1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin is a brilliantly written, highly readable account of the events leading up to the Great Crash. Sorkin brings the era to life with sharp storytelling, clear explanations, and impressive research. Despite knowing the outcome, the narrative feels gripping and surprisingly suspenseful.What makes the book truly stand out is its relevance—many of the themes he highlights, from speculation to overconfidence, echo in today’s markets. It’s a powerful reminder that the past still has lessons to teach.A smart, engaging, and insightful read. Highly recommended.

Andrew Sorkin’s book on the Crash of 1929 is a delight to read. The praise that has been showered upon it is well deserved. It is well researched and so well organized and so well written that it reads more easily than the morning paper. Sorkin’s interest is not so much in the details of stock trading and margin calls but in gaining some purchase on the dark heart of human greed that drives all market bubbles. For Sorkin the Crash is not something that is best understood through the application of macroeconomic analysis– thank goodness– but through the story of human ambition darkened by human avarice. This story is necessarily one of tragedy. The Crash is not so much to be explained as to be narrated. This narrative requires our sympathy more than our judgement. We cannot understand market bubbles, he implies, unless we understand human nature and how we are all susceptible to enticements that make little sense as well as the need to assign blame and identify virtue. We know we are reading a very different approach to the Crash when the story opens with “Sunshine” Charlie Mitchell bounding up the “steps of 55 Wall Street” where he will exert his usual “confidence and certitude” on what was the “crushing afternoon” of October 28, 1929. Apparently, the key to understanding that fateful afternoon lies not in complications of stock trading but in understanding the temperaments of the men who made the trades, launched the schemes, and reaped the benefits. Sorkin is careful, however, to keep his story from becoming a morality play. He shows us the characters and asks us to find a connection with them, an affinity, so that when the tragic moment comes, we do not so much as judge them as identify with them. This is no small achievement. In this book Sorkin becomes Eric Larson and the Crash of 1929 becomes our story as well as the story of Sunshine Charlie, Tom Lamont, Will Durant, George Whitney and all the others. This is high praise. When George Whitney comes to beg a personal loan from fellow Morgan Partner Tom Lamont after discovering that his brother Richard Whitney had been stealing money from clients in his bond trading firm, we feel deep sadness for how people can fail, pity for one brother trying to help another brother, admiration for a partner bailing out a colleague, and a sense of head shaking disgust for how we all lie to ourselves in such moments. It is here we realize again that Sorkin is giving us a history more akin to Greek tragedy rather than an analysis of how markets fail or of how banks and investment firms need to be regulated. Sorkin does this at every moment in his story of the history of the Crash. And he does it masterfully. The story of the Crash becomes something of a Vanity Fair. Sorkin does not lecture the reader, he simply invites our sympathies to understand, or better, he implies that understanding requires our sympathies. Before reviewing the final tragic act in the life of stock shorting master Jesse Livermore, Sorkin poses a rhetorical question for the reader: “What did it feel like to move through the world of money and power with complete confidence, only to see it all vanish, as if you were no less expendable that those living in Hoovervilles?” This is another masterful move– he asks us in the end to see Livermore, the avaricious short-seller who made a hundred million dollars shorting stocks in the Crash, who sits at a table in the Stork Club bereft of his fortune, as one of the inhabitants sitting in the shanty of a Hooverville. Then he adds one of the best lines in the entire book: “The make ego certainly took a beating in the aftermath of the crash.” What?! Was it aggressive male greed that brought this all about? Yes, he implies, and in fact he is certain of it. Masterful. Then just a few short lines later he offhandedly notes that Livermore is his wife Harriet’s fifth husband.Sorkin has given us something new. A new way of understanding financial markets, bubbles, crashes, government reactions to such things, and why they happen. He has given us nothing less than a new set of questions to ask about these moments of economic disaster. Why, he asks, is the project of constructing the Empire State Building launched in the midst of the market run up to the Crash? Is it just coincidence that the phallus of American commerce was erected when it was, or is there some portent here? Mercifully Sorkin does not explore this question more than simply imply it. He lets us do the work, draw the connection (or not), and wonder about the role of male ego in all of this.Even President Hoover gets a softer, gentler review. Long the punch line and scapegoat for what went wrong, Sorkin cautions us to slow down and look again. Hoover is portrayed as trying his best. Isn’t that all any of us can ever do? Roosevelt, long celebrated as the savior in our darkest hour, is presented as woefully cheery and optimistic and lacking in knowledge of banking and economics. Somehow Sorkin makes this portrayal refreshing.Sorkin knows that the explanation he works to reveal does not lie within the kind of analysis published in academic economics journals, but within the mystery of dark hearts and pitiable human foibles. To this end John Maynard Keynes is hardly mentioned, nor is Friedrich Hayek. Irving Fisher and Roger Babson are granted entry into the drama but only to show that one of them got it right (Babson) and the other, the most famous economist in America at the time, Fisher, got it wrong. Perhaps wisely, Sorkin refrains from drawing easy parallels to the overvalued markets of today. Again, he leaves that to the reader and to his comments on television as he promotes this fine book. That is as it should be, but make no mistake, this story of the Great Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed, is completely relevant to today. This is a great book.

Interesting book, but fails to focus more sharply on the scurrilous activities of grifters pretending to be gentlemen and the enormous damage caused to countless people who trusted their bankers.As with the concerted financial fraud of 2008, those responsible get off very lightly, cushioned by wealth, political favour and a corrupt environment.Stand by for the next panic, ready to be served to one and all soon. Driven by greed, humans learn nothing, except to finesse the next one.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what went on behind the scenes during the epic stock market boom and bust of the 1920’s, this book’s for you. It’s all about bankers and banks, especially New York City’s big investment banks. But don’t just yawn and push it away.The author meticulously researched the topic, from private letters, public and private collections, government files, personal interviews, and newspaper and press files. His story exposes an intimate view of the lives and families of the principal players. At the front, he gives a cast of characters in the story, along with their professional affiliations—very useful for keeping the reader on track. The book is over 400 pages, but its page design and typeface allow for easy reading, even late at night. The author builds the tension with each chapter, and you will want to start the next.The author explains how excessive borrowing of money for speculation on the New York stock exchange led to a meteoric run up of the Dow-Jones average. He describes the quasi-legal, but immoral schemes the banking executives used to manipulate the market and create profits for themselves—to the disadvantage of smaller investors. Deep-pocketed investors pooled massive amounts of money to buy or sell huge blocks of stock to force the stock price up or down, as needed.The over-rich banking executives formed an aristocracy in New York and around the world, living luxurious lives in multiple palatial homes. The bankers placed big, leveraged bets on the markets, making or losing outrageous sums of money on a single trade. Small investors across the country borrowed money to join in the speculative orgy, hoping to get rich quick.When the bubble popped, banks throughout the country did not have the money—all loaned out—to pay frantic depositors clamoring to get their life savings back. Thousands of banks failed. The resulting Great Depression led to massive, long-term unemployment and breadlines. The Dow-Jones did not recover its pre-crash high until 25 years later.President Herbert Hoover—a believer in keeping the government out of the financial markets—started a widely publicized Senate hearing on the cause of the crisis, which struck a favorable chord with the public. Franklin Roosevelt, the incoming president, temporarily closed the nation’s banks, took the dollar off the gold standard, and increased the money supply. He sensed the public’s mood for banking reform and instituted banking protections we enjoy today: separation of investment and commercial banking, federal deposit insurance (FDIC), and securities and exchange commission (SEC). I believe the author was a little soft on Hoover, often cast as the villain, and pressed a bit hard on Roosevelt.Will it happen again? Probably. Will it be as bad? Not likely, unless our current government continues to chip away at banking regulations. In the concluding words of the author:“… the forces that drove the market to such stratospheric levels—optimism, ambition, and the belief that the future could be endlessly brighter—did not disappear forever. They never do. … we need to remember how easily we forget … The greater the heights of our certainty, the longer and harder we fall.”As they might say in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps roulez!”

Andrew skillfully walks the reader through the lead up and aftermath of the 1929 crash. His writing style keeps you highly engaged. It’s a real page turner that reveals the personalities involved and their personal stories. You don’t have to be knowledgeable of Wall Street to follow his stories. The short chapters allow the reader to stop and reflect. And the list of the players and positions was quite helpful. I wish his book was available when I studied business as an undergrad. It pulls so many issues together and explains motives from different perspectives. This book most assuredly will become a classic.

This is an amazing book that is well researched and well sourced. The authors do a great job outlining how a Republican and a Democratic administrations vanquished the Justice Department and the rule of law. The Republican administration did it through intimidation, threats, and lawlessness. The Democratic administration either chose not to pursue justice or delayed the pursuit of justice because they did not want to be perceived as bias. This is how investigative journalism is done.

Classic must read for all people in this country. Helps open one’s eyes to what is occurring in OUR government.

I can only read a few pages of this excellent work at a time because I get agitated by the facts presented. It pulls a lot of previously inexplicable things together into a coherent narrative and brings into view facts that were previously hidden or not publicized. Important work by two top-notch journalists.

Great New Book! Very Informative reading.

An excellent overview of how the DOJ was compromised during the Trump administration and how that damage continued to fester after Biden took office, “Injustice” looks at the Mueller investigation, why it failed and how its results were compromised by ‘faith in the system’ to do the right thing (including Barr’s misleading summary of the report). It begins with $10 million given by the President of Egypt to help Trump with his election. That ultimately paid off as an investment (or bribe in this case) as we see later in Trump’s dealings with that regime. The book doesn’t stop there. It also documents a systemic failure of the DOJ over time.It also documents the failure of Garland. For all of Garland’s good intentions, he prevented justice from being served. The failure of the DOJ as it became more and more politically compromised is well documented here. As a result, we ended up with a DOJ that now goes after political enemies rather than the facts around cases involved with those who broke the law. Also cover Jack Smith’s investigation, the authors demonstrate that their race against time to try and hold the former and current President accountable for his actions.If the DOJ had behaved this way during Watergate, Nixon would never have resigned and we would have continued to see corruption reign.

Immaculately written. More than a book – it is a record. One which will serve as a reliable account of what truly occurred.

What is going on with this administration, what it’s doing, & the literal rape of democracy. The creation of a fifedom, with it’s own little small minded individual who thinks he’s king.

This will be a history book someday. Reads like a script but unfortunately is reality. Highly recommend

Don’t pass this up just because you’ve read lots of WWII books and/or Holocaust survivor books! This non-fiction book is deeply personal with narrative that had me incredulous about what cruelty a human being could live through (Eddie) and, at the same time, how other “normal” human beings could make such an impact while living through their own hell (Company D and LT Hovland in particular). I couldn’t put it down! Very well researched and written…imminently readable!

This was an unbelievable story of humanity, suffering and war. The intensity with which experiences were described, was overwhelming, and would bring any reader to tears. It was the continuing warmth Of the storytelling that kept the book moving along beautifully.

Fabulous book. Beautifully written and moving. I am someone who gets bored easily with books, but this one draws you in and tells such a story!

What an incredible story and so well told. This is a must read. One of the best war stories and holocaust descriptives ever. Wake up Hollywood. This true story has the potential to be a box office smash.

Having read over a hundred books on the Holocaust I can only say that I cannot forgive. Despicable people the Germans and collaborators in this book. And despite having read all this other books here is but one more story to be read.

I have to say, The Boys in the Light is one the most moving World War II books I’ve ever read. Some other five stars being Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, Unbroken and Beneath the Scarlett Sky. Right from the start, it pulls you in emotionally. The author alternates between the heartbreaking story of a Jewish family in Europe as Hitler comes to power and the rise of American boys who end up forming D Company.What really stands out is how the author describes Germany’s descent—the slow, terrifying way ordinary Germans are turned against their Jewish neighbors. In the middle of the book, you get some seriously vivid, gut-punching descriptions of what went on in the labor and concentration camps. The visceral description’s of what Eddie, his father and friend Mike endured is not easy to read, but it’s powerful and important.Then, on the American side, you see how these young ordinary boys grow up during the Great Depression, and after Pearl Harbor, the drive to join the service and fight for America is galvanizing! My father-in-law actually fought at D-Day—the Allied invasion of Normandy—and the Battle of the Bulge, so reading about their experiences hit close to home.Above all, what really sticks with me is the lasting human connection these men formed. Decades after the war, their bond endured—through reunions, letters, and memories. That sense of brotherhood and survival is what makes this book rise to the top for me, out of all the World War II stories I’ve read. It’s not just a history lesson—it’s about friendship, resilience, and the best of humanity even in the worst times.

This is an absorbing, emotionally compelling story, written by the daughter of one of the main figures. It involves people swept up in the Holocaust, and a small group of American tankers whose missions carry them into the ugliest side of the war.Overall, Willner does a fine job of explaining the unlikely intersections of the main figures’ lives, including aspects of the battles the tankers fought, and the sheer chance that governed who lived or died.Willner has clearly done a largely sloid job of understanding tank warfare, German and American, although she seems to have been taken in by the more dramatic claims of some of the alarmists about the adequacy or lack thereof of American AFVs. She uncritcally accepts the term popularized by Belton Cooper’s wildly inaccurate book, “Death Traps,” that portrayed the M4 Sherman as totally outclassed by Panthers and Tigers, which simply wasn’t the case.And tankers in fact had much lower odds of being wounded or killed than infantry. As amateur historian Nicholas Moran writes, “if you want a deathtrap, carry an M1 Garand” – a rifle.Even the battle she cites at Freynaux, Belgium, between Panthers and Shermans, was essentially a draw, as Steven Zaloga points out. And she clearly exaggerates in suggesting this battle determined the ourcome of the Battle of the Bulge. No, not even close.Despite these flaws, it’s still a fine book, well worth a read. You’ll meet people whom we all should look up to, as well as many who should be condemned to the lowest circles of Hell.

The Boys in the Light is more than a book — it’s a beacon. In this extraordinary work of narrative nonfiction, Nina Willner brings to life one of the most powerful and unsung stories of World War II: the daring rescue of two escaped Jewish teenagers by a handful of young American soldiers deep inside Nazi Germany. With the pacing of a thriller and the emotional force of a requiem, Willner blends impeccable research with luminous storytelling to deliver a tale that is both harrowing and uplifting.The D Company soldiers aren’t just names in a history book — under Willner’s masterful pen, they become fully realized young men: raw, flawed, brave beyond comprehension. And the teenagers they save? Their story will leave you breathless. This isn’t just a war story; it’s a love letter to decency, to risk, and to what it means to choose humanity in the face of evil.Willner writes with the authority of a historian and the soul of a novelist. Every page pulses with urgency, empathy, and purpose. This is history at its most intimate and alive.The Boys in the Light is Nina Willner’s gift to the world — a reminder that light exists even in the darkest of places, and that the actions of a few can change the fate of many. I will be pressing this book into the hands of everyone I know. It belongs on every shelf — and in every heart.

This book dives deep into the lives and legacies of some of history’s most infamous figures, offering both historical detail and moral reflection. It’s engaging, sobering, and hard to put down.???? Well-Researched & CaptivatingBill O’Reilly and Josh Hammer deliver a clear, compelling narrative that examines evil in its most destructive forms (page 1 – book description summary). The writing is straightforward but layered with enough context to keep readers both informed and engaged.???? Important LessonsThe book doesn’t just recount atrocities; it challenges readers to think about the nature of evil and how society should confront it (page 2 – publisher’s quote: “As long as human beings have walked, evil has been close by.”). It’s as much about learning from history as it is about reflecting on the present.✅ Pros:Fascinating exploration of some of history’s darkest figuresClear, direct, and well-researched writingMix of history and moral perspectiveThought-provoking quotes and lessonsHigh-quality hardcover edition❌ Cons:Heavy subject matter may be overwhelming for some readersOverall:A gripping, well-written book that sheds light on humanity’s darkest chapters while encouraging reflection and awareness. Highly recommended for those interested in history, ethics, or the study of human nature.

Great book. Rich in history and truth. I learned about things I didn’t know happened. Great author and very informative book. Captivating as well.

Another great, captivating history book from O’Reilly. I listen to the audio version while on long trips.Thoroughly researched and well written.O’Reilly’s books are not political.

Just started reading it. Interesting book. Written in very short but complete sentences. Good book for young and older teens.

This book is absolutely great. The author writes in a manner that is easy to follow and understand. O’Reilly provides historical background in each chapter of the various characters he is talking about. This book is not only interesting but very suspenseful. You really just don’t want to put the book down. I am kind of sad that I have finished, however the book makes for a nice coffee table book and a conversational piece when you have visitors.

How can anyone not love Bill O’Reilly’s Books? He is the very best Historical writer of out time.I can’t really pick just one of the characters in the book as they were all written about so you could get to really know them.I picked this title as Bill O’Reilly always gives us the very best Historical books ever. I have read everything he has written.Joyce Reppenhagen

A concise read. I must, however, throw the BS flag at, on Page 141, calling those who worship Hitler as “far-right”. They may be politically right of the Communists, but any Marxist is a Leftist. So even “far right” people of the time are left-of-center. Come on, Mr. O’Reilly, you know this!

As with all of the O’Reilly books this is well researched and well written. It contains a lot of facts that I was not aware of. The sources of the information are footnoted and well documented. Very entertaining.

At this point in my life, I have a good overview of world history in my mind. But an overview leaves out a lot. The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück filled in a gaping hole that I never knew existed. Yes, I knew that Ravensbrück was one of the Nazi concentration camps, but I didn’t know how the inmates banded together to make their own lives better and to make the guards’ lives harder. I didn’t know about the Polish rabbits. I even looked them up on the internet while I was reading the book, to make sure the author didn’t add in some fiction. Nope. All historical, with a large set of notes and bibliography for proof!A wonderfully written book that could have been dry and ghastly, given the setting, but was not because of the Sisterhood and the author’s treatment.

Spellbinding!

The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis in Hitler’s All-Female Concentration Camp by Lynne Olson was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author but I was really interested in this book as I had visited Ravensbruck in the past, shortly after the Berlin Wall fell. The author does a real good job of telling the tale of the Nazi atrocities at the site. Since it was so long ago I am uncertain how much is speculative fact and how much is real fact. I did read the entire book without skimming, which is a good thing for me nowadays. If you, or someone you buy gifts for is interested in these type materials, certainly give this book a read.

THE SISTERHOOD OF RAVENSBRUCK by Lynn Olson is an amazing testament to the lives of the featured French women who survived the infamous women’s concentration camp of Ravensbruck which was in Germany during WWII. I knew nothing about this camp which ended up in the Soviet controlled portion of Germany which is why I feel this book is so important. The infamous camps that are remembered, like Auschwitz and Buchenwald, are important, but there were many others, and they all deserved to be remembered.This well researched non-fiction book tells the story of many women, but the focus is on a small group of French women who leaned on each other to survive at Ravensbruck after being arrested for their resistance work during WWII. The story tells of their lives before the war, how they became involved in the resistance and were arrested, and then their time in a French jail in Paris before being shipped like cattle to Ravensbruck. Arriving at different times, they were still able to form a bond to help each other survive and even help other women of many nationalities and religions. The liberation of the camp did not occur all at once and the story goes on to tell of the friends varying recuperations and reunions.The women’s lives after the war are followed as they build families and work to help all survivors of the camp. The work they did to get healthcare and reparations from the French and German governments was inspiring. I also was in awe of the Polish lapins “rabbits” that were experimented on in the camp and the ladies’ determination to help them get reparations.All non-fiction history books that tell the stories of the WWII concentration camps are heartbreaking and leave you questioning humanity and this one was no different, but it also gave you the ladies’ lives after and demonstrated the resilience and strength they had after the horror. The research is evident. The author immerses you in these women’s journey, avoiding a dry historical account. I will definitly be picking up other history books written by this author.I highly recommend this incredible non-fiction story of the women of Ravensbruck!

Excellent writing, heroic characters. Can’t put it down.

The research, organization and dedication needed to create the masterful book is one-of-a-kind. Thank you Lynne Olson for making it your priority, offering such a gift to all who read it. I truly couldn’t put it down, and now will check the sources to continue to go deeper to learn more about these remarkable women. Again, thank you!

Lynne Olson’s ability to describe main characters in her books so well, that you slowly begin to feel you know them personally. In this book , which describes women caught by the Germans and placed in a concentration camp called Ravensbruck, you can feel their pain. Another typical Lynne Olsen read.

Gripping book