Saturday, September 29, 2007

Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody by Michael Gerber

Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody by Michael Gerber is a parity of a particular fantasy series. The plot such as it is describes the attempt on the part of the now grown up Barry Trotter to stop a movie being created. It's quite funny. There's a lot of puns and bathroom humor which is to be expected. There is also some good situational humor. It's not line for line satire but it does make some excellent points about the books. There's actuallya message buried underneath everything else about fandom and the entertainment industry.

Highly recommended if you have a sense of humor about Harry Potter [whoops I did say it].

For more Science Fiction and Fantasy book reviews take a look at My Science Fiction and Fantasy bookshelf.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wing Leader by Group Captain J.E. Johnson

Wing Leader by Group Captain J.E. Johnson is the memoirs of the top scoring allied fighter pilot in the second world war. The narrative starts off just prior to the war. The training was difficult. There was very little information given on the experiences of combat. It was mostly the technicalities of flight. He spent most of his time with Canadian units. There are various funny anecdotes. There's also a discussion of tactics and strategies for air combat as well as analysis of the various fighter types. The combats are excellently described its quite easy to understand what's going on.

Highly recommended!

For more WWII book reviews Take a look at My World War II bookshelf.

The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: 1st Millennium B.C.by Karol Mysliwiec Translatorer David Lorton

The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: 1st Millennium B.C.by Karol Mysliwiec translated from the Polish by David Lorton is a history of ancient Egypt from the 11th century to the 4th century B.C. this was after the fall of the 25th dynasty. According to Mysliwiec there isn't much analysis on this era. Most of the book describes art and archaeology. There were various influences from the surrounding peoples. Political history is touched upon occasionally the Pharaohs tended to be weak there were occasional invasions. The Persians took over Egypt twice until they were eventually defeated by Alexander the Great. I don't know much about this myself so I can't comment on the accuracy of the analysis. The book concludes with a discussion of Polish archaeology in the region. The translation is very good. Almost every page has a picture. There is extensive quoting of primary sources. As well as the usual endnotes and bibliography.

Recommended! I need more on ancient Egypt.

Is available through Abebooks.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Her Majesty's Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the Birth of Modern Espionage by Stephen Budiansky

Her Majesty's Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the Birth of Modern Espionage by Stephen Budiansky is the biography of this British nobleman. The narrative revolves around two key intelligence events the Spanish Armada and Mary Queen of Scott's. It seems almost rushed like Budiansky is trying to get somewhere quickly but never really arrives. The book is short on analysis which seems strange because of the title. If you know about intelligence you can draw some comparisons with modern practices but it's not made explicit in the text. If anything Budiansky takes pains to point out that Walsingham was basically a one-man operation without him the system collapsed. There was no institutional memory or for that matter an institution. The book contains endnotes and a bibliography. There's a discussion of sources which provides some editorial comments for further reading.

Mildly recommended it could have been so much more.

Is available through Abebooks.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson is the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen epic fantasy series. This is the first book seven books in total have been published. It's projected to take 10 volumes.

The plot is very difficult to summarize. Basically an empire is expanding most of the activity in the book is based around a military unit sent to an independent city state. There's all sorts of political machinations going on. The magic system used in the book is very well thought out. I'm always slightly concerned about books that have a glossary and list of characters but I didn't have to worry. Enough distinctive traits are mentioned to keep the cast straight. The terminology is also pretty easy to pick up.

Highly recommended! I'm off to order the second book in the series.

Is available through Abebooks.



For more Science Fiction and Fantasy book reviews take a look at My Science Fiction and Fantasy bookshelf.

Monday, September 24, 2007

SEAL Force Alpha by Richard Marcinko and John Weisman

SEAL Force Alpha by Richard Marcinko and John Weisman is a novel in the Rogue Warrior series. Its next in the series after Designation Gold but you don't have to read them in order you could easily start here. The Chinese are causing trouble this is combined with treachery within the US government. Marcinko's politics which tend to be very conservative come out here. Often it comes off as a lecture. The plot is fast-paced and definitely not politically correct. A very enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Like I commented in the other review the writing is good the lack of a romantic angle also makes sense.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Designation Gold by Richard Marcinko and John Weisman

Designation Gold by Richard Marcinko and John Weisman is a novel in the Rogue Warrior series. A friend of the main character who works at the American Embassy in Moscow is killed with his family. Naturally their turns out to be a wider conspiracy. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed. The writing is actually decent perhaps surprisingly so. One interesting note is that there is no romance subplot which is pretty unusual but it's better than being tacked on. This is good mindless fun. There are a few technical glitches. The Royal Canadian army? But it doesn't really matter.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

The Peninsula Campaign of 1862 : Yorktown to the Seven Days Volume 1 edited by William J. Miller

The Peninsula Campaign of 1862 : Yorktown to the Seven Days Volume 1 edited by William J. Miller is the first volume in a three volume series containing essays about this campaign. Essays include the discussion of Lee's relations with Jefferson Davis, a Pennsylvania unit history, manpower shortages in the Confederacy, Stewart's circling of the Union Army and extracts from a diary of an Union soldier from Boston. There's also a 30 page chronology of the campaign including references to whether conditions. The chronology also includes citations to relevant documents in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion just in case you have the 128 volumes on your coffee table. The essays are quite good. There are various maps and illustrations which highlight the text. Much of the research is based on primary sources. One strange thing is that when secondary sources are used they where usually published prior to 1950 which seems strange considering this was written/published in the early 1990s.

Recommended I'll be looking for the other volumes in the series.

Is available through Abebooks.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Forearmed: History of the Intelligence Corps by Anthony Clayton

Forearmed: History of the Intelligence Corps by Anthony Clayton is a history of this British military unit. There were ad hoc military intelligence organizations put in place up until the late 19th century. It was only in World War I that the Corps was created. The bulk of the book is taken up with the second world war. There were various intelligence gathering techniques including photo reconnaissance, prisoner interrogation and signals intelligence. The differences in Outlook of Germans from different areas where interesting. The postwar history of the unit is described particularly its involvement in various counterinsurgency operations. There are notes but no bibliography. There are appendices. I would have preferred a little more objectivity in this book the core never did anything wrong. Which tends to be one of the weaknesses of unit historys.

Recommended

For more WWII book reviews Take a look at My World War II bookshelf.

For reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.

Monday, September 17, 2007

The French Revolutionary Wars by Gregory Fremont-Barnes

The French Revolutionary Wars by Gregory Fremont-Barnes is one of Osprey's essential historys covering the years 1789-1902. The various campaigns are described with particular care to the various naval operations as well as Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. The different forces involved are discussed as well as the economic impacts the wars had. There's also a few social history flourishes showing the experiences of common soldiers and sailors. This is all packed in under 100 pages. There's the usual treatment from Osprey including maps and illustrations on every page. The book also contains a short further reading section.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Spies by Michael Frayn

Spies by Michael Frayn is a coming-of-age novel set in World War II England. The narrator remembers his childhood as he walks through the modern community where he grew up. The narrator's best friend informs him that his mother is a German spy so they must keep an eye on her. Her behavior is strange and eventually leads to a series of revelations. The solution is a little over the top but it is still enjoyable.

This novel received the 2002 Whitbread Novel award.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

At the Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland

At the Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland is the second book in an young adult trilogy. I read the first book in this series the Seeing Stone years ago. Actually had this on my shelf for all this time I never got around to it. It would be possible to start out with this book there's enough background given describing the first book.

There is a dual narrative one of which is the classic King Arthur legend in the other is the day-to-day trials and tribulations of a squire in 13th century England. The two stories are very loosely connected often there's not much linking them at all. I'm quite familiar with the King Arthur stuff so I was mostly interested in Arthur the squire. He really doesn't do much in this book. Much of the storyline revolves around his discovery that he was adopted and his search for his mother. He is also preparing to go on Crusade. There are quite a few characters which are handled quite effectively. There seems to be very little description which can be frustrating at times.

Crossley-Holland evidently did quite a lot of research on medieval England. I could've wished for some more explanations I was confused by some references, I'm sure readers who didn't have much background in medieval history would be confused also. Perhaps most frustratingly the titular climax actually happens between chapters we only hear about it when characters discuss it I found this rather bizarre.

Mildly recommended I'll probably read the third book in the trilogy at some point but I certainly won't be running out to get it.

Is available through Abebooks.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Hitler's Scientists: Science, War, and the Devil's Pact by John Cornwell

Hitler's Scientists: Science, War, and the Devil's Pact by John Cornwell is an excellent look at science and ethics within Nazi Germany. Cornwell deals with social sciences including how they relate to the Holocaust as well as hard sciences. Much of the narrative is taken up with a Nazi nuclear weapons program. By using recently declassified recorded conversations after the war Cornwell shows that the scientists did not understand the concepts involved instead of actively delaying the program like they said after the war.

The book contains notes and a bibliography.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.


For more WWII book reviews take a look at My World War II bookshelf or My Holocaust bookshelf.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I'm still alive

Reviews should begin again tomorrow. I've been bogged down with some stuff.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Soldiers of the Faith: Crusaders and Moslems at War by Ronald C. Finucane

Soldiers of the Faith: Crusaders and Moslems at War by Ronald C. Finucane is a history of the crusading movement. The religious and legal framework of the Crusades is described. There's also a short summary of the different campaigns. The bulk of the book is taken up with comparing the Christians and Muslims. The various differences and similarities between the religious observances was quite interesting. I would have preferred more information on how Muslim military units were formed and armed. Book contains occasional illustrations as well as endnotes and a bibliography that suggests further reading.

Recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Auschwitz: A History by Sybille Steinbacher

Auschwitz: A History by Sybille Steinbacher is a relatively short history of the town of Auschwitz and the concentration camp. The Jewish community which was there from the 13th century is described. Most of the book is taken up with the creation of the camp originally as a prison for political prisoners then it's evolution into the death camp. The bureaucratic operations as well as the various areas of the facilities are analyzed. This includes the satellite camps set up for various German businesses. The book concludes with a discussion of the various trials of personnel after World War II. There's also a brief discussion of the neo-Nazi attempt to discredit the history of the camp. Book contains a bibliography as well as a list of primary sources. Surprisingly no endnotes.

Recommended!

For more Holocaust book reviews, take a look at My Holocaust bookshelf.

Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: an Introductory History by Emanuel Raymond Lewis

Seacoast Fortifications of the United States: an Introductory History by Emanuel Raymond Lewis is a history of harbor defenses. Most of these were constructed by the Army. The history of the fortifications from just after the war of independence through World War II is laid out. The various changes in armament, design and site selection is described. The bureaucratic process behind the building and financing of the various programs is also discussed. On just about every page there's a picture. A superb work well worthy of its status as a classic in the field. The book contains footnotes, a bibliography and list of fortified locations in the US. Lewis manages to avoid the highly technical jargon which can make works on fortifications difficult to understand.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

The Secret War in Tibet by Michel Peissel

The Secret War in Tibet by Michel Peissel is a history of the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet for the first 20 years or so. The author a French anthropologist spent time there meeting with the warlike tribes who were attacking the Chinese. The Dalai Lama comes off quite badly particularly for his attempts to deal with the Chinese prior to leaving for India. There are no citations but there is a bibliography.

Recommended!

For more reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.

Milestone 350th post

Well this is my 350th post on the blog. I'm a little surprised I've managed to keep this up even if these days it's mostly book reviews. Here's to another 350!

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

The Black and Tans by Richard Bennett

The Black and Tans by Richard Bennett is a history of the Anglo-Irish War 1919-1921. The British strategy such as it was is criticized particularly the use of the Black and Tans who basically terrorized the population. The IRA is also criticized for its use of terror. Unfortunately there are no citations the bibliography is very short. Bennett's style such as it is has similarities to newspaper writing. There's a lot of hyperbole here fired off at both sides.

Mildly recommended.

For more reviews take a look at My Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Partisan and Guerrilla Warfare bookshelf.

Vimy Ridge 1917: Byng's Canadians Triumph at Arras by Alexander Turner

Vimy Ridge 1917: Byng's Canadians Triumph at Arras by Alexander Turner is an Osprey publication. The usual Osprey flourishes are here. The text itself is pretty short around 30,000 words. Unlike most histories the German side is dealt with in just as much detail as the British and Canadians. I was interested to see how the Canadian national myth would be dealt with. The significance for Canadians is described quite well also where it's a little inaccurate. Like that many specialists were actually British. The logistical network needed to supply the battle is explained.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.

Monday, September 03, 2007

Quotation [occasional]

"Will there be people without homes? Yes. Will there be some sick people that we can't save, despite all the medical technology that we have? Yes, there will be. But people are continuing to move here because where else are they going to go in Canada?"

Ed Stelmach Premier of Alberta

SFWA actually does something right.

And on Labor Day no less. SFWA ePiracy Committee Activities Suspended. I still think resignations are in order. This is a good first step though.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Added books to the TBR pile

New books from the past week or so.

  • Bennett, Richard The Black and Tans some more Irish history. Supposed to be flawed.
  • Turner, Alexander Vimy Ridge 1917: Byng's Canadians Triumph at Arras yet another Osprey.
  • Sawyer, Ralph D. The Tao of Deception: Unorthodox Warfare in Historic and Modern China should be interesting. Chinese military history is an area I want more on.
  • Dyer, Gwynne With Every Mistake collection of columns prior to the Iraq war. This completes my collection of Dyer's current titles.