Official Review: Breaking Tecumseh’s Curse

fitzml · Post by **fitzml** » 04 Aug 2013, 21:07

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Breaking Tecumseh's Curse" by Jan Marie Ritter with Bob Ritter.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Subtitled: The Real-Life Adventures of the U.S. Secret Service Agent Who Tried to Change Tomorrow

Breaking Tecumseh’s Curse was a delightful read for so many reasons. The following are just a few:

An intriguing title
A fascinating subject
A compelling first chapter
Meticulous research

An intriguing title

The title sparked my interest immediately. It relates to a fascinating phenomenon involving U.S. presidents that motivated a young University of Maryland student and American history enthusiast to pursue a career in the Secret Service. This phenomenon is also the underlying theme throughout the book.

A fascinating subject

The book chronicled the accomplishments, disappointments, challenges and sacrifices in the career of U.S. Secret Service Agent Bob Ritter. The level of detail provided in this book about the life of a Secret Service Agent – from the rigorous training, to the day-to-day responsibilities, to the organizational culture, to the work-life balance - was exhaustive but never exhausting.

A compelling first chapter

Chapter one was told from the perspective of wife Jan Ritter as news reports came in about the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. The book then backtracks to the beginning of their relationship and ultimate marriage. Although the wife is the narrator throughout the story, she inserts her own thoughts and feelings sparingly. Those occasional disclosures were enough to establish her as a strong presence but never enough to overpower or change the thrust of the book. Also, narration from the wife’s perspective kept the book from being a cold, dispassionate recounting of facts and easily established rapport with me as a reader.

Meticulous research

The book progressed in a fairly chronological order after the first few chapters, backtracking only to provide some historical context. What I liked most about this book is that one didn’t have to be a history buff to enjoy it. It was never assumed that the reader is knowledgeable about certain historical events. Helpful explanations were included in parentheses in the body of the text so that the reader is quickly brought up to speed. Although I lived through many of the historical events mentioned in the book, I consistently found myself thinking, “Hmm, I didn’t know that.” And there was lots that I didn't know about assassination attempts on past presidents.

In addition to overcoming my historical knowledge deficit, another challenge for me was keeping track of all of the abbreviations, initialisms and acronyms that government agencies have such an affinity for. Thankfully, these were explained in parentheses - not just once - but numerous times. I’m convinced that my interest would have waned pretty quickly if I had to keep flipping back through the book, consulting footnotes and appendices or conducting Google searches.

Of the extremely minor glitches I found, one was on p. 315, par. 4 where the word “excepted” was used when I wondered if “accepted” was meant. Also, the word “aid” was used on several occasions when it seemed that “aide” might have been intended.

The latter half of this book took some surprising turns. Some never-before revealed information related to the assassination attempt on President Reagan was disturbing even though it eventually led to some positive changes regarding protective intelligence.

Breaking Tecumseh’s Curse a timely read in this post 9/11 era. Although the book ended on a somewhat bittersweet note, it was nice to be reminded that everyday heroes still exist who quietly and consistently give their all for no other reason than devotion to duty and love of what they do.

Based on the impeccable research, the wealth of information provided, and the Ritters' willingness to share some often uncomfortable memories, I am gladly giving Breaking Tecumseh’s Curse 4 out of 4 stars.

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signed · Post by **signed** » 19 Aug 2016, 07:15

Thanks for the review!

waluhyo · Post by **waluhyo** » 19 Aug 2016, 07:19

about the title, i'm dont agree with you. Too simple... not enaugh to represent.

gali · Post by **gali** » 19 Aug 2016, 07:23

The title sparkled my interest as well. Interesting that some information related to the assassination attempt on President Reagan was revealed. Congratulations to the author on the great review!

AbbyC · Post by **AbbyC** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:04

Great review! This book really seems to have a lot going for it. I was already intrigued by the title but now I'm really interested in the story itself. I like that the wife is the one telling the story. Like you said, it would keep the book from being a cold, dispassionate recounting of facts.
Congrats to the author on BOTD!

Radhika_17 · Post by **Radhika_17** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:15

This book seems interesting. The review is quite good.

Heidi M Simone · Post by **Heidi M Simone** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:22

Wonderfully detailed review! This seems like a great nonfiction text. I must say I don't think I know much about the Secret Service, so that area has sparked my interest. Also, I love how the story is told in the spouse's perspective. Thank you for the great review of what seems like a powerful read!

ALynnPowers · Post by **ALynnPowers** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:28

The way you laid out this review makes me think of like a research paper... but in a good way. It seems so formal, which for some reason, is also how I picture the internal construction of this book to be. That sentence made no sense. Sorry. I might be drunk right now. OMG, I can't believe I just wrote that. Ignore me now.
Anyway, thank you for the lovely review and for pointing out both the positives and challenges of this book. Arigato gozaimashita.

jesguz29 · Post by **jesguz29** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:38

Good review. The book already sounded interesting but your review sealed the deal. Who narrates thus type of story is important. Seeing how you said the wife narrates made me a little uneasy until you said she tries not to show her opinion too much.

Cristina · Post by **Cristina** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:40

When I first looked at the book I was thinking of putting it on my not interested shelf. I thought it would be a boring, cold, just the facts type of book. Your review changed my mind. It now seems like an interesting read. I think the story being told by the spouse, and going back in time to when they were first married, was what caught me the most. Thanks for the informative review.

chocomeiske · Post by **chocomeiske** » 19 Aug 2016, 08:50

Your review makes me want to take more than a peek at this book even though I don't often read non-fiction novels. I like that it's told from the wife's perspective and I've red and enjoyed a few fiction novels about the Secret Service so it might be interesting to see how reality compares with fiction.

truebookaddict · Post by **truebookaddict** » 19 Aug 2016, 09:18

This sounds like an interesting read. I love history and would love to learn more about the assassination attempts on past presidents. I know my son was reading a book on the subject and relaying tidbits of it to me. I was surprised how little I knew about which presidents had assassination attempts against them. I loved your review. Very detailed and informative. Thank you!

lydialeigh71 · Post by **lydialeigh71** » 19 Aug 2016, 09:24

Wonderful review! Sounds like a very intriguing read. Definitely going to download this one to add to my reading list

Strangerthanfiction · Post by **Strangerthanfiction** » 19 Aug 2016, 09:31

Really great review. I rarely read nonfiction but the topic itself really draws my interest, it was your review however revealing that I don't need to be a history professor to "get" it as well as the assurance of explanations that make me want to read this particular book. Thank you.

Joy Boudreau · Post by **Joy Boudreau** » 19 Aug 2016, 09:35

Wow, this appears to be a solid non-fiction book. A lot of non-fiction is dry, but your review assures us that this is not the case with Breaking Tecumseh's Curse. I would gladly read this title. Thanks!