Post by stormbird on Jul 13, 2012 11:28:28 GMT -5
Friends:
I'll comment on the new "Octopus" book ASAP. Meanwhile, this is an excerpt from "Octopus" by Guy Lawson on page 335: "I had come to discuss with Israel the idea of writing about his fraud at Bayou, at the time one of the largest in the history of Wall Street. But he told me there was another story, a story that would blow my mind. Sam took my pen and wrote the words "The Last Circle" in my notebook. He told me about Robert Booth Nichols, the CIA asset who'd been his handler in Europe ---"
I'd be interested to receive input on this book from those who read it, as I'm still not sure if the author (Lawson) is blaming "The Last Circle" for Samuel Israel's predicament, or not.
Robert Booth Nichols was deceased, so Guy Lawson couldn't interview him directly. Thus in August 2010 Lawson contacted my publisher and my publicist requesting an advance copy of "The Last Circle" (TLC) and seeking information on Robert Booth Nichols (RBN). My publisher sent him an advance copy and asked me to cooperate with Guy because he offered to do a review of TLC in Rolling Stone magazine, but that never materialized. Guy said the editor wouldn't accept it.
Nevertheless, from the above date until 2012, Lawson has requested material (including numerous official documents) on Robert Booth Nichols --- which I provided. I haven't read "Octopus" in it's entirety yet, just received it yesterday, but it appears that most of the "facts" about RBN originated from The Last Circle, except, of course, Guy's fascinating interviews with Samuel Israel relative to RBN. Israel's story is riveting. I suspect that Guy has created a Shakespearian blockbuster about Sam Israel and RBN full of satire and comedy, despite the tragedy of it all.
See photo of Robert Booth Nichols with his wife Ellen below. They were in costume on movie set for “Under Seige.”
(Nichols had a cameo appearance in the movie). The photo was provided to me years ago by a friend of RBN. Shown in "The Last Circle" book and can be seen at this site: www.ark-roundtable.com/images.html
I'll comment on the new "Octopus" book ASAP. Meanwhile, this is an excerpt from "Octopus" by Guy Lawson on page 335: "I had come to discuss with Israel the idea of writing about his fraud at Bayou, at the time one of the largest in the history of Wall Street. But he told me there was another story, a story that would blow my mind. Sam took my pen and wrote the words "The Last Circle" in my notebook. He told me about Robert Booth Nichols, the CIA asset who'd been his handler in Europe ---"
I'd be interested to receive input on this book from those who read it, as I'm still not sure if the author (Lawson) is blaming "The Last Circle" for Samuel Israel's predicament, or not.
Robert Booth Nichols was deceased, so Guy Lawson couldn't interview him directly. Thus in August 2010 Lawson contacted my publisher and my publicist requesting an advance copy of "The Last Circle" (TLC) and seeking information on Robert Booth Nichols (RBN). My publisher sent him an advance copy and asked me to cooperate with Guy because he offered to do a review of TLC in Rolling Stone magazine, but that never materialized. Guy said the editor wouldn't accept it.
Nevertheless, from the above date until 2012, Lawson has requested material (including numerous official documents) on Robert Booth Nichols --- which I provided. I haven't read "Octopus" in it's entirety yet, just received it yesterday, but it appears that most of the "facts" about RBN originated from The Last Circle, except, of course, Guy's fascinating interviews with Samuel Israel relative to RBN. Israel's story is riveting. I suspect that Guy has created a Shakespearian blockbuster about Sam Israel and RBN full of satire and comedy, despite the tragedy of it all.
See photo of Robert Booth Nichols with his wife Ellen below. They were in costume on movie set for “Under Seige.”
(Nichols had a cameo appearance in the movie). The photo was provided to me years ago by a friend of RBN. Shown in "The Last Circle" book and can be seen at this site: www.ark-roundtable.com/images.html
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