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Michael Patrick BradyAbout Michael Patrick Brady Michael Patrick Brady is a writer and editor from Boston. He has contributed criticism to a variety of publications, including The Boston Phoenix, Stylus Magazine, Boston’s Weekly Dig, and ALARM Magazine. He is also a contributor to the technology channel of Forbes.com, and has been quoted as a consumer electronics expert by The New York Times. Like all those who have more opinions than places to put them, he maintains a blog and collects his various publications at his website. Features
Shallow GravesMartin Scorsese's hotly tipped Oscar fave, The Departed, plumbs the depths of the psychological and sociological motives of violence, loyalty, and duty. [21 February 2007] No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling StonesWhen the baby boomers finally relinquish control of pop culture, who will replace their sacred cows on the perennial 'best bands ever' lists? [30 January 2006] Reviews
Boston Noir by Dennis Lehane, Ed.This anthology is a lot like the city it aims to depict: occasionally impressive, at times insincere, and very proud of its quirks and foibles. [16 November 2009] 
Ulysses and Us: The Art of Everyday Life in Joyce’s MasterpieceAuthor Declan Kiberd gives Ulysses new life, new vitality, and proves that it contains a deeper wisdom that is available to everyone. [13 November 2009] 
The Inheritance of Rome by Chris WickhamThe so-called Dark Ages are given as thorough an airing out as is humanly possible. Whether or not they're truly illuminated, or if such a thing can ever be accomplished, is not entirely clear. [30 September 2009] 
Marcus Aurelius: A Life by Frank McLynnAny proper biography of Aurelius must not only address his historical existence but also his philosophical beliefs, which have informed many of mankind's greatest thinkers. [8 September 2009] 
The Landmark Herodotus by Robert B. StrasslerAn extraordinary account of a long distant past, one that provides a well-rendered portrait of the human condition in ancient times. [12 August 2009] 
The Evolution of God by Robert WrightIn Wright's view, biological evolution is an engine for the development of higher intelligence, which contrasts with the more traditional, scientific view that higher intelligence is merely a lucky break in a chaotic and complicated process. [4 August 2009] 
Meriwether Lewis by Thomas C. DanisiDanisi and Jackson claim a definitive explanation for Lewis' dramatic final act, and move to dispel the more sensationalist and macabre embellishments that have tarnished his reputation in the 200 years since his death. [8 June 2009] 
Judas: A Biography by Susan GubarJudas is the catalyst that facilitates the birth of Christianity, and for that he is condemned to eternal damnation and is made a pariah for all eternity. [3 June 2009] 
You Are Here by Christopher PotterWith a deft sense of narrative and gentle tenor, Potter leads readers through the quantum foam of quarks, gluons, and neutrinos, taming these wild particles for public consumption. [18 May 2009] 
Paris from the Ground Up by James H. S. McGregorThis is not an analysis of city living, it's an analysis of a living city, nurtured on the waters of the Seine and perpetually in bloom, spreading the seeds of thought and culture out from its vibrant heart. [7 May 2009] 
John Zorn by John BrackettOne must be willing to risk being consumed by the dark, cabalistic world Zorn has created around his art. [28 January 2009] 
The Invention of Air by Steven JohnsonAll the evidence shows that Priestly possessed a great mind, capable of making innovative connections and leaps that led to profound changes in humankind's understanding of the world. [19 January 2009] 
London Rising: The Men Who Made Modern London by Leo HollisThese are the men who made the modern world, who made it possible to cast off the bindings of the past and pursue the truth, regardless of how it might disturb the existing order. [4 January 2009] 
Miles on Miles, ed Paul Maher Jr., Michael K. DorrDavis never wanted to stop moving, always wanted to be doing something, pissing somebody off, and driving people wild. [24 November 2008] 
Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, by John StaufferStauffer demonstrates in amusing and enlightening fashion the pivotal role fisticuffs and fighting had in helping Lincoln and Douglass define themselves and take control of their fates. [18 November 2008] 
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah VowellAmerican Exceptionalism has the potential to spur great innovation and bring about profound change, yet it can also be a destructive, insular force that pits the country against those who dare question its authority. [24 October 2008] 
The Black Death by John HatcherFrom this great tragedy emerges a fascinating power struggle, one that contemporary readers may see as the first stirrings of the modern ideas of liberty and social justice. [18 August 2008] 
Young J. Edgar by Kenneth D. AckermanJustice is meant to be blind, but Hoover and Palmer saw red everywhere they looked. [6 June 2008] 
Jason Ajemian’s Smokeless Heat: The Art of DyingThe Art of Dying is another fine product from a scene whose creative output seems inexhaustible. 
Vijay Iyer: TragicomicThe rising jazz pianist takes a stab at transforming the tone of the 21st century with a visionary album that blends the artistic and the intellectual. [12 May 2008] 
Fern Knight: Fern KnightMargaret Wienk's folk noir enters a new realm, traveling through gorgeous fantasies and inspiring landscapes as she confronts the more sinister aspects of the real world. [7 May 2008] 
Black Francis: SVN FNGRSThe legend confronts mythology and manages to produce a very compelling album while solving a few existential crises along the way. [17 April 2008] 
John Adams by David McCulloughA quintessentially American story about common heroic acts, and the impact one person can have when they throw their whole selves into a cause they believe in. [17 March 2008] 
Richard and John by Frank McLynnMcLynn has a keen eye not only for history, but for storytelling and the importance of artfulness in writing. This is everything a historical biography should be. [25 February 2008] 
Jazz by Bob BlumenthalThis book serves as a shotgun blast, peppering the uninitiated with information as broadly and deeply as possible, and as a crash course in the genre. [12 February 2008] 
Bill Dixon with the Exploding Star Orchestra: Bill Dixon with the Exploding Star OrchestraThe estimable trumpet legend teams up with Rob Mazurek’s cosmic ensemble for a vivid and evocative journey into the outer limits of jazz. [4 February 2008] 
Union 1812 by A.J. LangguthHistorian A.J. Langguth chronicles this exciting and uncertain period in a riveting account of the construction of American society. [21 January 2008] 
Keefe Jackson’s Project Project: Just Like ThisAn up-and-coming bandleader continues to make his mark on contemporary jazz, and introduces us to a number of his talented collaborators on this impressive new release. [15 January 2008] 
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthyThough the novel and film versions of McCarthy's story share the same long, desolate stretch of road, they provide differing ways of encountering and interpreting the signs along the way. [11 January 2008] 
Amir ElSaffar: Two RiversCivilizations clash with harmonious results as this Iraqi-American composer fuses the traditional strains of Arabic folk music with fiery free jazz, creating a powerful tribute to a beautiful culture whose history is obscured by the fog of war. [4 January 2008] 
The Murder of Regilla by Sarah B. PomeroyRegilla's story demonstrates the importance of a historical voice, and how groups that are marginalized, oppressed, or devalued like the women of antiquity can be squelched by those who dominate them. [13 December 2007] 
1776 by David McCulloughIt’s one thing to simply read Washington’s words as they are related through the eyes and pen of an intermediary like McCullough, but to hold in your hands a faithful recreation of his original letter, to follow the loops and valleys of his script handwriting -- this experience significantly personalizes the history. [22 October 2007] 
How the Irish Invented Slang by Daniel CassidyThose who have controlled words have had the power to shape the world around them, and to confer, seize, or retain the social status. This book, alas, doesn't harness that power. [18 October 2007] 
In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969 by Francis FrenchThis book is full of thrilling or amusing anecdotes, but it also spends ample time illustrating the glorious successes behind the program, engineering marvels, and the cool-heads of astronauts who saved missions (and lives) through strict training and sheer instinct. [18 September 2007] 
The Jamestown Project by Karen Ordahl KuppermanFor as long as it's been a part of history, the colony at Jamestown has been a bit of an older, ugly stepsister compared to the Pilgrims at Plymouth. [30 August 2007] 
Liars: LiarsAfter several years of challenging audiences with their bold and brash attempts to deconstruct everything you ever knew about rock music, Liars return with a remarkable new album that rebuilds it in their own image. [27 August 2007] 
Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black DeathThis film takes viewers back to the Congo Free State of King Leopold II, and the vicious 23-year ordeal the people of that nation suffered for the enrichment of a nation they would never see. [4 May 2007] 
Glenn Jones: Against Which the Sea Continually BeatsSolo guitar may sound simple, but in the hands of a thoughtful and sincere virtuoso who pours himself into the instrument, the possibilities are infinite. [4 April 2007] 
John Prine: Live on Soundstage 1980 [DVD]In this welcoming performance, one of music’s most remarkable songwriters brings you back to where it all began. [29 March 2007] 
Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of the MayflowerThis well-produced and enlightening documentary reveals the depth and complexity of the long over-simplified journey which sowed the seeds of American society. [1 March 2007] 
Willard Grant Conspiracy: Let It RollAn off-kilter album of fiery, fun alt-country that will satisfy anyone with a deep love of well-developed and thoughtful Americana. [27 February 2007] 
Sonny Rollins: Tenor MadnessThis pitch-perfect remaster from the original engineer is front-loaded with one of the most significant meetings in musical history, and doesn't disappoint on the back-end despite the strong start. [1 February 2007] 
Johnny Cash: Live from Austin, TXThere's never been a better time to cash in on Cash. That's not meant as a cynical statement, but as an assertion of a cold, hard fact. [19 January 2007] 
Keefe Jacksons Fast Citizens: Ready EverydayWell-grounded improvisations from an ensemble of all-star musicians looking to find balance between freedom and composure. [3 January 2007] 
Cul De Sac: ECIMThe arresting 1991 debut from these experimental Boston iconoclasts gets resurrected from out-of-print obscurity, and not a moment too soon. [8 December 2006] BlogsConsuming Consumables: 1776: The Illustrated Edition by David McCullough [$65.00] [21 November 2007] |
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