Thursday, August 28, 2008

Winston Churchill- Soldier: The Military Life of a Gentleman at War by Douglas Russell

Winston Churchill- Soldier: The Military Life of a Gentleman at War by Douglas Russell = is a biography that deals with Churchill's training and military campaigns. Russell earlier wrote a book on the various awards and decorations Churchill received. I quite enjoyed the book.

The book starts with Churchill's childhood. He showed an interest in the military relatively early on. Both with toy soldiers and the adventure stories of the day. There's coverage of his experiences in the five conflicts he took part in. They were in India, Sudan, Cuba [as a journalist], Second Boer war [as journalist and soldier] and First World War. His time in the reserves comes up.

Lots of research is in this book. At this point I'm a relative expert on the Sudan campaign but there is some new material here that I was unaware of. I do have to wonder about the audience for this book. Occasionally introductory material is given on such things as the British Empire. However knowledge of Churchill's life is assumed. Several references are made to his girlfriend throughout the Boer war section the next we here he's married to someone else. There are some mistakes like saying that the Suez Canal was controlled by a British company, it was actually French. There are attempts to defend Churchill from various criticisms in the text. Russell is evidently a Churchill partisan. That being said this is an important part of a Churchill bookshelf.

Highly recommended!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Free Lunch by Spider Robinson

The Free Lunch by Spider Robinson is a short rather whimsical science fiction novel.the main character decides to hide out inside an amusement park. He quickly meets up with the only other person to manage this long-term. They try to protect the park from a competitor and time travelers. Unlike his other book's there isn't much humor here. There are quite a few references to Robert A. Heinlein and his works. This is a nice end of summer read.

Recommended.

Monday, August 25, 2008

A Close Run Thing: A Novel of Wellington's Army of 1815 by Allan Mallinson

A Close Run Thing: A Novel of Wellington's Army of 1815 by Allan Mallinson is a rather disappointing historical novel. The hero [expert swordsman, intelligent, linguist French and German and tactician] an officer in the cavalry starts the book by being nearly court-martialed. Then gets back to England for romantic entanglements. Over to Ireland for more legal trouble and concluding at the Battle of Waterloo. It's the first in an ongoing series.

Mallinson manages to include a remarkable amount of research both on the British Army and on the cavalry. If only he had taken such care with his writing style. The book is written with the affectations of a 19th-century novel. Lots of telling not showing, little description and big words wherever possible. The plot also tends to stop for entire chapters. The main character spends a lot of time moping about his various entanglements. I'm not sure why because when he does find a way to get past them it's done with an amazing lack of effort on his part.

In good conscience I can't recommend this but that being said there are some possibilities here. I probably will try a second novel in the series. Definitely a purchase from a used bookstore when I do.

Not recommended.

BBAW Award Nominations

Until the 31st nominations are open for Book Blogger Appreciation Week Awards 2008. so go on and do some nominating. Yes it's pretty obvious which two categories this blog fits into... If you want to..

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Hurricane of Independence: The Untold Story of the Deadly Storm at the Deciding Moment of the American Revolution by Tony Williams

Hurricane of Independence: The Untold Story of the Deadly Storm at the Deciding Moment of the American Revolution by Tony Williams is well what the title says. Through the discussion of a hurricane the author discusses the outbreak of the American Revolution in the colony capitols affected [New Bern, Norfolk, Williamsburg, Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston]. The hurricane being a historical event I had never heard of before. There's also discussion of a second hurricane that hit the Canadian Maritimes. I found the most interesting part to be on late 18th century science as it related to the study of "tempests". Sometimes it can be hard to realize just how bad technology was just a relatively short time ago. The structure of the book struck me as problematic. There are chapters on each capital that was affected. This means that the same information is often repeated. Like that warehouses near the ocean would be flooded.

I'm not really sure who the expected audience is for this. The writing style is a popular history. Some of the descriptive passages are particularly well done for the genre. There are endnotes and a bibliography. Discussion questions are also included. So possibly aimed at the textbook market for schools?

Mildly recommended.

Note: this book was provided through Mini Book Expo.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Phoenix at Coventry:The building of a cathedral by Sir Basil Spence

Phoenix at Coventry:The building of a cathedral by Sir Basil Spence this is a book on the rebuilding of the cathedral that was destroyed by the Germans in WWII. The book was written by the architect responsible. Much of the book comes off as a defense of the rather controversial design. There is also discussion of the difficulties in obtaining certain materials and skills. I don't really have much knowledge as far as architecture goes but I could still follow most sections. There are some nice photos as well.

Recommended.

Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace by J.L. Granatstein

Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace by J.L. Granatstein this is probably the best single volume history on the Canadian Army. It covers from Confederation up to 2001. It's big I get the feeling that a lifetime of research has gone into this. The bibliography is massive.

The major thesis is that Canadians must have professionalism in their army. This may seem rather obvious but for much of Canada's history it hasn't been the case. Even as recent as the 1980s most officers did not have degrees above the undergrad level. There is an extensive discussion of the various military actions the Canadian Army has been involved in including the Boer War,WWI,WWII, Korea, NATO and peacekeeping.

Unfortunately there are some problems with the book. Granatstein is as opinionated as always. This is particularly evident when discussing events after the Korean War. Some of these opinions are downright odd such as that women in combat hasn't been tested. Maybe someone needs to call the Israelis and let them know. He also says that he shouldn't have to discuss Vimy Ridge because it wasn't a strategic victory. He does anyway. Earlier he without reservation analyzed skirmishes from the Boer War.

Recommended even with its drawbacks it still a key part of a Canadian military history collection.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco

Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco is the second book in a science-fiction trilogy. In the first book a computer virus was released that caused a near collapse of society. This book begins 10 years later. Technology is now controlled by the government. The Mafia cells bootleg components. There are also religious fanatics wanting to destroy all of it. The sun of the man blamed for the virus tries to learn more about his father. This leads to all sorts of violence and sex.

This is a fast-paced story that I can't take too seriously. Every female character younger than 50 seems to have a bra busting chest. Violence is occasionally gratuitous and cartoonish. There's a crucifixion for instance. All that being said it's a nice way to kill a few hours. Apparently the last book in the series should be released in the summer of 2009. I'll be looking for a copy.

Note: this book was provided to me by a PR firm.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Considering SomeplacElse by B.L. Lindstrom

Considering SomeplacElse by B.L. Lindstrom is a science fiction novel. The hero of this morality tale is an unemployed white collar type who happens to have precognition. He discovers a website for SomeplacElse. A new kind of business that harnesses the potential inside employees. After some cajoling he finds himself running things. He is up against a stereotypical Republican gubernatorial candidate and a Senator.

The idea of a new corporate structure is quite interesting. How the old system will react to it is also something that could bring up all sorts of conflicts. It just doesn't work. The first 2/5 of the book is taken up with how powerful and creative SomeplacElse is so when the threat to its existence pops up it's not terribly credible. I had that problem worked out a good 20 pages before the main character. The conclusion goes into a metaphysical discussion. The characterization is quite good even minor characters come out three-dimensiona. The book is also very dialogue heavy this didn't bother me but some might find it a little much.

Not recommended.

Note: this book was provided to me for review purposes by a PR outfit.

3rd Military history reading challenge review post

Here is the 3rd review post for my Military history reading challenge. Just put a direct link to your review in the below box. Please include your handle and the title of the book. If you're not participating what are you waiting for? There's plenty of time between now and November 11 to read three books on military history. For more information see the original post.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

War on the Nile: Britain, Egypt and the Sudan 1882-1898 by Michael Barthorp

War on the Nile: Britain, Egypt and the Sudan 1882-1898 by Michael Barthorp is a popular history of this Victorian military campaign. Think an overgrown osprey without the computer-generated maps. The book describes the various operations with emphasis on the original seizure of Egypt by the British. I was actually quite happy that this was covered in depth. It seems to have fallen through the cracks as far as secondary sources go. Gordon's involvement and his death make up the second section of the book. Naturally the third is the re-conquering by Kitchener.

Those who have been reading this blog for the last few months know that I've read quite a bit on the Sudan campaign. So I didn't necessarily learn anything new from this book although it did help straighten out one or two questions I had. I can say that this would make an excellent introduction. Their are illustrations or pictures on just about every page and suggestions for further reading.

Recommended!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer

Blackbird, Farewell by Robert Greer is a mystery. a star athlete is murdered just before his first season on a NBA team. It's up to his best friend to track down his murderer. He is assisted by a former military intelligence officer, his model girlfriend and various underworld types. This is the eighth book in the series. My understanding is that most of the other books deal with a character that is offstage for most of the narrative.

Greer manages to thoroughly over write the book. Every single character has some complex back story and their own eccentricities. All of them larger than life. Many are stereotypical. I didn't feel particularly sympathetic about any of the characters including the supposed heroes or victim. There are frequent shifts of point of view that don't seem to provide anything to the narrative. We are also told a lot of things instead of being shown them. I don't think I'll be picking up other books in the series.

Not recommended!

This book was provided through Librarything's early review program.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Noet to Maggie

I tried e-mailing you the address again yesterday. Let me know if it gets through.

The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: Yorktown to the Seven Days: vol. 2 edited by William J. Miller

The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: Yorktown to the Seven Days: vol. 2 edited by William J. Miller is the second in a three volume series of essays on this campaign of the Civil War. I've reviewed the first volume previously. There are six essays. Topics include Confederate artillery, Union logistics, the behavior of Union Quartermaster General M. C. Meigs and extracts from the diary of a Confederate staff officer. There isn't really an overarching theme.

Unlike in the first volume the essays in this one do take advantage of modern secondary sources but there is still quite a bit of original archival research. There are footnotes instead of endnotes. They provide extra information not just citations. Perhaps a little more specialized than what I'm used to but still well worth it. The Civil War is one of those conflicts that I know I should do more in-depth study on.

Recommended!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The British Empire 1558-1995 by T.O. Lloyd

The British Empire 1558-1995 by T.O. Lloyd is a highly readable extensively researched history of the British Empire. This is from a larger series on world history topics (Short Oxford History of the Modern World). It is presumably aimed towards the college market.

The narrative tries to weave together the various parts of the empire as well as provide a wider perspective on the political entity as a whole. This is basically political and economic history with the occasional social or military comment thrown in. Considering the length of time covered it's always a risk that the reader will be bombarded with a list of names and dates without much context but this is not the case in this. I actually learned quite a bit. The book concludes with a bibliographic essay that occasionally gives snarky comments about further reading.

Highly recommended!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week



This looks like fun! I've put a button over in the sidebar.

Friday, August 15, 2008

The Bush Rebels: A Personal Account of Black Revolt in Africa by Barbara Cornwall

The Bush Rebels: A Personal Account of Black Revolt in Africa by Barbara Cornwall is the author's description of her time with the guerrillas in Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau) and Mozambique. These conflicts are components of the Portuguese Colonial War (1961-1974).

Cornwall is definitely a fellow traveler if not an outright supporter of the gorilla's actions. She takes pains to claim that the guerrillas weren't Marxists. I'm not sure what exactly that says about her own politics. Occasionally the book is unintentionally funny, she didn't seem to realize that moving through a jungle could be rather difficult and unpleasant. Not much here from a military history perspective but still interesting as a relic of the last days of colonialism in Africa.

Mildly recommended.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Kitchener: "Road to Omdurman" and "Savior of the Realm" by John Pollock

Kitchener: "Road to Omdurman" and "Savior of the Realm" by John Pollock is a very positive biography of this controversial figure in British military history. This combineds the two volumes published separately into a single one. So the book is pretty long.

Pollock describes Kitchener's youth including his mother's death. He claims this explains Kitchener's lack of relationships in later life. His military career is described from his experience as a surveyor in the Middle East through the campaign in the Sudan. There's also coverage of the Boer War. I was surprised to see his time in India covered so expensively in particular the dual control controversy. The first world war is only about 20% of the book.

My biggest problem is the tone of the book. The entire thing reads as a case for the defense. Kitchener: never did anything wrong. Now I understand from the introduction that the author managed to get a lot of access to previously unused material from the family so perhaps that helps explain it. This lack of objectivity takes away from a very interesting story.

Recommended although I wonder if there's a rebuttal somewhere.

2nd Military history reading challenge review post

Here is the 2nd review post for my Military history reading challenge. Just put a direct link to your review in the below box. Please include your handle and the title of the book. If you're not participating what are you waiting for? There's plenty of time between now and November 11 to read three books on military history. For more information see the original post.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Not Canada Post's fault

For the last couple of weeks I've been complaining to anyone that will listen that Canada Post lost a package of mine. It contained my third book for the Southern reading challenge so I was particularly annoyed. Two days ago I received an e-mail out of the blue asking for more money for shipping. It turns out that the package had never been shipped in the first place. Apparently they didn't try putting it in the envelope until 3 1/2 weeks after it had been purchased. This hasn't stopped them from listing its status as "shipped". So apologies to Canada Post I'll never criticize you again umm, at least for a couple months.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Century of Conflict: The struggle between the French and British in colonial America by Joseph Lister Rutledge

Century of Conflict: The struggle between the French and British in colonial America by Joseph Lister Rutledge this is the second volume in a multi-volume history of Canada published in the 1950s and 60s. Strangely there is a 20 year overlap with the first volume. I find Rutledge's argument that he included it because it was interesting a rather weak justification.

The book starts with King William's War 1689 – 1697 and concludes with the fall of new France to the British. The narrative is firmly political and economic. There are occasional nods to religious history as well as social history topics. The racism that I had noticed in the first volume doesn't seem to be as evident in this one which is a comfort. As mentioned with the earlier volume no bibliography or list of sources which I find irritating.

Recommended although it's probably been superseded in the specialized literature.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Soviet Airland Battle Tactics by William P. Baxter

Soviet Airland Battle Tactics by William P. Baxter was originally published in 1986. This book provides western military officers a look inside Soviet decision-making, tactics and strategy. The title is somewhat of a misnomer since the Soviets didn't have the same sort of view of combined arms that Western militaries do.

The book starts out with a discussion of the way that decisions were made on questions of military science. After this there is material on different types of units, command and control, logistics and medical. I'm not too sure how well the material holds up when compared with the access given after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A lot of what is here does pass the smell test.

Recommended.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

1st Military history reading challenge review post

Here is the 1st review post for my Military history reading challenge. Just put a direct link to your review in the below box. Please include your handle and the title of the book. If you're not participating what are you waiting for? There's plenty of time between now and November 11 to read three books on military history. For more information see the original post.


The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000 by Julia Lovell

The Great Wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000 by Julia Lovell tries to do two different things. First it is a history of the various fortifications that have tried to defend the northern Chinese border for the last 3000 years. The second is to describe the metaphorical wall separating China from their neighbors and the West.

The book is quite good at doing the second but not so good at the first. There are descriptions of wall building as well as some material on design however besides mentioning that the walls were breached that's about it for any sort of tactical analysis. We are told at least 20 times that walls are useless militarily this gets rather repetitive after a while. Luckily the history of Chinese exclusivity is quite interesting and provides some nice insights into the Chinese character. A concluding section on Internet censorship seems rather tacked on.

Recommended as a history of China not of fortifications.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Best Blogging Friend Award

Jessica tagged me with the Best Blogging Friend Award. I'm not going to post the graphic if that international conglomerate wants some advertising they can pay me. The rules are:

  1. Only five people are allowed to receive the award.
  2. Four of them must be followers of your blog.
  3. One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
  4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award.
My 5 are:
  1. Spittin' Venom
  2. Maggie Reads
  3. TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog
  4. JZ's Books and Stuff
  5. WWII and other Book Reviews NEW

Monday, August 04, 2008

Quotation [occasional],

It was misery wrapped in despair rolled in broken glass and shoved down my throat by a talentless writer who broke many narrative promises she made to her readers and should never write another word unless it is on a bathroom wall in Guam.
- from Ari's Amazon review of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Friday, August 01, 2008

Amazon picks up Abebooks

The book blogs are all in a tizzy over the announcement that Amazon is taking over Abebooks. Apparently the websites will continue to function separately although I wouldn't be surprised if Abebooks listings were appearing on Amazon and vice a versa.

Used book dealers who aren't exactly the most cheerful of people to begin with are naturally enraged. Their irritation with Abebooks is only tempered by their disgust with Amazon. This doesn't stop some of them from listing on both however.

LibraryThing which is 40% owned by Abebooks has posted a statement saying that this doesn't change anything. I do hope that is the case. Only time will tell.

All and all for myself I don't think the sky is falling. If Amazon is too abusive to their cellars or customers, the free market being what it is someone will find a way to exploit that. As long as I don't have to change my over 350 affiliate links I'll be happy..

The Battle of Aachen by Irving Werstein

The Battle of Aachen by Irving Werstein is a very short book on a forgotten battle of the second world war. Aachen was the first town within Germany that the Americans captured. Werstein's book contains about as much text as the average Osprey campaign title although, there is only the occasional map. The Americans had to seize several important terrain features before assaulting the town. First with artillery then with infantry. The German force inside surrendered at that point. I found the book to be much too short. The narrative itself is pretty good. There is a bibliography of sources and order of battle. Since this is the only book length treatment of this, I've been able to come across I would have to say it was worth while if a little disappointing.

Mildly recommended.