Book Log 2012 #24: The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is, perhaps, the most famous literary forgery in the world. Based on selections from 19th century fiction and first published in Russia at the start of the 20th century, its ultimate origin is unkown. In this novel, Eco introduces us to its original (and fictional) author, an Italian anti-Semite whose work as an intelligence agent and forger goes wrong during the wars of Italian unification, resulting in an exile in Paris, where he eventually works his way back into both professions.

Most of the book focuses on reminiscences written by the character after he's been robbed. The writings are an attempt to remember what happened, and are often interspersed with the writings of a mysterious French cleric who has strikingly good knowledge of the man and his life.

Eco said in writing the book he was trying to make the main character the most cynical and descpicable character in all of literature, and it was a pretty good attempt. The character has no great love for anyone, has no loyalties outside of himself, and gets into intelligence mainly as a way to make more money than from forging alone. The rest of the characters in the book are real-life figures, though it's unclear to me how much these characters deviate from their actual lives (I assume as much as to allow for the main character to operate, at least).

I liked the book, I think. I often find myself feeling like I don't get everything that Eco packs into his novels, either from not reading closely enough (he's not exactly light reading for the commute) or from not being as familiar with the historical background of the books as I could be. It's certainly more accessible than his more recent novels.

Book Log 2012 #23: Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell

The latest book in the series featuring Uthred of Bebbanberg, the Saxon-born but Danish-raised warrior whose quest to regain his home is continuously delayed by his loyalty to Alfred, king of the combined Anglo-Saxon lands.

As you might guess from the title, there's a kingly death that leads to a struggle for the crown that also involves the greatest Danish excursion yet into Anglo-Saxon territory. Uthred's loyalties are tested yet again, as is his place among the Saxons when the vacuum in leadership opens up after Alfred's death.

As solid a book as any other in the series, though I do find myself longing for the book where we finally see Uthred get back his home, just to see how he'll do it and what sort of carnage results.

Book Log 2012 #22: The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin

The second book featuring internal affairs cop Malcolm Fox, this one sees his team called to investigate an officer accused of trading sex for leniency with the local prostitutes. It seems like a straightforward case until the cop's uncle - who ratted his nephew out in the first place - winds up dead. And when it's discovered that the uncle was investigating a crime from the 1980s involving Scottish nationalists, things get more complicated in a hurry.

I've not read enough of the Rebus books to feel strongly about Rankin starting a new series, but I've enjoyed both of these books enough to not worry about it too much. You don't need to have read the first book (The Complaints) to understand this one, but it wouldn't hurt to read them in order.

Book Log 2012 #21: Death in the City of Light by David King

In the waning years of World War II, a startling discovery is made at a property of a Parisian doctor: a basement full of bones, a stove burning body parts, and a mysterious triangular room. As the hunt for the doctor and the investigation of his activities continue, more questions are raised. Is he working for the Resistance? The Gestapo? Or only for himself, getting rich off of the promises to smuggle people out of France? All of this is covered in great detail in this book, which benefits greatly from the author's ability to peruse records from the period that had been classified for decades.

As is often the case, what happens after the doctor is caught is at least as interesting as his pursuit. The growing monstrosity of his deeds continues to build, only to come to a bizarre end at his trial, which demonstrates how the legal peculiarities of the time could dramatically alter a case.

The book also gives a good glimpse into an occupied Paris that had both become familiar with life under the Nazis, and how the occupation only served to further confuse the possible motivations of the killer.

Well worth a read.

Book Log 2012 #20: The Limit by Michael Cannell

The US has never shown a tremendous amount of interest in Formula 1 auto racing. The Indy 500 and NASCAR have dominated US motor sports in popular coverage, and few American drivers have even driven in F1. Which makes it all the more interesting that the first US F1 champion, Phil Hill, claimed his title in 1961. How he got to that point, and his battle to take that title, is the focus of this book.

Well, one focus of this book. The other is the constant specter of death than hung over F1 (and auto racing in general) in the mid-20th century, when races on dangerous (and often ill-planned or maintained) courses coupled with a lack of safety equipment or awareness led to regular fatalities among drivers and spectators alike. The body count in this book staggers belief, especially given how rare (and traumatic) it is today when a driver dies in competition. But the drivers at the time accepted it as a risk of their profession/mania.

Hill had a very specific mania for fast cars, fostered in the California car culture but relocated to Europe early, where he would work as a driver and/or mechanic for Jaguar and Ferrari. His adversary in the 1961 title chase was teammate Wolfgang von Trips, who raced in defiance of his parents, part of the German nobility.

Cannell wrote this book not as a racing fan - he admits to having never seen a race - but as a journalist, which helps him avoid the favoritism that often infects sports writing. It's accessible for anyone interested in auto racing but not familiar with F1. There may be some quibble with Cannell's lack of personal knowledge or his detached approach to writing the book, but I think it gives him enough remove to write the book as he did. It worked for me, at least.

Book Log 2012 #19: The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen Carter

This stop on what appears to be a year-long pop culture tour of Abraham Lincoln sees the Railsplitter survive his assassination attempt, only to be subject to an impeachment trial where the charges against the President obscure the real motive of getting the Speaker of the House into the top job (Andrew Johnson having been a casualty of the conspiracy).

The book mostly involves two junior clerks of the law firm defending the president, one born into a Boston industrial family who may acting behind the scenes to get Lincoln convicted, the other an African-American woman hired by a partner who has gone conspicuously missing (the other partner immediately puts her on housekeeping duties). The pair become involved in trying to uncover the conspiracy against the President, which involves information from a spy carried over from the Civil War and Kate Chase, the daughter of Salmon P. Chase who is trying to clear the way for dad to become President down the line.

Our intrepid heroes also develop a personal relationship, difficult given their different races and prior engagements. It's handled well, adding just the right amount of complication to an already complicated situation.

After the disappointment of Jericho Falls, I was very happy to see Carter return to the themes of race, law and power that have run through his other novels. And while it was a gentle dip into the waters of alternative history (I mean, there was no time travel or cloned dinosaurs or anything), it was successfully done, drawing a sharp portrait of the political conflicts of the era.

Very much recommended, but not for purchase through Apple's bookstore. I purchased it this way, and had to delete and re-download the book five or six times where the book repeated one page several times and then moved on to the next chapter. Reloading restored the missing pages, but was highly annoying. Good thing I didn't read this book while on vacation as planned, as a lack of Internet access would have stranded me mid-read.