Lew Paper

Lewis Paper’s stated objective in writing this book is to tell the story of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew’s attempts to prevent his country and Japan from slipping into a war which neither side ostensibly wanted. And the author does this very well, writing in a fluid, easy to read manner to relate Grew’s story from the early days of his career at the turn of the 20th century through the Pearl Harbor tragedy and afterwards. Page is even handed in his treatment of the many figures in this drama, save only for his obvious approval of Mr. Grew and his disdain for Secretary of State Cordell Hull.
As might be expected from the attorney and former law professor that he is, Mr. Page draws few, if any, conclusions. Instead, he lets the reader determine from the facts presented the whichever conclusion he is led to draw. Some of the questions that arise are these: Did either the United States or Japan deliberately seek a war with the other? Was President Franklyn Roosevelt anxious to leave no stone unturned to avoid a war? Did Japanese emperor Hirohito Michinomiya seek to incite war? Did Prime Minister Togo Shigenori, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and executed, try to block negotiations? Was the Roosevelt Administration aware of Japan’s predilection for forceful surprise blows in war?
This book is primarily intended as a rendition of the story of a diligent, professional, and peace loving diplomat. But it is also a must read for those interested in the question of who knew what, who did what, and when, on the eve of Pearl Harbor.… (plus d'informations)

It's difficult, I think, to write a baseball book about the 1956 Dodgers and Yankees because so many of their names and histories are familiar: Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Pee Wee Reese, Yogi Berra and more. Lew Paper manages it by framing biographies of the players within Don Larsen's perfect game, the first perfect game thrown in a World Series. Along the way, he manages to emphasize the roles of expert fielding and Sal Maglie's pitching in the drama of that game. By looking at all the players, Paper reestablishes both the teamwork which was characteristic of 1950s baseball and the skills, talents and hard work of all 18 players. A very good baseball book.… (plus d'informations)