Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Iraq Through A Bullet Hole: A Civilian Returns Home by Issam Jameel
Iraq Through A Bullet Hole: A Civilian Returns Home by Issam Jameel
is a short book on the authors experiences when he returned to Iraq in 2005. Jameel a playwright emigrated to Australia during the reign of Saddam Hussein. It's not really clear why he decided to return. If he was looking for a job or just visiting. He couch surfs and gets into religious debates with his family members. He converted to Christianity. The final section of the book is a trip to the Kurdish north where he tries to regain control of a home he purchased in the early 90s.
The narrative is clear and readable. Pictures and some explanatory notes are included. There's nothing terribly profound here but it is still an interesting perspective on Iraqi society and the American occupation, not a major work but for someone with a pre-existing interest.
Recommended.
Note:This book was provided through Librarything's early review program.
is a short book on the authors experiences when he returned to Iraq in 2005. Jameel a playwright emigrated to Australia during the reign of Saddam Hussein. It's not really clear why he decided to return. If he was looking for a job or just visiting. He couch surfs and gets into religious debates with his family members. He converted to Christianity. The final section of the book is a trip to the Kurdish north where he tries to regain control of a home he purchased in the early 90s.The narrative is clear and readable. Pictures and some explanatory notes are included. There's nothing terribly profound here but it is still an interesting perspective on Iraqi society and the American occupation, not a major work but for someone with a pre-existing interest.
Recommended.
Note:This book was provided through Librarything's early review program.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Safely Rest by David Colley
Safely Rest by David Colley
is a slightly strange history. According to the jacket blurb this is a discussion of the return of American war dead after the second world war. This topic isn't discussed. So I was quite interested to hear about it. There is some material on that but most of the narrative is taken up with a long-winded case study. In the sections about the mechanics of the return of the bodies Colley keeps talking about the universality of death but the case study is quite remarkable. The study follows one family's attempt to learn the truth after their son is listed as killed. The father receives congressional help as well as moving to Europe. Not exactly typical.
Not recommended!
is a slightly strange history. According to the jacket blurb this is a discussion of the return of American war dead after the second world war. This topic isn't discussed. So I was quite interested to hear about it. There is some material on that but most of the narrative is taken up with a long-winded case study. In the sections about the mechanics of the return of the bodies Colley keeps talking about the universality of death but the case study is quite remarkable. The study follows one family's attempt to learn the truth after their son is listed as killed. The father receives congressional help as well as moving to Europe. Not exactly typical.Not recommended!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On social and military history
This post is in response to a review of a book on Spartan history. I commented that it was surprising that it appeared that Spartan war fighting capability would not be a major portion of the contents. Instead being contained in the single chapter on foreign policy. I do admit that it could be argued that any sort of discussion of Sparta could relate back to the military but even so it seems like a strange and sadly frequent omission. I also haven't done a post laying out my own views on history.
First a little background traditional academic history tended to be political/military with emphasis on the" big men"[Hitler, Caesar, Napoleon etc.] of history. This history fell out of favor starting in the 1960s with the rise of Marxist economic historians. The major transition took place in the 1970s and 80s when the generation that could have served in the second world war retired. The Marxists weren't the only ones the major social movements also wanted to grab their own piece of the academic history pie [those interested in multiculturalism, feminism etc.].
This movement is usually referred to as social history. It attempts to highlight the lives of "average" people and considers historical events and movements to be resulting from the bottom up.
Military history tried to remake itself as either "new military history" or "war and society". These fields of study have little or nothing to do with the nuts and bolts of traditional military history. I can remember one particular professor in the history department where I took my undergrad who was quite excited by the economic aspects of camp followers. Some political and military historians managed to sneak into political science departments. Strategic studies and military science tend to be what they're labeled as these days.
Now to hopefully stop any angry commentsI don't believe that we should go back to the old style of history. I do think that the pendulum has swung too far and needs to be readjusted. To use my undergrad as an example I took 20 courses in history the maximum allowable. Three of these courses could debatably be called military history or have a large component. They were a fourth-year course on ancient warfare that was essentially traditional military history. The second was an independent study I set up with the same professor as the ancient history course. The last was called the world at war. It attempted in 13 weeks to describe both world wars. Suffice it to say it was compressed....
For a vehement defense of military and political history see Who Killed Canadian History? by J. L. Granatstein.
First a little background traditional academic history tended to be political/military with emphasis on the" big men"[Hitler, Caesar, Napoleon etc.] of history. This history fell out of favor starting in the 1960s with the rise of Marxist economic historians. The major transition took place in the 1970s and 80s when the generation that could have served in the second world war retired. The Marxists weren't the only ones the major social movements also wanted to grab their own piece of the academic history pie [those interested in multiculturalism, feminism etc.].
This movement is usually referred to as social history. It attempts to highlight the lives of "average" people and considers historical events and movements to be resulting from the bottom up.
Military history tried to remake itself as either "new military history" or "war and society". These fields of study have little or nothing to do with the nuts and bolts of traditional military history. I can remember one particular professor in the history department where I took my undergrad who was quite excited by the economic aspects of camp followers. Some political and military historians managed to sneak into political science departments. Strategic studies and military science tend to be what they're labeled as these days.
Now to hopefully stop any angry commentsI don't believe that we should go back to the old style of history. I do think that the pendulum has swung too far and needs to be readjusted. To use my undergrad as an example I took 20 courses in history the maximum allowable. Three of these courses could debatably be called military history or have a large component. They were a fourth-year course on ancient warfare that was essentially traditional military history. The second was an independent study I set up with the same professor as the ancient history course. The last was called the world at war. It attempted in 13 weeks to describe both world wars. Suffice it to say it was compressed....
For a vehement defense of military and political history see Who Killed Canadian History? by J. L. Granatstein.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Harry Potter Lexicon appeal
Time for some more fun. Makes you wonder just how deep RDR's pockets really are.
Paul Newman, 1925-2008
Paul Newman is gone.
His finest achievement was at the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours, where he finished second in a Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935, alongside team owner Barbour and Rolf Stommelen.Not being a big movie person, I'll remember him more for his racing than anything else.
Friday, September 26, 2008
New Osprey series
On raids. Seems a little strange like most of these could be covered as part of the campaign series. Not much information there. I wonder if it'll be the 48 or 96 page format.
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction and Other Dilemmas in the Writer's Life by Bonnie Friedman
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction and Other Dilemmas in the Writer's Life by Bonnie Friedman
is sold as a book that deals with the psychology of writing it's actually a biographical look at Friedman's issues. In brief she can't get no respect, not that she does anything worthy of respect. Friedman views herself as a special snowflake that normal societal norms should not apply to. She should be able to write novels portraying friends and family in negative lights. In particular there is a long section describing her writing an exploitative manuscript about her sister's MS, under the guise of "educating the public". The subjects should be thrilled that she is living up to her "art". There's also quite a bit of pseudo-philosophical and Freudian drivel mixed in. She can't seem to take criticism so I'm sure her agent and editor must just love her. She goes out of her way to rant against the creative writing program she was in her adviser in particular. The whole thing is narcissistic.
Not recommended!
is sold as a book that deals with the psychology of writing it's actually a biographical look at Friedman's issues. In brief she can't get no respect, not that she does anything worthy of respect. Friedman views herself as a special snowflake that normal societal norms should not apply to. She should be able to write novels portraying friends and family in negative lights. In particular there is a long section describing her writing an exploitative manuscript about her sister's MS, under the guise of "educating the public". The subjects should be thrilled that she is living up to her "art". There's also quite a bit of pseudo-philosophical and Freudian drivel mixed in. She can't seem to take criticism so I'm sure her agent and editor must just love her. She goes out of her way to rant against the creative writing program she was in her adviser in particular. The whole thing is narcissistic.Not recommended!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A note to my alma mater
Considering how proud you are at trumpeting the millions that you have finagled out of the provincial and federal governments it is unseemly to send me a clawing letter demanding funds. Thank you so much for the introduction to the tax code. That's something I needed. Considering we both know that anything I donate will disappear into the black hole that is student athletics or the neuroscience department. I think I'll pass.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Quotation [occasional]
"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"
- Letterman on McCain
- Letterman on McCain
McCain wants to pull plug on campaign
Whining about the media hasn't worked and the VP bounce seems to be over. So what's a candidate to do? Timeout!
Fan fiction and novel writing
An interesting review of a novel from a former fanfic writer. It does a very good job at expressing the differences between the two forms. Warning: the review uses various four letter Anglo-Saxon words you've been warned....
Bloody Sunday: Lord Widgery's Report 1972: Lord Widgery's Report of Events in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 30 January 1972 edited by Tim Coates
Bloody Sunday: Lord Widgery's Report 1972: Lord Widgery's Report of Events in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on 30 January 1972 edited by Tim Coates
this is the first government report that was commissioned on the controversial shooting of protesters by the British Army. Bloody Sunday is one of the most famous incidents of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
This book was published as part of a series called Uncovered Editions. These consist of material taken out of the British archives making it accessible for a wider public. This is a truly admirable program that entrepreneurial souls in other countries should consider doing.
The report itself essentially takes the side of the army units. The only real criticism of the authorities was that the rules of engagement were unclear and could be difficult to parse when being shot at. Today the report is considered to be flawed both in its acceptance of forensic evidence and in other particulars. Frustratingly I did not learn this from Coates' introduction I had to look it up online. There was no attempt to put the report in context. Definitely a lost opportunity.
Recommended for the report but not for the apparatus surrounding it.
this is the first government report that was commissioned on the controversial shooting of protesters by the British Army. Bloody Sunday is one of the most famous incidents of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.This book was published as part of a series called Uncovered Editions. These consist of material taken out of the British archives making it accessible for a wider public. This is a truly admirable program that entrepreneurial souls in other countries should consider doing.
The report itself essentially takes the side of the army units. The only real criticism of the authorities was that the rules of engagement were unclear and could be difficult to parse when being shot at. Today the report is considered to be flawed both in its acceptance of forensic evidence and in other particulars. Frustratingly I did not learn this from Coates' introduction I had to look it up online. There was no attempt to put the report in context. Definitely a lost opportunity.
Recommended for the report but not for the apparatus surrounding it.
Clay Aiken is gay
And in other news.... water is wet, the pope is Catholic and bears do in fact go number two in the woods.
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