John Hailman

A special thank you to University Press of Mississippi and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John Hailman’s THE SEARCH FOR GOOD WINE, a fascinating exploration of the early days of modern global wine trade, for an informative read for wine enthusiasts and historians. (3.5 Stars)

Filled with research, and fun filled epicurean tidbits, Hailman offers readers a collection of stories from founding fathers to the modern table (and dedicated to the women in his life, a special touch).

People: From Famous People who Love (d) Good Wine—Ben Franklin, Hemingway, Thomas Jefferson, Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Julius Caesar, to giants of the Bible, chefs, wine tasters, to owners of wineries.

Places: Going Places with Wine, Traveling from New Orleans, the Deep South, Napa Valley, to France and Italy, and beyond.

Tips: For Enjoying good Wine – From old wine books to savor, wine shops, serving wine, health aspects, judging wines, wine as deserts, bad wine, sulfites suffice (enjoyed this part as have an allergy issue), champagne, to wine words.

Humor: Finding Humor in Wine – From cartoons, worst wine, The Guinness Book of Wine Records, plus more

The Search for Good Wine is written for a broad audience—from the casual wine drinker to the most discerning. As the author mentions, this book is meant to be sipped, not drunk. The essays included can be an appetizer or desserts. Some are well aged, but all the modern five minute reads suitable for the night table for airport.

A collection of columns written over the author’s career as a syndicated columnist to over one hundred daily newspapers. Wine trends are ever-changing, yet highly traditional and consistent. This book combines the genres as a simple introduction to an endlessly fascinating subject which can be as complex, or as simple as a reader desires.

The only real negative--No Photos! As a designer, I am big into imagery. When you think of (gourmet cooking, food, and wine) and a book of this nature, high resolution images are a must; and would have enhanced the book--in my opinion, would offer a higher overall rating and experience for the reader. When thinking of wine, not many want to read, as a technical guide with text only.

John Hailman, Oxford, Mississippi, has worked as a wine consultant, nationally syndicated weekly wine columnist, and as a regular wine judge for over 20 years. He is also a retired federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Oxford, Mississippi. He is the author of Thomas Jefferson on Wine, and From Midnight to Guntown, both from University Press of Mississippi.
… (plus d'informations)

From Midnight to Guntown is a true account of various cases encountered by retired Federal prosecutor John Hailman during his thirty year career in the Mississippi justice system.

The cases Hailman relates are interesting and cover a wide range of criminal activity from bank robbery to corruption and terrorism. The focus is on the workings of the justice system and specifically Hailman’s role in the investigation and prosecution of the cases he dealt with.

Occasionally the cases are amusing, detailing bungling robbers for example, but more often they are simply tragic, such as in the case of the Natchez Trace shooting which resulted in the death of a young boy. I was horrified to learn that in Hailman’s district an amateur local hitman will usually kill for less than $5000, often for less than $1000 and saddened to learn that racial tensions still flourish in the South. While some cases are mentioned only in passing several are the focus of in depth reporting including the murder of Emmett Till, an African American boy who was murdered aged 14 in 1955 for flirting with a white woman and whose case was reopened in 2004.

Hailman’s writing has a lot in common with a detailed legal brief. It is rich with procedural detail, perhaps too much for the average reader though the minutiae of he said/she said/he did/she did will probably be appreciated by someone who works in the legal or justice system. The text isn’t entirely dry however, Hailmain is candid and personable and even humourous at times.

Usually I am content to ignore formatting issues in e-galley’s but in this instance I found it affected my reading experience. A line and a half of text, was followed by a blank line, then a line and a half of text, then a blank line and so on, and this became a real issue for me as it was very distracting.

From Midnight to Guntown shares fascinating insights into the complexity of crime and justice in Mississippi. This is a book true crime and legal thriller buffs are sure to enjoy.… (plus d'informations)