Got Murder?: The Shocking Story of Wisconsin's Notorious Killers, by Martin Hintz (Trails Publishing) 2007
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A whole new and dark dimension to Wisconsin history," Midwest Book Review, (Oregon, WI) October 6, 2007
Wisconsin has a very strange and notorious history of serial killers and macabre murders ranging from such infamous characters as Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer. "Got Murder?: The Shocking Story Of Wisconsin's Notorious Killers" by Wisconsin author Martin Hintz is a compilation of Badger State crimes and criminals whose lethal behavior has never been so well detailed and annotated. as they have in this compendium of true crime stories. From the murder of Frank Lloyd Wrights lover and her children with a hatchet; to Ed Gein's grave robbing and bizarre butchery; to a deer-hunting trip that left six people dead, to the cannibalism of Jeffrey Dahmer, these stories range from Wisconsin's pioneer era down to today's newspaper headlines. Strongly recommended for personal and community library 'true crime' collections and reading lists, "Got Murder?" is fascinating, riveting anthology of stories that brings a whole new and dark dimension to Wisconsin history.
****
Farewell, John Barleycorn : Prohibition in the United States by Martin Hintz (Lerner Publications, 1996)
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6--A brief history of drinking in America introduces this overview of the "noble experiment." The rise of the Temperance movement is traced and some attempt is made to explain the reasons for it. The emphasis, however, is on the problems of enforcing the Volstead Act. Striking parallels to our own time are brought out and thoughtful readers will ask whether we should legalize drugs. Period photos and quotations add interest and authenticity. An above-average presentation, attractively packaged.
Connie Parker, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cleveland, OH
Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Images of America: Jewish Milwaukee (Arcadia Publishing) 2005
5.0 out of 5 stars
May 19, 2008 By Robin Friedman (Washington, D.C. ) The "Images of America" series by Arcadia Publishing offers the oppportunity to explore local and regional history of many communities throughout the United States. Each volume consists of about 120 pages and 200 photographs together with background material and annotations of the photos.
I was pleased to discover several Arcadia volumes on Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For my first 21 years, I lived in Milwaukee, but I haven't been back since. I wanted to use the Arcadia volumes to bring back memories that were close to me of the city. This particular volume, "Jewish Milwaukee" (2006) was of special interest to me as it covers my own background and upbringing.
The book was written by Martin Hintz, a local writer who has written extensively about Wisconsin, Jewish history, and other ethnic communities in Milwaukee. Hintz' book has a broad scope, covering the period from the 1880s up to the early years of the Twenty-First century.
I lived in Milwaukee from 1947 to about 1968, and this was the time of most interest to me. There were several photographs in the book I found moving in their familiarity. There is an photo early in the book of a float for Camp Sidney Cohen, a place where I spent many summers. I also was moved by a photograph of a storefront school, the "New Method Hebrew School" run by over 50 years by a Russian immigrant named Harry Garfinkel. My three brothers studied at Garfinkel's school and I myself knew it well. I rembered several of the spiritual leaders whose pictures are in the book, including Rabbi Jacob Twerski and Rabbi David Shapiro. It was good to be reminded of them and their ideals.
This book operated on a very personal level for me. But I learned a great deal from it beyond the scope of my own experience. The book consists of ten brief chapters which explore various aspects of Jewish life in Milwaukee over a substantial time. The subjects covered include early Milwaukee, family life, community activities,education, religious obervance, business activities, activities pertaining to Israel, sports, and military service. The book documents a vibrant close-knit community which has participated actively in Jewish life and in national life.
I was struck by the level of detail in the book. There are many photographs of individuals and of groups of people meeting at various community or business functions. Hintz identfies the subjects of the photgraphs in meticulous detail, frequently naming every person included in a photo consisting of row upon row. This gives a sense of personalization to the book. Few readers will know anything about the specifics of the lives of these people -- other than their status as community leaders -- but Hintz individualizes them in the annotations to the photographs.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on the business activities of Jewish people in Milwaukee. There are scenes of individuals hawking tobacco products from carts, selling fruit (as part of the fruit peddlars union), engaging in the trade of butcher and meat packer, selling clothes, working as policemen and firemen, doctors, dentists, and lawyers, and much more. The book gives emphasis to individuals who achieved great economic success and to their philanthropic activities. There are also many photographs of Jewish people with a connection to Milwaukee who went on to become famous, including Golda Meir, Victor Berger (a socialist Congressman early in the Twentieth century), Edna Ferber, Bud Selig (of major league baseball fame), Senator Herb Kohl, and others. Yet the book is more impressive when it tells of people who remain unfamiliar, but who led fulfilling and interesting lives in Miwaukee. There is an intruiging photograph of one Alter Esselin who was actively writing poetry in Yiddish during the time I lived in Milwaukee. I would like to learn more about him.
I enjoyed learning something about the history of Jewish Milwaukee before my time and even more I enjoyed seeing he many schools and other institutions that the Jewish community has created in the many years since I left the city. As I have no family remaining in Milwaukee. Hintz' book gave me the first exposure to the continuity of Jewish life in Milwaukee that I have had for many years.
This book will appeal most to those readers who, as I do, have a personal interest in the subject matter. The book offers a window into Jewish life over the years in an important American city.
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America the Beautiful: Missouri, Grolier Publishing 1999
5.0 our of 5 stars
Showing me and young students about the state of Missouri May 15, 2005 By Lawrance M. Bernabo (Duluth, Minnesota) Martin Hinz tackles the biggest problem in Missouri on the first page of this volume in the America the Beautiful, Second Series, to wit: How do you pronounce the state's name? Should it be "Missour-EE" or "Missour-AH?" So it is that Chapter One, Versions of Missouri" uses the question of pronunciation, which throws in the mix those who say "Missour-UH." Hintz is even able to look at how region and age come into play for which version Missourians use. That might be why the chapter ends talking about how Missouri got its nickname the "Show-Me" state, which is not as controversial a topic.
The next three chapters look at the history of Missouri. Chapter Two, "The Good Old Days," traces the early history from the nomads and mound builders who first settled the region to the Spanish and French who settled the region and the controversy that raged when the state wanted to be admitted to the union and the Missouri Compromise of 1820 (Missouri admitted as a slave state and Maine as a free state). Chapter Three, "Movin' On," looks at the bloody history of the state during the Mormon Wars and the Civil War, and ends with the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 and the establishment of Prohibition. Chapter Four, "In the National Limelight," looks at the Great Depression, Harry S Truman as the Missouri president and the post-World War II era to the 21st-century.
Chapter Five, "The Neighborly State," looks at how four major geographic areas unite to form Missouri: the glaciated plains of the northwest, the western plains, the Ozark Mountains of the south, and the southeastern lowlands. "A Rich Diversity of Towns" is the topic for Chapter Six, looks at the cities and villages that are rich in history, and also contains the recipe for Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce, which is a horrible thing to read late at night because that is hardly the time to start making barbecue sauce (besides, I do not have any liquid smoke). The politics of Missouri is covered in Chapter Seven, "'Show-Me' Government," which includes both Tom Pendergast's political machine and Missouri Senator David Rice Atchison, the man who was president of the U.S. for one day in 1849. This is the chapter where you get to find out about the state symbols, which includes the state folk dance (Square dance), musical instrument (Fiddle), and animal (Missouri mule).
The economy of Missouri is detailed in Chapter Eight, "In the Center of It All," which looks at the mix of agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. Chapter Nine, "The People of Change," looks at all the migrants who have come to Missouri, which has always been a crossroads for travelers. Finally, Chapter Ten, "Poets, Painters, and Players," looks at the creative people and athletes who have come from Missouri. Of course, this list begins with Samuel Clemens, but includes T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, W.C. Handy, Thomas Hart Benton, George Catlin, Dizzy Dean, and Mark McGwire.
The back of this book has a Timeline that has parallel columns showing U.S. and Missouri state history. Then there are several pages of Fast Facts, while there are lists of history, fiction, and biographies, as well as websites and addresses where young students can go To Find Out More. As always, this American the Beautiful book has dozens of informative sidebars where we find out more about the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Missouri slave named Dred Scott, the James Boys, Joseph Pulitzer, George Washington Carver, and the major earthquakes that have rocked Missouri. These sidebars could well be the most interesting part of the book, although any young student will find more than enough information for a report on the "Show-Me" state. How you pronounce it will be up to you, but be careful.
*******
Enchantment of the World: Algeria, 2006
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8–These titles have been substantially revised from their earlier editions (Algeria, 1993 and Iraq, 1998). Iraq focuses far less on Saddam Hussein and includes more details about the nation's different ethnic groups, environmental issues and wildlife, and information about the current political situation. Algeria has less discussion of the French colonial experience and includes more about the current government, a section on rai music, and a new chapter depicting a day in the life of a typical Algerian boy. Both books contain more full-color photographs than the previous editions, and the statistics, time lines, and Web sites have been updated (or added, in the case of Algeria). Libraries will definitely want these volumes, as the revisions not only provide more current information, but also make them more accessible and useful for reports.–Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
