Articles

Professor Robert J. Norrell has held the Bernadotte Schmitt Chair of Excellence since 1998. He writes mainly about American race relations, including his most recent biography, ALEX HALEY: And the Books That Changed the Nation, which focuses on the rise to national celebrity and great literary influence of Haley. In this piece written exclusively for Bookreporter.com, Professor Norrell discusses the roots of autobiographical storytelling in African American culture --- it was one of the very first genres embraced --- and the earlier works that he believes had the greatest impact on Haley’s writing and his struggle to tell his own story.

This is exciting news for mystery fans, along with fans of the prolific writer Max Allan Collins. The five early Quarry novels by Collins will be re-released with gorgeous Robert McGinnis pulp covers between now and March by Hard Case Crime.

Shane White is the Challis Professor of History and an Australian Professorial Fellow in the History Department at the University of Sydney specializing in African American history. He has authored or co-authored five books and collaborated in the construction of the website Digital Harlem. In his latest book, PRINCE OF DARKNESS: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street's First Black Millionaire, the eminent historian reveals the larger-than-life story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, an African American man who wheeled and dealed in the lily white business world and defied every convention of his time. Here, White talks about the shocking headline that initially drew him to Hamilton’s story, and how Hamilton defied the odds to become one of the most successful African American men of his time.

There are certain moments in my adventures in the publishing business that stand out --- ones that I will remember for a long time. Amongst many evenings of author meetings and book discussions, one dinner in July 2012 is certainly among the most memorable.

With all due respect to professors of U.S. history, if you want to give yourself a crash course in some of the significant moments in 19th- and 20th-century America, one of the best and most entertaining ways to start would be to build a syllabus from the works of E. L. Doctorow. The celebrated author of such historical novels as RAGTIME, WORLD’S FAIR and my personal favorite, BILLY BATHGATE, died of lung cancer this past Tuesday. He was 84.

Anthony M. Amore is no stranger to the world of art crime: Not only is he the head of security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, he also serves as trustee of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art. Art theft is a captivating subject because it combines the high world of art with the grittier crime world...and, let’s face it, everyone loves a good heist (except, perhaps, its victim). In THE ART OF THE CON, Amore shares his considerable knowledge to tell the stories of some of history’s most notorious yet untold cons. Here, he talks about his favorite art theft book --- besides his own, of course. Hint: It’s not what you think!

Historian Alan Axelrod is the author of the business bestsellers PATTON ON LEADERSHIP and ELIZABETH I, CEO, the Great Generals series books PATTON, BRADLEY and MARSHALL, and many books on American and military history. The latest entry into his impressive bibliography is LOST DESTINY: Joe Kennedy Jr. and the Doomed WWII Mission to Save London --- an exploration of the origin of today's controversial military drones, as well as a searing and unforgettable story of heroism, WWII and the Kennedy dynasty that might have been. Here, Axelrod explains why the father-son relationship is central to his story and lists five other books that share that theme.

We lost an important writer with the passing of Ruth Rendell on May 2, 2015. Her following around the world was enormous, and her Chief Inspector Wexford novels were a staple of mystery readers. Rendell also was known for her psychological thrillers written under the pseudonym Barbara Vine.

Stanley Meisler is an emeritus foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. He is a distant relation (by marriage) of expressionist painter Chaim Soutine and has written several articles on Soutine and the School of Paris for the Smithsonian and the Los Angeles Times. In this piece, Meisler provides a bit of social and historical context for his latest book, SHOCKING PARIS: Soutine, Chagall and the Outsiders of Montparnasse. He talks about the grim circumstances that led to the flight of many Jews to France in the years leading up to World War II, as well as his own personal connection to the story he’s telling --- including his brave uncle and aunt, who overcame bleak odds to achieve a degree of success in early 20th-century Paris.

Christian Hageseth is the CEO of the Denver, Colorado, firm Green Man Cannabis and the author of BIG WEED: An Entrepreneur’s High-Stakes Adventures in the Budding Legal Marijuana Trade, which is now available. According to Hageseth, the marijuana industry is on the brink of a revolution. Here, he explains how America’s perception of pot has changed since the ‘30s and why it’s high time we start taking the drug seriously.