age of eleven shortly after his brother Arthur had passed away. The loss of his mother who he truly loved plays an important role in Henry’s view of women throughout his life.

At eleven, Henry had mastered French, Latin, and Italian and loved to engage in physical exercise and excelled at horsemanship, the longbow, fencing, jousting, wrestling, and swordsmanship. As his humanistic education developed he showed great interest in the classics, literature, and poetry and saw himself as a true Renaissance individual. Weir bases her novel on years of researching the history of the Tudors and though she might be considered a “popular historian” her knowledge of her subject and the detail she presents are quite impressive. An early example involves his relationship with his father Henry VII following the death of his brother and the negotiations involved in Henry VIII marrying his widow, Katherine of Aragon. As is her wont, Weir analyzes the political implications of the death of Queen Isabella of Spain, the debate as to whether Henry VIII can marry his brother’s widow, the relationship between father and son, particularly how Henry VIII becomes angrier and angrier at his father’s refusal to allow Henry to marry following the papal dispensation approving the marriage.

(Anne Boleyn)

Henry VIII is seen as loving and very solicitous of Katherine for years until she is unable to meet Henry VIII’s obsession to produce a male heir when he rationalizes casting her aside because of the security needs of his kingdom. As one reads on, the novel transports the reader to 16^th century England with all major events and characters involving Henry wonderfully portrayed. The likes of Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Sir Thomas More, Francis I, Charles V, King Ferdinand, Emperor Maximillian, Pope Clement VII, and Henry’s wives are all presented in an accurate manner. The diplomacy of the period particularly involving shifting alliances between England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, the German states, and the Papal states are all discussed in terms of the European balance of power and the significance of marriage diplomacy. As one reads on one must keep in mind that Henry’s actions and reputation must be seen in the context of the time period in which he reigned.

The machinations at court are vividly portrayed. The constant attempts at manipulation by many of the characters mentioned previously abound, particularly after Henry has his marriage to Katherine of Aragon annulled and he marries Anne Boleyn. This would eventually lead to a break with Rome, Henry’s excommunication, and the creation of the Church of England, with Henry at its head. With Lutheranism spreading in Germany conservative and reform factions emerge in England and Henry must deal with revolts in addition to worrying about the diplomatic games played by his fellow monarchs.

The author seems to enjoy relating life at court describing the entertainment, jousting, feasts, royal decorations and castles etc. In fact, at times she seems to go overboard which detracts from more substantive events and movements. Apart from the details of Henry’s marriages and their shortcomings in his eyes, she does relate how he stood up to Martin Luther, and writes a book in defense of the church and Pope Leo reflecting the king’s intellect and desire to be seen as a defender of the faith. As Henry ages, Wier presents a man who begins to realize the loss of his virility reflecting an explosive temper when it came to acts he saw as personally disloyal. Much of his later physical deterioration is due to infections in his legs which made it difficult for him to get around. The older he becomes, even after Jane Seymour provides an heir he becomes more and more difficult to be with. From his viewpoint the state of health in his kingdom with sleeping sickness and plague abounding he realizes that he must produce a second heir which drove him to three more marriages, two of which did not end well.

(Jane Seymour)

Weir digs down deeply into important relationships that Henry was involved with, both men and women. His anger at Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard are fully explained and from his perspective seem quite reasonable as both women knew how to successfully manipulate him until their pasts emerge humiliating and embarrassing him. One must wonder whether Wier is correct as she plays on Henry’s own guilt when he allows both women to be executed.

In the end I believe that Weir is correct when she writes that she hoped she has provided insights “into the mid of a brilliant, autocratic, vain, intellectual, ruthless, and romantic king who changed the face and institutions of England forever and whose memory is still vividly alive five centuries after he lived.” Whether you accept Weir’s interpretation of Henry’s life, the book is well written, an easy read, and does not get bogged down with fact after fact and dense writing offered by many historical tracts – for this she should be commended.

(Henry VIII)

GRAND DELUSION: THE RISE AND FALL OF AMERICAN AMBITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST by Steven Simon

August 13, 2023August 13, 2023szfreiberger American Diplomatic History, Memoir, Middle Eastern History Leave a comment

Syrians walk along a severely damaged road in the northeastern city of Deir el-Zour, Jan. 4, 2014. (AFP)

(Syrian Civil War)

Today the Middle East borders on chaos. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under indictment and as a means of retaining his administration pushes to reduce the power of the Israeli Supreme Court resulting in roughly 20% of the country taking to the streets in protest. Further, Israeli reserve pilots have threatened to refuse missions in dissent. The West Bank is experiencing renewed violence highlighted by a recent Israeli incursion and a continuing power struggle between Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In Yemen, the brutal civil war continues as Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting a proxy war. In Iran, the government is still dealing with domestic discontent particularly by the younger generation, exporting weapons to Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and drones and other support for the Russian war in Ukraine. In Jordan, opposition to King Abdullah increases each time Israeli troops crack down on Palestinians. Egypt remains a repressive autocracy. Lastly, Saudi Arabia’s government under the leadership of Mohammad bin Salman further consolidates power of his repressive regime and spreads its wealth seemingly worldwide as it finds itself disagreeing with the Biden administration more and more.

The above is symptomatic of a failed attempt by the United States to reorient the region toward its goals and in so doing according to Steven Simon in his new history/memoir GRAND DELUSION: THE RISE AND FALL OF AMERICAN AMBITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, the region has undergone a forty year period whereby Washington has evolved from deep engagement to a period of retrenchment.

PHOTO: British soldiers assist in rescue operations at the site of the bomb-wrecked U.S. Marine command center near the Beirut airport in Lebanon, Oct. 23, 1983. A bomb-laden truck drove into the center collapsing the entire four story building.

(1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Lebanon)

According to the author, the process began with the Iranian Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah during the Carter presidency which brought about a collapse of the American position through the final weakening of US resolve under Barack Obama. In between the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush II administrations tried to retain American hegemony in the region, attempted to foster an Israeli-Palestinian settlement, dominate Iraq, and support Saudi Arabia. This came to an end as Obama held Israel and the Gulf states in open contempt, failed to arm and train Syrian rebels in a civil war he referred to as “the shit show,” intervened in Libya, stalled in attempts to foster democratic transitions during the Arab spring, dealt with the Islamic State, was unable to forge a constituency for a nuclear deal with Iran, and witnessed a bitter end to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Obama’s successor, Donald Trump acquiesced in this situation, periodically threatening different parties and trying to see how he could achieve political and personal gains.

The question is how did the present situation evolve resulting in America’s propensity for self-deception and misadventure in the region particularly after 9/11 – Simon, whose career included a fifteen year career at the State Department, and service on the National Security Council staff as senior director for Middle Eastern and North African affairs provides interesting and evocative answers.

From left, Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton and Yasir Arafat in 1993.

(Israeli Prime Minister Rabin, President Clinton, and PLO Chairman Arafat, 1993)

Simon has written a personal account of his diplomatic career involved in the Middle East, offering many historical observations and insightful analysis. The monograph seems to offer two major themes. The first, after the overthrow of the Shah in 1979 the United States changed from a period where American troops where not actively deployed in the region, instead CIA operations, vast military sales were tools used to spread influence, and Washington relied upon autocratic to achieve its goals. Once Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency for better or worse, American troops at times became active in the region from Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and bases in the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. In the case of Iraq, the policy has been a disaster which in the end destroyed the region’s balance of power and elevated Iran to being a major player. This period came to an end with the final withdrawal of US troops from Iraq in 2011. The second major theme that Simon explores was American policy toward Israel and Saudi Arabia. Since the end of the Second World War, the United States sought to facilitate Israel’s survival in a hostile Arab world following the Holocaust and preventing any Soviet inroads involving Saudi Arabia. Up until recently these policies have been mostly successful. However, the emergence of a right wing Israeli government under Bibi Netanyahu and his ultra-orthodox allies, and the elevation of Mohammad bin-Salman as head of the Saudi government has led to policies that at times are designed to “get even” with President Biden’s comments during the 2020 election his cruelty and repression zeroing in opposition within Saudi society, in addition, his hope of achieving regional super power status does not bode well for the future of American success in the region.

Simon does an excellent job developing the background history for each presidential administration’s policies. Beginning with President Carter and taking the reader up to the present, the author describes the significant issues that each occupant of the White House faced, the internal debates over policies, the personalities involved, the final execution of the decision-making process, and the ramifications once the dust cleared. Beginning with Carter’s attempts at Camp David and the Iran hostage situation, Simon moves on to the haphazard NSC decision-making process in relation to the deployment of US Marines to Lebanon and the Iran-Contra scandal under Reagan; the debate in the first Bush administration over whether to remain in Iraq and achieve regime overthrow after Desert Storm, and the Madrid Conference designed to facilitate an Israeli-Palestinian peace; Clinton’s need to know whether Saddam’s WMD had been catalogued and destroyed, and his inability to lure Iran to the negotiating table, as well as Clinton’s refusal to issue a presidential decision directive on the Middle East; George W. Bush facing the repercussions of 9/11 leading to an ill fated war in Iraq as well as creating a disastrous policy in Afghanistan; Obama’s attempts to reset US policy in the region, not enforcing his self-imposed red-line dealing with Syria, and achieving the Nuclear arms deal with Iran. Next, Trump was indifferent to the mechanics of foreign policy and “his ignorance of the conduct of foreign policy clouded his occasionally sensible, if crudely formulated, impulses,” i.e.; pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal allowing Tehran to enhance its nuclear program, the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, and abandoning the Kurds to Turkish President Erdogan Lastly, President Biden who inherited unresolved conflicts with Iraq, Iran, and a Saudi relationship whereby Jared Kushner was able to ingratiate himself with Mohammad bin-Salman. For Biden, faced with deteriorating relations with China, the issue of Taiwan, the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and difficulties with Iran leave very little time to devote to the Middle East. I agree with Simon’s conclusion that the Saudis and Persian Gulf states see Biden as “a speed bump on the road to a more accommodating Republican administration.”

(In this photo released by the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Biden bump fists as they begin meetings in Jeddah)

Many of the major characters aside from presidents are discussed in Simon’s presentation. Jimmy Carter employed Zbigniew Brzezinski, Cy Vance and others, though at times he was his own Secretary of State. Under Ronald Reagan, George Schultz, Casper Wienberger, Robert McFarlane, and William Casey played significant roles. For George H. W. Bush, James Baker, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney stand out. President Clinton, who had little foreign policy experience relied upon Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, and William Cohen. George W. Bush relied heavily on Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, and to a lesser extent on Colin Powell. Barack Obama worked well with Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, and Robert Gates. Donald Trump had a series of individuals who he eventually fired and brought in sycophant’s who would do his bidding. For Biden it is too early to know the impact of those around him particularly Jake Sullivan, Lloyd Austin, and Anthony Blinken. All of these figures play prominent roles in Simon’s presentation and analysis, and it is interesting to compare the types of people and their experience before they served their respective administrations and how impactful they were.

Simon has written a thoughtful, well-constructed work of fusion that will be useful for the professional and general audience. His viewpoints are based on years of involvement in the region and his commentary is succinct and for the most part dead on no matter which administration he is discussing. He has done a wonderful job exploring a series of presidential administrations and how they approached the Middle East and must be commended for his ability to synthesize information as each chapter in of itself can be developed into a book of its own.

(Syrian Civil War)

AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER by Kai Bird; Martin Sherwin

July 29, 2023szfreiberger Biography, Cold War Leave a comment

As American moviegoers obsess over two films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” I decided to view substance over pure glitz, and I guess entertainment. On opening day, I went to see “Oppenheimer” and I was duly impressed with the acting, dialogue, and overall historical presentation. The film was based on Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin’s 2005 biography AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: THE TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY OF J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER a book that stood tall on one of my bookcases for eighteen years – it was time to engage.

Kai Bird, a superb biographer with credits like THE CHAIRMAN, the life story of John J. McCloy, THE COLOR OF TRUTH, a dual biography of the McGeorge and William Bundy, and THE OUTLIER: THE UNFINISHED PRESIDENCY OF JIMMY CARTER tams with Martin Sherwin, who passed away in 2021 known for his seminal work on the atomic bomb in A WORLD DESTROYED: THE ATOMIC BOMB AND THE GRAND ALLIANCE in 1975 and updated in 2003, and GAMBLING WITH ARMAGEDDON: NUCLEAR ROULETTE FROM HIROSHIMA TO THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS in 2022. Both authors are known for their assiduous research, thoughtful analysis, and command of historical sources and other materials. Their joint effort supports that evaluation of their previous work and is certain to remain the most important study of Oppenheimer.

Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer (Images via Atomic Heritage Foundation, and LIFE Photo Collection/Google Arts and Culture)

(Kitty Oppenheimer, Peter, Toni, Robert)

Oppenheimer’s life is a dichotomy which the author’s describe as an irony of “a life devoted to social justice, rationality and science would become a metaphor for mass death beneath a mushroom cloud.” In tracing the evolution of Robert’s life we discover an individual who was raised in a household that stressed fairness and integrity, a commitment to scientific learning and progress, teaching the next generation, and a belief that what he had achieved by overseeing the development of the atomic bomb was necessary because of the aegis of war and realized that history had changed leading to taking the necessary steps by sharing the science to prevent a nuclear arms race. During Robert’s journey he became involved in left wing movements in the 1930s, particularly through speeches and donations involving republican forces in the Spanish Civil War, the unionization of teachers and professors at the University of California, Berkeley, and other causes which fostered the belief that he was a communist. But in reality, Oppenheimer was nothing more than a typical fellow-traveling New Deal progressive, even though J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI did not think so and would hound him well into the 1950s.

The author’s monograph is all encompassing. They provide insights into most aspects of his private life. Their “microscope” encompasses friendships, colleagues, family life – particularly his marriage to Kitty. They conclude that though they lacked parenting skills, suffered from personality defects they loved each other deeply and were mutually dependent. It was clear Robert was a polymath whose knowledge of science, literature, poetry, and music dominated his interests. Bird and Sherwin gather the most important aspects of Robert’s life in a well-written engrossing narrative interspersed with concrete analysis directed at the myths and inaccuracies that have been associated with his life. To begin, there was no evidence that Robert was a member of the Communist Party no matter how hard the US Army, Intelligence agencies, politicians, and those jealous of his work tried to prove it. He did associate with known communists, most importantly, Jean Tatlock, the love of his life who eventually committed suicide with whom he carried on long relationship even after he was married, and his brother Frank, also a physicist who was a party member who Robert would eventually bring to Los Alamos. For Robert, his support rested on social causes and what he considered right and membership in the party by friends and colleagues was not of primary importance.

(Niels Bohr)

Bird and Sherwin do a credible job laying out the leftist’s ideological currents of the 1930s focusing on Haakem Chevalier, a French literature professor at Berkeley who was a committed communist who was suspected of being a conduit for scientific information to the Russians because of his friendship with Robert. Chevalier and Tatlock were successful in moving Robert from theory to action when it came to social causes.

The names and beliefs of countless individuals associated with Robert come to the reader at a steady pace. A roster of the most important and brilliant physicists of the age appears. Most prominent was Neils Bohr, the Danish physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1922 and was committed to an “open world” by sharing scientific discoveries to prevent future wars; the German scientist Werner Heisenberg who conducted atomic research for the Nazis; Ernest Lawrence, an American nuclear physicist who won a Noble prize in 1939; Isidor I. Rabi, another American physicist who won a Nobel Prize in 1944; Edward Teller who evolved into a jealous enemy of Oppenheimer and after the war pushed for a hydrogen bomb and replacing Los Alamos with Livermore under his leadership; among many other scientists. Apart from the scientific community the authors zero in on Robert’s relationship with General Leslie Groves who was in charge of the A-Bomb Project. The two men generally liked each other as they believed they could outmaneuver each other. Groves ruled by intimidation, Robert by his charismatic authority. Groves questioned Robert’s administrative experience and whether he was a security risk, but he soon came to realize that he was the best person to oversee the project.

(Edward Teller)

The Groves-Oppenheimer relationship was emblematic of the relationship between the Army and the scientists as the nuclear physicists believed that the military’s security protocols hindered their work. The Army bureaucracy was very suspicious of the leftists’ backgrounds of many of the scientists and it placed Robert and his colleagues under surveillance including illegal wiretaps throughout the period. Other important non-scientific personalities included Lt. Colonel Boris Pash who was in charge of security at Los Alamos and did not trust Robert, and Lt. Col. John Landsdale, Groves’ security aide who would come to accept Oppenheimer as a loyal American.

In relating their narrative, the authors integrate a great deal of dialogue taken from Robert’s papers, interviews, and other sources. It provides the reader with a certain intimacy with the characters and one can develop a very close relationship with Oppenheimer as you read on. In comparing the film to the book, it is obvious that a great deal of the actor’s dialogue and conversation comes directly from Bird and Sherwin’s research.

(Lewis Strauss)

A key theme that the authors develop is that once Robert is chosen as the director of a weapons laboratory he had to learn to integrate the diverse effort of the far-flung sites of the Manhattan Project and mold them into a usable atomic weapon. He would develop skills he did not yet possess, deal with problems he could not imagine, develop work habits entirely at odds with his previous lifestyle, and adjust to modes of behavior that were emotionally awkward and alien to his experience – Oppenheimer would remake a significant part of his personality, if not his intellect in a brief period of time to succeed. Once Robert realized that the Nazis were working on the bomb it became his mission to develop one for the United States first. Another theme that repeats throughout the book is that Robert’s statements, support for causes, association with colleagues would come back to haunt him after the war as the United states entered the McCarthy period of political paranoia when it came to communism.

To the author’s credit, there is no mathematics and little physics in the book which made it so readable. Bird and Sherwin concentrate on an intimate portrayal of Oppenheimer. As James Buchan wrote in his February 1, 2008, review of The Guardian; here, as it were, are the cocktails and wiretaps and love affairs of Oppenheimer’s existence, his looks and conversation, the way he smoked the cigarettes and pipe that killed him, his famous pork-pie hat and splayed walk, and all the tics and affectations that his students imitated, and the patriots and military men despised. It is as if these authors had gone back to James Boswell, who said of Dr Johnson: “Everything relative to so great a man is worth observing.”

Oppenheimer would become haunted by Hiroshima and came to believe that the Japanese were essentially defeated before the bomb was dropped. After the war as Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and as advisor to the new Atomic Energy Commission he tried to gain support for international control of nuclear weapons. He tried to convince President Truman to support his efforts, but Truman labeled him “a crybaby.” The military and Lewis Strauss, a former banker appointed by Truman to chair the Atomic Energy Commission hated Oppenheimer because of his opposition to plans to build a “super” or hydrogen bomb more powerful and lethal than anything developed previously.

(General Leslie Groves)

The section of the book that runs about 70 pages provides insights into the political atmosphere in Washington in the early 1950s. Strauss hated Oppenheimer for his suspected betrayals and his personality and in 1953 sought to revoke Robert’s security clearance. The April 1954 Gray Board Hearing, brilliantly portrayed in the film, reflects how a man can lose his head and be totally disgraced by Strauss and Hoover who were convinced Oppenheimer was about to defect to the Soviet Union. The authors are correct in pointing out that the persecution of Oppenheimer showed liberals that the rules of the national security game had changed. “Now, even if the issue was not espionage, even if one’s loyalty was unquestioned, challenging the wisdom of America’s reliance on a nuclear arsenal was dangerous. The Oppenheimer hearings thus represented a significant step in narrowing the public forum during the early cold war.” The authors are correct when they argue further that Stalin had no designs on Western Europe after the war and once he died there was an opportunity to engage the Russians in arms control talks and prevent a hydrogen bomb fueled nuclear arms race. However, the Eisenhower administration never tried to approach the Kremlin over arms limitation.

Bird and Sherwin worked on their account for almost thirty years analyzing Oppenheimer’s behavior from many vantage points. What emerges is a biography that aligns its subject’s most significant decisions with his early education and his ultimate undoing. The book succeeds in providing an understandable description of their subject even the paradoxical aspects of his personality. As an aside, the movie was well done, but it does not compare to the book. In closing it is clear that writing a biography that stresses the intellect of its subject, is an art form – these two gentlemen are masters!

CALHOUN: AMERICAN HERETIC by Robert Elder

July 20, 2023szfreiberger American cultural history, American Political History, American Social History, Biography Leave a comment

(John C. Calhoun)

Today we live in a country where white supremacism is on the rise, descendants of former slave’s demand reparations, state legislatures try to obstruct the teaching of black history, the College Board gives in to extremists who did not like the content of Advanced Placement African history classes, the Supreme Court ends affirmative action for colleges, and state’s rights advocates seem to have the floor. Three years short of our 250^th anniversary, the United States finds itself with a bifurcated population politically, economically, and socially over issues of race. The question is how did we get here, when did it originate, and who is responsible? Historian Robert Elder tries to provide some of the historical background in his recent biography of the former 19^th century South Carolina Senator, Vice President, and Secretary of State John C. Calhoun, in CALHOUN: AMERICAN HERETIC. Some might argue how a man who was so impactful in the first half of the 19^th century could still maintain such influence today. The answer offered by Elder is clear. Calhoun, a slave owner who argued that slavery was a positive good for America, furthered the doctrine of “state interposition” which for many became the legal argument for secession that led to the Civil War, and was the dominant spokesperson for the south, state’s rights, and the enslavement of blacks deserves a great deal of credit for setting the United States on the path it now finds itself confronting – a political climate that does not seem to have an exit ramp, with racial violence on the upswing.

(Henry Clay)

Elder’s monograph should be considered the definitive account of Calhoun’s life through the lens of a cultural and ideological biography. The account encompasses all facets of Calhoun’s life and covers the most notable events of the first half of the 19^th century. In doing so Elder traces the intellectual development of his subject very carefully. He pulls no punches as he outlines in detail how Calhoun went from a proponent of optimistic nationalism featuring what historians refer to as Henry Clay’s American system which consisted of internal improvements such as roads and canals linking the country’s economic development, a low tariff to promote trade, a National Bank, and the use of federal funds to assist the states to achieve his goals.

As the War of 1812 approached Calhoun justified his views of federal power over the states as a necessity because of the exigencies of war. Further his ideology was predicated on the concept of “honor,” particularly as it related to British impressment of American citizens. Throughout his career honor was foremost in his mind especially in debates with colleagues and those who opposed his beliefs. Elder has engaged in a prodigious amount of research that yields wonderful character studies of Calhoun’s contemporaries. An interesting example of his commitment to his personal honor belief system is the author’s description of his disagreements reflected in debates with Virginia’s House leader, John Randolph. Calhoun as his wont was to employ a carefully crafted barrage of logic that demolished his opponent, raising points with surgical precision one after the other. It was Calhoun’s strength of debate and putting pen to paper that allowed him to be the equal among the great figures of the period, like Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, among others.

The head and shoulders of a man with light skin and gray hair nearly fills this vertical portrait painting. Shown against a peanut-brown background, the man’s shoulders are angled to our left, and he looks off to our right with blue eyes. His gray hair curls around his forehead and over his ears. His bushy gray eyebrows gather over a furrowed brow, and sideburns grow down past his earlobes. His long, straight, slightly hooked nose and high cheekbones are set into his long, oval-shaped face. His pink lips are closed over a rounded chin, which is framed by vertical wrinkles. The white edge of a collar peeks above the high neck of a velvety black garment with wide lapels. The area beneath the man’s shoulders is a dark ivory color, perhaps indicating that this painting is unfinished.

(President Andrew Jackson)

However, by the late 1820s he argued that the tariff of 1828 was unconstitutional. His solution, referred to as the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, argued the concept of “nullification” whereby the states had the right to declare federal actions as “null and void.” His viewpoint was clear as the Tariff of 1816 was designed to provide revenue, not to encourage manufacturing. The 1828 version was not a revenue measure. At this point Calhoun was not calling for disunion, as Elder argues he was trying to find a way to preserve the structure of the Union consistent with the principle that power resided in the people, although the people of states.” Calhoun would work creatively to find solutions for problems that arose within the system.

Calhoun was always a fervent defender of slavery though his justifications were part of an evolutionary process. He always argued that treating slaves as property gave masters a financial interest in their well-being. Calhoun was very wary of the British who ended the transatlantic slave trade in 1807 and ended slavery at home in 1833. His concern rested on his fear that London would undermine slavery as the United States expanded and their machinations throughout the western hemisphere. He would consistently point out British hypocrisy especially its rule of India and of course with his Irish lineage his dislike of England was predictable.

Calhoun’s mindset could be very convoluted as he saw no connection between European feudalism with its lords and vassals and southern slaveholding society. For Calhoun slavery was a “positive good” as Africans achieved a degree of civilization they had never previously attained. Further, he argued that slaves were treated better than European laborers who existed among the poor houses of Europe. Slavery created a stable society unlike the labor unrest in the north. Finally, he stated slavery was “an institution uniquely suited – morally, economically, politically – to the conditions of the modern world.” A believer in English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number, slavery fit perfectly as black inferiority and lack of progress were self-evident. Calhoun could compromise at times (see the Missouri Compromise of 1820 or the Compromise of 1850), however, when he believed southern rights centering on slavery were threatened he would draw the line.

(Daniel Webster)

Elder is correct when he argues that the second watershed in Calhoun’s development apart from 1828 occurred in 1836 as he finally came to reject Jeffersonian principles he once espoused. First was conflict with Andrew Jackson who created “Pet Banks” that his administration could fund instead of a National Bank – this would foster the Panic of 1837, the worst depression in US history to that point as cotton prices were hit hard. Further, the election of Martin Van Buren in 1836 reinforced Calhoun’s fears of hereditary monarchy. The result Calhoun’s views of state’s rights solidified resulting in his vehement support for slavery. These views were further exacerbated with the Texas annexation crisis, the Mexican War, and northern attempts to block or limit any expansion of slavery into territories acquired from the war. For Calhoun legislation like the Wilmot Proviso which would not allow slavery in any territory obtained from Mexico pushed Calhoun over the edge arguing that if this went into effect disunion could only result.

(Floride Calhoun, wife of John C. Calhoun)

Elder’s portrayal is of a brilliant man driven by intensity and unrelenting ambition. He believed that “Providence had placed him” on earth to complete his duty for his country. Elder strongly suggests that as Calhoun’s political career evolved his moods began to darken as does his belief system. Elder states he could be “noble, stubborn, suicidal or delusional,” all of which is supported by Calhoun’s own writings, speeches, political activity, and interaction with his contemporaries. Had Calhoun simply argued that slavery was a necessary evil whose abolishment would mean disaster for the south instead of arguing in a very tortuous manner that it was a moral good, economically sound, and made the south more democratic, he might be viewed more positively by history. However, his makeup would not allow this, and his defense of white racism, treatment of his slaves, and stubbornness are responsible for his reputation.

In Elder’s telling, Calhoun loved his country and his region, and despite his flaws his impact on American history cannot be denied. Elder’s work is one of objectivity that is well supported by the documentary evidence and should remain the most important biography of Calhoun for many years to come.

(John C. Calhoun)

THE LEOPARD by Jo Nesbo

July 7, 2023szfreiberger Crime, Mystery/Thrillers Leave a comment

Close up big leopard isolated on black background Close up beautiful big leopard isolated on black background Leopard Stock Photo

A few days ago, I emerged from the roller coaster of highs and lows engendered by Jo Nesbo’s Nordic crime thriller, THE SNOWMAN. After contemplating my next read I decided to continue the Harry Hole saga in the sequel, THE LEOPARD. As I began reading I realized that I had returned to the roller coaster as Nesbo opens his novel with the strange death of Borgny Stem-Myhre who woke up from being sedated and realized she had a large metal ball with ridges in her mouth. Warned not to pull the string attached to the ball, she did so anyway resulting in her death as she drowned in her own blood.

This is not an auspicious beginning as it produces a criminal case or cases that reflect a number of deaths, a sadistic psychotic killer, criminal justice politics, and a world-wide chase to end the murder spree. Nebo’s title, THE LEOPARD refers to the stealthy tread of the killer in the book, but its literal meaning is an “armoured heart,” which refers to what Harry Hole learns from his experiences.

Uganda, 2016: Uganda villagers work in gold mines under primitive conditions. Editorial Stock Photo

(Mining in the Congo)

The novel periodically crosses over to aspects of THE SNOWMAN as Hole remains in love with Rakel and her son Oleg, which prevents him from falling in love with a colleague. He also visits the Snowman in prison who provides the necessary insights to assist Hole in solving the murder cases. At the outset Hole, having not recovered from the brutality of his previous case, has left Oslo and was living in squalor in Hong Kong addicted to opium and his alcohol issues reemerged. He had borrowed money from Hermann Kluit, a rather unsavory character, to bet on the horses and once he becomes deep in debt, his loans are sold to the TRIAD who are after Hole. The new murders bring Kaja Solness, a new Crime Squad officer to Hong Kong at the behest of Hole’s former boss, Gunnar Hagen. At first Hole does not want to return, but once he learns his father is dying he becomes more accommodating, in addition to his issues with a Chinese crime syndicate.

Unlike other renditions of the Hole series the present one takes place in areas outside Norway; including the Congo, Rwanda, and Hong Kong. Nesbo’s inclusion of African states allows him to integrate the abuse of indigenous mining interests and the horrible plight of boys who are captured by guerilla commanders who kill their families and enslave them as “soldiers” to carry out their bidding.

Map of Hong Kong's main areas. © China Discovery https://www.chinadiscovery.com/hongkong-tours/maps.html

A key element to the plot is the nasty competition between the Crime Squad and Kripo as to who has jurisdiction over murder cases. Kripo Inspector Mikael Bellman hopes to squeeze out the Crime Squad through a series of underhanded and dangerous maneuvers and place himself in charge of all murder investigations. By manipulating Hole’s drug issues, Bellman tries to use the Crime Squad detective through blackmail. Bellman is a new character that Nesbo develops who cheats on his wife repeatedly, employs questionable investigative techniques, and bullies’ subordinates into doing his work. He sidekick Truls Berntsen, nicknamed Beavis (as in Beavis and Buthead) a friend since childhood carries out acts of violence to gain acquiescence for whatever schemes Bellman is involved in.

Most of Nesbo’s characters carry a great deal of baggage, none more so than Hole. Our noir hero is an alcoholic, uncompromising, anti-authority figure , whose personal hygiene habits are not to be admired. Further, he tends to suffer from melancholy, intuition, deeply felt emotions, and a propensity toward unconventional approaches to crime, particularly serial killers.

Kaja Solness emerges as a very important character as at first she becomes Hole’s partner, Bellman’s lover, and eventually falls for Hole. She replaces Katrine Bratt as Hole’s partner, but Bratt who is still recovering from her experiences with the Snowman has evolved into Hole’s computer expert and becomes a valuable asset in solving the murders.

As is the case in Nesbo’s other novels, the reader will come to a part of the story and have a sigh of relief as it appears that the case is about to be solved. This occurs a number of times with a series of characters, then lo and behold there is more work to be done. A character who stands out is Tony Leike, a minor celebrity who had been a mercenary in South Africa who lives life on the edge and is in the midst of developing a mining source in the Congo and stands to make a fortune by marrying into a rich Norwegian family, the Galtung’s, to a woman he does not care for.

Compared to his other novels, THE LEOPARD feels a bit too drawn out as certain details that some might consider interesting could have been left out. However, Hole overrides that concern as he continues to employ his unorthodox methods to solve a case where murders seem to multiply as the killer must get rid of any possible witness to what transpires at a cabin in northeastern Norway. Nesbo creates imaginative ways for the murderer to lure his victims and in the end Hole will be targeted. The key murder weapon is something referred to as “Leopold’s Apple,” a reference to Belgium’s 19^th century imperialist King Leopold. The item is shaped like an apple which “consisted of springs and needles using a ball containing a special alloy, coltan” and the balls are placed in the victim’s mouths to be set off by a string.

No one could deny Nesbo’s creativity in constructing the novel. Whether it is the characters who range from psychopaths, dying fathers, love interests and affairs, and the construction of murder scenes, Nesbo exhibits quite an inventive mind, For example, “The new serial killer is targeting people whose only connection is that for one night they met in a ski lodge. Their deaths are notably gruesome: Two women succumb to the torture instrument, a third is hanged and is so obese that her body separates from her head, and a young man is stuck to his bathtub by Super Glue and left to drown as the water rises.”*

Nesbo is a master at intensifying tension and drama which are key ingredients to any good crime thriller as he moves the goalposts repeatedly outpacing the reader’s ability to guess what will occur next. The novel is an enjoyable ride, and I would recommend that you take part!

*Patrick Anderson. “Jo Nesbo’s THE LEOPARD, a new novel about Oslo detective Harry Hole, Washington Post, December 19, 2011.

Focused

THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbo

June 29, 2023szfreiberger Mystery/Thrillers Leave a comment

(Oslo, Norway)

Roller coasters are a very popular ride for children and adults. Your heart rises and sinks according to the direction, angle, and speed of the car that you are in. This experience is the only way to describe Jo Nesbo’s seventh iteration of his Harry Hole series. Nesbo is a prolific writer of crime thrillers as the Hole series has thirteen books to its credit. Each is unique in the case it confronts, and each is equally satisfying as is the case of THE SNOWMAN. Since the death of Stieg Larson and the retirement of Henning Mankell critics have argued who should be considered the best Nordic writer of crime fiction. I am not an expert on the genre, but I do enjoy it and for my two cents worth I bestow the crown equally on Lars Kepler and Jo Nesbo. Both add to their work every year or two and I look forward to their plot lines. In the present case Nesbo takes the reader on an uncommon journey as he has created a story in which the reader believes that he has solved the crime, but as is usually the case, Nesbo completely shifts his focus from one possible perp to another…..repeatedly!

The novel has an inauspicious beginning in November 1980 as Sara Kvinesland is having sex with her lover during a snowy afternoon while her son waits in the car. The affair is about to end when her lover looks out the window and sees a snowman. This is just the inkling of what is to come as a number of women with children, disappear some never to be found, some with body parts discovered.

Portrait of nice, smiling snowman with green scarf in winter. Portrait of very nice, smiling snowman with green scarf in winter on the lake background. Positive mood. Adult Stock Photo

Nesbo creates a number of new characters, one of which plays a significant role in the story. Katrina Bratt, a beautiful young officer joins the Oslo Police Department Crime Squad and is assigned to Harry Hole an Inspector on the Crime Squad, the first time he has ever had a woman as a partner. Hole as he projected in previous novels remains a troubled individual, fighting his battle with alcoholism, and the end of his relationship with his lover, Rakel Fauke who informs him that she is about to marry a physician and would soon depart for Botswana to assist in the fight against the AIDS epidemic. Hole is devastated and as they keep having trysts he continues to hold out hope.

As the novel evolves in 2004 a series of murders take place, and it is obvious a serial killer is responsible. Since Hole is the only one on the Crime Squad who has solved a serial case, years before in Australia he is assigned to lead the investigation. He sets up a team of four and they soon learn that a 1994 cold case is similar to these murders. The officer in charge at that time was Inspector Gert Rafto who seemed to be the perfect candidate for murder because of his reputation and action over the years on the force. We soon return to 2004 and along with several women, Rafto turns up dead.

Nesbo has set the scene and the investigation moves quickly but as each suspect seems to be the killer, evidence emerges that is not the case. Nesbo has constructed a plot that will leave the reader’s head spinning as Nesbo shifts the plotline to areas that seem unimaginable. Hole has taken a shine to Bratt, but he does not pursue it as he sees it as only a means to deal with his lost love. Hole’s approach to the investigation is rather unorthodox. For example, when the police announce they have captured the killer, Hole goes on a popular television program and announces the suspect is not the killer who remains at large. The Chief Superintendent is apoplectic as the department looks rather foolish.

(Jo Nesbo, author)

Nesbo provides plenty of atmosphere through Hole’s commentary. One will acquire a sense of life in Oslo; this is one of the achievements of the book. Another is the use of language. Nesbo has a fine sense of detail and how to make certain details significant, and others, less so. In fact, Nesbo is something of a magician, performing one sleight after the next with icy calm as the plot keeps shifting. The killer is referred to as the Snowman because the killer builds a snowman in front or near the homes of his intended victims. The real snowmen face inward, toward the house. And occasionally, part of a snowman is replaced with a human part or a carrot!

Nesbo introduces a number of fascinating characters in addition to Bratt. Arve Stop was a piece of work who was obsessed with sex and beautiful women. He was the editor and owner of the Liberal, an important Norwegian magazine who had a reputation for speaking up for the downtrodden. Hole uncovers an interesting paternity history in dealing with Stop and he is out to prove he is the killer. Nesbo describes the lives of the victims carefully as he does with all his characters including Gunnar Hagen, the Head of the Crime Squad, Magnus Skarre, a member of the missing person’s unit, Dr. Matthias Lund-Helgesen, who was to marry Hole’s ex., Dr. Idar Vettlesen, a plastic surgeon, and others who have worked with Hole previously.

There are a number of creepy scenes in the book as Nesbo takes the reader on a tour of Oslo in neighborhoods that are rather seedy as well as those that are upscale. The creepiness goes further as Hole believes that; “I just have the feeling that someone is watching me the whole time, that someone is watching me now. I’m part of someone’s plan.” This does not stop Hole from applying his years of experience and methods to try and solve the case despite obstacles placed in his way by higher ups and a series of suspects.

In reviewing Nesbo’s work one must be careful as to how much information about the plot is put forward as you do not want to give away the ending. In this case the reader will be shocked on numerous occasions and will be quite surprised with Nesbo’s conclusion – which of course makes him a superb practitioner of the Nordic crime thriller as his edgy story will attest to. It is a story that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud!

(Oslo, Norway)

ELIE WIESEL: CONFRONTING THE SILENCE by Joseph Berger

June 21, 2023szfreiberger Holocaust, Intellectual History Leave a comment

(Elie Wiesel)

Before I turn to my review of Joseph Berger’s latest work, ELIE WIESEL: CONFRONTING THE SILENCE I must put forth a disclaimer concerning the subject. First, my father’s side of the family lived north of Krakow, Poland before World War II about two hours from Auschwitz. Some were fortunate and left before the war and went to Palestine, France, and the United States. The majority did not and perished in the gas chambers. This has always brought me to an uncomfortable place having been educated in an orthodox Yeshiva in Brooklyn and grown up with children of survivors. Where was God? How could he allow his people to be slaughtered? Why didn’t he answer their prayers? After the Holocaust how could I remain a believer? In the 1970s I turned to the works of Elie Wiesel, beginning with NIGHT and continuing through most of his novels and his memoirs as they were published availing myself of the opportunity to be exposed to Wiesel’s wisdom, commentary on the horrors of the Holocaust, elements of Hasidic mysticism, Biblical portraits and other subject matter and came away with a deeper understanding of my emotions and values from a voice that was like no other. I sought answers, but to be honest on an intellectual level I remain in a quandary as to my belief system.

I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed remarks by Wiesel in person two times during his quest to educate the American public on the dangers of racism, antisemitism, and the plight of refugees and persecuted people worldwide. First, at the Washington Hebrew Congregation in 1978, and later in 2008 at Boston University. After a twenty year gap in listening to Wiesel in public it appeared the man who the Nobel Prize Committee referred to as “a messenger to mankind,” had grown more pessimistic about the future.

Prewar view of the Transylvanian town of Sighet.

(Main square in the village of Sighet, Romania before WWII)

Berger has written a powerful biography of Wiesel exploring his tortuous experiences as a victim of the Nazi Final Solution. He delves deep into a myriad of topics within the larger scope of Wiesel’s life story and intellectual journey integrating excerpts of his memoirs, novels, works of non-fiction, speeches, articles, teaching, and countless interviews from his boyhood in Sighet, Romania to evolving into the messenger or conscience of the Holocaust. The volume is not a traditional biography as once Wiesel is liberated from Buchenwald and makes his way to France the sense of chronology largely disappears, and Berger presents a series of chapters which in part can stand alone as separate essays. The volume includes important experiences apart from Auschwitz and Buchenwald to include becoming the voice of Soviet Jewry; his involvement and key role in the creation of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, taking “Hollywood” to task for its representation of the Holocaust; confronting the Reagan administration over its visit to the Bitburg cemetery where 49 members of the SS were buried, his work championing the plight of refugees, speaking out against apartheid; the plight of the Cambodian and Vietnamese people; and indigenous people in Central America; his approach to the academic classroom and teaching; and being awarded the Nobel Prize.

Berger’s work is more of an intellectual journey that Wiesel has undertaken his entire life. He has authored a penetrating portrait which focuses on a “frail, soft-spoken writer from a village in the Carpathian Mountains” who “became such an influential presence on the world stage.” Wiesel’s writing forms the back story for themes, arguments, and inner conflict as he tries to understand God’s role in the Holocaust, anger at the allies for doing nothing in terms of refugees and bombing the camps, along with his personal struggles to come to terms with what has happened to his family and the Jewish people. What comes across is a man who pulls no punches in educating all, including American presidents, Soviet government officials over its Babi Yar Memorial and refusal to allow Jews to emigrate, Hollywood moguls for its film representation of the Holocaust, his co-religionists, leaders of other faiths and almost anyone who he came in contact with.

Elie Wiesel (right) with his wife and son during the Faith in Humankind conference, held before the opening of the USHMM, on September 18–19, 1984, in Washington, DC.

(Elie Wiesel (right) with his wife and son during the Faith in Humankind conference, held several years before the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. September 18–19, 1984, in Washington, DC.)

Berger presents Wiesel’s honesty based on a deeply emotional and evocative intellect which is present for all to see and cherish. Many of Wiesel’s feelings stand out that he dealt with his entire life; from his anger at his father’s naivete in remaining in their Romanian village, and wrestling with his relationship to God concluding, “I have never renounced my faith in God. I have risen against His justice protested His silence, and sometimes His absence, but my anger rises up within faith and not outside it,” to a life-long bitterness at western allies for their lack of action to assist victims of the Holocaust during the war.

Berger presents numerous poignant scenes particularly how the son became the father of the in the camps as Elie tried to avoid death, or Wiesel’s own relationship with his son Elisha. Further, Wiesel’s issues with the fledgling Israeli government in the late 1940s and their negative attitude toward Holocaust survivors, his frustration with the publishing world over accepting NIGHT for publication as they argued that there was no market for the Holocaust after the war, and lecturing President Jimmy Carter about aspects of faith and how it related to survivors.

At times Berger is able to unmask the lyrical nature of Wiesel’s writing particularly when speaking of visiting a Moscow Synagogue while pressuring the Kremlin over its treatment of Jews. His book, JEWS OF SILENCE went a long way in obtaining the emigration of over 250,000 Soviet Jews in the 1970s. Another event that catapulted Wiesel on the world stage was the Six Day War and the resulting Israeli victory which created a new Jewish self-concept and a proliferation of new histories, novels, and films dealing with the Holocaust. It is at this time that Wiesel began to acquire the role of spokesman for his brethren. Applying his Talmudic education, his knowledge of Hasidic mysticism, and his biblical knowledge he was perfect for the task.

(President Bill Clinton (center), Elie Wiesel (right), and Harvey Meyerhoff (left) light the eternal flame outside on the Eisenhower Plaza during the dedication ceremony of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. April 22, 1993)

Perhaps one of the most important questions people have asked Wiesel concerns his writing. When asked, Why do I write? He responds, “Perhaps in order not to go mad. Or, on the contrary, to touch the bottom of madness….Not to transmit an experience is to betray it. I owe them [the dead] my roots and my memory. I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself….To wrench those victims from oblivion. To help the dead vanquish death.”

Berger’s perceptive biography presents the humanity of Wiesel as he hid a lifetime of suicidal bouts, depression, agonizing cries tinged with haunted memories of the evisceration of his home village. Miraculously, Wiesel was able to overcome these issues with the help of his wife, Marion, who was a partner in his work to educate the world and create as Diane Cole writes in her recent Wall Street Journal review of Berger’s work, “a legacy that compels us to bear witness in his absence and continue to confront the silence.”