Books, Arts & Manners

Under Fire: An American Story, by Oliver L. North, with William Novak (HarperCollins, 446 pp., $25)

AMONG THE many benefits of having a young niece around during the holidays is that it gives one an excuse to watch old favorites like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is the fellow, you might recall, who tries to stop Christmas from coming by stealing all the presents from Whoville while Boris Karloff sings “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in an appropriately sinister tone. Being not quite four years old, Emily has a hard time imagining a character more villainous than the Grinch. And of course her child’s sense of justice is assuaged by his lack of success and ultimate conversion to good.

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William McGurn

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Under Fire: An American Story, by Oliver L. North, with William Novak (HarperCollins, 446 pp., $25)

AMONG THE many benefits of having a young niece around during the holidays is that it gives one an excuse to watch old favorites like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This is the fellow, you might recall, who tries to stop Christmas from coming by stealing all the presents from Whoville while Boris Karloff sings “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in an appropriately sinister tone. Being not quite four years old, Emily has a hard time imagining a character more villainous than the Grinch. And of course her child’s sense of justice is assuaged by his lack of success and ultimate conversion to good.