"One more. I’d have to say Red River. Great Western. John Wayne, Monty Clift — Monty Clift couldn’t be more wrong for a Western, and yet it totally works. When they finally have their fist fight at the end, they’ve taken and shot Wayne to even out the fight, because Wayne was about six inches taller than Clift, and 80 pounds heavier, and the fight works fine. The spirit of the cattle drive is extraordinary, the amount of drama that happens; the father and son struggle — in essence the Oedipal struggle, even though he’s not actually his son — between Clift and John Wayne, is magnificent. It’s pure Hawks: Men on the trail doing something dangerous, and doing it well. You can’t ask for a better Western. It talks about the whole opening of Texas, and it talks about the relationship between men. It talks about the dynamics of leadership, talks about betrayal. It’s Shakespearian, really, without any pretention. Pure Hawks."

"I probably should not have read this book in the middle of a pandemic, but Higginbotham’s tale is so riveting I couldn’t help myself. And it is helpful to remind ourselves that terrible things do happen and the world does continue on, changed, humbled, and hopefully better prepared for a future catastrophe. What I liked so much about this work is that the author’s research is so good that he places you right in the moment. I felt like I was there. I felt like I was next to that burning reactor. When someone died, and a lot of people do, I felt grief. It’s a glaring example of bureaucratic incompetence and a disregard by leaders for the lives and safety of their citizens. But it is also a wonderful testament to the resiliency of the human spirit and the caring, sharing, and heroism that ordinary people can show in extraordinary times."