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Below you can find reviews by other readers:
Like finding an old box of memories in your attic
By Stewart Cramer on October 30, 2012
Danny's Tavern is an absolute gem! Tom Melvin has compiled the journals of Billy Flynn, the bartender at Danny's Tavern in Dorchester, Massachusetts, into a very readable volume that relates the lives and times of an amazingly colorful cast of characters living through the vicissitudes of the mid-twentieth century, and the transformation of their neighborhood during that period. Billy Flynn was a book editor whose career was derailed by the Great Depression. He became a bartender at Danny's Tavern, named after his deceased older brother, and owned by his brother's best friend, Booker Brennan. His keen observations paint a vivid picture of the neighborhood and its inhabitants and the way one neighborhood and, indeed, our entire country was transformed during the tumultuous twentieth century. If you've ever thought it would be cool to find a box of old memories in your attic, you should buy and read this book. It is truly a delight!
great read, wished the it was longer!
By DrMario on July 23, 2012
As anyone who travels extensively knows, a good book is a life saver. I end up with a lot of down time, so inevitably I'll find my head buried in a book. Danny's Tavern was a great pick up upon the recommendation of a friend. The book transports you to a different time and place, not the Hollywood version, but the real life and real history version. Having been born and raised in Boston a lot of the stories were just that, stories, things I had read about or overheard as a kid growing up. Melvin brings these events to life through the characters in the book. From the Coconut grove to the depression, you're hearing about what was happening from the people you would've most likely been friends with had you been there. The book gives a unique perspective on the everyday with a story telling style that keeps you turning the pages.
Working class history
By James R. Browne on July 15, 2012
A poignant, insightful yet entertaining history of a single neighborhood tavern.The working class patrons are portrayed realistically in relation to the influences of their particular generation.War,economic reverses,societal evolvement are the challenges that each in their time must confront.Grit and humor are described artfully as the coping mechanisms of each generation.
Truth and Entertainment; a good read
By DonBriggs on July 22, 2012
Danny's Tavern shares a simple truth: that we all need to find our own path thru life. This book tells many engaging stories about survival, finding a job, losing a job, and getting the life you want for yourself and your family. Danny's Tavern captures the essence of what makes a community. It's a very inspirational read.
Danny's Tavern - A remarkable trip to the past
By Sal Yerardi on February 1, 2013
Want to relive your childhood, teen and adult years? If you lived during the period covered in this book, as I have, you are in for a great ride when you read it. Melvin does an amazing job of describing the various neighborhood characters that gathered at Danny's Tavern covering the 40-year period from 1935 to 1975. Having lived in a similar neighborhood, it was fascinating to recall and compare relationships that I had with my friends with those in Danny's Tavern and to relive the events of that period. The book is filled with so many familiar expressions that I had forgotten over the years. I particularly liked when Melvin describes his teen years in the "Happiest Years of My Life" section in which he relates his experiences at Quincy Quarries and the Flat Rock used for winding down after a day of play. This book can be enjoyed by one and all.
Time Machine
By arthur j dobrzelecki on December 5, 2012
I grew up in the Northeast and Danny's Tavern brought back many pleasant memories. The Northeast is filled with ethnic neighborhoods and the funny thing about them is that in many ways they are very similar, but yet very different. The fifties and sixties really hit home. I loved the retelling of the then current events. I loved the details of people's lives. Wonderful! Great enjoyable book!
As nostalgic as Pickwick Ale
By Rye Bread on November 6, 2012
I'm 78 years old and lived in Dorchester for many years.This book was like standing on the hill at Ronan Park on a cold wintry day and inhaling the sweet , nostalgic aroma from the Baker's Chocolate plant some five miles away in the lower Mills part of Dorchester. The author of Danny's Tavern gives you a great "whiff" of an era that perhaps we shall never see again. Tom Brokaw has spoken about "The Greatest Generation" and the pains , sacrifices and general hardships of this part of our history was the gestation time for these really saintly heroes of WW2.Today's young people and the more curious readers will also enjoy "Danny's Tavern" as a beautiful time capsule.I particularly liked the short story about the Widow's Curse which was worthy of O'Henry.
I Loved Danny's Tavern!
By Anonymous on June 20, 2013
Hi Dr. Tom,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your (and Bill's) novel. I started it when I received it in Maine last year, and embarrassingly it took me this long to finish it...however I was intrigued and motivated at the end of every chapter, and couldn't wait to pick it up again. My father tends to be a little bit of a slow reader, so you can expect an email like this from him next year.
As a career bartender, I have always been intrigued about the culture and lifestyle involving my predecessors and clients. I have always imagined myself as a classical local bartender, in the sense of the gentlemen with a bow tie, whiskey bottle in hand, rag draped over the shoulder, and borderline psychiatrist, My philosophy has always been as a bartender, and even as a patron, that it is one thing to know a customer's name, even better to know a customer's drink, and a special bond when you can actually cheers with a customer and share a drink.
As entertaining as Danny's Tavern was, there were a few parts that struck me emotionally. Through his and your words, I definitely feel like I know Bill; his highs, his lows...and even being a young man at 30, it becomes universally recognizable. I have had to kick many people out of bars and intervene altercations, sometimes physically, so I have seen my fair share of Caseys. Dinty was such a loveable person, and I have known people who despite their physical abilities, are genuine and kind at hear. As a man it's always hard to admit, but the chapters involving Bill with Bernie...made me tear up. The situation wasn't ideal for either of them, however I've never read about so much romance. And the stories of your personal upbringings and adventures are special in the fact that it can make me feel like I know how it was for my grandfather growing up. So thank you Tom, for prying this out the basements, and offering this to the world. I know many colleagues that would appreciate this book. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I try and do your jokes justice, but I lack the accent..."The Priest is constipated...well he's gonna **** when he sees me!"
Thanks again, hope things are well.
Booker Brennan, the owner of the tavern, offers his personal observation:
“It’s a book about the Workers and the Veterans in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. “Danny’s Tavern is a collection of stories spanning 40 years from 1935 to 1975. Essentially it involves 26 patrons (the guys who labor on construction sites, mills, trenches, trucks and trains, tunnels, police and fire stations, fishermen from Newfoundland sailing the seven seas in boats that you would not cross the Charles River, let alone Davey Jones’ Locker; and generally jobs found in most large cities of that era. We also pay respect to that generation of Warriors (Veterans--some of whom were also Workers) who fought in the battles of WWII and Korea (and whose population is quickly diminishing). We also touch upon the 1950s when the United States was at the top of the game as the world leader.
Then the country entered the dark 1960s and 1970s with the social unrest, the riots, and the explosion of the drug jungle, and the tragedy of the treatment given to the Vietnam veterans---honorable citizens who answered the call instead of dodging the draft, and who suffered the insults of Amnesty.
The book is carried along by the dedication of the bartender, my friend Billy Flynn who was Danny’s brother ( KIA in WWI). No doubt that Bill treasured his 26 patrons--- Good people all---the Workers and the Veterans during this 40-year span.
Below you can find reviews by other readers:
Like finding an old box of memories in your attic
By Stewart Cramer on October 30, 2012
Danny's Tavern is an absolute gem! Tom Melvin has compiled the journals of Billy Flynn, the bartender at Danny's Tavern in Dorchester, Massachusetts, into a very readable volume that relates the lives and times of an amazingly colorful cast of characters living through the vicissitudes of the mid-twentieth century, and the transformation of their neighborhood during that period. Billy Flynn was a book editor whose career was derailed by the Great Depression. He became a bartender at Danny's Tavern, named after his deceased older brother, and owned by his brother's best friend, Booker Brennan. His keen observations paint a vivid picture of the neighborhood and its inhabitants and the way one neighborhood and, indeed, our entire country was transformed during the tumultuous twentieth century. If you've ever thought it would be cool to find a box of old memories in your attic, you should buy and read this book. It is truly a delight!
great read, wished the it was longer!
By DrMario on July 23, 2012
As anyone who travels extensively knows, a good book is a life saver. I end up with a lot of down time, so inevitably I'll find my head buried in a book. Danny's Tavern was a great pick up upon the recommendation of a friend. The book transports you to a different time and place, not the Hollywood version, but the real life and real history version. Having been born and raised in Boston a lot of the stories were just that, stories, things I had read about or overheard as a kid growing up. Melvin brings these events to life through the characters in the book. From the Coconut grove to the depression, you're hearing about what was happening from the people you would've most likely been friends with had you been there. The book gives a unique perspective on the everyday with a story telling style that keeps you turning the pages.
Working class history
By James R. Browne on July 15, 2012
A poignant, insightful yet entertaining history of a single neighborhood tavern.The working class patrons are portrayed realistically in relation to the influences of their particular generation.War,economic reverses,societal evolvement are the challenges that each in their time must confront.Grit and humor are described artfully as the coping mechanisms of each generation.
Truth and Entertainment; a good read
By DonBriggs on July 22, 2012
Danny's Tavern shares a simple truth: that we all need to find our own path thru life. This book tells many engaging stories about survival, finding a job, losing a job, and getting the life you want for yourself and your family. Danny's Tavern captures the essence of what makes a community. It's a very inspirational read.
Danny's Tavern - A remarkable trip to the past
By Sal Yerardi on February 1, 2013
Want to relive your childhood, teen and adult years? If you lived during the period covered in this book, as I have, you are in for a great ride when you read it. Melvin does an amazing job of describing the various neighborhood characters that gathered at Danny's Tavern covering the 40-year period from 1935 to 1975. Having lived in a similar neighborhood, it was fascinating to recall and compare relationships that I had with my friends with those in Danny's Tavern and to relive the events of that period. The book is filled with so many familiar expressions that I had forgotten over the years. I particularly liked when Melvin describes his teen years in the "Happiest Years of My Life" section in which he relates his experiences at Quincy Quarries and the Flat Rock used for winding down after a day of play. This book can be enjoyed by one and all.
Time Machine
By arthur j dobrzelecki on December 5, 2012
I grew up in the Northeast and Danny's Tavern brought back many pleasant memories. The Northeast is filled with ethnic neighborhoods and the funny thing about them is that in many ways they are very similar, but yet very different. The fifties and sixties really hit home. I loved the retelling of the then current events. I loved the details of people's lives. Wonderful! Great enjoyable book!
As nostalgic as Pickwick Ale
By Rye Bread on November 6, 2012
I'm 78 years old and lived in Dorchester for many years.This book was like standing on the hill at Ronan Park on a cold wintry day and inhaling the sweet , nostalgic aroma from the Baker's Chocolate plant some five miles away in the lower Mills part of Dorchester. The author of Danny's Tavern gives you a great "whiff" of an era that perhaps we shall never see again. Tom Brokaw has spoken about "The Greatest Generation" and the pains , sacrifices and general hardships of this part of our history was the gestation time for these really saintly heroes of WW2.Today's young people and the more curious readers will also enjoy "Danny's Tavern" as a beautiful time capsule.I particularly liked the short story about the Widow's Curse which was worthy of O'Henry.
I Loved Danny's Tavern!
By Anonymous on June 20, 2013
Hi Dr. Tom,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your (and Bill's) novel. I started it when I received it in Maine last year, and embarrassingly it took me this long to finish it...however I was intrigued and motivated at the end of every chapter, and couldn't wait to pick it up again. My father tends to be a little bit of a slow reader, so you can expect an email like this from him next year.
As a career bartender, I have always been intrigued about the culture and lifestyle involving my predecessors and clients. I have always imagined myself as a classical local bartender, in the sense of the gentlemen with a bow tie, whiskey bottle in hand, rag draped over the shoulder, and borderline psychiatrist, My philosophy has always been as a bartender, and even as a patron, that it is one thing to know a customer's name, even better to know a customer's drink, and a special bond when you can actually cheers with a customer and share a drink.
As entertaining as Danny's Tavern was, there were a few parts that struck me emotionally. Through his and your words, I definitely feel like I know Bill; his highs, his lows...and even being a young man at 30, it becomes universally recognizable. I have had to kick many people out of bars and intervene altercations, sometimes physically, so I have seen my fair share of Caseys. Dinty was such a loveable person, and I have known people who despite their physical abilities, are genuine and kind at hear. As a man it's always hard to admit, but the chapters involving Bill with Bernie...made me tear up. The situation wasn't ideal for either of them, however I've never read about so much romance. And the stories of your personal upbringings and adventures are special in the fact that it can make me feel like I know how it was for my grandfather growing up. So thank you Tom, for prying this out the basements, and offering this to the world. I know many colleagues that would appreciate this book. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I try and do your jokes justice, but I lack the accent..."The Priest is constipated...well he's gonna **** when he sees me!"
Thanks again, hope things are well.
Booker Brennan, the owner of the tavern, offers his personal observation:
“It’s a book about the Workers and the Veterans in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. “Danny’s Tavern is a collection of stories spanning 40 years from 1935 to 1975. Essentially it involves 26 patrons (the guys who labor on construction sites, mills, trenches, trucks and trains, tunnels, police and fire stations, fishermen from Newfoundland sailing the seven seas in boats that you would not cross the Charles River, let alone Davey Jones’ Locker; and generally jobs found in most large cities of that era. We also pay respect to that generation of Warriors (Veterans--some of whom were also Workers) who fought in the battles of WWII and Korea (and whose population is quickly diminishing). We also touch upon the 1950s when the United States was at the top of the game as the world leader.
Then the country entered the dark 1960s and 1970s with the social unrest, the riots, and the explosion of the drug jungle, and the tragedy of the treatment given to the Vietnam veterans---honorable citizens who answered the call instead of dodging the draft, and who suffered the insults of Amnesty.
The book is carried along by the dedication of the bartender, my friend Billy Flynn who was Danny’s brother ( KIA in WWI). No doubt that Bill treasured his 26 patrons--- Good people all---the Workers and the Veterans during this 40-year span.