Readers' Advisory

Boss Tweed: The Rise and Fall of the Corrupt Pol Who Conceived the Soul of Modern New York
By Kenneth Ackerman (2005)

A lively account of the life of a New York legend traces the rise of Boss Tweed, the corrupt party boss who controlled New York politics through a combination of corruption, bribery, and coercion until his own over-reaching destroyed him. (Publisher)

Music

Farewell Joe Cocker

Musician

1944-2014

Joe Cocker's voice was perfectly suited to sing the blues.  He became well known in the late 1960 and early 1970s. Personal and professional problems rivaling those described in blues songs plagued him over the years, and at times it seemed that his career was finished. In recent years, however, Cocker returned to music, expanded his range, and established a presence as a romantic balladeer.

Cocker began his musical career playing harmonica with The Cavaliers.  The band reorganized in the early 1960s as Vance Arnold and the Avengers with Cocker singing lead.  Between 1966-1970 Cocker was the leader of The Grease Band.  Cocker became as solo artist in 1972.

Click here for music by Joe Cocker.

Readers' Advisory

Farewell P. D. James

Author

1920-2014

 

 

 

Phyllis Dorothy James died Thursday at the age of 94. She was a best-selling author who didn't publish her first novel until she was 42. When she started writing mysteries in the early 1960s, she was holding down a full-time job, raising two daughters and supporting her ill husband, who died in 1964.  The enormous popularity of her novels — and of her detective hero, Adam Dalgliesh — eventually allowed her to devote herself full time to writing. Seven of her books were adapted for the public television series Mystery. And her novel The Children of Men was adapted into a 2006 film.

In 1991, Queen Elizabeth made P.D. James a baroness. (NPR)

Click here for books by P. D. James.