Book Review: The War for the Union, Volume II: War Becomes Revolution, 1862-1863 by Allan Nevins

The War For The Union: War Becomes Revolution, 1862-1863 by Allan Nevins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a year of improvised army building, supply gathering, and campaigns tried to do too much with too little, the Union and the Confederates planned to deal that one decisive blow that would end the war but instead what came about was military stalemate and a political revolution. The War for the Union, Volume II: War Becomes Revolution, 1862-1863 is the sixth volume of Allan Nevins Ordeal of the Union series as the Union’s high hopes in the spring of 1862 crater with McClellan’s inability to use his army while Robert E. Lee brings hope to the Confederates and in the West the rise and maturation of Ulysses S. Grant begins.

Over the course of around 530 pages, Nevins covers the events military, political, diplomatic, domestic, foreign, and business over the course of 17 months from January 1862 to the end of May 1863 that made the supposedly “quick” civil war turn into a revolution not just for the change in Union war strategy but in the running of the government and the rise of business. Throughout the book, Nevins examines the events and developments of all these subjects not only in the context of the day but with hindsight as well, which is especially revealing when describing the mistakes of generals. While the military and political developments as well as interactions between the two were the dominant themes throughout the book, Nevins devoted four chapters of the volume to other themes: diplomacy, business related to war, the revolution in industry spurred by war, and the revolution of freedom. Though this volume is over 65 years old, it’s very detailed and gives a total picture of the events of that time making it a most read for anyone interested in the history of the American Civil War.

The War for the Union, Volume II: War Becomes Revolution, 1862-1863 sees the nature and view of the war change as both sides realize this won’t be a “short” war, but as Allan Nevins shows throughout the effects which would influence the future were making the war something more.

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Book Review: The Novice's Tale by Margaret Frazer

The Novice's Tale by Margaret Frazer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A convent of nuns is put through the ringer as a difficult frequent visitor arrives with little notice, suddenly leaves, comes back even more difficult than usual, and then dies resulting in even more visitors wanting to know why she died. The Novice’s Tale is the first book of Margaret Frazer’s Dame Frevisse mysteries as the titular novice finds herself the suspected killer of her great aunt and Sister Frevisse is tasked by the convent’s prioress to figure out the truth.

Through the use of two point-of-view characters, Frevisse and the novice Thomasina, Frazer is able to not only to tell an engaging narrative but also reveal the inner workings of a medieval convent through action not exposition. The mystery is set up well with a lot of credible suspects with believable motives set up to be red herrings to disguise the who did it with the motive hidden from the reader by one that would appear to be more important. If there was one critique it is the belief by some characters that a young woman within weeks of taking her vows would risk damnation by murdering someone so she can become a nun, just writing it out just now makes the suggestion a little irrational though that might have been Frazer’s intention given some of the characters we are introduced to. Overall, this was a nice, quick read with a mystery that had a good set up and interesting conclusion.

The Novice’s Tale is both a good mystery and good first installment to a series, which Margaret Frazer wrote seventeen overall books for.

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Book Review: The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson

The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 by Rick Atkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

George Washington inspired a Continental Army on the verge of collapse to a ten-day campaign that saved the hope for independence, but the empire was ready strike back again. The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 is the second volume in Rick Atkinson’s The Revolution trilogy following the course of the military, political, and everyday factors that played into course of the American Revolution from the battlefields in America to the palaces of Versailles and Queen’s House leading to battles across the globe.

Navigating through a myriad of locations and through various narrative threads that need to be explored while revealing how each reflects on the other, Atkinson does a stellar job at bringing the complexity of the American Revolution to the reader. The important historical characters are covered, but lesser-known individuals, especially those foreign-born officers that are often unsung, get highlighted when in battle or making a difference for the Continental Army. What is most important throughout the book is how the colonial rebellion on the edge of the war sparked political machinations in the backroom of European palaces to get revenge on Britain or simply put it in its place. While the American Revolution is mostly seen as a land war, the naval aspect is not forgotten though as the book goes on it starts to become a Britain-French centric narrative through John Paul Jones’ cruises around Britain and attacks mainly in Scotland brought the war home to Britain in a way that shocked them almost as much as the thought of a French invasion. Given the numerous decades old books of the American Revolution I’ve read in recent years, this volume covers the same North American material through adding a broader brush to look at everyday life which included the economic realities for both the Continental army and the average citizen no matter their political loyalty. The difference is the thoroughness of Atkinson looking to the British domestic political scene as well as bringing in other European powers’ political and diplomatic moves during these years which resulted in the American Revolution becoming a conflict fought across the global. Honestly, it’s hard to find something important to critique.

The Fate of the Day reveals how events turn a colonial rebellion into a global conflict in an engaging way by Rick Atkinson and being the middle volume of a planned trilogy on American Revolution it makes you look forward to see all the various factors that bring it to a conclusion in the final when it is written.

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Book Review: A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As the rights of man were debated across Europe due to the revolutions in America and France, the other half of the population appeared to be forgotten about especially when French National Assembly was presented a report that women should almost expect a “domestic education”. A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft is an answer not only to that report to the French National Assembly and to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Emile where he also covered the education of women.

Through 255 pages of text Wollstonecraft examined the current dominate methods of educating women, criticism of those methods and other proposed methods, and finally putting forth her own argument for giving women a rational education. The key to her argument for Wollstonecraft is that women as mothers will be the first educators their children have before they are handed to professionals who’ll advance their learning, given their position women should be given a proper education to fulfill this role and if their husband were to pass, a proper education would allow them to ensure her family’s well-being until her children have grown up as well as secure her own well-being in her old age. Wollstonecraft proposed a national education system in which both boys and girls and from all social classes would learn together in their early years before separating to more specific education for their duties—though if a child of a lower social class were to be particularly gifted he should be sponsored by the government to further his education and thus benefit the whole nation. One of the major criticisms that Wollstonecraft had was that if women continued to be treated as mere future property of their husbands with an education only for that end instead of as “companions” of their husbands, as future mothers, and possible heads of household if unforeseen circumstances arose. Wollstonecraft continually brought up Rousseau’s suggestions for the education of women and attacked them, to the point where it was becoming repetitive and beyond what was needed, which she somewhat acknowledged late in the essay. Another critique I had about the essay was that Wollstonecraft decided to write it after reading the 1791 report on education by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord that he presented to the French National Assembly that she disagreed with, yet she barely mentioned its existence even when discussing her counterproposals to it. However, even with those criticisms this is an important philosophical essay as well as political theory, which acknowledges that women are important for the body politic and whose education is important for the well-being of the next generation and that all children should receive the same education as provided by the state in their early years.

A Vindication of the Rights of Women is one of the two important works by Mary Wollstonecraft; its influence would be delayed but still be important in the two centuries after her death.

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Book Review: This Book is All Elite: The Inside Story of All Elite Wrestling by Keith Elliot Greenberg

This Book Is All Elite: The Inside Story of All Elite Wrestling by Keith Elliot Greenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All Elite Wrestling put out an official book looking back at its first five years of existence, you know what that means. This Book is All Elite: The Inside Story of All Elite Wrestling by Keith Elliot Greenberg & All Elite Wrestling reveals how the wrestling promotion began and developed over its first five years through interviews with cast and crew along with a dazzling number of photographs to reveal moments in the ring and backstage.

When it debut on TNT in October 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) broke the near two-decade monopoly that had existed since the demise of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) yet as explained in the book it took more than a billionaire wanting to start his own promotion, it needed the right circumstances in the industry and media connections to get on a well-known platform. Through 218 pages, Greenberg chronicles how AEW came about but how it developed and rose to meet challenges, most notably the pandemic in front of no crowds, during its first five years of existence through quotes from talent and crew as well as detailing what transpired from 2018 to the end of 2024. Save for the last few pages, the book is chronological with the only deviation being Greenberg’s decision to end the book with AEW’s biggest moment, All In 2023 in front of over 81000 attendees in Wembley Stadium. While not directly addressing some of the more controversial moments—the assaults by one individual against coworkers on multiple occasions—of the promotion, the unaddressed reasons for some individuals leaving or being away are telling. While the page is over 200 pages long, its coffee table format means that images take up more space than words and so while a chronicle, it’s not in-depth. Overall, it can be said the book is meant for the promotion’s fans than for a general audience, which frankly is what AEW is known for, adhering to and focusing on keeping its core audience.

This Book is All Elite chronicles through interviews, retelling, and photographs the journey of All Elite Wrestling from idea to a year’s long airing weekly television show.

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Book Review: Lessons of Faith from Joshua by Barna Magyarosi

Lessons of Faith from Joshua by Barna Magyarosi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The battle of Jericho is one of the most well-known stories from the Bible, yet while it is the most famous incident recorded in the book of Joshua it’s on the tip of the iceberg for importance in said book. Lessons of Faith from Joshua by Barna Magyarosi is the supplemental book of the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study (4th Quarter 2025) covering the first book of the Bible after the Pentateuch as Israel went to conquer the Promised Land. Over the course of 128 pages divided into 13 chapters along with an introduction, Magyarosi covers the entire book of Joshua bringing out important lesson that not only Israel learned and were to retain but could also be applied for us today. Though a supplementary book for a 13-week Sabbath School lesson, this book can also be used when reading the book of Joshua on your own to enhance your understanding.

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Book Review: Toward the Night by James Swallow

Toward the Night by James Swallow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A planet circling a star that is suddenly acting erratic causing the inhabitants to deal with it in a radical solution, one that will eventually get the attention of Starfleet not once but twice. Toward the Night by James Swallow is the third book featuring the characters from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in a novelization surrounding one of the latest Star Trek series.

Taking place between the second season episodes “Among the Lotus Eaters” and “Charades”, the book follows the crew of the Enterprise as it tracks down a distress signal from century-lost early Federation vessel in a disputed system between the Federation and Klingon Empire only to find a chronological enigma. I don’t know if there is a record for the number of cliché plot-of-the-week thrown into one story, but this has to be up for consideration as there is a new alien civilization, mysterious derelict starship, mysterious orb, time travel and not ruining the timeline, finding hardboiled shipwreck survivors, long lost family member who isn’t what you imagined, deadly planet in two different time frames, and fighting Klingons just off the top of my head. If this was a single 60-minute episode, it would be bad, but thankful this is in a book allowing all these cliches to meld together in a great narrative scope conceived and executed by James Swallows. Using numerous points of view from the show’s main characters as well as those created for the story, Swallow does a good job bringing the show characters onto the page and bring forth engaging new characters for them to interact with. Of the three books of the Strange New Worlds line, this is easily the best not only in story but in how the author brings all the characters across.

Toward the Night is an example of a media tie-in novel that uses its medium for maximum potential to bring an entertaining story that would be too much for a single episode to the reader for their enjoyment.

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