false 3 110 88 true 5835436 read 4 true 1734599 currently-reading 18 true 1734598 to-read 31 false 2197853 mark--2008 21 false 1744158 mark--2007 19 false 1825586 mark_pre-su07 17 false 4139711 mark--2009 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77630510 Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (Paperback) by Jonathan Edwards
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77630497 The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters (Hardcover) by Charles Colson
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]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77630455 to: The World According to Garp (Hardcover) by John Irving
bookshelves: mark_pre-su07
[Book:] Weird though well written. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75380153 to: The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War (Hardcover) by David Halberstam
bookshelves: mark--2009
[Audio:] I was drawn to this book because I, like so many Americans, don't know much about the Korean War (beyond MASH an The Manchurian Candidate). This final book by Halberstam was broad in its scope giving the reader great insight into the people, both large and small, and provides the background that lead up to the war.

Two things really struck me about this book. The first was Halberstam's ability to get the reader inside the key players of the war. From Mao and his key general Peng to MacArthur, Truman, Ridgeway, Almond, and a number of individual US soldiers, Halberstam gives you insight into why people did what they did by displaying their personal histories. This is my first of Halberstam's books, so he probably does this in other works, but it was impressive. You leave the book wondering how things might have been different if this or that person was not part of it (Halberstam is no fan of MacArthur or the generals he employed, Almond and Willoby). The strong influence of personality on decisions that effect the lives of millions is fascinating.

The other thing Halberstam does is take you into the battles and lives of the common soldier. The primary focus of his book is the first nine months of this 2-3 year war. He sees this as the period that set the stage that lead to the later stalemate that ended, again, with a divided Korea. Also, it was the decisions made leading up to and during this period that caused such needless carnage and committed us to another 2-3 years of war. You're awed by the ability of our soldiers, and the Chinese, to fight in such a wretched environment (for example, fighting in the North Korean mountains in temps of 40 degrees below zero, and this before wind chill was taken into account).

This is an impressive book, I very much recommend it for an intro to the Korean War. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71394511 Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach About Evolution is Wrong (Paperback) by Jonathan Wells
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]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75380046 Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Hardcover) by Charles Ryrie
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[Book:] ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70738546 The Trinity (Guides to Theology) by Roger E. Olson
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70738203 Darwin on Trial (Paperback) by Phillip E. Johnson
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]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70738164 Evolution: A Theory In Crisis (Paperback) by Michael Denton
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70737981 The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) by Robert Spencer
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