In the Wings: My Life with Roger McGuinn and The Byrds
Ianthe McGuinn. New Haven Publishing. $21.73 paper; $9.99 Kindle
Readers with an interest in rock βn roll history will find much to enjoy in this behind-the-scenes memoir about the Byrds, the iconic 1960s group famous for hits that included βMr. Tambourine Manβ and βTurn!, Turn!, Turn!.β Author Ianthe McGuinn (nee Dolores DeLeon), who was married to Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn from 1966 to 1971, was in at the groupβs founding and an eye-witness to the turbulence that accompanied its rise to pop stardom. Her descriptions of the mythical LA rock scene will delight; legendary musicians like George Harrison, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan weave in and out of the narrative, hanging out on the Sunset Strip and partying with the likes of Marlon Brando and Peter Fonda. The McGuinnβs ill-fated marriage was no less tumultuous than the often-toxic drama within the band; the authorβs description of its ultimate flame-out is unsparing. The fact that Ianthe McGuinn hails from Tucson adds piquancy to this tell-all β interestingly, you can check out a photo of her strolling down Congress Street as a little girl, c. 1949, in the Transit Mural at the Broadway underpass.
β Helene Woodhams
Mercenary Driver: The Definitive Guide
Dr. Tim Dosemagen. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paperbac; $3.99 Kindle
From academic affairs to passenger fares: itβs probably not a career path that Dr. Tim Dosemagen would have recommended in his previous life as a college administrator, but when the higher education well went dry for him the Uberverse beckoned. The gig has its drawbacksβ the author opines that Uber doesnβt treat its drivers well and that the company has no future. But in the course of motoring many miles over Tucsonβs pot-holed roads heβs arrived at some interesting conclusions. The worst place in town to pick up a fare is the University β traffic is heavy and the rides are notoriously short. For pleasant company, Mexicans tend to be cheerful and polite and are favored passengers. Delivering volunteers to food pantries on Thanksgiving is joyous, but the best driving day is traffic-free Superbowl Sunday. Dosemagen offers dozens of brief vignettes about remarkable passengers β five star and not β and memorable rides, interspersed with ruminations about politics, sports, animal hair, and the bogus nature of Uber overall. If youβve ever wondered what your driver is thinking while you rideshare your way through Tucson traffic, this is the book for you.
β Helene Woodhams
Southeastern Arizona Reflections: Living History from the Wild West
Bob Ring. Published by the author. No set fee; charitable contribution suggested
Tucson author Bob Ring offers the third in his series of Reflections, books that survey the life and times of the Grand Canyon State. Arizona Reflections and Tucson Reflections concentrated on living history drawn from his research of these locales; in this latest outing he turns his attention to southeastern Arizona, by his definition the area south of I-10 and east of I-19. Beginning with the areaβs ancient inhabitants and moving through subsequent historic eras, Ring describes the social, cultural, and economic forces that shaped the region, giving particular attention to exploration, conflict, the influx of settlers, the impact of cattle ranching and mining, and the growth of towns and cities. The book is filled with illuminating anecdotes and historical personalities β the section on Tombstoneβs territorial past offers a lively chronology of local mayhem that illustrates how the West was Wild.
Ring writes for a good cause. The Raytheon retiree does not charge for the Reflections books, but requests that readers make a charitable contribution to the cancer-fighting organization of their choice. Southeastern Arizona Reflections can be found online at ringbrothershistory.com.
β Helene Woodhams
Living with Harold and Hitler: A WWII Memoir
By Shirley Gray. Shirley Gray / Amazon Digital Services LLC. $11.99
War-time memoirs normally arenβt whimsical, but this slender volume recounting the authorβs years in 1940s-era England sparkles with domestic charm. Gray recalls both the national war effort and her familyβs upheaval, including the governmentβs effort to safeguard Londonβs children by spiriting them away from their mothers and placing them in the remote countryside. The sporadic relocations, nightly air-raids, and continual rationing didnβt prevent her brother, Harold, from proving that βboys will be boys.β His memorable pranks included littering his room with Hitler and German memorabilia and detonating a bomb found in the park. But perhaps Grayβs most memorable anecdote involves her hysterical Granny, who reacted to the countryβs first air-raid siren by yelling βThe Zeppelins are coming!β until she was calmed with stout ale.
The daughter of a British Army officer, Gray married a U.S. airman and moved to the United States where she spent much of her married life raising their family at various bases before settling in Tucson.
β Vicki Ann Duraine
Donβt Just Breathe: Life Lessons from my Massage Table
By John Graziano. Breathe LLC. $13.99
Graziano, a practicing massage therapist, delivers βplayful and humorous toolsβ in this roadmap for a life well-lived. Although he does not indicate training in the mental health field, he combines his personal experiences and anthropologistβs curiosity with tales from his table β such as his anecdote about an elderly woman who insisted he start her massage by stroking a feather duster along her bare skin β to encourage readers to chart their path. Chapters include βNormal vs. Naturalβ and βBelieve it until you become it!β In βGoal vs. Intention,β Graziano prefers the latter stating that ββ¦goal is living in the future and intention is living in the present...β Thought provoking anytime.
Graziano spent 25 years working in the resort industry nationwide; he currently provides massages to local cancer patients. Portions of the bookβs proceeds go the Integrative Touch for Kids and National Alliance of Mental Illness.
β Vicki Ann Duraine
The Oxford Handbook of Southwest Archaeology
By Barbara J. Mills and Severin Fowles. Oxford University Press. $175.00
University of Arizona Professor Barbara J. Mills, anthropological archaeologist and member of both the School of Anthropology and American Indian Studies Department faculties, and Professor Severin Fowles, Chair of Barnard Collegeβs Department of Anthropology, compiled studies by more than seventy scholars to produce this comprehensive, academic, archaeological study of the Southwest region.
Not for the armchair archaeologist, the 916-page handbook represents current archaeological practices and includes photos, illustrations and copious citations in an essential volume for researchers and archaeologists examining contemporary trends in Southwest research.
β Vicki Ann Duraine
