6711FC03-B41C-4532-A9D225A504C635E9
B8C2B9B7-9855-4420-B8A5C4F665B00BA8

The following books have been published recently by Hamilton alumni and members of the faculty. We welcome other new or recent books for annotation in future issues. Please email bibliographic information to shimmelb@hamilton.edu or, preferably, send a copy of the book to Hamilton Alumni Review, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13323. 

Legal but Corrupt: A New Perspective on Public Ethics

Frank Anechiarico ’71

(London: Lexington/Rowman & Littlefield, 2017)
This book argues that both the political community and scholars have underestimated the extent of corruption in the United States and beyond, and that behaviors and ­institutions accepted as legitimate nonetheless inflict very real social, economic and political damage. The contributors explain why it is important to identify legally accepted ­corruption and provide examples.

The European Union and Global Capitalism: Origins, Development, Crisis

Alan Cafruny, the Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs (co-author)

(London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)
Does the EU help or hinder Europe’s “social models” to face the challenges of globalization? Does the EU represent a break from Europe’s imperial past? What were the causes of the Eurozone crisis? These are a few of the questions considered in this book that draws on critical theory to explore the EU from a political economy perspective.

The Notorious Reno Gang: The Wild Story of the West’s First Brotherhood of Thieves, Assassins, and Train Robbers

Rachel Dickinson K’78

(Guilford, Conn.: Lyons Press, 2017)
The first outlaws to rob a moving train, the Reno brothers and their band of gangsters spent four years (1864-68) striking fear into the residents of Seymour, Ind., where they set up headquarters at a local hotel. The author, whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, Smithsonian.com, Men’s Journal and Audubon, tells the story of how the murderous Reno gang, Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency and the little city of Seymour ushered in the Wild West.

The Oligarchy and the Old Regime in Latin America, 1880-1970

Dennis ­Gilbert,­ ­professor of sociology emeritus

(Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017)
The author, who studies class formation and elite economic and political practice in Latin America, provides a systematic comparative history of the rise and ultimate demise of the powerful elite family networks that dominated this region of the world for nearly a century. Gilbert’s close look at three prominent Peruvian families provides a vivid window into the everyday ­exercise of power.

ACK in Ashes: Nantucket’s Great Fire of 1846

Doug “VB” Goudie ’91

(CreateSpace, 2017)
This book tells the story of resilience and determi­nation that accompanied the rebuilding of the island of Nantucket following a massive fire that reduced one of the wealthiest (and busiest) whaling ­capitals in the world to rubble. This is Goudie’s first book; he is currently a talk radio host in Boston.

Rabbit Cake

Annie Hartnett ’08

(Portland, Ore.: Tin House Books, 2017)
In her debut novel, the author combines heartbreak and comedy to tell the story of a 10-year-old girl named Elvis who tries to understand her place in the world — and how to deal with her increasingly dysfunctional family — after her mother’s strange death. Rabbit Cake received starred reviews from Kirkus and ­Publishers Weekly and was a People magazine book of the week.

Trouble No More

Court Haslett ’91

(280 Steps, 2017)
Described as “a mix of edginess and noir-style,” this prequel to Haslett’s earlier novel Tenderloin again takes readers back to the sleazy side of 1970s San Francisco. This time Skid Row protagonist Sleeper Hayes reluctantly agrees to try to locate a friend’s missing brother, only to find himself the ­target of a corrupt police captain, a local smut peddler, a Chinese gang and a political power broker.

Years of High Hopes: A Portrait of British Guiana, 1952-1956, from an American Family’s Letters Home

Dorothy Irwin K’76 (editor)

(Hertfordshire, United Kingdom: Hansib Publications, 2016)
This book compiles personal letters mailed back to the United States by a young American couple living in the capital city of Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), during the tumultuous time when the colony was pushing toward nationhood. That couple happened to be the author’s parents, ­Marian and Howard Irwin. Dorothy Irwin, who was born in Georgetown but raised in the U.S., went on to become a writer, contributing to such magazines as Saveur, Bon Appétit, This Old House and ­American Heritage. She notes, “Nigel Westmaas, associate professor of Africana studies at Hamilton, did me the courtesy of reviewing the manuscript. We have yet to meet, but our ties with Guyana have proven to be as strong a bond as our shared affiliation with the Hill.”

God Always Loves You

Mara Laird ’97

(Bloomington, Ind.: Archway Publishing, 2017)
Filled with colorful illustrations and simple rhymes, this book shows how God loves everyone throughout their everyday lives. It provides parents a wonderful “read-to-me” resource to share with their children God’s unconditional kindness.

Trainspotting in Cincinnati

Robert W. ­Martin, Jr. ’73 (editor)

(Springboro, Ohio: Braughler Books, 2016)
Whether their passion is massive freight trains or small model trains, railroad enthusiasts will find something of interest in this tour — complete with photos — of more than 30 sites throughout the Cincinnati ­tri-state area. The author, a retired attorney, is president of The Cincinnati Railroad Club.

Without Annette

Jane B. Mason ’89

(New York: Scholastic Press, 2016)
Described by one reviewer as “a clear-eyed, funny, heartbreaking look at navigating first love and loss,” Mason’s first young-adult novel tells a coming-of-age story of Josie Little, who leaves home for a prestigious boarding school with her girlfriend, Annette. As they abandon the familiarity that defined them for this new “world of rigid definitions,” the girls struggle to navigate their lives, ­leaving one of them on a course for self-destruction.

Rendering

Jo Pitkin K’78

(Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland: Salmon Poetry, 2017)
In her latest volume of poetry, the author explores what is real and true in both art and in ­relationships. Her collection is described as a reflection on “illusion, delusion, hypocrisy and betrayal through the cloudy lens of a trans­formative love affair.”

Wallaçonia

David Pratt ’80

(Nevada City, Calif.: Beautiful Dreamer Press, 2017)
Normal. That’s what high-schooler Jim Wallace wants to be. That’s the ­reason he’s ready to take his relationship with his girlfriend to the next level. But after his neighbor offers him a job in his bookstore, their friendship helps lead Jim to self-discovery. Describing the writing as “smart and vulnerable and slyly funny,” one reviewer added, “Pratt has a rare gift for capturing in heartbreakingly accurate detail his characters’ passions, fears and dreams — as well as the minutiae that bring a small Cape Cod town crisply to life.”

Lana Turner: Hearts & Diamonds Take All

Danforth Prince ’75 (co-author)

(New York: Blood Moon Productions, 2017)
Prince’s latest Hollywood “tell-all” focuses on actress and pin-up model Lana Turner, who became as well known for her on-screen sex appeal as she was for her highly ­publicized personal life. This “definitive, uncensored and comprehensive biography” marks the 20th anniversary of the actress’ death.

Zombifying a Nation: Race, Gender and the Haitian Loas on Screen

Toni Pressley-Sanon ’90

(Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2016)
The image of the zombie that entered popular culture with The Magic Island (1929), published during the American occupation of Haiti, lingers today. Pressley-Sanon re-examines zombies in a socio­political context, through such films as White Zombie (1932), I Walked with a Zombie (1943) and The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). The author is an assistant professor in the Department of Africology and ­African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University.

Abandoned Earth

Linwood D. Rumney ’04

(Arlington, Va.: Gival Press, 2016)
Winner of the Gival Press Poetry Award, the author’s first collection portrays “a world both menacing and ­comforting at once,” noted one reviewer. ­Rumney’s poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including The Southern Review, Ploughshares and New ­Millennium Writings.

Communicating Interpersonal Conflict in Close Relationships: Contexts, ­Challenges, and Opportunities

Jennifer A. Samp ’94 (editor)

(New York: Routledge, 2017)
Seasoned and new scholars in communications research present data and theoretical commentaries in this volume designed as a resource for those pursuing advanced study in interpersonal conflict. The author is a professor of communication studies at the University of Georgia.

Lies: Based on True Stories

Courtney Soling Smith ’86

(Charleston, W.V.: Quarrier Press, 2016)
In 1863, a house in Greenbrier County, W.Va., was ransacked and burned, leaving two men dead. Through the testimony of six surviving witnesses, the author reveals the truth among the lies and, in doing so, lends insight into how women lived and coped during the Civil War.

Beneath A Scarlet Sky

Mark Sullivan ’80

(Seattle: Lake Union Publishing, 2017)
Based on a true story, this book follows 17-year-old Pino Lella as he helps lead Jews out of Italy along an underground railroad through the Alps and, later, when he is recruited as a spy for the Italian Resistance. “Working undercover, Pino gains access to some of the most powerful men in Germany but also witnesses the atrocities of the war firsthand.” Sullivan is author of 15 novels of ­mystery and suspense and has co-authored three best-selling works with James Patterson in the PRIVATE series.

The Litigation Paralegal: A Systems Approach

Pamela R. Tepper ’80 (co-author)

(Clifton Park, N.Y.: Cengage Learning, 2016)
Combining theories and principles of law with practical skills, this engaging, highly visual text provides an introduction not only to the study of litigation, but the ethical and practical responsibilities of being a paralegal.

The Light of the Sun Become Sea

Peter Weltner ’64

(Baltimore: BrickHouse Books, 2017)
A reviewer described the prolific author’s latest poems as ones that look differently at the world. “They don’t flinch in the face of loss and death. They strive for a transcendence where ‘All’s light. All’s water. All’s paradise shimmering.’”

The Return of What’s Been Lost: Stories and Poems

Peter Weltner ’64

(Seattle: Marrowstone Press, 2017)
In this collection, Weltner’s words effortlessly form images of “how joy and love may exist within mourning and sorrow, how each sustains and deepens the other.”

Darkness Falls on the Land of Light: Experiencing Religious Awakenings in Eighteenth-Century New ­England

Douglas L. Winiarski ’92

(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2017).
The author, an associate ­professor of religious studies at the ­University of Richmond, examines letters, diaries and testimonies to uncover the pervasive and vigorous lay piety of “ordinary ­people living through extraordinary times.”

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

Site Search