RAF MILDENHALL, England -- -- A Death in Belmont
by Sebastian Junger
I remember reading The Boston Strangler when I was only about 10 years old -- I didn't sleep well for weeks.
Albert DeSalvo's crimes were much more disturbing than any fictional killings could ever be. Recently, Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm, wrote about the Boston Strangler from a more personal slant.
On a Spring day in 1963, Albert DeSalvo was working as a carpenter in Junger's home when a murder occurred a few blocks away. Another man, Roy Smith, was convicted of the murder, but questions remain as to whether or not DeSalvo could have left the Junger home, committed the murder, and returned to resume his work without anyone knowing.
Junger's interest in this case was piqued by a photograph of his mother -- with Junger in her arms -- and DeSalvo, taken at their home on the day of the Belmont murder. Junger's mother also had a disturbing tale about DeSalvo's efforts to get her down to the basement.
When first starting this book, you might think Junger is going to just provide a rehash of the Strangler murders. Instead, he offers a disturbing portrait of two different men: Roy Smith, whose arrest and conviction seem to stem in part from having the wrong skin color in the wrong place at the wrong time; and Albert DeSalvo, whose guilt isn't as clear cut as it seemed in 1965.
Junger is a wonderful storyteller who raises many questions about guilt and innocence with no real answers. Along the way, he offers a fascinating tale of crime, punishment, and the limitations of justice. Available in our library.
Hollywood Station
by Joseph Wambaugh
He's back!
Since this is his first novel in a decade, many of you might not be familiar with the work of Joseph Wambaugh. If not, you're in for a real treat.
In this novel about the LAPD, Wambaugh paints a compelling, humorous, entertaining portrait of a police department that's understaffed, overworked, and doing its best to cope with the drugs and crime of modern-day LA. Wambaugh has always been a master at character development, and this book is no exception, with quirky cops, tragicomic speed freaks, and Eastern European criminals who sow the seeds of their own destruction.
The core of the story surrounds a jewel heist and its aftermath, as a simple robbery becomes incredibly complicated and increasingly violent. Using multiple storylines, Wambaugh deftly brings the story to its final conclusion in a page-turner that's hard to put down.
After you read Hollywood Station, your appetite will probably be whetted for more. I highly recommend any of Wambaugh's earlier books, including The Choirboys and The New Centurions, or his nonfiction work like The Blooding or The Onion Field. Hollywood Station is available in our library.
Fields of Fire
by James Webb
The new Senator from Virginia and former Secretary of the Navy wrote this book in the mid-1970s, based on his tour of duty in Vietnam as a Marine platoon commander.
While I can recommend Once an Eagle from Gen. T. Michael Moseley's Chief of Staff of the Air Force's reading list, Fields of Fire is my favorite war novel of all time (and ranks right at the very top of all fiction I've ever read).
Set in the An Hoa basin, the book chronicles the exploits and ordeals of 2nd Lt. Robert E. Lee Hodges and the Marines in his platoon. I've never been a fan of flashbacks in either books or movies, but Mr. Webb manages to use them very effectively to develop his characters without distracting the reader from the "present-day" setting in Vietnam.
The book's gritty realism has been consistently praised by veterans of the Vietnam conflict, and it's the first book I've seen on Amazon that received nothing but 5-star ratings (from 75 reviewers)! This book won't leave you feeling upbeat, but it will help provide insight into a difficult time in our nation's history.
It's available in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe library system.
- Col. Michael S. Stough
100th Air Refueling Wing commander