Book Review: Daily Wisdom for Men 2022 Devotional Collection

Daily Wisdom for Men 2022 Devotional Collection by Barbour Staff
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received this daily devotional book as a Christmas last year and frankly, I tried my best to find something substantive from it however it was either too generic or stretching the chosen texts a little bit too much. After a job change in the middle of the year upsetting my scheduling I found myself skimming entries after forgetting to read the book for a week and soon became ‘catching’ up at the end of the month.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Bigfoot Sasquatch Evidence by Grover S. Krantz

Bigfoot Sasquatch Evidence: The Anthropologist Speaks Out by Grover S. Krantz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Considered one of the original “four horsemen” and the only one to have full academic qualifications, Dr. Grover S. Krantz is one of the most important figures in the search for a native North American ape. Bigfoot Sasquatch Evidence: The Anthropologist Speaks Out is Grover S. Krantz looking at the evidence he’s studied since 1965 to conclude that there is a nonhuman bipedal in North America.

Originally published in 1992 and republished with an addendum in 1999, Krantz looked at the evidence supporting the existence of Sasquatch in the first two-thirds of the original book from looking at the footprint evidence and then analyzing the Patterson-Gimlin film subject and all the evidence pointing to its authenticity of a real animal. The final third of the original text was Krantz looking at evidence of other unknown bipedal animals from around the world and examining those researching Sasquatch. Three academic articles that Krantz wrote were added at the end of the original book followed by the 1999 addendum that Krantz addressed major and minor developments but doing so by following chapter title of the original edition and inserting information there thus giving these added pages a nice structure. Overall Krantz is an academic writer and while he gets the information across his style is boring—he is not a Jeff Meldrum, who is referenced a lot in the addendum, that can be academic for the general reader—however that doesn’t mean that the book is bad just not amazing.

Bigfoot Sasquatch Evidence is an academic’s look into the possibility of a bipedal ape in North America, Dr. Grover S. Krantz is a thorough writer though very lively in his delivery.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Decision in Philadelphia by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier

Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 by Christopher Collier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A young nation shook off the colonial chains of its European mother country, but in doing so it created financial and political upheaval internally as well as looking weak on the world stage so 55 men from across the nation gathered in a last-ditch attempt to save their nation. Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787 by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier is a history of the meeting in a hot Philadelphia summer of the men who completed the American Revolution.

The Colliers telling of the Constitutional Convention began with how the meeting came about and the major figures that has helped bring it out and would attend. The Colliers followed the proceedings of the Convention through topic and not day-to-day retelling, thus allowing them to show how the Constitution was created through the various conflicts between the delegates first between “big” and “small” states (based on population) and then the section conflict between North and South especially in connecting slavery and economic issues. Throughout the book the authors reminded their readers to remember the men at the Convention were not looking at things from a 20th Century perspective—the book was published in advance of the 200th Anniversary of the Convention—but from the events of their lives in the latter half of the 18th Century as well as their prejudices, but also how in the Convention the participants changed their way of thinking of political philosophy. Yet the authors while praising the work the men of the Convention did were not above criticism of the final document that they elaborated on in the final chapter.

Decision in Philadelphia is a good look into how the Constitution of the United States was created, the brothers Collier together produced a well-written history of the document that founded the American government.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Survivor, the man whose sacrifice led to the downfall of the Lord Ruler and freedom for the oppressed skaa on Scadrial, died in the first book of the original Mistborn trilogy. Mistborn: Secret History by Brandon Sanderson follows Kelsier after death during the events of the climax of the first novel and then Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages.

Throughout the original trilogy, the reader knew Vin’s life was being influenced by greater forces that were playing out on a different plain or Realm and in this novella the reader learns that Kelsier prevented himself from going to the Cosmere’s afterlife (the Beyond). Then we follow Kelsier through the background events of the next two books from the Well of Ascension to the final showdown as the Hero of Ages emerges. The supernatural elements of the Cosmere are explained, especially those specific to Scadrial, and other characters from the Cosmere appear for knowledgeable readers through are also intriguing introductions for beginning readers. Absolutely this should be read only after finishing the Mistborn trilogy.

Mistborn: Secret History is exactly that, the now revealed background events that affected Vin’s story in the original trilogy.

View all my reviews

Book Review: What If? 2 edited by Robert Cowley

What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been by Robert Cowley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The path untrodden, counterfactual reality, or simply alternate history. Twenty-five of the 20th Century’s eminent historians look at what might have been in the essay anthology What If? 2 edited by contributor Robert Cowley.

The twenty-five essays range from 424 B.C. in Ancient Greece to the 1948 Elections in the United States covering a variety of topics though for roughly 300 of the 430 pages covered the time between 1912 and 1948. Unlike the previous volume, many of the essays focused on the actual event than going into an alternative scenario or would briefly speculate about things happening differently in the last two paragraphs. The essays that focused on the assignment that were good were Thomas K. Rabb’s essay on Charles I dying in 1641 of the plague and adverting the English Civil War, Alistair Horne’s fanciful piece on Napoleon III not taking Otto von Bismark’s bait to advert the Franco-Prussian war, George Feifer’s essay on Lenin on influencing the Russian Revolution, and Richard B. Frank’s essay on if the United States hadn’t dropped the atomic bombs.

What If? 2: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been is an interesting set of essays, a lot are knowledgeable for someone who doesn’t know specific points talked about however the “alternate” aspect was lacking compared to the previous collection.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Zodiac of Death by Don Lasseter and Dana Holliday

Zodiac of Death by Don Lasseter
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Zodiac of Death is a collection of mini biographies of some of the most notorious killers in the 20th Century written by true crime reporter Dan Lasseter followed an explanation of their horoscope that astrologist Dana Holliday attempts to explain as fulfilling the individual’s destiny. After reading the first individual’s biography and horoscope, I instantly decided to skip all the rest of the horoscopes as I did not understand anything written and didn’t want to waste my time with the rest of the book figuring those sections out. That meant I was reading the mini biographies—basically life and crimes in “wonderful” detail—of some of the worst human beings who’ve walked the earth and frankly I wanted to get through it as quickly as possible to get this book off my shelf and to a used book store.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A once-glorious empire has been shattered, petty-kings from within look to take over as much as they can while the former rulers of the lands look to reconquer, and everyone is looking to the new tribesmen on the horizon that look to repeat what the now defunct dynasty did. The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay is a historical fantasy that follows the lives several individuals—famous and unknown—in the dying of one era and the beginning of another in the land they call home.

Taking clear inspiration from history of Moorish Spain, Kay weaves a story of people attempting to live the best they can in a rapidly changing world that divides them both religiously and politically. Though the religions practiced are clearly analogs to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism they are defined enough to be their own unique thing in the world Kay created as well as how characters take their faith from in name only to zealotry. The political intrigue throughout the book and how characters deal with the effects of the events helps move the plot—along with religious strife—in relation with their own hopes and fears creating a compelling narrative over 500 pages that keep the reader glued. Kay’s prose and in places effective use of poetry is engaging so much so that I look forward to getting my hands on other books of his.

The Lions of Al-Rassan features analogs of real life religions and history, however Guy Gavriel Kay uses those elements and a touch of fantasy to weave together an amazing narrative that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Rise of the Dragon by George R.R. Martin, Elio M. Garcia Jr., and Linda Antonsson

The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty Volume One is basically Fire & Blood Volume One but illustrated. One could say this was a money grab or that the previous book shouldn’t have been published and the material should have waited until quality illustrations like in this book were created or both could be true, it doesn’t matter. Of the two books, get The Rise of the Dragon for the simple fact that with the amazing illustrations the material is enhanced. But given the non-illustrated material is just a rehash from another book, I’m downgrading the rating of this book as a result to show my annoyance.

View all my reviews

Book Review: White Sand Volume II by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's White Sand Volume 2 Tp by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kenton struggles to save the Diem while trying to understand its secrets that might have led to its betrayal in the desert while the Duchess Khriss tries to continue her mission. Brandon Sander’s White Sands Volume 2 finds the various protagonists introduced in the previous volume struggling to accomplish their goals.

The middle installment of this trilogy sees politics and mysteries take center stage as Kenton and Khriss work separately and together to achieve their goals. This is a classic Sanderson story though in graphic novel form, which is brought to the page by the art of Julius Gopez (Chapters 1-5) and Julius Otha (Chapter 6) in addition to colorists Morgan Hickman (Chapters 1-2) and Salvatore Aialas Studios (Chapters 3-6). Overall, the story is good and engaging, however given the format the book the art and color are important. Given the multiple artists I would say that the coloring of Salvatore Aialas Studios worked with both comic artists even though Gopez was more unique while Otha seemed more “generic” in character design but was satisfied in the results.

White Sands Volume 2 is a good continuation of the story in Brandon Sanderon’s Cosmere but shortness of the book made me feel that all three volumes had been combined in an omnibus edition.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster by Lyle Blackburn

Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster by Lyle Blackburn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The small town of Louisiana, Missouri had a strange summer in 1972 when a creature put it briefly made it famous, but was it real or fake? Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster by Lyle Blackburn goes into detail of the two months that the creature made life interesting in corner of the Show Me state.

Over the course of almost 140 pages of text, Blackburn details the strange events that occurred in Louisiana, MO over the course of July and August 1972 as well as the surrounding area along the western side of the Mississippi River with some reports across the river in Illinois as well. Not only does he describe the encounters or sightings of a large, black haired bipedal entity but of footprint finds and the sighting of strange orbs of light around town that just added to the “strangeness” of that summer especially when he gives context to similar things occurring in Pennsylvania that attracted UFO investigators. While Blackburn doesn’t dismiss the possibility of pranks in some of the instances he details in the books—in fact a set of footprints is confessed to being fake—but there are two instances which to him one in July 1971 and the initial incident in July 1972 of the Momo phenomenon that make him believe there is substance to something strange having lived in the area.

Momo: The Strange Case of the Missouri Monster is a fascinating read of how a small town and the surrounding area experienced something weird roaming the area. Lyle Blackburn not only lays out the facts in well-written manner and gives his opinion, but he allows the reader to make up their own mind as well.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Richard III by Charles Derek Ross

Richard III by Charles Derek Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The ultimate Shakespearean villain, the original evil uncle, and the poster child for physical attributes show character, he is Richard III. Following up his biography of the first Yorkist king, historian Charles Derek Ross’ Richard III covers the life and reign of the last Yorkist king who’s controversial taking of the throne still sparks debate to this day.

From the start Ross “anti-Ricardian” sentiment is out there, however he also places the man in the context of his times as well as the political environment that the Yorkists promoted. Ross even-handed approach is centered going back to what contemporary accounts of Richard’s reign and avoiding anything that he thought was Tudor propaganda, however he noted that the propaganda worked was because it appeared to have some sprinkling of truth. Ross divided the biography into three sections that boiled down to before Edward’s death, the brief Protectorate, and as King. Throughout the biography Ross emphasizes the extrajudicial executions and property appropriation that Edward IV and Warwick (Richard’s father-in-law) performed during the early Yorkist period that eventually Richard would follow in his Protectorate not only to shore up his power but then seize it. Ross assigns ultimate responsibility for Edward V and young Richard of York’s deaths to Richard and doesn’t go along with the Tudor line about who did the deed. Ross’ explores Richard’s reign as one of using all the tools at his disposal to retain power against the one challenger he had, Henry Tudor, that ultimately came down to one battle that didn’t go his way.

Richard III is a balanced look at England’s most controversial king, though Charles Derek Ross is critical of the last Plantagenet he does put the man in the context of his times and doesn’t perform a hit job.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence S. Ritter

The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It by Lawrence S. Ritter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When they started their careers, professional baseball players were lowly regarded and by the end they’re exploits sold newspapers and had people standing in crowds waiting for details of the game they were playing across the nation. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It by Lawrence S. Ritter is a collection of 26 players telling the story of their careers in their own words from the dawn of 20th Century when baseball became a national obsession.

When originally published Ritter had only interviewed 22 players—four players including a Hall of Famer were added for this enlarged edition—whose careers went just before the turn of the century to mostly the early 1920s with a few exceptions. At the time only three players of the group were Hall of Famers and after publication four more were elected, but this collection of “important” and regular players gives this book a wonderful mix as well as the player’s backgrounds. Interestingly Ritter was able to interview several players that were involved in important moments of the time like Merkel’s blunder or Fred Snodgrass’ (featured player) dropped fly in Game 7 of the 1912 World Series, or several Cincinnati players who take exception that they wouldn’t have won the 1919 World Series if the White Sox hadn’t “thrown it”. Of all the 26 players featured in the book, I had only heard of Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg—who was included in the enhanced edition—and didn’t know that much about him so the individual perspectives on how baseball became a major part of the American social-cultural fabric was very interesting.

The Glory of Their Times is a wonderful look into baseball in the first few decades of the 20th Century, Lawrence S. Ritter’s work in transforming a interview transcript into a autobiographical feature that you could imagine the player speaking the words to you was fantastic and made what it is.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Beyond Boggy Creek by Lyle Blackburn

Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch by Lyle Blackburn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is Boggy Creek, Arkansas the only southern locale of Sasquatch or does it range further afield in the South from Texas to Georgia from Kentucky down to Florida? Beyond Boggy Creek: In Search of the Southern Sasquatch by Lyle Blackburn investigates the historical and the modern history of “boogers”, “wildmen”, and “apes” in the Southern United States.

As Blackburn stated early on that this book was a quasi-sequel to The Beast of Boggy Creek, be began his survey of southern sasquatch hotspots in Fouke, Arkansas then went up the Red River into Oklahoma and Texas then headed eastward until finally finishing with the Skunk Ape in Florida. Blackburn highlighted a string of reports in a particular area during a timeframe or over the course of years to show that these weren’t one-off instances, a lot of times Blackburn would delve into archival newspaper articles from the 1800s and early 1900s of weird creatures appearing that prompted citizens to form a posse that more-often-than-not came up empty. While Blackburn did his very best to not have “modern” incidents that were similar but needed to fill page space had to including reports that seemed to repeat a few times with just the location changing—these were drive-by sightings. Besides this one gripe, this was an interesting read.

Beyond Boggy Creek explores the southern history of Sasquatch that Lyle Blackburn brought through various sources for readers to examine and come to their own conclusion.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant

Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Several millennia of Middle Eastern history as well as all Indian, Chinese, and Japanese history up to the early 1930s in less than 1000 pages of text might sound impossible, but it was accomplished. Our Oriental Heritage is the first volume of Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization series that focused on European (Western) history went from an expected five-volume series to 11.

The most glaring issue with Durant’s book is the Introduction in which he described the “building blocks” of culture and how humanity progressed to begin “civilization” by noting examples of “primitive” and “savage” peoples that Europeans had documented in the 19th Century of what had preceded the various Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. Though not surprised by the language Durant used in this section given the era he wrote this volume, it was still cringe-worthy reading that was big negative even though it covered only the first 110 pages of text. Durant’s survey of Egyptian and Middle Eastern history up to the time of Alexander the Great as well of all Indian, Chinese, and Japanese history up to the time of the 1930s is as best that could be hopeful in such a limited number of pages with the aim to show how all those “civilizations” contributed to changes in Western (European) history.

Overall, Our Oriental Heritage is a nice survey of millennia of history that Will Durant gives the reader before launching his series into European history in the next volume.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Fall of Troy by Quintus of Smyrna

The Fall of Troy by Quintus Smyrnaeus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is a gap of epic happenings between Homer’s two masterworks, in Ancient Greece there were smaller epics that complete the story but were lost in time then one man rose to the challenge to bridge the gap. The Fall of Troy by Quintus of Smyrna is the rescued remnants of the lost epics between Homer that detail the end of the Trojan War constructed into a single work.

Writing a millennium after the probable date of the first time The Iliad was first written down, Quintus decided to fill in the gap between funeral for Hector and the fall of the Troy by salvaging what was left of the little epics to complete the coverage of the war. Quintus’ quality is nothing compared to Homer, but obviously he knows it and doesn’t try to be Homer just to complete the war. Quintus achieves his goal and frankly the rating of the book is based on his decision to even write the book, what could have improved the book is if the publishers of this edition would have had either footnotes or endnotes but just as a general reader it doesn’t really ruin things it just would have enhanced it.

The Fall of Troy finishes the war that ancient western world obsessed about for a millennium and gives readers today a view of how it ended how it ended.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Shogun by James Clavell

Shōgun: A Novel of Japan by James Clavell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first Englishman to visit Japan arrives just was the delicate socio-political balance left is at a tipping point between stability or never-ending war. Shogun by James Clavell follows the story of John Blackthorne who must adapt to an alien culture whilst his protector Yoshi Toranaga navigates the late Sengoku era of Japanese politics to survive.

Clavell’s fictionalized account of the first Englishman’s arrival just before the founding of the Tokugawa shogunate is a political thriller disguised behind a man in a foreign nation story. The 1200+ page novel is an engaging read though parts throughout are repetitive—Blackthorne’s internal thoughts obsessing about the Black Ship being the main culprit—that make me thankful that Clavell cut over a third of the original during the editing process. While I enjoyed the sight into Japanese culture and the political intrigue throughout the book, the history enthusiast in me disliked Clavell’s decision to renaming historical individuals because every time I saw Toranaga I kept thinking Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ishido was Ishida Mitsunari, the Taiko was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Goroda was Oda Nobunaga, etc. to the point that I got a tad frustrated because I mixed the historical name with the fictionalized name. Yet Clavell’s overall writing was able to bring me back to the historical novel.

Shogun is a fantastic historical novel of an Englishman’s arrival in late Sengoku era Japan that brings the culture to the fore and the political intrigue twisted throughout a nice highlight.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Devil's Sea by Dirk Cussler

Clive Cussler's the Devil's Sea by Dirk Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A CIA mission to evacuate the Dalai Lama instead takes relics from an important monastery but goes missing in the Himalayas, over 60 years later some of those relics appear on a plane in the Philippines right after a mineral survey ship causes a rogue wave with new technology that puts Taiwan in the crosshairs from squad of Chinese soldiers. The Devil’s Sea is the twenty-sixth installment of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series, the first exclusively written by Dirk Cussler after co-authoring the last eight.

In his first solo outing Dirk Cussler brought a tight fun narrative of two subplots that had connections with antagonists but independent from one another that showed off Cussler’s knowledge of the established characters and a great quality in prose. The antagonists are Chinese soldiers and intelligence operatives hunting down the remains for an experimental hypersonic missile while the others are after extraterrestrial minerals from certain meteorites needed to solve thermal issues with the missiles, ironically important Tibetan relics are made from these meteorites that happen to help China’s cultural assimilation of Tibet. This connectivity of the antagonists but also their independence from one another allows the teams Dirk & Al and the Twins to have their own adventures that are engaging and fun.

The Devil’s Sea continued the vibe of the Dirk Pitt series over the last eight installments as Dirk Cussler took solo control of the series, if this is a signal of how the series will continue then I’ll continue read it.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman

Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A year after the events in the East, the two survivors arrive back to where they began not knowing the condition of the war that they only know is happening. Crown of Shadows completes C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy as a priest slowly losing his place in the order and an antihero sorcerer face off against the machinations of a demon of stunning origins.

This book is a mixture of characters dealing with their hearts in conflict and dealing with events that put the world in danger, though both are connected to one another. Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant while attempting to figure out how to defeat the demon Calesta, they must deal with the consequences of their working together. For Vryce it turns out that while his faith is intact, he can no longer be a priest while Tarrant sees the ending with his contract with the Unnamed that makes a deal with Tarrant’s servant who then turns the Forest to his own purposes. The climax sees the series mixture of science fiction and fantasy seeing each genre having it place in the text as the nature of demons is explained in a surprising way and the defeat of Calesta results in the fundamental changing of the fantasy aspect of this world forever. This final installment was stronger than its predecessor as the traveling was kept to a minimum number of pages and more pages were dedicated to character development not only of Vryce and Gerald but the other three important characters setting up a satisfying climax to the series.

Crown of Shadows is an very good and satisfying conclusion to C.S. Friedman’s unique fantasy-science fiction that saw interesting and intriguing characters placed on a very fascinating world.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Path Lit by Lightning by David Maraniss

Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As sports became embedded within the American cultural zeitgeist at the turn of the 20th Century, one man’s raw athletic ability and accomplishments would make him a legend in his own time even while being described in disparaging language at the same time. Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss follows the wandering life of the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th Century who straddled the divide between White American culture and his Native roots that mirrored thousands of others who wasn’t as well known.

Maraniss, basing the book’s title on Thorpe’s given Sac-and-Fox name, gives a very detailed chronicle of Thorpe’s life from his childhood on the reservation to attending Carlisle Indian Industrial School where is athletic prowess in first track and field then football gained national attention before his Olympic triumph followed by ‘disgrace’ then sis long professional careers in baseball, football, and even a little basketball before wandering across the country looking to make a living and get by. Yet while Thorpe the man’s story is amazing, Maraniss uses him to highlight the plight of Native Americans within the larger text of mainstream White American culture from the military and government’s treatment of tribes over history to the benign sound but cultural devastating “Kill the Indian, save the man” philosophy of Carlisle and the casual racism that the press and organized sport’s white elitism who viewed amateurism as the ideal over professionalism thus causing a 110+ year injustice. This dual purpose was executed very well by Maraniss, though I will admit that he appeared to belabor some things like his critique on historical accuracy of the 1951 Hollywood biopic because at that point the reader was in 400 pages of a biography and could tell what the inaccuracies were already. And ironically mere weeks before it’s publication some information in the biography became dated when the IOC fully restored Thorpe as sole champion and his scores of his 1912 Olympic events.

Path Lit by Lightning is not only a revealing look into the man who was head and shoulders the best athlete of his time, but also of the difficulty Native Americans dealt within as they tried to remain true to their culture while attempt to live in White American society. David Maraniss writes in a very good narrative style though at times belabors inaccuracies as if the readers didn’t pay attention in early portions of the book. Overall, highly recommend for those interested in sports biographies or Native Americans in the United States.

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.  

View all my reviews

Book Review: Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne

Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

European-Americans in the southern Great Plains feared them, other Native Americans quickly learned to get out of their way, and eventually the United States army would have to learn to be like them to defeat them. Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne gives a general history of the Comanche nation from their rise as a power on the Plains thanks to the introduction of the horse and their fall with the near extinction of the bison mainly through the lives of Quanah Parker and his mother.

Gwynne’s dual history of the Comanche nation and the Parker family so closely linked with them for most of the 19th Century, are two different books combined in one that separately would have been good but together is just okay. While the subtitle implies that Quanah Parker plays a larger role in the history of the Comanche, his prominence is in the closing days of the Comanche’s pre-reservation years and attempt to help his people once on the reservation by essentially calling duplicitous government efforts to take away reservation land. One of the biggest issues throughout is Gwynne’s use of civilization and barbarism in relation to the Comanche and Euro-Americans they encountered, along with related words like savage when not in the context of a quote, is haphazard at best and problematic at worst that should have been taken care of in the editing process.

Empire of the Summer Moon is a very good general history of the Comanche as well as very good family drama in a clash of cultures only if the two were separated as together they are an okay combination. While S.C. Gwynne shows the complicated interactions between Native tribes and the ever-expanding tide of Anglo-American settlement well, his terminology is questionable and distracting.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Matter-of-factly we’re given the moment that the main character’s life changed forever, but as we follow the narration of her life as well as insertions of the titular fictional novel things don’t seem so clear. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood is a novel within a novel—with another novel within the first—historical fiction whose multilayered unfolding mystery is peeled away until everything falls into place just as you get to the end of the book.

An elderly Iris Chase Griffin pens her autobiography that also is a biography of her famous sister Laura, whose posthumous novel the titular The Blind Assassin has a cult status in literary circles. While Iris’ biographical narration is the bulk of the novel, Atwood includes faux news articles and insertions from The Blind Assassin. But its these insertions from this novel within the novel begin revealing a different version of history of Laura’s life as well as Iris’ which would have surprised her deceased daughter who had been estranged from her. Atwood’s layered writing of biography, pulp fiction, and newspaper reports with subtle misdirection in the beginning and subtle revealing throughout the book creates a very engaging read that keeps the reader wanting to find out what really happened. Honestly, it was only in research after finishing that I learned of the Canadian history that Atwood wove into the narrative after thinking that the various real life individuals name dropped were fictional thus making me not understand the importance of some of the political talk—thanks to Iris’ politically ambitious husband—that was occurring within the novel.

The Blind Assassin was my first Margaret Atwood work and after finishing it, I can say that it will not be my last.

View all my reviews

Book Review: When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman

When True Night Falls by C.S. Friedman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Following the events in the Rahklands, the three survivors of the previous book head to the mysterious East to find the power behind their defeated opponent only to discover things are more complicated than they could have imagined. When True Night Falls is the middle installment of C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy as a priest, a native rakh, and an antihero sorcerer find a continent on the verge of a secret war.

After harrowing journey to the East, Damien Vryce, Gerald Tarrant, and Hesseth find the descendants of a few of colonizing expeditions along with the Church that Vryce serves though it’s structure with female leadership that Vryce isn’t bothered with. However, Tarrant and Hesseth ruin Vryce brief bout with happiness when they figure out the truth of the very unchurch like things this eastern version of the Church does as well as the fact that the women in charge are undercover Rakh manipulating humanity. These undercover Rakh are the tip of an invasion that’s second phase is taking on the guises of political leaders, including the father of Jenseny who can use the Rakh magical system thus showing that Erna is beginning to ‘evolve’ humans instead of being evolved by humans. Eventually the four meet up and journey to the south of the eastern continent where the Undying Prince reigns over a realm of humans and Rakh. Yet it turns out that there is a bigger game being played out that is only discovered after the climax of the book and the horrific fallout is witnessed. While the last hundred pages of the book, the climax, were excellent writing but the almost 500 pages to get there got to be a bit tiring with another travelogue though Friedman tried to liven things up by showing the all the undercover Rakh action. Though it’s hard to really write a good child character, but Jenseny came out well on paper and especially given how she figures into the book’s endgame.

When True Night Falls is an interesting middle installment of a trilogy, though by the end it reveals the larger game going on it does suffer from ‘middle book syndrome’ a tad. C.S. Friedman’s blend of science fiction and fantasy continues to be engaging and the ending of the book makes the reader want to see how the trilogy concludes.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

They survived the breaking of treaties, a migration from their original lands to a new home to the south in what is today Oklahoma, but after securing the rights to anything of value under their land could they survive the greed of white men again? Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann exposes how the richest people per capital in the world were targeted for death by their neighbors that nearly all got away with.

Grann frames his narrative non-fiction account of “Reign of Terror” around Mollie Burkhart, whose family was systematically murdered to gain the possession of all their oil headrights planned by her white uncle-in-law, William Hale and abetted by her own husband Ernest. The circumstances of smart Osage negotiating for mineral rights to their lands, the finding of oil, and Congressional “concern”—aka white lobbying—that the Osage couldn’t manage their newfound wealth thus creating “guardians” among local whites to manage people’s lives created the right environment for not only the planned murders of Mollie Burkhart’s family but nearly 60 total Osage in a ten-year period. Though the “Reign” officially ended in 1925 when Hale and his surviving co-conspirators were convicted thanks to the investigation by FBI agents led by Tom White, Grann reveals that Osage deaths continued into the 1930s thanks to white county and state government officials looking the other way for white guardians whose charges died “accidentally”. Whatever satisfaction the reader might feel seeing the guilty jailed is by the end of the book deflated by the affect this period had on the Osage as a whole.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a 100-year-old ripped from headlines true story of money and murder, ‘cowboys and indians’, and “white man’s burden” that David Grann puts into a narrative frame that engages the reader. If you’re into narrative non-fiction, read this book.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Rise of Skywalker by Rae Carson

The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition by Rae Carson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The novelization of the last film of the Disney sequel trilogy The Rise of Skywalker hit shelves four months after the film’s premiere in theaters, written by fantasy writer Rae Carson based on the screenplays written by Chris Terrio, J.J. Abrams, and Colin Trevorrow.

Faithfully following the Terrio-Abrams shotting script with elements from Trevorrow’s script tacked on where they could fit the narrative, Carson was able to add the inner thoughts of various characters to help improve the story and attempt to add details to justify the retcons and the Force power creep that just appears in this Episode of the saga. Unfortunately, Carson couldn’t figure out a way to better handle Palpatine’s return nor why he first wanted Rey dead only for her to kill him nor why he didn’t realize Rey and Ben were a dyad when he was so powerful to be a voice in Kylo/Ben’s head but not read his thoughts or understand his connection with Rey. Poe’s Force sensitivity was hinted at throughout before everyone acknowledged it at the very end which didn’t make much sense. Yet even with these negatives, Carson was able to make a better story than the film itself which to be honest wasn’t hard, but much appreciated.

The Rise of Skywalker novelization is better than the film but couldn’t answer the plot holes created by the retcons introduced in the film even though Rae Carson did her best.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras

Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The decisions and actions that led to and occurred during one of the most famous battles in American history has garnered attention from historians and armchair generals. Gettysburg: An Alternate History by Peter G. Tsouras changes the movement of troops and the tactics of the commanders to refight one of the most consequential battles in history.

Tsouras goes with three points-of-divergence, with the first being a night attack by Ewell on Cemetery Hill that gets into the rear of the Union but is beaten back. The second is Stuart arriving in time for the second day of the battle, which changes the Confederate angle of attack on the right. Yet after brutal fight that includes Dan Sickles foolish decision to advance off the line and almost ruining the Union—again—the day ends with both sides essentially ending at their historic lines. The previous two scenarios allow Tsouras to set up a massive version of Pickett’s Charge that is barely able to break through a stretched thin, battered Union line only to be steamrolled by a Union counterattack ordered by Hancock that shatters the Army of Northern Virginia into fragments that are defeated in detail within the coming weeks. One can credit Tsouras with doing an alternate Gettysburg that goes with an overwhelming Union victory, yet how he gets there and in doing so with historical actors is a bit ham-handed that he tries to hide with mixed results. The level of detail to the battlefield is great, but unless you are an aficionado on the detailed geography of the battlefield you are guessing where the action is taking place if it’s not one of the historical major locations. The fictional footnotes very early give away the end of the battle but are a unique touch to the book.

Gettysburg: An Alternate History is a very good book for those interested in a battle narrative as well as a counterfactual occurrence from the historical outcome. Peter G. Tsouras is noted for his alternate historical writing, and he delivers in this book.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is one of the most famous battles in American history that many see as the turning point of the Civil War and has been the subject of book, films, and tv specials over the 150 years since it took place. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a historical fictional account of the three-day battle in July 1863 that went on to be the basis for a Hollywood film.

Shaara retells the battle from the perspective of various characters of both sides—Generals Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Lewis ‘Lo’ Armistead, the spy Harrison, and the British observer Colonel Fremantle on Confederacy and General John Buford and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain on Union—starting in the days leading up to the beginning of July through the end of the battle. Though Shaara interprets the personality and ideas of everyone based on his research they are very believable, though the dialogue between characters is every so often hard to understand/read—though that same dialogue in the film Gettysburg worked very well. Shaara’s descriptions of the battle were vivid and inserted the reader into the defense of Little Round Top and Pickett’s Charge as if they were there with the character who was witnessing it. The only really negative was Shaara’s criticism of Union General George Meade for remaining on defense throughout the battle and afterwards, though I am doing so after recent research has revealed the logistical nightmare the Army of the Potomac was dealing with along with the orders from Washington that Meade was beholden to.

The Killer Angels is a vividly written military historical fiction by Michael Shaara that brings the three-day Battle of Gettysburg to life for the reader. Though there is a little issue with dialogue from time to time and unwarranted criticism of Meade, Shaara delivers a fantastic book.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Genesis by Jacques B. Doukhan

Genesis by Jacques B. Doukhan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genesis is the book of beginnings, not only of history but of the plan of salvation for humanity that God builds towards with imperfect material. Genesis, the supplement book for the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide (2nd Quarter, 2022) by Jacques B. Doukhan, reveals that the pillars of faith that inspire so many today are in fact human and not perfect. Yet through 121 pages Doukhan dives in-depth of these sinful individuals and how God worked with them their entire lives to leave a legacy that readers today know is achievable for them as well.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman

Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Near the galactic center humans must adapt to life on an alien planet, but it turns out that the planet and its life adapts quickly to humans as well. Black Sun Rising is the first book in C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy follows a band of humans journey to the lands of the native rahk to hunt down demons that have stolen memories from one of their number and pose a different threat to another of their number.

Twelve hundred years before the time of the novel, a colony vessel arrived on the earthlike Erna only for humanity to find the fauna not only alien but fantastical. The mix of science fiction and fantasy instantly makes an interesting environment to set a story, but Friedman adds to it by having humans upset the balance of Erna that must account for and adapt to the presence of humanity especially when human minds and emotion resulting in physical change of the world. Throughout the book this background is slowly revealed to set up new twists of the story that the five significant characters of the novel must deal with, along with their attitudes with one another. The main two characters of the book, Priest Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant are uneasy allies as they venture to the protected area in which Erna’s native inhabitants live for their own particular reasons to face the same antagonist; what makes things more interesting is that Damien is a part of the order that Gerald founded as the Prophet of the Church before turning heretic and becoming near immortal by joining with the dark side of Erna’s magical forces. The unique world and the uneasy alliance between the two main characters makes this a fascinating read.

Black Sun Rising is a well-written very interesting science fiction-fantasy opening installment of a trilogy. C.S. Friedman not only creating an amazing world that the reader explores, but fascinating characters as well.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Two Treatise of Government by John Locke

Two Treatises of Government by John Locke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Originally published in the wake of the Glorious Revolution these two essays were neglected due to a glut of tracts and treatise in support of the events of 1689-90, it wasn’t until the 1760s that they become important in political discourse. Two Treatise of Government by John Locke were a refutation of absolute monarchy and the theory of the state of nature and how government is created.

The less famous First Treatise is a straight line for line critique of Sir Robert Filmer’s divine right absolutist monarch supporting tract, Patriarcha, the conclusion of which Locke examines the Bible and history to demolish Filmer’s hypothesis. In the Second Treatise Locke turns from Filmer’s work into his own theories of the state of nature and how it eventually led to the formation of a government by contract between individuals. Overall, the First Treatise is slog with Locke apparently having to repeat the same evidence to refute Filmer and essentially isn’t needed to understand its follow-up. On the other hand, the Second Treatise begins slowly as Locke references Filmer until transition to his own theory of the state of nature that leads to his own contract theory that is thought-provoking and historically influential.

Two Treatise of Government while being connected as a refutation and then opposing argument, the latter work by John Locke this is more profound not only as political theory and from an historical perspective.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Fatal North by Bruce Henderson

Fatal North: Murder Survival Aboard U S S Polaris 1ST U S Expedition North Pole by Bruce Henderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Following the Civil War President Grant wanted to unite the country through various ways, one being the exploration of the North Pole masterminded by a two-time Artic explorer from Cincinnati. Fatal North: Adventure and Survival Aboard the USS Polaris, the First U.S. Expedition to the North Pole by Bruce Henderson follows the internally divided and essentially doomed expedition that see’s its leader most likely murdered, and its crew allowed to go undisciplined afterwards that its surprising he was the only casualty.

Henderson essentially follows the expedition from the perspective of George Tyson, a subordinate officer on the ship, who like its leader Captain Charles Francis Hall, wanted to reach the North Pole but is stunned by the lack of motivation and decline of discipline by Hall’s successor. Tyson latter becomes the nominal leader—due to the drastic decline of discipline on the ship—of a group of crew and the expedition’s Inuit abandoned by the ship on the ice and survived six months before rescue. One of the biggest questions that Henderson attempts to tackle is if the expedition’s leader was murdered and if so who did the deed, but the evidence and time result in no hard conclusion.

Fatal North is historical book of adventure and survival with a dash of mystery that Bruce Henderson wraps together in easy-to-read prose that shows great research.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Last Jedi by Jason Fry

The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition by Jason Fry
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

The novelization of the middle film of the Disney sequel trilogy The Last Jedi hit shelves four months after the film’s premiered in theaters, written by long-time Star Wars author Jason Fry based on the script by Rian Johnson.

Following the outline of the script faithfully, Fry attempted to bring sense to the story by clearing up the plot holes and give better descriptions of characters than what the finished film displayed. While Fry tries to give a credible background to Luke Skywalker’s self-imposed exile, it didn’t really feel it was the same Luke who saved his father decades before. No explanation is given why Leia doesn’t order the bombers not to proceed nor why Hondo decides not to give hope to Resistance fighters by giving them the outlines of the plan nor why the escape pods weren’t used as a distraction. Fry does make Rose Tico more of a rounded character and he’s able to give some insight into Snoke though he’s still just a device. The disconnected chronology of Rey on Ahch-To over the course of days and the Resistance’s flight from the First Order over the course of hours—as well Rose and Finn’s journey happening in that same time frame—did not make sense even though Fry tried to write around it as best he could.

The Last Jedi is a novelization that was an attempt to adapt a poorly written film to the page that Jason Fry was able to improve a little but couldn’t overcome the source material.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Master and Fool by J.V. Jones

Master and Fool by J.V. Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Prophecy, sorcery, politics, and war dominate the Known Lands though for many, they just want to survive. Master and Fool is the concludes J.V. Jones’ The Book of Words series that finds Jack, Melli, and Tawl working together to bring about the end of Kylock’s burgeoning empire.

The dark elements that Jones has been delving into through the series continued, but it felt that she really went hard on the classical fantasy tropes than in the two previous installments of the series. Jones also stealthily revises Melli’s arc by getting her pregnant by the Duke just after their wedding which gives her a pregnancy arc to deal with especially after she is captured by Kylock’s agents and his to endure his insane sadistic treatment of her until her rescue by Tawl and Jack. The two male protagonists’ finally meet—becoming insta-friends soon afterwards—and go on a road trip with Nabbler first to Larn then back to Bern destroying the first and saving the second as well as Melli via Tawl beginning the Knights of Valdis’ redemption. Kylock’s military genius—or the ineptitude of his enemies—is on full display along with his madness which is enhanced thanks to Baralis giving him a sorcery suppressing drug. The endgame was well written, though given the dark elements Jones had been weaving throughout the series if a protagonist had not made it after the final showdown, it would have worked just as well if not better.

Master and Fool finishes off the trilogy very well, but J.V. Jones’ decision to go with more tropes and putting in revisionism from how the previous book ended were enough to make this the “weakest” of the books though a very entertaining one.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The War of Wars by Robert Harvey

The War Of Wars: The Great European Conflict, 1793–1815 by Robert Harvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was the Great War before 1914, a two-decade long conflict with only a brief period of peace reminiscent of the Peloponnesian War of Ancient Greece. The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France 1793-1815 by Robert Harvey relates the military and political history and the men who shaped the period on land, sea, and in the halls of power.

Harvey doesn’t stray from historical conscious by having Napoleon as the most prominent historical actor that he follows throughout his historical survey, but this is not the mythologized Napoleon but the one that was the politically and diplomatically inept military dictator of France. Yet until Napoleon made his debut in 1793, the French Revolution had been going on for years and Harvey documented how that political upheaval influenced the beginning of the Revolutionary phase of the Wars. Though this was a pan-European War, Harvey focuses on Britain as the primary nemesis of France in every sphere of the conflict on land and sea, as well as economics and politics. While Napoleon has become the dominate figure of the period on the French side—through Harvey brings to the fore those that preceded him and might have been better overall militarily—he brings forward numerous British military and naval commander as well as the leading politicians of the day through stark language that doesn’t hero worship nor for the most part verbally bury either.

The War of Wars covers a two-decade long period of European history in a little over 900 pages of text with battle maps situated in the front of the book. Robert Harvey not only narrates the course of events in a very readable way, he writes very informative biographical sketches for the main individuals that decided the course of events.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Dead Hand Book by Sara Richard

The Dead Hand Book: Stories From Gravesend Cemetery by Sara Richard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Dead Hand Book: Stories From Gravesend Cemetery is an illustrated collection of short stories from the titular location drawn and written by Sara Richard. A mixture of melancholy, the macabre, and the creepy Richard writes as short story on a gravestone or memorial on one page of a two-page black-and-white illustration that brings the words to “life” but reveals even more to the astute observer. As a longtime fan of Richard’s art, this 96-page book did not disappoint.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Rogue One by Alexander Freed

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The novelization of the first of Disney’s Star Wars anthology films Rogue One hit the shelves a few weeks after the film’s premiere in theaters to avoid spoilers, written by Alexander Freed based on the script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy.

Freed followed the events in the script faithfully, but the narrative was improved with insights into the thoughts of the primary characters of the novel. Freed interlaced the narrative with one-time characters to add actions and descriptions to various parts of the narrative, especially the destruction of Jedha. Jyn, Cassian, Bodhi, and Kennic were the most well-rounded characters throughout the narrative with Freed making them the dominate point-of-views through more appear during the Battle of Scarif giving the event the big time feel it deserved. The added “Supplemental Data” interlaced throughout the book gives additional background information without being the dreaded “info dumps” that interrupt the narrative flow of the story.

Rogue One is the first novelization that I’ve read that is of equal quality to the film its adapted from.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward

The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many people confuse the American Revolution with the American War of Independence, however while the former is both military and political developments the latter is strictly for the armed conflict that was apart of the former. The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward follows the armed conflict in eastern North America that would bring about the birth of the United States.

While histories of the American Revolution cover all facets of the conflict, for 95% of this book Ward focuses only on the military aspect on land—this includes both battlefield events and provisioning the armies—of the conflict. Save for setting up how the fighting began between the colonists and the British army in Massachusetts and interesting asides, Ward follows the maneuvers, tactics, and strategies of both sides as well as the personalities of their generals, officers, and notable regular soldiers. Originally published as two volumes, one focused on the war in the North and the other in the South, not only due to the shift of geographic emphasis that occurred during the war but also the nature of the war in each region. One interesting feature is that Ward is very detailed in describing the history of the Continental regiments from Maryland and Delaware, this is because this book is an outgrowth of a history Ward wrote about Delaware’s contribution to the Continental Army throughout the war.

The War of the Revolution is an excellently written military history of the American War of Independence that Christopher Ward developed out of a history of the participation of one of the smallest states within the Continental Army. Though roughly 70 years old, this book is a must read for those fascinated with military history whether of the United States specifically or in general.

View all my reviews

Book Review: A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke

Locke: Letter Concerning Toleration, a by John Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Originally a private letter to a Dutch friend who published it without his knowledge, the political thoughts of John Locke was first introduced to his native England in A Letter Concerning Toleration that would allow his future works to gain a large reading then and now.

In a time of political and religious conflict, Locke’s Letter revealed not only his uncertainty of known the “one true religion” when so many versions of Christianity existed but mixed that uncertainty with practical implications what how the peace in civil society would be affected by religious toleration with a reliance on Biblical analysis in key junctions within his argument. While not explicitly copying Roger Williams’ argument that the state can not enforce the first four commandments of the Decalogue as it would be interfering with God, Locke comes close in his argument that civil magistrates should only focus on keeping the peace of civil society by staying out of God’s purview because it would—though implying it already had—result in oppressed groups disrupting civil society either through civic action against them or them acting out in desperation. Locke’s Letter is not as thoroughly anti-Catholic has it was originally thought—though the criticism of High Church Anglicans that his argument for religious toleration would allow a Catholic takeover of England can be seen as them trying to insert a “boogeyman” to hid the fact they were attempting to do what he opposed—as while he opposed those that followed a “foreign” Prince (the Pope with worldly authority), if others who followed the same religious practices and theology while following their natural civil magistrates (essentially practicing Catholic who view the Pope as authority on spiritual matters only) he saw no reason why the latter could not be tolerated. Only at the end of the Letter when Locke discusses heresy and schism that his thoughts are hard to decipher and what relevance it had in the overall work.

A Letter Concerning Toleration was John Locke’s call for government not to concern itself with the spiritual salvation of its citizens and only on their civic wellbeing, while implying that religion should focus the spiritual not the civil. This short piece gives the reader an introduction into Locke’s writing before going on to longer pieces.

View all my reviews

Book Review: A Theologico-Political Treatise and A Political Treatise by Baruch Spinoza

A Theologico-Political Treatise and A Political Treatise by Baruch Spinoza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A scion of Jewish refugees from the Iberian Peninsula living in the Dutch Golden Age, brought to print one of the most controversial texts of the early modern period. A Theologico-Political Treatise and A Political Treatise by Benedict de Spinoza are one of the most controversial texts of its time and an unfinished—by the author’s death—text that would have expounded upon the author’s political thoughts.

In his Theologico-Political, Spinoza argues what the best roles of state and religion concluding that a bit of democracy, freedom of speech and religion within a state that remains supreme in governance of the populace without the meddling of religious leaders. To bring about his conclusions, Spinoza critiqued the Bible, organized religion, and the meddling of philosophy and Scriptural interpretation. Yet Spinoza spent so much time in his criticism that his quick turn to his conclusions almost seemed like an add on even though this reader loved his conclusion. The unfinished Political Treatise dealt with how a monarchal or aristocratic form of government—his was just beginning his discussion of democracy at his death—could function without devolving into tyranny and not violating the liberty of its citizens. How Spinoza’s ideal governmental forms of monarchy and aristocracy were constituted were intriguing, but the treatise unfinished status leaves a reader a lot of questions without how Spinoza would incorporate his previous ideas in Theologico-Political. Of the two treatises presented, the completed Theologico-Political is of better value yet is appears to harbor Spinoza’s resentment in falling out with the Jewish community of Amsterdam, however his ending argument for the secularization of state governance along with the freedom of speech and religion are highly valuable.

This book is important for those interested in political thought and the role of religion—if any—in government. While Benedict de Spinoza’s own personal issues due come through the text the Theologico-Political Treatise is important in the evolution of thought in freedom of religion.

View all my reviews

Book Review: A Man Betrayed by J.V. Jones

A Man Betrayed by J.V. Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magic, prophecies, human trafficking, politics, and the human heart in conflict with itself highlight the middle installment of Jones’ The Book of Words series. A Man Betrayed continues the stories of Jack, Melli, and Tawl as they head towards their destiny all the while Kylock forges a northern empire.

Jones continued her mixture of classical fantasy tropes and darker elements with the heroic journey and the set up for a stab in the back featured in falling the titular character. While Melli’s human trafficking journey to Bren and eventually meeting with Tawl, whose own redemption arc is beginning thanks to Nabber, mixes sex and politics with her eventual—very short—marriage to the Duke of Bren upending the plans of several individuals it was Jack’s personal journey of misguided vengeance—tricked in believing the worst of Melli’s fate—and eventual magical rage that sets him up at the end of the book to learn to control his magically “curse”. The political machinations of Baralis and Maybor while in Bren are thrown all over the place with Kylock’s actions and the Duke of Bren’s countermoves, but Baralis’ alliance with the duke’s daughter seems him on the verge of his decades-long ambition. Unlike the previous installment there were no questionable issues that distracted me even though it was obviously that Jack was being set up by the those he was around after his split with Melli that he was going to be betrayed, however it and the consequences were well written.

A Man Betrayed is a good middle of a trilogy installment as J.V. Jones develops her characters and moves the pieces of the narrative into a situation in which the ultimate climax appears to be something special.

View all my reviews

Book Review: First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A boy from Ohio fascinated by planes and how they are engineered one day becomes the most famous man on the planet by stepping onto the Moon. First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong is the authorized biography of the Apollo 11 commander by James R. Hansen.

Hansen centers the biography on the Apollo 11 mission, which from the decision to name Neil Armstrong commander to his return home. The first quarter and the final quarter of the biography literally bookends those approximately eight months with the former detailing Armstrong’s childhood passion for flight that led to his career as a test pilot then astronaut and the later detailing how the modest Armstrong adjusted—or did not—to worldwide fame that only lessened in everyday life as he grew older. Given the number of pages that Hansen concentrated on Armstrong’s time with NASA, there are a lot of vehicle abbreviations that need to be negotiated when reading but Hansen does a good job in make sure readers learn the terms however if one doesn’t pay attention, you can miss something and get confused. Yet this book is a fantastic read thanks to Hansen’s interviews of Armstrong and his extensive research into the Apollo 11 logs which flesh out those momentous July days for those not alive to experience them.

First Man is a very well written biography that blends NASA archived logs, author interviews of Armstrong, and interviews of fellow Gemini and Apollo astronauts.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Exploring Hebrews by George R. Knight

Exploring Hebrews: A Devotional Commentary by George R. Knight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Old Testament allusions, Jewish rituals, and comparisons between Jesus and leaders like Moses makes reading the Epistles to the Hebrews seem daunting and confusing but within shows the grandeur of Christ’s sacrifice. Exploring Hebrews: A Devotional Commentary by George R. Knight explains the Epistle in through scripture and plain language to give readers a better understanding of the Biblical author’s sermon to 1st Century Jewish Christians and how its applicable to Christians today.

Knight guides the reader through the Epistle to the Hebrews using his own translation—though he consulted several English versions during the process—in 53 segments. Each lesson focuses on a passage of the Epistle with Knight’s giving commentary as well as giving it a practical application for the reader today. Throughout the book, Knight highlighted various themes that the Epistle’s author—most likely Paul—along with emphasizing when the book switches from theological exposition and practical exhortation to its readers. Two of the keys takeaways that Knight brings forth is the shadow that the Tabernacle/Temple ceremonies were of the events in the Heavenly Sanctuary upon Jesus’ ascension along with how readers then and now need to have the faith of the great heroes that could only look forward towards Christ than knowing what Christ had done.

Exploring Hebrews is an excellent commentary and devotional authored by George R. Knight that gives the readers a deeper understanding of the Epistle.

View all my reviews

Book Review: In These Last Days: The Message of Hebrews by Felix H. Cortes

In These Last Days: The Message of Hebrews Adult Bible Study Guide 1Q 2022 by Félix H. Cortes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Epistle of Hebrews is well-known for one chapter, but while by itself that chapter is inspiring when considered in context of the entire book it’s meaning only grows. In These Last Days: The Message of Hebrews, the supplement book for the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide (1st Quarter, 2022) by Felix H. Cortez, reveals the struggles that Jewish Christians were dealing against the dominate culture they had grown up with and lived among. Through 128 pages, Cortez shows that the author of the Epistle—most likely Paul—reveals to the readers then and today that all the teachings of the Jewish Temple were all shadows that pointed to Christ’s sacrifice and later ministry in the Heavenly sanctuary that all those in Jewish history faithfully looked forward to.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster

The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The novelization of the first film of the Disney sequel trilogy The Force Awakens hit the shelves a few weeks after the film’s premiere in theaters to avoid spoilers, written by fantasy-science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster based on the script by J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt.

Foster followed the film script faithfully, so faithfully that he barely was in any of the characters heads giving them personality or extra scenes to flesh out the story. But even sticking with the script, Foster’s writing was lackluster and his transition from character to character in the same scene was near confusing at times. What makes it worse is that Foster’s short story, “Bait”, had better writing and characters in ten pages than 300 pages of the primary story of the book. Of the few extra scenes or focus on characters, Foster did address how Rey knew the workings of the Millennium Falcon which helped the narrative as did how Poe Dameron survived but Rey’s use of the Force like the film came off lame. The other and lengthier short story, “The Perfect Weapon”, by Delilah S. Dawson is fantastic and the best reason to pick up this book.

The Force Awakens is a novelization that exists, honestly the two bonus short stories that take up the last quarter of the 400 pages were better reads and earned the second star of this rating.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Slaying the Dragon by Ben Riggs

Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons by Ben Riggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange of an honest review.

TSR just appear to be three letters, but it was the company founded to publish Dungeons & Dragons which launched the role-playing game genre and would impact fantasy throughout pop culture. Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons by Ben Riggs tells the story of a small company in a little Wisconsin city that changed pop culture.

Riggs account of the company that literally invented a game genre, not only covers the beginnings of the rise of geekdom into the pop culture zeitgeist but also the creative individuals a part of the company that created fascinating new worlds to play in or as time went on to delve into through fantasy novels both augmented by amazing art. In addition to interviewing scores of former employees and executives of TSR, Riggs delved into internal sales numbers, contracts, lawsuits, and other related financial details to full detail the health of the company over its lifetime while relating the information in easily readable prose. Although he tried to get her first-hand account, Riggs had to examine the role of Lorraine Williams—who came in to save the company but ultimately whose decisions resulted in its death a decade later—through the eyes of others each with their agendas and or grievances.

Slaying the Dragon records the history of a company that created and dominated its own industry until it collapsed trying to grow its customer base and broaden its portfolio. Ben Riggs does an excellent job in revealing the individuals that ran, sustained, brought it down, and ultimately though that saved its legacy.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul by John M. Barry

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The founding of the smallest state and its secular character are directly attributed to him and inspired the Founding Fathers, but Roger Williams is a man from a complex time in both England and colonial America. John M. Barry’s Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty is not only a biography of Williams but a cultural, political, and religious history of his time.

While it takes a while for Barry to focus on Williams and his soon-to-be very revolutionary thinking, he sets the groundwork not only for Williams intellectual and religious development but also the political and cultural context of his life. First and foremost is the political view of the early Stuart monarchs of divine right of kings going up against Magna Carta and Parliament that will eventually set off the English Civil War, and alongside it was the struggle over the Church of England and those Puritans who would not conform to practices that looked decidedly “popish”. It is easy to forget sometimes that England and its American colonies interacted before 1763 and the lead up to the American Revolution, but Barry plainly illustrates that events in each did have an impact on one another whether religiously or politically. Roger Williams’ vision of separation of church and state has come up against John Winthrop’s “city on a hill”, ironically a Puritan version of conform or else mirroring what was happening in England, throughout American history and this was central to Barry’s book even as he followed the live and struggles of Williams. One of the biggest takeaways from the book is that history does not happen in a vacuum as the development of Roger Williams’ revolutionary idea came from a messy political and religious background.

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul is not only a book about the life of Williams, but Barry shows how Williams was influenced by not only important personages he came in contact with but also how he influenced them.

View all my reviews