DC Noir (Akashic Noir)

Book Description

Brand new stories by: George Pelecanos, James Grady, Kenji Jasper, Jim Beane, Jabari Asim, Ruben Castaneda, James Patton, Norman Kelley, Jennifer Howard, Richard Currey, Lester Irby, and others.

Mystery sensation Pelecanos pens the lead story and edits this groundbreaking collection of stories detailing the seedy underside of the nation's capital. This is not an anthology of ill-conceived and inauthentic political thrillers. Instead, in D.C. Noir, pimps, whores, gangsters, and con-men run rampant in zones of this city that most never hear about.

Customer Reviews:

The Real D.C........2007-01-15

This Washington, D.C. entry in Akashic Books' series of city-specific crime anthologies could have no better editor than the George Pelecanos, author of 13 crime novels set in and around the nation's capital. And for the most part, the stories here mimic Pelecanos' M.O. by ignoring the corridors of power one sees on TV, and taking one into the neighborhoods, history, and lives of D.C.'s true residents. The stories are loosely grouped into four sections.

The first section, "D.C. Uncovered", is probably the best, featuring three excellent stories. Pelecanos leads off with a great portrait of a Park View hustler helping the police as "The Confidential Informant." Kenji Jasper turns the clock back to 1993 in "First", an excellent economical tale of boys trying to be hoodlums back when "D.C." meant "Dodge City". Jim Patton's "Capital of the World" finds a moonlighting cop in one Chinatown's rapidly disappearing seedy nightspots and mixes him up with a Moldovan sex slave, however the story's a little too much of a message about human trafficking to be truly effective. Probably the best story in the whole book is Richard Currey's "The Names of the Lost", about a Holocaust survivor who owns a Georgia liquor store and his confrontation with a young thug in 1968. Like the best of Pelecanos' work, the story paints a vivid picture of the neighborhood and its social history, all while packing a nice melancholy punch.

The second section is "Streets and Alleys", which starts with former Washington Post editor Jennifer Howard's "East of the Sun." Set in a part of Capitol Hill that has been rapidly gentrifying over the last decade (and is home to Howard), it's a rather awkward story about a white family and their interaction with the local drug dealer. Novelist Robert Andrews contributes "Solomon's Alley", an excellent little piece set in Georgetown which encompasses a homeless man, a Nigerian sidewalk vendor, and some nasty Somalis. TV and film actor Robert Wisdom's "The Light and the Dark" visits the Petworth neighborhood in the 1950s, where he grew up amidst other Caribbean immigrants in his parents' rooming house. Baltimore's doyenne of crime writing, Laura Lippman, contributes"A.R.M. and the Woman." This rather ordinary "black widow" tale serves mostly to showcase the wealthy world of the city's upper NW.

Next is the "Cops and Robbers" section, led off by ex-DC cop Quintin Peterson's effective, if somewhat pulpy, procedural exploration of witness intimidation in "Cold As Ice." Lester Irby spent the last of his 30 years in federal prisons writing "God Don't Like Ugly," an extremely pulpy 1970-set story about drug dealers, a woman in their midst, and all the angles. Former Washington Post crime reporter Reuben Castaneda uses the 1991 Mt. Pleasant Riots (between Latino immigrants and the police) as the backdrop for a murder. The 1968 riots hover in the background of Jim Beane's "Jeanette", a fairly typical femme fatale-driven story about a young man trying to meet his woman's expectations.

"The Hill and The Edge" rounds things off, starting with James ("Three Days of the Condor") Grady's "The Bottom Line." While the story does a workmanlike job of getting into Capitol Hill corruption, staffers, and lobbyists, this is an aspect of the city that has been covered to death, and the story doesn't add much one's understanding of the city. David Slater's "Stiffed" follows a cook/bartender as he endures a crappy day at a Thomas Circle dive only to end it in a very satisfying manner. "Noir Soul" writer Norman Kelley contributes "The Messenger of Soulville", a somewhat clunky '60s-set story involving a local record mogul, the Mafia, and the Nation of Islam. The book ends with Jim Fussilli's disappointing excursion into the K St. machine of lobbyists, journalists, and politicians in "The Dupe."

Overall, definitely worth reading if you're interested in an alternative view of the nation's capital.

Maybe it is just me..............2006-11-11

but I found this book fairly ordinary. I liked a few of the stories but most seemed too short and didn't really grab me at all. George Pelecanos wrote the best story by far (not uncommon for him, one of the most talented writers out there).

I am not a fan of short stories to begin with so maybe my preconceived notions of what to expect (disappointment) coloured my viewpoint.

Scary and Fun.......2006-04-07

I completely enjoyed this book. I grew up in the DC area and recognized all of the neighborhoods in which the stories took place. I gave the book to my native Baltimore friend and she loved it too. The stories, while very dark, were well written and riveting. Now my friend and I are dying to get Baltimore Noir. That will be tomorrow at the panel discussion at the Pratt Library. Buy these Noir books, you won't be sorry!

D.C. Noir.......2006-02-17

I felt a strong sense of recognition in reading these stories of the underside of life in Washington D.C. "D.C. Noir" is an anthology of sixteen new stories by as many authors chosen and edited by the noted author of crime and detective novels, George Pelecanos. Pelecanos also contributed one of the stories to this collection.

There is an astonishing sense of place in this collection for a city in which I have lived and walked for many years. I live near a large thoroughfare, Georgia Avenue, which stretches from downtown Washington into Silver Spring, Maryland and beyond. Georgia Avenue is a forbidding street of small shops, liquor stores and bars, eateries and gas stations that appears perpetually in need of renewal. The Walter Reed Military Hospital is located on the upper end of Georgia Avenue with, about one mile north, a small shopping mall, apartments, and several liquor stores on the border with Maryland.

Richard Curry's story, "The Names of the Lost" describes this portion of Georgia Avenue, the stores, the residents, the apartments, the library, and the bus routes with great immediacy. The story involves a confrontation between an aging Holocaust survivor, and proprietor of a liquor store, and a young thug. I felt I knew the steet, the scene, the places, and the people as I read. Another fine story, "The Light and the Dark" by Robert Wisdom describes the community of Petworth, a bit further to the South (in the direction of downtown D.C.) on Georgia Avenue. I again felt a sense of recognition and understanding in seeing the street and landmark names of places I know, where I have walked on occasion and ridden through countless times.

I felt this recognition of place in several other stories. Jennifer Howard's "East of the Sun" describes the community near Pennsylvania and Potomac Ave, S.E., an uptempo and rather treacherous neighborhood where I also lived and walked for many years. Jim Patton's story of D.C.'s Chinatown and its environs, "Capital of the World" is highly realistic in its depiction of bars and streets in this downtown yet secretive portion of the Capital City. Ruben Casteneda's "Coyote Hunt" describes the Adams Morgan community along sixteenth street and the diversity created by its recent influx of Hispanic immigrants. Laura Lippman's story, "A.R.M and the Woman", unlike most of its companions describes an incident in the lives of upscale residents of Chevy Chase N.W. with characteristic and believable portraits of both people and place. David Slater's story "Stuffed", describes Thomas Circle, around 14th Street, for many years the center of D.C. red-light district and now becoming a trendy neighborhood in transition.

There are a number of stories of parts of the city I don't know as well but which are highly descriptive, tough, and convincing. Jim Beane's "Jeanette" which takes place in a part of town known as Deanwood, has mean, sharply portrayed characters and is among the best of these. Lester Irby's "God don't like ugly" with its picture of local dives and clubs, also has a strong sense of realism and faithfulness to its subject. Pelecanos's story "The Confidential Informant" and a story by Quentin Peterson, "Cold as Ice" also describe well the places, streets, and persons of D.C.'s world of gangs, drugs, and shootings.

There are two stories which deal with the political life of the Nation's capital: James Grady's "The Bottom Line" and Jim Fusilli's "The Dupe". These are good well-paced stories but I found them of less interest than the stories set in the local neighborhoods of Washington D.C., among people and places that tourists rarely see.

The anthology includes brief biographical notes of each of the authors, whose backgrounds are as diverse and varied as the city celebrated in their stories. This is a book for walkers on city streets and for those who like fast-paced stories with a sense of urban place and life.

Robin Friedman

Batman: Gotham Noir (DC Comics Elseworlds)

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Batman: Gotham Noir (DC Comics Elseworlds)
Ed Brubaker , and Sean Phillips
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover Comic

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006RN36U

Customer Reviews:

one of the best mangas I've ever read.......2005-01-28

There are no special powers, no kid discovering these "powers", no mecha, no slapstick comedy, no chibi, just straight up story-telling with a dark/sketchy (resembling of Hiroaki Samura's style of Blade of the Immortal fame) art style, dealing with a depressing issue, but not gothic just to be gothic. When I read the first volume and up to three, I thought "Why do they have a Parental Guidance issued out?", barely any bad language, no nudity, no violence (unless you consider blooddrinking violent). Here's a spoiler however...

I've read volumes 1-3 of Angel Sanctuary and saw the anime.... there's a hint of why there's Parental Guidance.

Pretty much the subject matter is very deep into seeing depression and how the logic of depressed people think. "If I told my friend's my problems, and involve them, will it make a difference other then worry them? Why bother, no one can help my circumstance?" This is the main thought processes of Kazuna and Chizuna, being the only ones to help each other.

Book Description

An account of the establishment of the Aztec empire in Mexico and of the terrible battle between the Aztecs and the Spaniards known as the Sad Night.

Customer Reviews:

A great introduction to the story of the Spanish invasion.......2001-12-08

I will say first of all that this is a bloody and somewhat gruesome story in parts. But war is bloody and gruesome. It was appropriate for my six year old boy. This was an interesting story (with fabulous pictures) that even teaches how the picture on the Mexican flag came about. I learned something by reading it and it fueled my son's interest in the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.

A Truely Sad Story.......2000-06-29

This historically accurate story of the end of the Aztec Empire in Mexico is well written and engrossing. The history it contains is better suited for oder children, but the format is engaging for younger readers. It's the kind of book that made this adult reader want to learn more about the Aztec and Hernan Cortes!

Average customer rating:

Good History. Could use some improvement.
a good, focussed exploration of possibilities
Informed, Brilliant and Thought Provoking
Great Alternate History!

American Indian Victories
Dale R. Cozort
Manufacturer: Booklocker.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Alternate History | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Revisions
1862: A Novel
Almost America: From the Colonists to Clinton: a "What If" History of the U.S.
The Confederate States of America: What Might Have Been
1634: The Baltic War

ASIN: 1591131790

Book Description

American Indian Victories presents over twenty realistic, well-researched alternate history scenarios where the American Indians fare significantly better than they did historically. For example, one scenario explores what might have happened if the advanced Indian civilizations of Mexico and Peru had exchanged ideas and technology before Columbus. Another scenario looks at what it would have taken to get a civilization equivalent to the Aztecs and Incas in Eastern North America, and what might have happened to that civilization when the Europeans arrived. What would have happened if Carthage had colonized Mexico, or if the Spanish conquistadores had established independent kingdoms, or if more of the the ice age animals of the New World had survived? This book explores all of those possibilities, and many more. This book should appeal to history buffs and science fiction fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

Good History. Could use some improvement........2007-08-28

I learned a lot about First Nation history in this book. Stuff I never knew- and never even remotely suspected. There's a lot of wild and personal history of these continents that never gets reported, because the victors decide the history, and in this case, wipe out the losers. I am indebted to Cozort for sharing his vast knowledge of what might have been.

Although I was initially disappointed, as I was expecting more stories than history, I quickly warmed up to the various histories of different people groups. Cozort is detailed and expansive. He doesn't give into the easy possibilities, focusing only on the history of war, like some other series. Cozort recognizes that war is only one small part of the human condition, and there is much else that influences the tides of history as well.

I would still have liked further exploration of different scenarios. Often he stops when things start to really get going. He doesn't want to explore anything beyond the mid-1700s, because he says it's too difficult to predict. That's okay. That's where the fiction comes in.

I also found it difficult that there were so many grammar and spelling errors, likely because the book was self-published. And lastly, Cozort misses a major opportunity for discussion of American Indian victories. There was one group of Europeans who consistently stood by the Native Americans, who always treated them as equals, and indeed ended up giving up power because they did not agree with how other Europeans were treating the Natives. What if the Quakers had managed to continue control of Pennsylvania, had not given up power, and fostered true First Nation freedom and equality within that colony?

a good, focussed exploration of possibilities.......2006-07-31

If you go in for this sort of thing (counterfactuals, alternate histories, what-ifs), then you'll get a lot out of this book. If you're a history buff, or interested in the historical fate of Native Americans in the face of European colonization, you'll also get a lot out of it. My only complaints are regarding the here-and-there typos and the occassional but brief lapses into a too-casual, for-alternate-history-buffs-only writing style. That and I want more! He usually ends a section with questions for the reader to ponder, but I want answers! ;) This guy has done his homework, and often even questions his own theories and speculations.

Informed, Brilliant and Thought Provoking.......2002-10-11

Dale Cozort has written a very well thought out book that - surprisingly - often does not center around warfare but also around "soft" issues like disease, technology, crops etc.

A very broad view that at the end as a paradox leaves you with a better understanding of the mechanics underlying the real history of the American indians.

Great Alternate History!.......2002-07-26

I've been a fan of Dale Cozort through his website for years, and I'm very happy for him to finally get something in print. Great scenarios, they are realistic and look at an often ignored part of history. A must read for any fan of Native Americans and/or Alternate History.

Unaffected by the Gospel: Osage Resistance to the Christian Invasion, 1673-1906: A Cultural Victory

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Unaffected by the Gospel: Osage Resistance to the Christian Invasion, 1673-1906: A Cultural Victory
Willard Hughes Rollings
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Sociology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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A History of the Osage People

ASIN: 0826335586

Book Description

The Osage were fierce warriors who seized control of most of present-day Missouri and Arkansas in conflicts with other tribes. Against Euro-American invaders, however, they adopted nonviolent resistance. Even though their territory steadily diminished, and the tribe was relocated to a small strip in northern Oklahoma, the tribe's cultural and religious beliefs and practices survived.

Willard Hughes Rollings claims Osage nonviolent resistance was a successful strategy for cultural preservation. By avoiding war they avoided military defeat and were better able to minimize the compromises forced upon them. Living among competing colonial powers, they successfully manipulated imperial rivalries.

Book Description

The Omaha Tribe of Nebraska has borne more than its fair share of the burden created by the federal government’s wildly vacillating Indian policy. Mark R. Scherer’s Imperfect Victories provides a detailed examination of the Omahas’ tenacious efforts to overcome the damaging effects of shifting directions in federal policy during the last fifty years. The Omahas’ struggles are particularly significant because the tribe often bore the initial impact of experimental legislation that would later be implemented nationally.

Scherer details the disastrous consequences of postwar federal legislation that transferred control over Indian affairs to state authorities as a precursor to the wholesale termination of Indian tribalism. The legislation brought jurisdictional turmoil to the Omaha reservation and placed the Omahas in chronic conflict with local law enforcement agencies. As the tribe fought to become the first Indian group in the nation to escape the effects of that law through retrocession, they waged equally notable struggles for the redress of past wrongs with the Indian Claims Commission and in the federal courts. Scherer demonstrates that the Omahas’ successes in those campaigns have been at best imperfect victories, coming only after years of hardship and failing to eliminate many underlying tensions and problems.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book and an Important Subject.......2002-03-28

The author succeeded in using a narrow topic to teach a broader lesson on the plight of thousands of Native Americans during the last century. Every American should understand our government's policies toward Native Americans and its effect both pro and con. Mr. Scherer succeeded by telling the story of the Omahas without prejudice and by allowing the facts to paint the picture. Imperfect Victories is a brilliant introduction to these issues and the resultant human consequences. Mr. Scherer does not portend to give policy insight, but he gives the reader the facts necessary to understand the decisions made by elected officials and bureaucrats that have lasting and real effects on living human beings long after these policymakers have faded from the public scene. I'm looking forward to more books in this series on Law in the American West. I hope other authors take Mr. Scherer's lead and tackle vital policy and judicial issues with clarity and his concise writing style. Though an avid history reader I gained more insight in the 200 pages of Imperfect Victories than from much larger and better-known volumes.

Navajo Victory: Being a Native American (Crisis (Mankato, Minn.).)

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Navajo Victory: Being a Native American (Crisis (Mankato, Minn.).)
Jane Claypool Miner , and Howard Schroeder
Manufacturer: Crestwood House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0896861759

Aroland Is Our Home: An Incomplete Victory in Applied Anthropology (Ams Ars Poetica,)

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Aroland Is Our Home: An Incomplete Victory in Applied Anthropology (Ams Ars Poetica,)
Paul Driben
Manufacturer: AMS Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Civil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook
Average customer rating:

A great companion piece. . .

Great book

more than just a cookbook

Fast, Tasty, and Diverse

Wonderful cookery book

Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook
Joetta Handrich Schlabach
Manufacturer: Mennonite Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Reference | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
International | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 083613561X

Amazon.com

Extending the Table calls itself "a world community cookbook," but it is far more than that. Yes, there are recipes here from all over the globe: Sesame Spinach Salad from Korea, Hunter's Stew from Poland, and Watermelon Jan from Botswana. There are myriad rice dishes, lots of recipes featuring beans and lentils, and an array of delicious beverages--from Philippine Punch to a Ginger Cooler from the Ivory Coast. But what makes this cookbook so special is its social conscience: following the lead of Doris Janzen Longacre, author of the More-with-Less Cookbook, Extending the Table invites readers to reduce their own levels of consumption and share resources with others around the world. Even more, it encourages us to learn from the global community. In addition to the recipes, there are stories about both individuals and whole cultures, explanations of the importance of certain types of food in different lands, and the rituals that surround particular meals. Extending the Table is the work of the Mennonite Central Committee, and many of the contributors are missionaries whose faith in the values of humility, community, and respect for others imbues the pages of this thought-provoking book. Extending the Table is truly food for the body and soul!

Customer Reviews:

A great companion piece. . ........2007-06-07

to "More With Less." Refreshing, inspiring, and encouraging! The two make a great set, no matter what your income, life-style or family size.

Great book.......2007-01-09

"Plain folk" cooking from all around the world that is easy to make and delicious.

more than just a cookbook.......2006-11-11

I was so excited to see that this cookbook not only included recipes that are not found in most ethnic cookbooks but also included so much about the people and places that they came from. How fun it has been and we have only tried 4 things so far. And they have been delicious.

Fast, Tasty, and Diverse.......2006-10-24

We've had this book for several years now, and still use it frequently. We like foods from all over the world, we don't have much time to cook but like dishes made from scratch, cholesterol is a concern in our household, and unusual ingredients are a problem with some ethnic-y cookbooks. This book is very good on all these fronts.

Other pluses: It's modestly sized and spiral-bound, so it doesn't take up much counterspace and stays open to the desired page. The interspersed black-and-white photos of people cooking in other cultures, along with the quotes from the Americans who contributed the recipes after living overseas, make the book fun - and thought-provoking - to browse thru.

Wonderful cookery book.......2006-07-31

This book is an ideal companion for the More-with-less cookbook. It has the same appeal while including many new, wonderful recipes and stories from around the world. The instructions are so clear and simple and the recipes succeed every time.

Extending the Table : A World Community Cookbook

Average customer rating:

Extending the Table : A World Community Cookbook
Joetta H. Schlabach
Manufacturer: Herald Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBRKA0

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