Book Review: The Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas, Donald F. Glut, & James Kahn

Star Wars Trilogy by George Lucas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This collection of novelizations of the original trilogy of the Star Wars franchise is based on film scripts that Alan Dean Foster (ghostwriting for George Lucas), Donald F. Glut, and James Kahn used to bring the films to the printed page. Ultimately only Glut’s treatment of The Empire Strikes Back is the best of the bunch as it was readable, and the characterizations were good. Unfortunately, Dean’s Star Wars and Kahn’s Return of the Jedi while each having one good thing to them were overwhelmed by either poor writing or horrible internalization of characters along with a myriad of other issues to go along side them. I would recommend watching the films over the reading this collection if you’re a general reader, but if you want to dip your toe into the novelizations go for The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars by George Lucas
The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut 3/5
Return of the Jedi by James Kahn 2/5

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Story Review: Return of the Jedi by James Kahn

Return of the Jedi by James Kahn
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The novelization to the final film of the original trilogy came out close to the theatrical release, but hopefully those purchasing it decided to read it after seeing the film.  Return of the Jedi by James Kahn transfers the script into literature.

The novelization flows the film without any new scenes to expand the narrative of the story. Kahn wrote action scenes good, but his writing character’s internal thoughts could not even be called a mixed bag. The main trio’s internal thoughts were passable in the case of Luke, bad in the case of Han, and done right awful for Leia while Vader’s thoughts came off as someone struggling which was effective, in fact the only internal thoughts that came off well were those of Lando Calrissian. Kahn didn’t really go into how the Ewoks had all those traps set up to fight the Imperial troops, but he worded well enough that it made better sense than what was in the film.

Return of the Jedi is an okay novelization as James Kahn brought out good action scenes but came up lacking with internal thoughts. I would not recommend the novelization and suggest sticking with the film.

Book Review: Poseidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler

Poseidon's Arrow by Clive Cussler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The huge leap forward in technology has the United States poised to make every submarine fleet obsolete, but the need for rare earth metals and industrial espionage put it at risk. Poseidon’s Arrow is the twenty-second book of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series and the fifth with his son Dirk, as NUMA Director Dirk Pitt finds himself attempt to protect the interests of the United States like he did back in the day.

In 1943, an Italian submarine-turned-freighter sails the Indian Ocean with material from Japanese-occupied territory headed for Germany when an American plane flies over and damages it so it can not complete its mission. In the present day, the President learns of a secret prototype attack submarine the United States is developing, but just after he learns about it a ruthless an Austrian-born multimillionaire with a vendetta plans on stealing its plans to sell to the Chinese while stopping the development of the prototype. A group of mercenaries knocks out a California mine that specializes in rare earth metals and kills an engineer and defense contractor that are developing the new sub then steal the engineers plans before also stealing one of the submarines revolutionary new engines. Dirk Pitt and NUMA enter the scene when bringing up the dead engineer’s boat only to be attacked by the mercenaries, then it is a race between the two to find first the plans then later the engine with the mercenaries always a step ahead or right on Pitt’s tail which leads to him and Al Giordino getting captured while attempting to stop a hijacking of a shipment of rare earth metals to the United States thanks to an informant. The Chinese while not opposed to paying for all the technology they can get, learn that the millionaire is stealing their rare earth metals as well and decide that enough is enough. A Chinese spy plans to destroy the millionaire’s secret refining facility alongside the Panama Canal where Pitt and Giordino were taken eventually meeting Pitt when he escapes. Pitt, alongside his children, leads a Panamanian security back to the facility just before it blows to save everyone else slaving away there when he learns that the stolen engine and plans are coming through the Canal. Pitt stops the stealing of the engine and gets back the stolen plans though doing so results in the destruction of one of the Canal’s locks. Meanwhile off Madagascar, Dirk Jr. and Summer are attacked in a NUMA submersible by a boat owned by the same antagonist after getting to shore Summer finds the remains of some of the crew of the Italian submarine as well as the boat’s logbook. After finding their father in Panama, the two’s investigation leads them to Terra del Fuego where the submarine had been washed up on shore decades after it’s last appearance. Inside, the twins find tons of rare earth metals that the United States’ purchases from Italy to complete the prototype submarine.

Once again, Dirk Cussler’s writing alongside his father brought a fun narrative to the series. Unfortunately for the second book in a row there were issues that weren’t present in the first three books that father and son cowrote. There were two major issues that were really annoying with the first being Pitt at his age and what he had gone through doing what he did during the climax especially since several books ago he complained he should not be put in those situations again. The second was that the chief mercenary instead of killing a NCIS investigator that he happened upon while stealing the engine, he takes her with him so he can have sex (rape) just so she can be in danger during the Panama Canal chase. The appearance of a Chinese spy and the regulation of Dirk Jr. and Summer to an essentially tertiary position in the story makes me fearful that Clive wants to go back to Cold War spy novels that the early books of the series had while completely forgetting why he decided to retcon the existence of twins, the age of Dirk Pitt.

Poseidon’s Arrow continues a string of good narratives written by Clive and Dirk Cussler, but for the second book in a row there are issues that while annoying doesn’t derail everything.

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Book Review: Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

Red Country by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What would a fantasy western be like? Red Country the sixth book and third standalone novel of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law world answers that question in its blood-splattered pages with a cast of morally questionable characters some of whom are looking to save family, become better, and to get rich.

Shy South, her sister Ro, brother Pit, and their stepfather Lamb live on a farmstead near the little town of Squaredeal in the Near Country, a lawless and large unsettled land west of the Union ruled Starikland that is constantly in rebellion. While Shy and Lamb are in town, their farm is burned to the ground, their friend Gully murdered, and Shy’s siblings kidnapped by an indebted Grega Cantliss who plans to sell children to the Dragon People who reside in the mountains northwest of the goldrush boom town of Crease. Shy and Lamb begin chasing Cantliss’ gang and eventually find three deserters who Lamb beats up for information then kills in a tavern in Averstock to Shy’s surprise. The legendary scout Dab Sweet and his ‘associate’ Crying Rock catch up with the duo and offer them a chance to join their caravan to Crease in the Far Country that they accept. Meanwhile the Union with ‘help’ by Nicomo Cosca’s mercenary company defeats the most recent rebellion in Starikland, Cosca’s company is paid by the Inquisition to head into the Near Country to find rebels much to the chagrin of the Company’s lawyer, Temple. After sacking Squaredeal, Temple and another Company solider go into Averstock to convince the rebels to save the townspeople but Cosca sends in the Company to sack it before the time he gave them was up. Temple runs from the Company and through a series of misadventures falls into a river and is saved by Shy and allowed to join the caravan but in Shy’s debt that he must work off. The biggest incident on the trip was an attack by the Ghosts, native tribesmen, lead by Sangeed through the instigation of Sweet and Crying Rock to get money for their retirement. After fighting off the Ghosts, Lamb kills Sangeed at the negotiation leading the band retreating. Upon their arrival in Crease, Shy and Lamb learn that Cantliss is employed by Papa Ring who is feuding with The Mayor with each control one-half of the city (on either side of the only street in town). Lamb agrees to fight for The Mayor in an upcoming fight for control of the town and later learns his opponent is Glama Golden. Temple helps build a shop for one of the caravan’s participants to finish off his debt to Shy and at the party upon its completion hooks up with Shy but runs out on her when Cantiss bursts into their room to kidnap her before the fighting. Another of the caravan’s members rescues Shy during Lamb’s fight in which he goes berserk and kills Golden resulting in The Mayor winning the town. Ring is hung and Cantliss is captured to lead Shy and Lamb to the Dragon People when Cosca appears forcing a change of plans. Shy, Lamb, Dab, Crying Rock, and a few others of the caravan lead Cosca’s company now including Temple again to the Dragon People and rescue Ro and Pit along with many others as the mercenaries ransack the mountain hideaway that includes a cave full of gold. On the way back, one of the caravan’s members is found out to be the leader of the Starikland rebellion leading to the rest of the caravan members attempting to rescue him by stealing the Company’s pay wagon while Lamb fights his way into where the Inquisition is questioning him. Temple and Shy crash the wagon but are saved by the real rebel leader who takes the gold to start a new war. They return to Crease before the mercenaries and arrange a trick to convince them that the town has pledged allegiance to the slowly rising Old Empire, the Inquisition strips Cosca of leadership of the Company and head back to Starikland. Lamb returns a few days later and the family head home only for Cosca to reappear only to be killed. Upon their return to Squaredeal, Shy takes over the general store while Temple becomes a carpenter/lawyer. One day Caul Shivers appears looking for Lamb to get revenge for his brother but decides not to fight. Lamb leaves the same day for his own reasons.

The amount of morally questionable characters in this Joe Abercrombie work should not be a surprise, what is how many of them are at least trying to not be total…jerks. Shy and Temple were both fun characters to read, each having their previous screw ups to live down but also wanting something better. Seeing the return of one of Abercrombie’s best characters from the first trilogy answered the cliffhanger ending he had at the end of The Last Argument of Kings, but his years long struggle to be a better man ended when he once again became the Bloody Nine. Though I have never read a western, this had the feel of one not only with the caravan and it’s obligatory native tribesmen attack but also a goldrush boom town that its literally isn’t big enough for the two factions opposing one another. Abercrombie also shows that the overall political situation in the world is changing as the Old Empire of the original trilogy is apparently revitalized and a potential rival for the Union, yet the long shadows of the past as seen with the Dragon People means that the fantastic elements of the world are still around ready to play a role.

Red Country is the answer to the question we didn’t know to ask, what would a western be like set in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law world. The mixture of previously established and newly introduced character makes a engaging story that keeps you reading from beginning to end.

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Story Review: The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut

The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The novelization of one of the greatest film sequels in history came out a month before its release on the big scene but the biggest surprise in film history didn’t hit the cultural zeitgeist. The Empire Strikes Back novelization by Donald F. Glut brings the amazing film to the page.

The novelization sticks close to the flow of the film without many extra scenes to flesh out the overall story. What could not be expressed on screen, the inner thoughts of characters and what the flow of the Force is like to name just a few, is included in the narrative and helps flesh out the overall feel of the galaxy far, far away. Due to being based on a previous draft of the script there are continuality artifacts, the biggest is Yoda who is blue. Unlike the Star Wars novelization this was a very readable adaptation resulting in completing it faster than its predecessor.

The Empire Strikes Back is a good novelization as Donald F. Glut was able bring the film to the page in a very readable manner. Though the film is preferred, the novelization is something nice to while away the time.

Book Review: Grant by Ron Chernow

Grant by Ron Chernow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The man who was Lincoln’s main military and policy instrument then ultimately his true political heir has been maligned as a martial brute to his supposedly noble opponent at the tale end of the American Civil War. Grant by Ron Chernow chronicles the life of one of—if not—the greatest general in American history.

As with many biographers, Chernow goes into generations of Grant’s family history—including alcoholism—as well as the personalities of his parents Jesse and Hannah who each shaped Grant for both good and ill. Much the biography covers Grant’s service in the Civil War and his Presidency, yet in the little over 100 pages that Chernow covers Grant’s life from his youth through West Point and career in the military including the Mexican War then his interwar civilian life. Chernow not only used these pages to chronicle the young Grant’s life, but also how the struggle of alcohol and his business naivete that would cause issues throughout the rest of his life. With the start of the Civil War, Chernow goes in-depth into how Grant his first command and then how he slowly progressed up the chain of command while dealing with the rebel soldiers but army politics. Then upon Grant’s ascent into the high councils of Washington, Chernow shows how he reassured Lincoln that he was his man and fully embraced his agenda. It was this adherence to Lincoln’s vision that ultimately led Grant to accept the Republican nomination in 1868 and his policy in the South throughout his presidency. Throughout the pages dedicated to Grant’s time in office while the scandals surrounding those individuals that he naively appointed and supported were covered but Chernow balanced it out with achievements of Grant and many of his outstanding cabinet members did during the eight years. Though devoting a little more space to the later years of Grant’s life than those prior to 1860, Chernow focused on Grant’s battle with cancer as he raced to write his memoirs then his legacy.

Chernow knowing the general view of Grant as an alcoholic that defeated Lee through manpower and resources then presiding over a scandalous presidency took his time to address during the biography via themes throughout. Grant’s battle with alcohol was a constant theme until the latter end of his presidency and post-presidency when it appears the presence of his wife Julia and Grant’s own determination essentially conquered the problem. Throughout the Civil War portion of the text Chernow examines Grant’s tactical and strategic thinking especially when he was facing off with Robert E. Lee in Virginia or more accurately tying down Lee’s army while the rest of Union forces crushed the armies opposing them and the will of rebel civilians. Chernow’s chronicling of the scandals of Grant’s presidency was firmly tied to Grant’s naivete with people and always supporting people who he believed to be his friends, something that made him a huge mark for flim-flam men of the Gilded Age. While Chernow’s biography could be seen as “revisionism” by today’s historical readers, it could also be seen as reversing the ‘Lost Cause revisionism’ that occurred during Grant’s own lifetime.

Grant is a fantastic addition to Ron Chernow’s chronicle of great American lives like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Chernow shows that while Grant was flawed like everyone else, his status today is beginning to return to where it was after he militarily reunited the country after being diminished by those who wanted to pretend the American Civil War didn’t happen.

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Book Review: This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln

This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln by Abraham Lincoln
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This collection in the words of editor William E. Gienapp is to “provide the most direct record of his [Lincoln] ideas.” Given that Abraham Lincoln was a public individual, as hardly any of his private non-political correspondence survived, his speeches and writings not only shows his progression in eloquence and learn but how his political thoughts developed over the decades from 1831 to the end of his life. Divided into seven chapters separated by years—the first chapter covering the longest period—especially when it came to his years in the White House. Lincoln’s most famous speeches are the obvious highlights of the book, but other speeches and letters are added bonuses.

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