Interesting reading. I find it not surprising at all to learn that Coleman Young, the late, unlamented mayor of Detroit, who had so much to do with running a once-proud city into the ground, was a secret commie. In fact, I am trying to determine whether my lack of surprise is because I had learned it somewhere before, or if my conviction is because it is so unsurprising...
***
On a related note, author Loren Estleman's Detroit Crime Series is excellent; it traces the history of Detroit in the 20th Century, from when it was on the verge of becoming the Motor City (Thunder City), through Prohibition (Whiskey River), WWII (Jitterbug), the 50s (Edsel), 60's (Motown), 70s (STRESS), and 80s (King of the Corner). While the automotive industry plays an obvious part in Detroit's history, Estleman (a fellow alumnus of Eastern Michigan University) also weaves Detroit's history of crime and violence--Whiskey River features the Purple Gang, who were no geniuses, but who scared Al Capone--as well as music and sports, two other prominent, enduring features of Detroit culture. Despite being fiction, with many fictional characters, historical figures and events feature throughout; having grown up with this history all around me, I can say that this is well presented. So much so that, as the series went on chronologically, I found it increasingly depressing, reading of a great city's decline.
Estleman is also the author of the Amos Walker thrillers, whcih are also set in Detroit. I enjoy these, too, despite occasional technical errors.
No comments:
Post a Comment