The McCourt family gained fame through the books of brothers Frank and Malachy and in the two popular documentaries that profiled them. In A Long Stone's Throw; the youngest McCourt; Alphie; adds his gifted voice to this literary chorus with a vivid; emotional memoir that starts in his native Limerick. Alone and dispirited after his brothers leave for America; Alphie flees Ireland as soon as he's able. He spends the remainder of his adolescence in New York; aimless and half drunk. A return to Ireland to study law is a dismal failure. Back in America; things aren t much better until he reconnects with; and eventually marries; the beautiful Lynn. Still; things are rough: their daughter Allison is born with difficulties; business success alternates with business failures; he continues to drink. Finally; after an epiphany on Route 80; McCourt learns to navigate; clear-eyed; the happy chaos of New York City; and of life itself.
#85882 in Books Made and Bottled in Kentucky 2004-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x 5.50 x .75l; .70 #File Name: 0975870300284 pages
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Thorough and enjoyable history of bourbonBy Robert AtchisonI was introduced to Chuck Cowdery through his excellent blog; and decided I'd like to know more about bourbon; its history and creation. This book was a great read - very enjoyable. The chapters can be read one after another; or you can pick and choose; as the book is not laid out necessarily in a chronological order; but more topical. Chuck dispels some of the marketing hype around different bourbons; getting to the heart of how they are made; how they are (so very) similar; but how they differ too. My most interesting takeaway? Bourbon lovers everywhere owe the Beam family a great deal - they have been in the thick of things throughout the industry for almost as long as there has *been* an industry. But maybe I'm biased because I'm a fan of Knob Creek. Highly recommended - this author; his blog; and the subject beverage!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is the Book to Read About Bourbon!By S. LenoxI read this book in preparation/throughout my two week pilgrimage through Tennessee and Kentucky. Whenever I mentioned to anyone in the whiskey business I was reading a book about it and I forgot the author's name (something I am notorious for); they would say; "Oh; it's probably Chuck's book." Obviously; if you're going to read a book about Bourbon; this is the one to read. It was informative and gave me a rich foundation to really comprehend what I was experiencing.So why the loss of a star? This book could really; really use an editor. It's a bit repetitive. The chapters could be read in any order and some of the information in the reviews at the end could just as easily be included in the main text. It's also a bit out of date and could use a new edition. There are so many more distilleries now than a decade ago and the bourbon boom has risen to higher heights than even Cowdery seemed to foresee.I am so glad I read this book. The richness of Cowdery's knowledge and passion more than make up for the editorial shortcomings. If you're going to read one book about bourbon--from the pre-prohibition history to the modern distillation process--this is the one to read.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent introductionBy NorbertThis is quite simply the best; most accessible and customer-friendly introduction to American whiskey I've come across so far. As other reviewers have noted; it's a bit outdated; so it probably is not ideal as a field guide to what's currently available; but as a primer on the history; geography and the basics of American whiskey; this can't be beat. All the big names are here; the men; the companies; the marketing; all described in a pleasant conversational style. Mr. Cowdery also gives you all you need to know about how the stuff is made. If you already know a lot about whiskey; there won't be much new in here for you; but then you're not really the intended audience. A caution: If you; like me and quite a few others; have come to the conclusion that; no matter how good a Kentucky bourbon is; Tennessee whiskey simply tastes better; be forewarned that the author thinks Jack is boring and George superficial and not complex. But don't hold that against him; nobody is perfect; and this is really a very nice book.
