Funny-very funny in parts-but it would’ve been even funnier if it were half as long and without some of the insider discussions about what makes the joke funny. Comedians think that what they think about and talk about is funny and fascinating, but they’re wrong. I would’ve liked to hear more versions of the joke, not people’s thoughts about it.

I worked with Frankie years ago, and I never knew he was a soccer fan (they usually out themselves to me when they hear I’m from Manchester), so I was over the moon-the boy can write-when I heard about this book. I can’t wait to get into it.

It’s too bad you have to start a history book at the beginning, because Manchester’s origins are rather dull—at least until the arrival of the industrial revolution.

A bog-standard plot, but a fascinating glimpse into a workplace that I always imagined would be just like this.

Based on the pre-publication hype, I was expecting a sensationalistic expose of U.N. incompetence. Instead, it’s a very personal story of three smart and enthusiastic young people who came to peacekeeping for very different reasons, but who all found it enriching. When, for bureaucratic reasons, the organization disappoints them, it leaves them all personally depressed and professionally bitter. After reading this book, I was more aware than ever of the massive impact of the “Black Hawk Down” incident on world peace and security.

It’s also very funny in places.

Nothing really new in here, but it’s well put together, and unlike many books and movies with a similar theme, it’s densely footnoted and reliable. Still, much of the meat and potatoes is essentially conjecture.

A wonderful book—one of my favorites.

Alison Bechdel is probably my favorite writer, artist, and social commentator all rolled into one. If there were one writer whose books I’d hand to people on the street and tell them to read, it’s her. The latest volume is even more brilliant than ever.

Some of what Spiegelman says strikes me as ridiculous, but then I wasn’t at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001.