WHAT RUMPOLE IS READING

As the summer doldrums begin,  no clients, no trials, hours spent in a quiet office dreaming of cooler climates, a blogger's thoughts turn to books. 
This is what Rumpole has been and will be reading this summer: 

What we have read so far: 

First- Chasing Hillary by Amy Chozick. A funny, fascinating story about a woman who first met Clinton as a teenager, who became the NY Times reporter assigned to Clinton's last two presidential campaigns. The tension between her admiration for Clinton, and her fair reporting which caused the Clinton team to shun her in a very "Trumpian" manner, makes this the best political book of the year. 

The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Fin.  A Hitchcock inspired "rear window" quick psychological thriller. Strictly beach or airplane material, but still a very fun and fast read. 

A Season in the Sun- The Rise of Mickey Mantle, by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith.  It's been so long that the memory of one of the very best to ever play the game is fading. This will re-kindle any baseball fan's knowledge of one of the greatest players, who's career was hampered by a myriad of injuries (ACL tears) that today could have been repaired. We can only imagine what Mantle could have done if he played the game on knees that worked. Still, his stats are, in retrospect, surprising for just how great he was. 

Grant, by Ron Chernow. Perhaps America's greatest General. An underestimated president and thinker. One of our best biographers turns his considerable talent to one of our most underrated leaders. A big book that covers a big life. 

Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kapur.  You don't read poetry you grumble. You should. Poetry is life. And this young woman is a genius. Pure and simple. This is a book you should not miss. And if you are not a millennial, there is some young adult or teen in your life, especially a young woman, who will treasure this book if you are smart and kind enough to give it to her. Do yourself a favor and take a break from life and read this book. 

On Deck:

Lincoln's Last Trial, by Dan Abrams and David Fisher.  The lost transcripts of Lincoln's last trial and his defense in a murder case to boot! A criminal defense attorney's dream book ( we hope). The reviews are great. 

Leonardo Da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson, Isaacon wrote "Jobs" the biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Now he writes a biography about another historical genius. Count us in. 

Alone, by Michael Korda. The cover says "Britain, Churchill, and Dunkirk. Defeat into Victory." That's all we need to see to buy this book.  All Churchill and England did in 1939-1941 was stand alone against tyranny in the world. They may well have saved freedom for the rest of the 20th century. We've read 50 plus books on this subject. And it's never enough. 

That should keep our readers going for the next few months. And for those of you that wear black robes at work, we are sure most of these are available as audible audio books, since we realize reading is not your thing. 

From Occupied America, where we don't yet burn books, (but we do rip infants from the arms of their mothers) Fight The Power!