STEVE'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2014

[Steve]

January
1. by James R. Green(no Photo)

Finish Date: January 30, 2014
Genre: Nonficiton/History
Rating:A
Review
On May 4, 1886 a controversial event known as the Haymarket Affair occurred in Chicago. It began when a bomb went off during a Chicago Labor Rally. The blast wounded dozens of policeman (seven of whom died) and created mass hysteria thought Chicago. During this turmoil, eight men were arrested for carrying out and planning the bombing. At the end of a sensational trial, all eight defendants were found guilty of murder. Four of these men were eventually executed (four other were pardoned by Governor John Peter Altegeld.) The trial seized headlines across the country, created the nation’s first red scare, and dealt a blow to the labor market from which it would take decades to recover.

By describing these events in vivid detail, historian James Green presents a highly engaging and readable story about the Haymarket Affair.

Green also illustrates many of the evens leading up to the Haymarket bombing including many of the key events and characters in the 20 year struggle for an eight hour work day. He explains how tensions between employers and labor unions lead to a series of strikes that swept the country in 1886, helping workers achieve a shorter work day. He also describes the fatal conformation between workers and Chicago policeman that helped set the Haymarket bombing in motion. Green shows how newspaper editors like the Chicago Tribune’s Joseph Medil helped contribute to the tensions by spiking the fears of immigrants and radicals who lead the union.

I really enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot from it. I would recommend it for anbyody intersted in Chicago History or it's labor movements.[[

[Bryan]

Good start Steve. Please edit the following:

1. Add January up on top of the post.

2. Number it as your first book

3. Add a book cover:

by James R. Green (no photo)

[Donna]

Steve wrote: "January
1.Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the Firs..."

That sounds interesting, Steve. It's a time period I really enjoy reading about.

[Bryan]

Steve, you might like:

by Beverly Gage (no photo)

[Steve]

MARCH 2013
1. by Peter F. Hamilton

Finish Date: March 2014
Genre: Science Fiction
Ratting: B
Review:
This futuristic Novel is set in the year 2143. It begins in the English town of New Castle when Detective Sid Hurst discovers a body dumped in the nearby river. Hurst soon realizes that that the man killed was a Member of the Powerful North Family- a successive generation of hundreds of clones. It’s first set of brothers helped created technology that opened gateways to other planets and expanded access to living space.

In 2121, Bartram North and his entire household were slaughtered in cold blood on the Planet of St Libra. The convicted St Libra slayer, Angela Tramelo, has always claimed that an alien monster actually was the murderer. Since the circumstances of these crimes are very similar, it appears as if Angela may be right. However, many people are having a hard time believing that this creature exsits.

To hunt down this brutal killer, Detective Hurst must navigate through a minefield of competing interests within the police department and the world’s political and economic elite. After being released from prison, Angela also joins a mission to St Libra to hunt down the alien only to learn that the line between the hunter and the hunted is a thin one. This journey becomes far more complicated than anyone on it could have imagined.

At times, I found this story hard to believe and understand. It also took me a while to read, since it is a 900 pages plus book. However, I still enjoyed reading it, partly because of the twists and turns in the story. It becomes one of those books that I could not put down. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like science fiction.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Sample Guide: (this is not an optional format but must be followed)

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston Churchill
Finish date: January 10,2014
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

You got the first part on standard now - great.

Second, the month should be in caps and bolded and above the first book completed for that respective month. Please change message 1, and message 5. They are bolded but not caped - see sample guide in message 6

JANUARY

Fourth, before the text of your review - please add the word Review:
This change should be made to message 1 and 5. You have added them but you forgot the : after the word Review:

Thank you so much - I deleted the parts that are done.

[Steve]

MAY 2014
1. by Thurston Clarke
Finish Date: May 15,2014
Genre:Non Fiction
Rating:A
Review: This book provides an interesting sketch of the final months of the life and presidency of John F Kennedy. The book provides evidence that Kennedy attempted to work harder as a husband and father by suspending his notorious philandering during this time period. It explains how Kennedy came to view civil rights as both a moral and political issue. It describes how his proudest legislative achievement, pushing the limited test ban treaty through congress, led to a dente that some believe was the beginning of the end of the cold war. It explores Kennedy’s changing views on Vietnam and describes some of the impacts of Kennedy’s assassination.


Since I am always been somewhat skeptical of the Kennedy Myth, I was not sure if I would like this book. However, I must admit that I did enjoy it. I would highly recommend it for anybody interested in the life or career of John F Kennedy.
.

[Bryan]

Cool, Steve, this is on my TBR pile.

[Steve]

JUNE 2014
4. byPaul Danahar no photo
Finish Date: June 2,2014
Genre: Non Fiction History
Rating: B

Review: Paul Danahar is currently the BBC’s North American bureau chief. He was formerly the BBC’s Middle East Bureau Chief.

Drawing on his experience reporting from uprisings in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Syria, and Tunisia he explains the many forces that are shaping the new middle east. He shows how these revolutions have created countries in turmoil and forced the people to reexamine their identities and to decide what role Islam will play in their lives and polices.

He asks some intriguing questions. These include: What kind of societies are going to emerge, how will decisions made in this region affect our lives, who will lead the new Middle East, and how will Israel adopt to its new neighborhood while dealing with tensions between secular and religious Jews.

This book was a little complex at times. However, it sill presents an insightful look at a troubled part of the world.

5. by
Finish Date: June 9, 2014
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Liam Mulligan is an old school investigative reporter. His friend Edward Mason is a much younger reporter. They both work for a dying Rhode Island Newspaper, the Providence Journal. Providence Rag puts these two friends at an ethical crossroads.

Kwame Diggs, Rhode Island’s Youngest Serial killer butchered five of his neighbors by the time he was fifteen. When he was arrested Rhode Island’s criminal statues required that all Juveniles, no matter their crime, be released at the age of 21.

Diggs is still serving time for charges supposedly committed on the inside. It is widely suspected that prison officials fabricated these charges in order to keep Diggs in Prison for as long as possible. Many, including Mulligan, think this is a good idea. They are certain that if Diggs is released, he will kill again.

Mason disagrees. He also thinks that Diggs is a cold bolded killer. However, he is deeply troubled that the state is falsifying charges and violating Diggs Civil Rights. He thinks this will set a bad precedent and believesthat it may lead to other abuses of judicial power. He sets out to prove that Diggs is being framed and that authorities are perverting the justice system by keeping him in jail. Meanwhile, Mulligan starts his own despite search for a legal way to keep Diggs behind bars.


What makes this book particularly interesting is that it prevents an ethical dilemma that has no right answer. I really enjoyed reading it.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Good Steve - you have 30 views of your thread (that means that 32 folks have read your reviews so far here on the History Book Club)

[Steve]

July 2014

1. by
Finish Date: July 9,2014
Genre: History/Non Fiction
Rating: B

The Aviators is an interesting look at three of the most important men in aviation history:

This book provides a biographical sketch of Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle. It highlights the important contribution made by each of these men. It describes Lindbergh's effort to became the first man to fly a solo from New York to Paris. It explains how Rickenbacker, a Champion Race Car Driver became a World War 1 flying ace. It also covers his career as a manger for Eastern Airlines for many years. It chronicles Doolittles distngiused miltary career, showing how he deveolped the use of insturment flying. Since the stories of the three men are interwoven throughout the book, it is a little hard to follow at times. However, it still an entertaining read, especially for people interested in history.

2. by
Finish Date: July 16,2013
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Title: The Mayan Secrets:
This book is the fifth in a series of adventures about a Husband and Wife-Adventure team, Sam and Rene Fargo. In this story, they are in Mexico and discover the skeleton of a Man clutching an accent sealed pot. While searching the pot, they find the largest Mayan book that anyone has every seen. They are astonished at what they find in the book-powerful secrets about the Mayans, their cities, and mankind itself. They decide to hang on the book, believing it is safer in their possession than with the authorities. This is a risky move as they may have a legal obligation to return the book. There are also many people who are willing to kill the Fargo's in order to get their hands on the book.

At the end of the book, we discover some new information about Sm’s Former life as a CIA agent.

I thought this was a great book. A good story to me is one that keeps my attention, and this one certainly did. I even learned a little about Mayan Culture.

3. by
Finish Date: July 30, 2014
Genre: Fiction/Travel
Rating:A

In the early 1990s Travel Author Peter Jenkins bought and sailed across the Gulf of Mexico from the Florida Keys to the Texas/Mexican Border. In this book, he describes his journey Jenkins tells some very interesting stories about the people, history, and geography of America’s Gulf Coast.

This book has been on my shelf for a long time, so I finally decided to read it. I was not sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it. It is full of intersting people and stories. If you can find a copy(it is probably out of print by now) I would highly recomond it, especially if you enjoy reading travel stories.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Great progress Steve - 43 folks were reading your reviews in 2014. We have set up a thread for 2015 - brand new start and you have the format down.