Tag Archives: history
The Pornographer’s Daughter: A Memoir of Childhood, My Dad, and Deep Throat
Biography & Autobiography
Skyhorse Publishing Company Incorporated
2014-09-30
280
More than forty years after Deep Throat arrived on the cultural scene and inspired a sexual revolution, questions about the ethics of pornography and its impact on society are still being asked today and remain as controversial as ever. Kristin Battista-Frazee was only four years old in 1974 when her father, Anthony Battista, was indicted by the federal government for distributing the now famous porn film Deep Throat. As her father unexpectedly became an early pioneer in the emerging porn industry and transformed himself from Philadelphia stockbroker to porn broker, this indictment threatened his family’s stability. The stress drove Kristin’s mother, Frances Battista, to worry endlessly if her husband would be put in jail. She became so depressed that she attempted suicide. Kristin survived this family trauma to live a surprisingly normal life. But instead of leaving the past behind her, she developed a burning curiosity to understand her family’s history. Why did the federal government so vehemently prosecute this case? And why did her father get involved in distributing this notorious porn film in the first place? Did the influence of pornography in fact make Kristin a better person? Answering these questions and reconciling her dramatic family history with her life as a wife and mother became her mission. The Pornographer’s Daughter is an insider’s glimpse into the events that made Deep Throat and pornography so popular, as well as what it was like to come of age against the backdrop of the pornography business.
Review:
Every single person who wants to write a funny, readable, and memorable memoir needs to read “The Pornographer’s Daughter” before they write a single word. It is everything anyone could ask of a book, whether it be fiction or non-fiction.
As the title suggests, Kristin Battista-Frazee’s father worked as a distributor of porn, specifically the ever-famous “Deep Throat” starring Linda Lovelace. The entire story of “Deep Throat” is a fascinating one in and of itself. Add in the mob, the feds, the morality wars of the times, an extended Italian family, and a cast of characters that includes at least seven variations of “Anthony” and “Tony”, and you have a story that is beyond improbable. Yet, it is.
Along with all of the above, “The Pornographer’s Daughter” is a beautiful homage to the author’s unusual family and childhood. None of it is sugar-coated: she puts it all out there, flaws and all. The love is obvious, even in the context of such a unconventional childhood.
In short, I laughed, I cried from laughing, I cried from beautiful passages, and then I wished I knew most of the eccentric characters in my own life. I am extremely excited to see the television show that is being developed!
This review is based upon a copy from the Goodreads First Reads program given in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Do I really need to put one here? Pornographer is in the title, along with the iconic porn “Deep Throat”.
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
Biography & Autobiography
2014-09-01
Laura Ingalls Wilder's unedited, and unpublished, draft of her autobiography that was written for an adult audience and eventually served as the foundation for her popular Little House on the Prairie series includes not-safe-for-children tales that feature stark scenes of domestic abuse, love triangles gone awry and a man who lit himself on fire while drunk off whiskey.
Review:
As with many readers, much of my early reading involved the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Of course, that world was also brought into our homes through the television series of the same name. It is not a stretch to say it has been a beloved staple of childhood for generations, including my own. Therefore, I was thrilled to get an advanced copy “Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Biography” through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
Here comes the honesty: this edition of “Pioneer Girl” is an absolute must have for all Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, fans of either form of Little House on the Prairie, as well as anyone interested in the history of the great plains. It is everything I hoped it would be and more.
The annotations are thorough and include little known facts about Mrs. Wilder herself, but also about the daily living of her time. Photos give a wonderful glimpse into the real people behind the stories and include such additions of schoolyard play in small towns. Her life comes alive in the minds of readers thanks to the photography and annotations.
Perhaps the biggest draw of “Pioneer Girl” is it was written as more of a diary of memories, skipping back and forth as her mind saw fit, and it was not changed as the Little House on the Prairie books were to add that little zing of which publishers are so fond. This is her story, stark, detailed, and wonderful, as she meant it to be.
I give “Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography” a hundred stars, but the rating system will only allow me to put five of them here. And don’t forget, this would make an excellent gift for the fans of Little House in the prairie in your life!
The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler’s Men
History
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
2014-10-28
288
A revelatory secret history of how America became home to thousands of Nazi war criminals after World War II, many of whom were brought here by the OSS and CIA—by the New York Times reporter who broke the story and who has interviewed dozens of agents for the first time.
Review:
“The Nazis Next Door” is a book about the various Nazis living in our country after the war, along with how our government not only helped bring them here but helped them avoid prosecution through various means, including forged documents.
As opposed to many history books, this one is easily read and accessible not only to the novice, but also provides little known information to historians. My major was history, with a concentration in Jewish history, and I was appalled by just how much has been hidden for so long. The fact that Patton himself was an anti-Semite made me feel physically ill.
A secondary benefit to the history lesson is the knowledge at just how carefully we need to question the actions of our own intelligence agencies. This is certainly a timely topic, and one that we could all use a reminder regarding.
If a reader has an interest in the Holocaust, especially the more unexplored topics surrounding it, I cannot recommend “The Nazis Next Door” enough. Novice or professional, it is an excellent resource.
This review is based upon an advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
As this is a book meant for adults, no content warning will be given.
Walt Before Mickey: Disney’s Early Years 1919-1928
Biography & Autobiography
2014-09-01
384
The untold story of ten critical, formative years in the great producer's life
Review:
This review is of a complimentary copy provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
“Walt Before Mickey” by Timothy S. Susanin is one of the, if not the, most exhaustive accounts of Disney’s early years that can be found. The research is thorough, and it shows.
I have mixed feelings on “Walt Before Mickey”. As a historian, and a huge Disney nerd, the facts presented are a treasure trove. Almost all of the information is rare, the sources are solid and well-documented, and it brings a feeling of closeness to Disney himself.
On the other hand, there is almost too much information. Every single person he met has a painstaking account of their looks and history. Not that those things are not important, but it slows it down and takes away from what is important. More than once I found my mind wandering during these descriptions, and it really is a shame that it mars what is otherwise an exceptional account of a great man.
I can highly recommend “Walt Before Mickey” to historians or those with an intense interest in Disney himself, but would recommend those with a casual interest to give this one a pass.
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