On the eve of his 38th birthday, Stanley Alpert was walking home on a quiet Manhattan street when he was robbed at gunpoint. When the young thieves discovered his large bank balance, robbery became kidnapping, and he was blindfolded, driven to Brooklyn, and held for 25 hours before being released. During his ordeal, Alpert, at the time a Federal prosecutor, took careful mental notes of every detail of place and person, tried his best to stay calm, and carefully weighed each answer to avoid setting off his captors. Unable to see and held at gunpoint, he expected to be killed. Instead, he emerged with a story for law enforcement (and now readers) so full of bizarre incidents and wild conversations that he was initially not believed. The details checked out, and his abductors were quickly apprehended, with their interrogations recounted here in fascinating detail. A harrowing story of true crime, already optioned for a motion picture. For more information, see the author’s website here.
Rating: **** Very, very good
Reviewed by: stc
Check our catalog
Posted by newtonreference 
This is the fascinating account of the world of high school chess competition and of a particular teacher in Brooklyn who introduced the game to students who went on to win national championships.
Posted by newtonreference 
No matter what your politics, read this book! It is an account of what an American Army platoon faced on a day in 2004 while on patrol in Sadr City. Confronted with a massive assault while on a “peace keeping mission” the men found themselves in a bloodbath. You’ll read about the men, their rescuers, medical support personnel and the families left behind. A stunning description of sacrifice.
Posted by newtonreference 
This the first novel by Georgina Harding, a British travel writer. It tells the story in beautiful, haunting language of a 17th century whaler who bets his crewmates that he can spend a winter alone on the shore of Greenland. The descriptions of the physical environment and challenges will hold your attention. The mental process that Thomas Cave endures is even more captivating.
