The Strategic Bond Investor : Strategies and Tools to Unlock the Power of the Bond Market

Book Description

A dynamic, equity-style approach to investing in today's bond market

"Tony Crescenzi knows bonds and his book proves it. From 'Fedspeak' to Treasury buybacks, The Strategic Bond Investor helps to explain the mysteries of the bond market and even offers tips on how to forecast interest rates. Sign me up—I can always learn something new!"—Bill Gross, Managing Director at Pacific Investment Management Company

Bond investing can be every bit as exciting and profitable as "playing the stock market." The Strategic Bond Investor is the first book to approach fixed-income investing from an equity-style perspective. This fast-paced book provides readers with helpful tips, tools, and strategies for tracking market sentiment, spotting market extremes, analyzing volume and liquidity, and dozens of other techniques that wereup until nowlimited primarily to the equity markets.

The Strategic Bond Investor reveals a dramatic new approach for using bonds to balance portfolios while grabbing profit opportunities as they present themselves. It represents a new style of bond investing, bold yet risk-conscious, that is long overdue for today's transformed market environment. Investors looking to diversify their portfolios will discover:

Key economic releases and how they influence bond prices
Popular fixed-income portfolio management strategies
Best-performing bonds in a variety of economic circumstances

Customer Reviews:

The Strategic Bond Investor.......2006-11-03

This book is worth the money, it belongs on your bookshelf next to Malkiel's Random Walk down Wall Street. Anthony Crescenzi leading fixed income analyst at Miller Tabek and creator of Bondtalk does an excellent job with this work. I myself received my undergraduate degree in Finance and was honored to participate in my university's first two invitations to the Federal Reserves education challenges for undergraduate and high school students.

I found this book an extremely good reference, outline and compandium for the understanding of fixed income investment vehicles and the economic market environment in which they exist. This book would be ideal in combination with say the Princeton Professor Malkiels book Random Walk down wall street which explains equities, their analysis and the markets in which they trade.

I would suggest this book to the lay investor who maybe doesnt even manage the majority of his/her asset just to understand the fundamentals. Ofcourse, the world of finance and in my opinion especially fixed income can be the drabbest, greyest, quantitatively complicated and mind numbing topics. But I must say that Mr. Crescenzi breaths a light humor and a little youth into the subject matter.

And to the person with say a degree in business, finance or economics this book elaborates on topics probably already discussed into further detail. After reading the aprox. 300 pages and the appendix entitled a power tool for investors which describes the leading economic indicators and extrapolations one can take from them. The student can expect to be able to render even better analyses of the domestic economy with better understanding of stimuli that effect the price of fixed income securities.

All over this book is great should you be the least bit interested in fixed income it covers all the bases. I am almost positive that you will fail to find a better book on fixed income/bonds out there the man who wrote this is very highly respected in his field and also worth checking out is the website his pioneered bondtalk. Perfect for the financial scientist!!!

Insightful, smart, and relevant.......2006-03-28

The Strategic Bond Investor is much more thorough and relevant than most bond books. Others who commented discussed the lack of certain strategies, but those reviews miss the point. The book offers strategies and insights that are the most important ones to grasp: those which help investors to forecast what to expect next in the bond market. Sure, laddering, and other traditional strategies are important, but they do not represent the path to big money, understanding trends in the markets is far more important and this book is a major help in that regard. Other books are very weak in talking about the things that move markets. For example, there is an excellent section on the inverted yield curve, and insights into tools for tracking market sentiment and how to use futures to gather market intelligence. Mr. Crescenzi works on Wall Street, so his insights are better than anyone on the outside could deliver.

There is also an appendix in the back of the book that gives great insights into the major monthly economic news that is released each month.

The Strategic Bond Investor is far above other bond books and is easy to understand.

The Stategic Bond Investor - Disappointing.......2005-03-07

Although this book contains good information on types of bonds, yield curves and things that affect the bond market and interest rates, I found it disappointing. To me, it was overly wordy and sometimes repetitive. At times, I felt that I was slogging through molasses. My biggest disappointment was that it did not get into the specific bond investing actions that an individual like myself would take using the information presented. There was nothing about things that I was interested in i.e., bond laddering, bond mutual funds, convertible bonds, when to buy or sell short, intermediate and long term bonds, etc.

complements Thau.......2005-02-18

By far the best introduction to bonds is Annette Thau's The Bond Book. But Thau makes no attempt to explain why the price of a given bond fluctuates over time. Crescenzi, one of the most frequently cited of the legion of professional Fed watchers, tries to make up this deficiency, describing the impact of Fed moves, market perceptions of the state of the economy, the supply of new issues, etc. on bond prices.
But Crescenzi has a much more ambitious agenda. He explains how the yield curve can be used to forecast developments in the economy. Other chapters summarize how to predict trends within the bond market, from analyzing the put/call ratio to interpreting the economic data that a dozen or more agencies spew out every week. He makes the case that knowing the bond market will be useful to anyone with a credit card in his or her wallet.
Crescenzi also wants the book to serve as a general introduction to bonds. There are chapters on "bond basics," types of bonds, risks facing the investor, and then inexplicably late in the book, chapters on credit ratings and using the internet. The latter is particularly weak chapter (Thau's isn't much better.) For whatever reasons, Crescenzi doesn't explain clearly how to use the internet to research individual bonds and check recent trades, and doesn't give the URLs of the sites that let you do this and purchase bonds.
If it sounds like the book is a bit of a hodge-podge, that's because it is. The book's organization leaves a lot to be desired, apart from the scope being too broad. Not only is the sequence of chapters mysterious, but there's a fair amount of repetition. While the writing itself is pretty lively, or at least conversational, I'm not sure Crescenzi has figured out his intended audience. Even though this is an introduction, some readers are bound to feel he's assuming too little and being condescending at times.
The best chapters are probably 7,8, and 9 on the yield curve, real yields, and rate forecasting. Crescenzi apparently wasn't trained as an economist or historian, and when he tries to describe the effect of interest rates on politics, he goes awry. A big fan of Clinton, he imagines Hoover believed in and practiced "laissez faire" and that budget deficits inevitably result in high interest rates. A chart of deficits as a percent of GDP vs. the yield on the 10 year note would reveal the wrongheadness of this claim. In general, there are far too few charts and graphs thoughout the book. Many more important points ought to be represented graphically--like changes in yield spreads in Ch. 12.
Still another gripe--munis get slighted throughout the book.
Despite these negatives, The Strategic Bond Investor fills an important niche and is definitely worth reading. Crescenzi is an ethusiastic teacher and he makes a fairly complex subject accessible. Though there are certainly books introducing readers to the economic indicators and explaining the Federal Reserve System, I don't know of another book that tries to make the bond market as a whole intelligible to outsiders. Hope he gets a chance to revise this in a second edition.

Delivers in what it promises, not for quants.......2003-09-28

As the title says strategies and tools to unlock the power of the bond market. It delivers in that it covers the strategies and tools needed to make intelligent decisions on bonds. Before you look into this book I must warn you that this is not a quantitative book. This book covers such things as qoute depth, yeild curves, credit ratings and so on. The content of this book goes deeply into the determination of interest rates. From watching the Fed to reading what the market might be heading. There is a chapter dedicated to watching the Fed. One of the points that stuck me in this book is how not to follow dumb money (e.i. speculators, Anthony Crescenzi's advice is to follow the smart money.
This book is for is not for advanced for people. I'am aware that there are other books comparable to this one but this is the only book I have read and not planning to read another book comparable to this one. There are a lot of resources of in this book that make "The Strategic Bond Investor : Strategies and Tools to Unlock the Power of the Bond Market" worthwhile to read. I have to agree with one of the reviewers about his writing style, it is in fact engaging.

The Strategic Bond Investor: Strategies and Tools to Unlock the Power of the Bond Market

Average customer rating:

The Strategic Bond Investor: Strategies and Tools to Unlock the Power of the Bond Market
Anthony Crescenzi
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFK7B8

Book Description

This volume contains the correspondence between G.L.S. Shackle and S.F. Frowen from the time Shackle took up his first post-war academic appointment until his death in 1992. The correspondence, partly personal and partly professional, reveals a vital insight into Shackle both as a man and as an outstanding economist.

Economists in discussion : the correspondence between G.L.S. Shackle and Stephen F. Frowen, 1951-1992 /c Stephen F. Frowen [compiler and editor]

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Economists in discussion : the correspondence between G.L.S. Shackle and Stephen F. Frowen, 1951-1992 /c Stephen F. Frowen [compiler and editor]

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H62852

Book Description

Control Systems for Live Entertainment provides essential information for technicians, engineers and designers interested in how control systems and computers are used in the live entertainment arena. Specifically covering control for lighting, lasers, sound, video, film projection, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects and pyrotechnics for theatre, concerts, theme parks, themed-retail, cruise ships, museums, corporate and other events.

Drawing on his extensive experience in the field and classroom, author John Huntington clearly explains everything that goes on behind the scenes and inside the machines to bring bold visions to life in real-world settings.

Sections on all major entertainment control standards, methods and protocols, including DMX512, MIDI, MIDI Show Control, Sony 9-Pin, SMPTE Time Code and many others
Basics of control systems, data communications, and networks, including EIA serial standards and Ethernet
System design concepts and case studies featuring realistic problems and practical solutions, with a unique combined focus on computers, art and practice

Customer Reviews:

Worth the cost.......2006-03-28

I had to buy this book for a class I am taking, and it has proven very helpful and useful.

The bible for automation and show control industry.......2001-02-03

A well dog-eared copy of the first edition has been in my tool kit / computer kit for the last couple of years. I have found it a valuable resource. It has helped me on-site more than once. The second edition is more comprehensive and organized. Kudos to John in publishing a great resource fit for the student and experienced professional.

George Tucker- Show Control Engineer- Scharff Wesiberg NYC

THE Great Show Control Reference!.......1997-09-12

John Huntington's book is the THE reference tool in our lighting shop for show control. It has everything you need for the different control languages, in clear and concise formats.It is a must on every theatre technician's bookshelf

Control Systems for Live Entertainment-The title says it all.......1996-09-24

John Huntington's new book, Control Systems for Live Entertainment, is one of the most useful and informative books available for anyone interested in theatre technology. The book covers such technologies as MIDI, DMX512, MediaLink, MIDI Show Control, and others.

Control Systems for Live Entertainment, Third Edition

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Control Systems for Live Entertainment, Third Edition
John Huntington
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mechanical Design for the Stage
Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, Broadcast, and Entertainment

ASIN: 0240809378

Book Description

If you are interested in how control systems and computer networks are used in all areas of live entertainment, Control Systems for Live Entertainment is the industry standard reference. With a unique combined focus on computers, networking, art, and practice, this book offers an in-depth examination of control for lighting, lasers, sound, , stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnics for concerts, theme parks, theatre, themed-retail, cruise ships, museums, special and other events. This new edition also includes:

expanded emphasis on networking technology and practice
complete coverage of important new protocols such as ACN and RDM
completely revised and updated case studies
a completely reorganized and revised structure

Drawing on his extensive experience in the field and classroom, author John Huntington clearly explains everything that goes on behind the scenes and inside the machines to bring bold visions to life in real-world settings.

* Author's website is a live, updated resource for this audience - visited from control systems technicians in countries around the globe!
* Systems formerly solo are now being networked together and audio and lighting techs need this knowledge
* Loaded with realistic examples that readers love

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Control Systems for Live Entertainment
John Huntington
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPUPUQ

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Control Systems for Live Entertainment
John Huntingdon
Manufacturer: BUTTERWORTH HEINEMAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K2U80U

Control Systems for Live Entertainment - Second Edition

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Control Systems for Live Entertainment - Second Edition
John Huntington
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBQLXC

Book Description

This book contains theoretical principles sufficient to gain an introduction to each technique, appreciating its capabilities and allowing an informed selection for research applications. It includes extensive reference to examples and published work.

Book Description

This book is the first major text to encompass the wide diversity of geophysical applications of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and fuzzy logic (FZ). Each chapter, written by internationally-renowned experts in their field, represents a specific geophysical application, ranging from first-break picking and trace editing encountered in seismic exploration, through well-log lithology determination, to electromagnetic exploration and earthquake seismology.
The book offers a well-balanced division of contributions from industry and academia, and includes a comprehensive, up-to-date bibliography covering all major publications in geophysical applications of ANNs and FZ. A special feature of this volume is the preface written by Professor Fred Aminzadeh, eminent authority in the field of artificial intelligence and geophysics.
The enclosed CD-ROM contains full colour figures and searchable files, as well as short biographies of the editors.

Book Description

Just another homicide to spice things up

Life is anything but dull for Hannah Garvey, the resident manager for Valhalla Springs, an exclusive retirement community in the Ozarks. She's helped clear Sheriff David Hendrickson of a manslaughter charge, been caught almost in the act with said sheriff by his parents, and been recruited into bridesmaid duty for a shotgun wedding -- senior citizen style. Just a typical day in Sanity, Missouri.

Then the circus comes to town . . . and Hannah gets a visit from a man she never knew: her father. At least, that's who magician Reilly Boone claims to be. Reilly's overjoyed by the reunion -- until his lady illusionist wife, AnnaLeigh, catches a real bullet in the bullet-catch trick . . . and he's arrested for murder.

The show must go on.

Circus folk stick by their own, and no one's talking. And with David and Hannah in the middle of their own three-ring circus of romance, secrets and homicide, it's up to the gang of senior sleuths to get to the bottom of things under the big top.

Customer Reviews:

Series Is Still Going Strong.......2002-04-21

This book is the third in the series involving Hannah Garvey, the manager of an exclusive adult community. This book picks up where the second left off. Hannah and David Hendrickson had been about to (finally!) consumate their relationship when his parents unexpectedly turned up, interrupting the moment. It had taken a while for Hannah to get to that point, since she has issues with the fact that David is seven years younger than she is (she's about age 43 at the time of this story).

All that, however, becomes secondary to the main plot, which is the arrival of the circus in town, and its magician, a man who claims to be Hannah's father. Hannah's childhood had been a rocky one, and she isn't prepared to just welcome Daddy back with open arms. Of course, all isn't sweetness and light at the circus either, and needless to say, a murder occurs and the magician appears to be the culprit.

I thought that by the third book I might begin to get tired of Sarah's cohorts, a band of intrepid yet busybody seniors, but I actually liked them more in this book. Their personalities are differentiated better, I guess, and it's obvious that their actions are motivated on a large part by affection for Hannah. The romance between Hannah and David continues to perk along, becoming more sexually charged as time passes. One of the best parts of the romance is that he is rock-sure of his feelings toward her, which is a nice change of pace for a male lead character.

All in all, this is a great continuation of the series, and I'm looking forward to the next book.

A letdown.......2002-03-15

I had read Ms. Ledbetter's previous two books and enjoyed them both. However this one left me feeling flat..
the plot seemed thin and formulaic; a frail framework to hold us in suspense not to wonder at the outcome of the murders, but to keep us enthralled with the frustrated romance of the main protagonists. It was as though she had to meet a publisher's deadline and, distractedly wrote this while doing 15 other things. I hope her next one features more of the wacky activities of her elderly sleuths.....

Never a Dull Moment.......2001-12-03

Imagine getting ready to finally consummate your relationship with one of the sexiest men you have ever met that just happens to be seven years younger and the sheriff of the town. You've worked up to this moment, the time is finally here, you are ready for it, anticipation hums in the air, finally, finally it is going to happen, and then wham. . . his parents show up unexpectedly before you can do the deed! Welcome to North of Clever, the continuing saga of Hannah Garvey, Sheriff David Hendrickson, and the over the hill gang of the exclusive retirement community of Valhalla Springs.

As luck would have it, Hannah and David are interrupted before the big moment. Some people have all the rotten luck. Now are you ready for a nice, quiet little story? Don't be, things are never what you expect when dealing with Susann Ledbetter's stories. Have no fear; things run amok in Hannah and David's relationship when the circus comes to town. Sheriff David is continuing to campaign for his bid to be reelected as sheriff of Sanity, Missouri. His opponent is a good for nothing good old boy who promises to deliver the moon and stars to the good citizens while making mountains out of molehills the little things that have happened lately in their town while David is in lust with Hannah. David, needing some goodwill from the townspeople, goes to see the visiting circus and takes Hannah along. It should be a day of fun and goodwill. Right? As usual, life isn't simple with our heroine and hero. Who does Hannah just happen to meet at the circus? Her long lost father who turns out to be none other than Reilly Boone, former star magician. He is now the husband-assistant of the lady illusionist AnnaLeigh who just happens to be built like a centerfold and isn't exactly what you call the faithful wife. During their performance the lovely, two-timing AnnaLeigh bites the dust as their bullet-catch trick turns out to be the real thing and she ends up dead. Reilly is charged with murder and Hannah and the over the hill gang race to prove his innocence.

This is a fun book to read; however, it doesn't quite manage to hit all the high notes as the two previous books. I can't really put my finger on what isn't right in the story. While the over the hill gang played their part, it seems like they don't have much to do with the plot as they have in the two previous books until the end. There wasn't as much emphasis placed on Hannah and David's relationship throughout the story. Beginning and ending are pure Hannah and David, but in the middle they don't really work together as they have done in the past. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good book. I guess I was just a little disappointed it didn't have the same feel as the two previous books.

However, hats off to Suzann Ledbetter for generating anticipation for the fourth book, West of Bliss in July 2002. Wouldn't you just know it, David finally pops the big question to Hannah and we are left with no answer until the next book. Like any other loyal fan, I will be waiting for it just to see what kind of trouble can follow our gang over a simple marriage proposal. With this gang, no telling what is in store for us!

Amusing romantic amateur sleuth.......2001-11-26

The geriatric residents and the staff of the Valhalla Springs Retirement Community in the Ozarks as well as the citizens of Sanity, Missouri are excited over the arrival of the circus. However, the community manager Hannah Garvey turns into numbing shock when circus magician Reilly Boone introduces himself claiming to be her long lost father. He knows a lot about Hannah, but her main squeeze Sheriff David Henrickson thinks Reilly is pulling a sleight of the hand con.
The situation turns deadly when Reilly's wife and partner AnnaLeigh takes a bullet during a performance. Reilly has the motive (beneficiary of a large life insurance policy), the means (their joint act that included a gun prop), the opportunity (during a performance), and a history (two previously dead wives). Everyone except Hannah believes he killed his spouse. As Hannah sets out to prove her father could never commit murderer, her elderly charges don clown costumes to infiltrate the circus and keep their beloved manager safe.

NORTH OF CLEVER, the third Hannah Garvey "sedate" Ozarks tale, retains the wonderful wackiness of the previous novels (see EAST OF PECULIAR and SOUTH OF SANITY) due to the endearing, but ultra-eccentric ensemble. Though the story line is a romantic amateur sleuth tale, the plot is much more humorous than it is a taut suspense thriller. The characters leave readers laughing from one incident to another so that fans will impatiently await West of whatever and hopefully other in-between "due" directions on the amusing compass of Sanity.

Harriet Klausner

Clever Girl: Elizabeth Bentley, the Spy Who Ushered in the McCarthy Era
Average customer rating:

upside down

The Most Important Woman to Affect the McCarthy Era

unappreciated girl

Good, first bio on Liz Bently

Mixed Sentiments

Clever Girl: Elizabeth Bentley, the Spy Who Ushered in the McCarthy Era
Lauren Kessler
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Red Star Over Hollywood: The Film Colony's Long Romance with the Left

ASIN: 0060959738
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

Communists vilified her as a raging neurotic. Leftists dismissed her as a confused idealist. Her family pitied her as an exploited lover. Some said she was a traitor, a stooge, a mercenary and a grandstander. To others she was a true American heroine楥arless, principled, bold and resolute. Congressional committees loved her. The FBI hailed her as an avenging angel. The Catholics embraced her. But the fact is, more than half a century after she captured the headlines as the ⑥d Spy Queen,⟅lizabeth Bentley remains a mystery.

New England–born, conservatively raised, and Vassar–educated, Bentley was groomed for a quiet life, a small life, which she explored briefly in the 1920s as a teacher, instructing well–heeled young women on the beauty of Romance languages at an east coast boarding school. But in her mid–twenties, she rejected both past and future and set herself on an entirely new course. In the 1930s she embraced communism and fell in love with an undercover KGB agent who initiated her into the world of espionage. By the time America plunged into WWII, Elizabeth Bentley was directing the operations of the two largest spy rings in America. Eventually, she had eighty people in her secret apparatus, half of them employees of the federal government. Her sources were everywhere: in the departments of Treasury and Commerce, in New Deal agencies, in the top–secret OSS (the precursor to the CIA), on Congressional committees, even in the Oval Office.

When she defected in 1945 and told her story楩rst to the FBI and then at a series of public hearings and trials沨e was catapulted to tabloid fame as the ⑥d Spy Queen,⟵shering in, almost single–handedly, the McCarthy Era. She was the government's star witness, the FBI's most important informer, and the darling of the Catholic anti–Communist movement. Her disclosures and accusations put a halt to Russian spying for years and helped to set the tone of American postwar political life.

But who was she? A smart, independent woman who made her choices freely, right and wrong, and had the strength of character to see them through? Or was she used and manipulated by others?

Clever Girl is the definitive biography of a conflicted American woman and her controversial legacy. Set against the backdrop of the political drama that defined mid–twentieth century America, it explores the spy case whose explosive domestic and foreign policy repercussions have been debated for decades but not fully revealed洮til now.

Customer Reviews:

upside down.......2007-08-17

This foolish book attempts to make the case that Bentley initiated the age of McCarthy. According to that thinking, anyone who unmasked a traitor was a McCarthyite- that is beyond stupid. What Igor Gouzenko and Bentley and Whittaker Chambers did was to expose the extent of Soviet espionage in the US. With the publication of Venona and the previously secret KGB files we know now that there were more Americans who betrayed their country than we ever suspected. They were traitors to the US and seriously damged this country. They were the real villains of the age.

The Most Important Woman to Affect the McCarthy Era.......2005-01-02

This is the story of Elizabeth Turrill Bentley. No one suspected a "well-bred, Vassar educated descendent of Puritan Clergy" would join a communist party and run "two of the most productive spy rings in America." That is exactly what Bentley, code name Clever Girl, did. Equally unexpected was her transformation from spy to FBI informant.

It all started in March of 1935 when Bentley was lured to an American League Against War and Fascism meeting by a neighbour. It turned out to be a front for the Communist Party. Kessler's descriptions draw the reader into the setting and give an idea of the atmosphere, as well as Bentley's mentality. Clever Girl attempts to shed light on the motivations of the most important woman to affect the McCarthy Era.

Bentley's early dealings with the party made her feel important and independent. She lived in a one room apartment and was unemployed. She was lonely. Going to meetings may have started off as a social event but it turned into something more. A calling. She was impressionable. In the opening chapter I felt she had been brainwashed and lured into the fold because of her loneliness, desire to have a family and ties with others.

Shortly after joining, Bentley met and fell in love with soviet handler Jacob Golos whom she affectionately called Yasha. Golos was the glue that attached Bentley to the party for years despite him not being as loyal to her. She let him interpret the world for her through his communist eyes. Regardless of what she gave up for him, it is because of her association with Golos she was able to move up through the ranks. After only 6 years (1935-1941), Bentley was running things.

When it was discovered he was no longer in control she had to fight to maintain her status. She quickly became deemed a problem and after Golos death her status was taken away. Although Kessler doesn't come out and say it, I think this had more to do with her being a woman than the fact she was an American in a high ranking, Soviet spy position.

When things started to look worse, she decided it as time to go to the FBI for help. In exchange Bentley named hundreds of Americans involved with the party. It is incomprehensible, the number of people who willingly supplied sensitive information from the Treasury Department to the party. It isn't so hard to believe or see the Soviet Union (the US wartime ally) as an "evil-doer" but what is difficult to believe is that Americans could be spies against their own country.

What I found most interesting was not Bentley's plunge into the depths of communism but her relationship with the FBI and media after she became an informant; as well as her flip flop between a secure, independent woman of means and a neurotic paranoid, probably brought on by the alcohol abuse.

Bentley played a game with both sides, never winning in either. She survived under a short-lived spotlight in each. Being an FBI informant wasn't as glamorous as being a Soviet spy. As a spy she basically worked alone and had control over what happened to her. As an FBI informant she was constantly scrutinized by the FBI, congress and most indignantly by the media. Her life was never normal. While most days I think she reveled in the limelight I also think that she longed for privacy, but mostly I think she longed for their respect.
The stereotypes of this time period are evident and well known. Bentley was a woman in a male dominated society. She held a high-ranking position but she was never really respected for it. Not by the Soviets, the FBI, nor the media who directed lots of name calling her way. If she had been a man I wonder what their views would have been of her and how she would have been handled. Clever Girl shows the life of Elizabeth Bentley, the past she couldn't outrun and the price she paid for the choices she made. Kessler's interpretation of the facts is worth reading both for its historical and entertainment value.

Review Originally Posted at http://www.linearreflections.com

unappreciated girl.......2004-10-16

Liz Bentley was born in a society that had limited opportunities for women. In the 1930's with the Great Depression this Vassar graduate had only the socila outlet of the Communist party.
Kessler documents the importance that Bentley played as a Communist spy. Indeed before this book was written I always had the impression she was a courier or a bit player. Kessler documents that when bentley's lover got sick that she ran the spy ring. I always thoguth of Communist espionage in the 1950's as male driven from Greenglass, Julius Rosenberg, Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss. But this book docwement without Bently the FBI would not had the collaboratiog evidence for the secret Venona intercepts. Because these tapes were secret ,Bentley had no collaboration and only one person -William remington went to jail arising directly fromn her accusations.
Bentley had to endure the hatred of the far left for being a rat , a liar and worse. She contributed to rise of McCarthy and for J Edgar Hoover getting more powerful. Benley was years ahead of herself -running a businees (admitedly a Communist front). She was sexually expressive and her lover -Jakob Golos (whom was married) was her boss in epsionage. Benley exposed 2 spy rings the Perlo and Silvermaster ring and in doing so performed a patriotic duty.
Where I fault this book is that more details on the spy ring could have been given. Kessler seems to weant to defend Bentley against the far left but is uncomfortable delineating the extent of Soviet infiltration of the US Government. Such a thing sounds like McCarthyism (proof of the validity) and she may be showing her poltical bias in not making this connection. This book is a quick read and gives this fascinating part of US history. This book should be included in a Women's Study group.

Good, first bio on Liz Bently.......2004-02-20

Although the life of Elizabeth Bently deserves a bigger book, I enjoyed this first biography of the enigmatic but fascinating commie spy, Elizabeth Bently. The author attempts to explain this Vassar educated American woman who became a Russian spy, but Bently still remains a vague phantom. Since I'm fascinated by that whole period--of Joe McCarthy, Alger Hiss, the shocking presence of real-life commnists in American government back in the 30s and 40s--I found this book very readable. You might also enjoy related books, especially Ann Coulter's best-selling, "Treason," which really delivers the goods about how the Communist scare of the 40s and 50s was not the imaginary fear of paranoid Americans. It really was something to cause genuine fear. Elizabeth Bently revealed just have intensive this spy network was.

Mixed Sentiments.......2003-10-14

As indicated, I have mixed sentiments about this book. The story is engaging enough, and Kessler delivers it in a readable, comfortable manner. However, it often seems as if she is acting more as an apologist for Bentley, rather than giving a fully candid evaluation.
Bentley's career as teacher, communist, spy, and FBI informant is enticing and worth investigating, but there are some irritating flaws. Most prominent is the lack of footnotes; there is an endnote page, but no numbers in the narrative that correspond with it. There is also the unnerving sense that something is constantly amiss. For all her organizational skill, and apparent value to the Soviet spy network, Bentley is repeatedly duped, manipulated, and outright naive. The author never adequately resolves this paradox, and thus somewhat undermines its historical credibility. In fact, she ( Bentley) almost never seems to understand the implications of her actions, and is striking for appearing so intellectually shallow. Indeed , not very clever at all.
Despite these limitations, it is entertaining, but should be read with the cautionary anteenae in place.

The Compltee Photographic Guide To Victorian Eureka & Ferndale - The Elegant Ladies Of The North Coast

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The Compltee Photographic Guide To Victorian Eureka & Ferndale - The Elegant Ladies Of The North Coast
Fran; Photographed by Von Normann, Bob Clever
Manufacturer: Fvn Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IX2KC0

Coyote Not-so-clever, North American Indian Sories Retold (Orbit Chapter Books)

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Coyote Not-so-clever, North American Indian Sories Retold (Orbit Chapter Books)
Barbara Beveridge
Manufacturer: Orbit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0478229348

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La historia como debe de ser dicha: de una forma verdadera
¡Por fin, en español!

Los Soldados Irlandeses de Mexico
Michael Hogan
Manufacturer: Carballo Villasenor Emmanuel Carlos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9687846070

Book Description

Finally, this important book on U.S. and Mexican history, especially the war between the two countries in 1846-1848, has been translated into Spanish. Now the book will be accessible to a whole audience who need to know this story from historical and cultural points of view. Dr. Hogan is becoming widely known throughout Central America for his knowledge of the subject and his understanding of the young Irish immigrants and soldiers who switched sides, fought with a terrible bravery against their nominal countrymen, the Americans, and come to a bitter and tragic end.

Customer Reviews:

La historia como debe de ser dicha: de una forma verdadera.......2005-06-23

En este libro se nos narra la guerra más traumática que México ha tenido, por lo cual algunos de los pasajes que el autor maneja nos harán enojar (especialmente por la incapacidad de hacer algo y por saber el desenlace que tendrá). Sin embargo, el autor nos presenta un lado totalmente nuevo respecto a esta guerra: la participación de los soldados irlandeses del lado mexicano. Nos enseña que es por esta guerra por la cual los Estados Unidos es lo que es ahora, y como los irlandeses (que en ese tiempo eran los mexicanos del siglo XIX) vieron la injusticia cometida contra alguien más débil y similar a ellos que los mismos anglosajones.
Hogan hace una investigación seria que por primera vez incluye el lado mexicano, haciendolo constatar en las citas y documentos consultados. Es muy difícil que un autor supere este libro, por no decir imposible.
Si gustan saber respecto a la historia del Batallón de San Patricio olviden los demás libros y consigan este. La traducción es excelente, debido a que el traductor está inmerso en el ambito militar, por lo cual los términos usados son precisos y no pierden el sentido original del texto.
¡Excelente libro, excelente autor, excelente traducción!

¡Por fin, en español!.......2000-04-04

(Spanish review -- English version appears below) Por fin, este excelente tomo sobre la historia dramática e importante del Batallón de San Patricio, que luchó al lado mexicano durante la intervención yanqui 1846-48, está traducido a español. Y no solo traducido, pero traducido por un general de brigada mexicano, y un historiador sobresaliente, Clever Chávez Marin. Entonces, toda la investigación rigurosa de Hogan, y toda la poesía de la historia, está disponible al lector hispanoparlante.

De herencia irlandesa (uno de sus antepasados aparece en la placa que conmemora el batallón en San Ángel, DF), Hogan también consultó en la pelicula "Heroes o Traidores", proyecto cinematográfico mexicano-americano que explora la aventura y tragedia de los San Patricios.

El libro es una respuesta fuerte a los muchos estudios extranjeros que han defendido el "destino manifiesto" de la época, y, con su estilo muy vivaz, ha alcanzado un nivel impresionante de popularidad, en México y afuera.

Hogan nos presenta una vista de de triunfos personales y históricos durante un conflicto que aun lideres norteamericanos como Grant y Lincoln consideraba vergonzoso, nos da nuevos datos y recursos derivados de su investigaciones através de muchos años, y nos permite, ya con la colaboración de Chávez Marin, celebrar los triunfos de este episodio y sus personajes memorables.

(English version of review) Finally, this excellent volume on the dramatic and important story of the San Patricio Batallion, which fought on the Mexican side during the 1846-48 Mexican War, has been translated, by a Mexican brigadier general, Clever Chávez Marin; an outstanding historian in his own right. Thus, all the rigorous research, and all the story's poetry captured by Hogan is now available to readers of Spanish.

Of Irish descent (one of his forebears appears on the plaque in a Mexico City plaza which commemorates the batallion's valor), Hogan was also consultant on the film "One Man's Hero" -- a U.S./Mexican project which explores the San Patricios' adventures and ultimate tragedies.

The book is a compelling response to many studies which continue to defend the U.S."manifest destiny" of this era, and, with its lively style, has achieved equally impressive popularity in Mexico, the U.S. and Ireland.

Hogan gives us a view of personal and historic triumphs during a conflict which even such leaders as Grant and Lincoln considered as "shameful", he gives us new facts and resources borne of his years of research, and now, with the collaboration of Chávez Marin, he permits us to celebrate the triumphs of the memorable characters who figured in this historic episode.

North of Clever
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North of Clever
Suzann Ledbetter
Manufacturer: Mira Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PFRSRS

The California Indians,: A clever satire on the government's dealings with its Indian wards
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The California Indians,: A clever satire on the government's dealings with its Indian wards
J. Ross Browne
Manufacturer: Indian Board of Co-operation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Native American | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Southwest | Native American | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B00088CL1U

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