Memories of the Great and Good

Memories of the Great and Good by Alistair Cooke   296 pp.

This is a collection of articles written by Cooke profiling 23 men and women who were prominent in their field of endeavor. Some were taken from interviews, while others were obituary articles. Included are politicians, actors, generals, scientists, authors, and others who gained fame in one way or the other. Cooke considered all to be remarkable in their own way. Cooke reveals his wonder at the media silence about FDR's disability, commends LBJ's backroom acumen, has a chatty interview with the retired President Eisenhower, and is a little too complimentary of then California governor, Ronald Reagan. Cooke's writings about Erma Bombeck, actor Gary Cooper, and journalist, James Reston are heartfelt and complimentary. He is wholly sympathetic to P.G. Wodehouse's unfortunate duping by the Nazis. But he saves his greatest accolades for golfer Bobby Jones and Winston Churchill. This is an engaging book, ideal to read in short sittings.

Imperium

Imperium by Robert Harris  305 pp.

This is a fictionalized biography of the great statesman and orator of ancient Rome, Marcus Tullius Cicero, told from the point of view of Tiro, his slave and secretary for 36 years. As an outsider to the circles of power, Cicero first comes to prominence during the legal proceedings against the corrupt Roman governor of Sicily. As the story follows Cicero's career we see the corruption in Roman politics including attempts to buy elections, Cicero being forced to ride the coattails of the great general Pompey to further his career, and unspeakable acts by the power-hungry. In spite of what could be a dry topic, Harris has given it a life not found in the history books. Interesting, but I do believe this author's Pompeii is a better novel.