Tag: history

Counted Among the Dead

Counted Among the Dead

I was pleased to see another book by Anne Emery on Netgalley so I immediately requested it. I had read several of her books over the years and often reviewed them on my blog.   I was even more eager when I read a bit more on what the book was about.

My wife and I had visited Halifax a few years ago and were amazed to learn about the huge explosion in Halifax harbor during World War 1 while we were visiting a museum in that city.  The explosion was so large it destroyed a large part of the city in 1917 and resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.

Continue reading “Counted Among the Dead”

Small Acts of Courage by Ali Velshi

Small Acts of Courage by Ali Velshi

This was one of those books and you keep talking about while taking breaks from reading.  I loved this book but I’m  sure my wife was tired of hearing about it. The approval to read the advanced reader came at the last minute.  I believe it was just a few days before publication.  The book is “Small Acts of Courage:  Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy” by Ali Velshi

But since I like Ali Velshi’s reporting,  I thought it would be worthwhile but almost certainly I would fail to review it before publication as I usually do,  First I need to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a chance to read this.
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The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Erik Larson’s newest book” is “The Splendid and the Vile : A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz”. In it he tells a well known story in a most unusual and interesting way.
Continue reading “The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson”

Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury

Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury

Raymond Khoury mixes alternative history with political science, human emotions, and time travel to give us a wonderful and fascinating book. This review starts with how I found Empire of Lies.

I was perusing NetGalley to see if they had any books of interest They provide advance reading copies (ARCs) for free and just ask for a review in return. I had found several books there this year and the latest finds were nonfiction so I was ready for a good fiction book.
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How Democracies Die (and get saved)

How Democracies Die (and get saved)

I have previously written about this book (Reading now: How Democracies Die). Now that I’ve finished, I think it was even better than my earlier opinion.

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The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.

American freedom from Great Britain was won by many. There were many visions of what this country should be. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were key figures in deciding how the ideals of the revolutionaries could be preserved in a lasting government.
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The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The Price of Greatness by Jay Cost

The full title is The Price of Greatness: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the Creation of American Oligarchy by Jay Cost.

I accidently posted 2 reviews of this book and so posted the last one combined the some thoughts from the earlier version. See my final review of The Price of Greatness.

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford

The full title is “A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes “ .  Adam Rutherford is hardly a household name at least here in the US. But I hope it will be a name that people looking for good science writing will remember.
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Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal

Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal

Thanks to Netgalley I was able to start an advanced reading copy (ARC) of “Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal” by Joseph Alexiou before the book was in the stores. Unfortunately I am not a particularly fast reader and so the review is just coming out now, almost a month after the publication date. I grew up in the New York City (NYC) area and enjoy reading about New York City and surrounding areas. I’m also a history fan so this book seemed right up my alley.

I’ve read several books on the history of NYC and Brooklyn is usually mentioned but not in any great detail. This differs from others I have read in that the focus was on Brooklyn. The focus is the canal but there is much about Brooklyn in general but more on the area known as South Brooklyn. Continue reading “Gowanus: Brooklyn’s Curious Canal”

Shipwreck off Ireland 1822

Shipwreck off Ireland 1822

Before getting to the shipwreck off Ireland, let me tell you where I read about it. After all the shipwreck is old news and there’s no rush in getting to the story.

I live just outside West Chester, PA and I signed up for emails from a downtown West Chester business association. Even retired guys try to keep up with what is happening locally. Continue reading “Shipwreck off Ireland 1822”

A History of New York in 101 Objects

A History of New York in 101 Objects

Some love New York City or at least find it interesting. Some love to hate it. Some don’t care much one way or another. Unless you are in this last group, you probably will like this book.

I am now reading A History of New York in 101 Objects by Sam Roberts. Continue reading “A History of New York in 101 Objects”

Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York by Ted Steinberg

Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York by Ted Steinberg

The full title is Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York by Ted Steinberg. It is the subtitle that tells what this book is about.

I had written about this book while I was reading it and thought I would review it when finshed.

It is a bit unusual. It is a different perspective on history Continue reading “Gotham Unbound: The Ecological History of Greater New York by Ted Steinberg”

Astoria by Peter Stark

Astoria by Peter Stark

Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark is a page-turning tale full of great adventures and a true story that was once well-known but until now was a forgotten piece of history.

In this remarkable book, Peter Stark tells us Continue reading “Astoria by Peter Stark”

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham is a wonderful book. I had done some reading about Jefferson before but never a full-length biography. I had heard this was the best so I was eager to tackle it and I’m glad I did.

In my previous readings, I had always felt Jefferson was a very gifted man and with that rare ability to hold 2 contradictory beliefs in his mind without being a hypocrite. For example, he was firmly against the idea of political parties, yet the most partisan of politicians.

The list of these internal contradictions is massive. But Jon Meacham spends a good bit of time on the early Jefferson and his love of control and dislike of conflict. This was paired with a strong set of beliefs about what was right or ideals (Jefferson, the Philosopher) with a realization of what was possible and how to get there (Jefferson, the Politician). And the latter is the art of power as in the subtitle.

This is a large (but still 1 volume) biography. I have seen blurbs calling it the best but I’ll have to leave that judgement of others who are more qualified. I’ll just say that I enjoyed it and feel that I understand Jefferson much better than before.

Here are some other reviews: