tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post5094849920532632564..comments2024-03-28T16:21:30.329-04:00Comments on Patricia Abbott (pattinase): The Best Use of a Real Person in Fictionpattinase (abbott)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-78250995846094579142013-02-28T21:11:48.500-05:002013-02-28T21:11:48.500-05:00One few people will know about is All the Stars Ca...One few people will know about is All the Stars Came Out That Night by Kevin King. Along with many great players from major league baseball and the Negro leagues in 1934, King brings to life Henry Ford, Clarence Darrow, George Raft and Carole Lombard. I also like Hemingway in McDonald172's series and as you know, I'm a big Kinsella fan. Kent Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09834261948994921554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-50841116689905231092013-02-27T19:50:53.465-05:002013-02-27T19:50:53.465-05:00He is tops, isn't he? So much research goes in...He is tops, isn't he? So much research goes into his books. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-89318223226845949482013-02-27T19:49:40.444-05:002013-02-27T19:49:40.444-05:00I like Craig McDonald's use of Hemingway in hi...I like Craig McDonald's use of Hemingway in his Lassiter series.Naomi Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08005429772070247806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-75575943235230243352013-02-27T10:57:18.223-05:002013-02-27T10:57:18.223-05:00EINSTEIN'S DREAMS was the most imaginative use...EINSTEIN'S DREAMS was the most imaginative use of a real person in a novel I have read. I'm not one to read fictional accounts of real people though, I'd rather read non-fiction biographies for that. I guess Doctorow was pretty good at this kind of fiction, but I've never read any of his books.<br /><br />Too many mysteries are jumping on this bandwagon with the explosion of "historical mysteries" and most of the time they irritate the hell out of me. When the historical fuigures turn up they act ad if they stepped out of the 20th (or 21st) century with slang and idiomatic speech and behavior and psychology that don't match the person at all.J F Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06473487417479127354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-21547164737600593122013-02-27T10:09:01.042-05:002013-02-27T10:09:01.042-05:00I'm only on Chapter Three so he hasn't arr...I'm only on Chapter Three so he hasn't arrived yet. Great book so far. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-89692024333566855192013-02-27T09:40:00.872-05:002013-02-27T09:40:00.872-05:00Patti, what do you think of Richard Burton in The ...Patti, what do you think of Richard Burton in <i>The Beautiful Ruins</i>?Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10070278104646895235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-50262893579183138892013-02-27T07:48:32.259-05:002013-02-27T07:48:32.259-05:00A lot of these are new to me. But I should have re...A lot of these are new to me. But I should have remembered Burr and 1876. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-23999572838352138612013-02-27T05:00:25.852-05:002013-02-27T05:00:25.852-05:00To be honest, I don't know if Corny Napier is ...To be honest, I don't know if Corny Napier is related to me or not. But he is famous in the annals of warfare for waging a long campaign without the loss of one man. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-72462410323703185322013-02-27T00:01:30.051-05:002013-02-27T00:01:30.051-05:00HANK AND MUDDY, by Stephen Mertz gives us a nice l...HANK AND MUDDY, by Stephen Mertz gives us a nice look at Hank Williams and Muddy Waters as well as the milieu they inhabited. I second the motion regarding the Flashman books. My great-great uncle Cornelius Napier was featured in one of them.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-5232661150504494312013-02-26T22:28:00.108-05:002013-02-26T22:28:00.108-05:00I like several Gore Vidal books, especially Burr, ...I like several Gore Vidal books, especially <i>Burr</i>, <i>Lincoln</i> and <i>1876</i>. They have great details. Still chuckling that, according to Vidal, George Washington had a large posterior. (Apparently these kinds of catty details pushed Michele Bachmann into the modern Republican camp)Erik Donald Francehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02332500850365598564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-13814167573173681622013-02-26T21:05:30.899-05:002013-02-26T21:05:30.899-05:00Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon wrote books about Vict...Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon wrote books about Victorian England (Don't, Mr Disraeli) and Shakespeare (No Bed for Bacon) featuring all the characters you might expect...<br />I second the recommendation of the Flashman books above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-16341039739773473162013-02-26T20:34:29.522-05:002013-02-26T20:34:29.522-05:00The Dead Circus by John Kaye. Manson. Bobby Fuller...The Dead Circus by John Kaye. Manson. Bobby Fuller. Sinatra. Steve Martin. Springsteen, Buddy Holly, etc. etc....stunning crime novel. http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Circus-Novel-John-Kaye/dp/0802140173Kieran Sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16681787953865476304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-48719762232070837922013-02-26T19:10:01.387-05:002013-02-26T19:10:01.387-05:00Oh, yes, Lindbergh in THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, th...Oh, yes, Lindbergh in THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, though he was something of a cipher.<br /><br />Lord Toranaga (based on the real man) in SHOGUN, one of my all-time favorite books.<br /><br />Dashiell Hammett in HAMMETT by Joe Gores.<br /><br />Abe Lincoln also made an appearance - a vivid one - in the Flashman series.<br /><br />(SPOILER ALERT) A more unusual one was an aged John F. Kennedy in Brendan DuBois' RESURRECTION DAY. (END ALERT)<br /><br />Jeff M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-33885690591124989112013-02-26T17:52:36.863-05:002013-02-26T17:52:36.863-05:00New to me, Al. Thanks!New to me, Al. Thanks!pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-4729820086611916922013-02-26T17:33:23.825-05:002013-02-26T17:33:23.825-05:00The Flashman books by George Macdonald Fraser focu...The Flashman books by George Macdonald Fraser focus on a fictitious main character, but Harry Flashman encounters many of the real players of the 19th century. George Armstrong Custer, Queen Victoria, Lord Raglan Queen Ravanarola of Madagascar, and many others all come to life.Al Tuchernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-25087742057700612022013-02-26T17:18:59.224-05:002013-02-26T17:18:59.224-05:00She was. We will all just have to read more of her...She was. We will all just have to read more of her work in solidarity.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-78879991929674199302013-02-26T17:15:44.394-05:002013-02-26T17:15:44.394-05:00Sad, she was so misrepresented. Sad, she was so misrepresented. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-67657598277180118182013-02-26T17:02:32.265-05:002013-02-26T17:02:32.265-05:00I did read it, but only after reading about the ke...I did read it, but only after reading about the kerfuffle it caused. It was, as is usual with her work, precise and penetrating. seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-64667714438810321762013-02-26T17:00:37.925-05:002013-02-26T17:00:37.925-05:00Did you read Mante's piece in the LONDON REVIE...Did you read Mante's piece in the LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. She is amazing. <br />That reminds me, George. Charles is in THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA.<br />I have heard of the Saylor series. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-76509976486481681052013-02-26T16:14:39.222-05:002013-02-26T16:14:39.222-05:00Denise Giardina's Saints and Villains, which w...Denise Giardina's Saints and Villains, which was about Dietrich Bonhoeffer was very good, although she did have him take a trip through the U.S. that never happened, which made you question the whole a bit more than you want to.<br /><br />And of course there is the brilliant portrait of Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-82306472434317375022013-02-26T15:53:52.966-05:002013-02-26T15:53:52.966-05:00Steven Saylor's (no relation) many Rome novels...Steven Saylor's (no relation) many Rome novels. I just ran across a reference to his long novel, Roma, that reminded me of this.Gerardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-43233173778105462032013-02-26T15:21:22.255-05:002013-02-26T15:21:22.255-05:00The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin is a novel ...The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin is a novel about the life of Anne Morrow, who married Charles Lindbergh and found plenty of heart-ache. That might fit the bill. Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546161337366365635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-68503695381102901022013-02-26T15:09:32.204-05:002013-02-26T15:09:32.204-05:00Virginia Wolf in THE HOURS. Virginia Wolf in THE HOURS. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-14433596504470447922013-02-26T14:56:05.686-05:002013-02-26T14:56:05.686-05:00I loved and ought to re-read SHOELESS JOE and RAGT...I loved and ought to re-read SHOELESS JOE and RAGTIME too. I can't think of any others that I think qualify just now, but I'll work on it.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33110302.post-50880124173586623562013-02-26T14:19:44.257-05:002013-02-26T14:19:44.257-05:00Doctorow's Homer & Langley, about the Coll...Doctorow's Homer & Langley, about the Collyer brothers, New York's hoarders extraordinaire, was very good. Having the.blind brother narrate the novel was an excellent decision: we "see" the gradual accumulation of squalor through the brother's non-visual senses.Debnoreply@blogger.com