I've read nearly everything written on the Battle of Midway over the past 40+ years, so when this title came out, I wasn't in a hurry to pick it up. WI've read nearly everything written on the Battle of Midway over the past 40+ years, so when this title came out, I wasn't in a hurry to pick it up. What new could it bring to the table? I'm glad I finally picked it up. While there isn't a lot of new information in the book from my point of view, what is here is well presented, and the prose is extremely readable. I appreciated focus on certain aspects of the battle, such as the part played by USS Nautilus, and the reasons behind the poor showing of the air groups from USS Hornet, that aren't dwelled upon in a lot of the histories.
It's not as thorough of a history, but Symonds "The Battle of Midway" in many ways is a good counterpart to the amazing "Shattered Sword".
I enjoyed this, and will be searching out Symonds' other books....more
I really enjoyed this. I'm not a huge slasher fan, as I, like Hendrix himself, wasn't allowed to watch rated R movies as a kid, so I didn't develop a I really enjoyed this. I'm not a huge slasher fan, as I, like Hendrix himself, wasn't allowed to watch rated R movies as a kid, so I didn't develop a taste for the genre at a young age.
From what I have seen of the slasher movies and books, I've always had an issue with the genre in the way it treats victims as disposable and forgettable quantities. In Final Girl, Hendrix fleshes-out of these characters, making them more than just a body count. The things Hendrix is known for, subdued dark humor, and allowing the reader's imagination to supply most of the details to the horror aspects, are present here and work extremely well.
It's a fun and compelling read, I blew through it in exactly a week. ...more
A nice insight into the life of Nat Love. The writing is a bit uneven, as it was dictated to someone that didn't do a lot of editing of train-of-thougA nice insight into the life of Nat Love. The writing is a bit uneven, as it was dictated to someone that didn't do a lot of editing of train-of-thought tangents, but there's still a lot of great stories in it. Even though a lot of the stories do have a "tall tale" feel to them -- attribute that to the book being written years after the fact? -- the book is a very informative look at the experiences of an ex-slave's transition to the life of a cowboy, post-Civil War. ...more
A great overall look at the war in Europe from the United States' perspective, covering from Normandy through to the surrender. Atkinson goes a lot inA great overall look at the war in Europe from the United States' perspective, covering from Normandy through to the surrender. Atkinson goes a lot into logistics, which isn't the typical "sexy" subject matter of WWII books, and shows how it was that "behind the lines" business of getting supplies to the front line troops that dictated much of the pace of the last year of the war. He also delves into the shortage of manpower, such as how British and German losses over the many years of war affected how many soldiers could be thrown into battle. American losses suffered during the Normandy campaign are also stacked against maintaining enough reserves of U.S. forces to prepare for the anticipated invasion of Japan.
Well thought out and written, this is an amazing book. I now need to go back and read the first two volumes....more
Very detailed and informative book focused almost entirely on the U.S. cavalry during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Dispositions and actiVery detailed and informative book focused almost entirely on the U.S. cavalry during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Dispositions and actions are very well covered for that first day, as well as brief coverage of the units' reduced employment the night of July 1st, and the day of July 2nd.
My only quibble with the book is it's titled "John Buford at Gettysburg", and while it does indeed feature him, it's less about the man and more about the units under his command. And while it's true that once battle is joined, the General has limited control over the actions of his men, I would have liked a bit more insight into Buford's decision making as well as quotes from him as to what he was thinking that day; just more of his personal experiences during the battle.
That said, it really is a great book that brings a lot more detail to an aspect of the Battle of Gettysburg that has long been overshadowed by the other actions of those three days....more
Definitely one of the most "out there" premises that I've read from Jemisin. She pulls it off well, though, and any time I felt myself getting lost inDefinitely one of the most "out there" premises that I've read from Jemisin. She pulls it off well, though, and any time I felt myself getting lost in the rules of the universe, the characters always grounded me. Fun, innovative, and a great commentary on urbanization and gentrification....more
A very, very detailed look at the daily air combat that took place in the South Pacific during the covered time. If you're looking for specific aircraA very, very detailed look at the daily air combat that took place in the South Pacific during the covered time. If you're looking for specific aircraft and pilots involved, their fates, etc., this is the book for you. ...more
I'm all about snarky, anti-hero protagonists, and Sixteen Ways has that in spades. A humorous look at engineering and self-preservation at odds with tI'm all about snarky, anti-hero protagonists, and Sixteen Ways has that in spades. A humorous look at engineering and self-preservation at odds with the deep seated need to do the right thing. An enjoyable, quick read....more
A funny and informative read. Pearson does double-duty in both relating his love of war-gaming, while telling the history of war-gaming miniatures, plA funny and informative read. Pearson does double-duty in both relating his love of war-gaming, while telling the history of war-gaming miniatures, plastic model kits, and several other activities adults use to hold onto childhood in order to better deal with adulthood. ...more
Hendrix takes the concept of “humans are the monsters” further in this book. The majority of the horror isn’t outright violence or hostility, but thatHendrix takes the concept of “humans are the monsters” further in this book. The majority of the horror isn’t outright violence or hostility, but that of mistrust, fear, apathy, and a genuine inability of some to value the opinions of others, especially if those opinions are counter to our belief, or present us with an uncomfortable or inconvenient truth. So, while a vampire tale, and therefore there’s truly a monster involved, the greatest monstrosity for the characters is the indifference we can all feel towards another’s value and knowledge. Very well done....more
Donald L. Miller's book is a mid-level look at the events from Grants first arrival at Cairo, Illinois, in 1861, up through the capture of Vicksburg iDonald L. Miller's book is a mid-level look at the events from Grants first arrival at Cairo, Illinois, in 1861, up through the capture of Vicksburg in 1863. Miller covers the planning and thought behind the push to recapture the entire Mississippi river valley, focusing more on plans, logistics, and political intent than on the soldier's eye view of the conflict; there's still some of this, but those looking for pages of "a day in the life" of the soldiers on the line, they need to look elsewhere.
Two aspects of Miller's work are a refreshing change. First, far too often, the impact of the Navy's contribution to the western theater is overlooked. The input of Farragut and Porter are well covered here. At the beginning of the book, there's even a section dedicated to the Cairo naval yard, as well as the planning for, and the construction of, the City Class ironclads, the "Pook Turtles". I don't know that I've encountered that anywhere else, outside of a dedicated title on the Civil War navies.
Second, Miller goes into far greater detail into the many consequences that resulted from the Union army's policy of giving refuge to runaway slaves. We see the initial resistance of the Union army commanders to taking on the burden of feeding and clothing ex-slave refugees, all the way up through both the army and navy openly welcoming the refugees into the services. It's a far more convoluted process than that sentence summarizes, and the book was worth reading if only for that new-to-me information.
Vicksburg is well written, covers lots of new grounds, and shines light on different aspects of a well-known military campaign, showing the reader that it takes a lot more than an army in the field to win a campaign....more
Foote's three book series started over 50 years ago, yet it's still one of the most compelling reads about the American Civil War. While there's newerFoote's three book series started over 50 years ago, yet it's still one of the most compelling reads about the American Civil War. While there's newer books with more accurate information, few have the almost-lyrical voice in which Foote tells his story.
This was my second or third reading of this series. I will likely read it again in the future....more
Wes Olson's book, THE LAST CRUISE of a GERMAN RAIDER: THE DESTRUCTION of SMS EMDEN, is a fascinating read, not only about the career of Emden, but it Wes Olson's book, THE LAST CRUISE of a GERMAN RAIDER: THE DESTRUCTION of SMS EMDEN, is a fascinating read, not only about the career of Emden, but it also provides a window into the warfare of the early 20th century. Also, I do love a good solid book, and this is one is very well-made, with thick paper, and solidly constructed, so much so that it really jumped out at me how well made the physical book is. Besides that, the book covers everything from ship design, operational logistics, area of operation, operational requirements, and the final battle between Emden and Sydney, making this an informative and satisfying read. ...more
McCullough covers a little known window of American history with THE PIONEERS. Set in the Northwest Territory, the area that would one day make up theMcCullough covers a little known window of American history with THE PIONEERS. Set in the Northwest Territory, the area that would one day make up the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the book tells of the ordinance formed to allow settling in the lands ceded by the British at the end of the Revolution, and how it grew over the following decades.
With the ordnance ratified by the architects of the Constitution, we then are shown the difficulties of even reaching the site of the first settlement, Marietta, in 1788, as well as the arduous work of hacking a town out of the then dense forest. McCullough tells the story through the eyes of five principle characters, with Ephraim Cutler being the one that stood out most to me. Through their accounts we see what is today Marietta, Ohio, go from a simple shack settlement, to a town with its own local shipbuilding industry, the arrival of steam power, and its continued growth through the admittance of Ohio as a state.
I had a bit more trouble getting through this book than any of McCullough's other works. I normally find his prose like that of a novelist, but some of that smoothness was missing here. I also had trouble latching onto any single of the characters as a good point of view for the story; at the end, Ephraim Cutler did come to be the most common through-line of the work, but it did take some time for that to become apparent.
Overall, I did enjoy THE PIONEERS. Had it been written by anyone other than McCullough, I wouldn't have had even the small qualm about the author's voice (his book on the Johnston Flood is one of my favorite pieces of writing, fact or fiction). I've come to love McCullough's voice, and I unfairly hold him to a higher standard than other historians. That aside, the amount of detail and study given to such an obscure bit of American history is well worth the read and I recommend it....more
High schools and demonic possession set to a 1980's soundtrack. What more could you want? A fun read.High schools and demonic possession set to a 1980's soundtrack. What more could you want? A fun read....more
Someone loaned me this book, with a Post-It on the cover that read, "Should be subtitled: space is hard!" That about sums up this book: a fascinating Someone loaned me this book, with a Post-It on the cover that read, "Should be subtitled: space is hard!" That about sums up this book: a fascinating look at what it took for Kelly to become an astronaut, and how big of an ordeal traveling in space truly is. A fascinating read....more
This is an odd book for me: incredibly well written, yet difficult to get through. The prose and imagery are beautiful, the characters compelling. TheThis is an odd book for me: incredibly well written, yet difficult to get through. The prose and imagery are beautiful, the characters compelling. The story takes forever to get going, and I feel that a healthy edit would have improved my experience. That said, the last section of the book mostly made the prelude worthwhile. I can see why others rave about it, but at several points during the reading, it became more of a chore than enjoyment. That being said, I'm looking forward to now watching the AMC series based on the book....more
Loading...
