“Perhaps we should sympathize with our stunted intellectuals. They are asked to write about much more than they can possibly know anything about…”
The Great Halifax Explosion by John U Bacon
I am a big military history buff, but I have to admit that I do not recall knowing much about the explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia during World War I. John Bacon’s The Great Halifax Explosion fills in all of the details you may ever want to know about the incident.
Bacon writes about the history of Halifax and its relationship (and greater Canada as well) with the United States. He provides an excellent point of view from a Canadian. Prior to the explosion, Haligonians (and most Canadians) were not too keen on Americans since we always wanted to invade and absorb them into the U.S. This relationship, especially between Halifax and Boston, forever changed after the explosion and Boston’s efforts to assist Haligonians.
Bacon presents a fairly straight forward narrative of the events leading up to, during, and after the explosion. I am particularly struck by his description of the actions of the crew of the French freighter Mont-Blanc. He not only discusses the crew’s abandonment of the ship after the collision, but goes beyond the simple narrative. He asks you to not judge their actions – which partially led to the death of thousands – based on your current position, but to put tyourself in the shoes of the captain and the harbor pilot. Bacon asks if you would do something different in a split second, knowing that your decision could cost you your life.
He juxtaposes the crew’s actions with the actions of train dispatcher Vincent Coleman who sacrificed himself to save hundreds who were on an inbound train right before the explosion. Coleman also had to make a split second decision, but he chose to die to save others. It is a wonderful look at human behavior during a critical time.
Bacon’s writing style is easy to read and follow along with the story. Throughout the book , he points out various decisions and personalities and how those personalities and decisions influenced Halifax and its residents.
A great book on a very unfamiliar subject.
It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor is the follow-up to the quirky Welcome to Night Vale. It Devours! continues where Welcome to Night Vale left off with its eccentric plot and characters.
Eccentric is not a strong enough word to describe this book. It is eccentric, strange, unorthodox, odd and zany all at the same time. It has you laughing on one page and shaking your head on the next. Despite the unorthodox nature of the story, it is a somewhat enjoyable story with likable characters.
Once you get passed the strangeness of the town and characters, it is a very thought-provoking plot. It examines the relationship between science and religion. More than a few times, I chuckled at the characterizations. It leaves you wondering what the line is between religion and science.
The Lost Legacy (The Supernormal Sleuthing Service #1) by Gwenda Bond & Christpher Rowe
Sooo … long time no blog. Thanks to Jeff for keeping the place alive in my absence. I may have finally found my motivation for blogging so here’s hoping May is the start of something.
Friend of the blog (Can I say that? I guess I just did) Gwenda Bond posted on Facebook that the first book in the Supernormal Sleuthing Service Series, The Lost Legacy, is now out in paperback. Book two, The Sphinx’s Secret, is expected later this month. This series is co-written by Gwenda and her husband Christopher Rowe. I figured this would be a good time to offer a review since I failed to do so when I read it last year.
I found The Lost Legacy to be a clever and imaginative start to what should be a fun series. A unique twist on a common plot hook, magical creatures secretly hiding out in the modern world, and a menagerie of interesting characters and personalities. Backstory and mysteries are slowly revealed as the tension picks up. The ending reveals but also sets up future adventures.
Library Journal captures what makes this first book enjoyable:
Character development is quite satisfying, as the children start out whiny and distrustful but become brave and resourceful. The authors artfully meld the supernatural with the modern. In one scene, the children use their cell phone ringers to scare a ghoul. Black-and-white, cartoon-style line drawings by Thomas establish just the right mood for the quirky setting and characterization.
If you are looking for non-stop movie like action, this is not that kind of book. Some of the reviews seemed frustrated with the lack of action but I enjoyed the characters and the setting so didn’t mind the pace or t is a fun, lighthearted read and who doesn’t need that these days? Can’t wait to read the next book.
A Crime in the Family by Sacha Batthyany
A Crime in the Family: A World War II Secret Buried in Silence–and My Search for the Truth by Sacha Batthyany is a soul-searching book about Batthyany’s search for the truth about his family in World War II.
At first, I thought the book was going to be about his Aunt Margit and the party she hosted while her guests executed 180 Jews in Rechnitz, Hungary. But, it turns out that Batthyany’s family has more than that connection with Jews during the war.
He begins with the story of his Aunt Margit and then turns to a secret that is closer to him – his great grandfather’s and grandmother’s roles in the execution of a Jewish playmate’s parents.
Batthyany tells the story of this execution as he discovers his family’s secrets and why he is the person he is today. It is a fascinating story of self-discovery because he shares his exploits and his struggles as he unravels the story of the execution.
In the end, it is a redeeming feature of the human spirit that, although we are who we are partially because of our past, it does not mean that we have to continue living with the sins of the past – whether our own or sins of our families.
The Strategy of Victory by Thomas Fleming
George Washington – one of the most written about figures of the American Revolution – is a fascinating individual on so many levels. Thomas Fleming in The Strategy For Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution gives his perspective of Washington as the general who led the colonies to victory.
Earlier in my life, I thought that Washington was a mediocre general who was fortunate to keep an army together until the French poured money, material, and men into the war effort. However, that view has changed significantly as I studied the war more thoroughly. Washington did the best he could with the scant resources allotted to him. Not only that, but he preserved the tiny American army against the more veteran and better-equipped British army.
Fleming does a masterful job of depicting Washington as a general who learned from his mistakes and changed his strategy in the middle of the war. He not only changed his own thoughts on strategy, but also those of his chief subordinates. As Fleming so adeptly writes, Washington realized that the American army could not continue with a Bunker Hill strategy expecting the British to bash themselves against stout defenses manned by state militia. Washington changed to a strategy of preserving a professional army and coordinating that army with supplementation from state militias. This strategy was one that worked in a number of battles – especially when the militia was used properly.
Fleming highlights the winning strategy in several battles. He details the plans of, and their execution by, Washington at Monmouth Courthouse, Benedict Arnold at Saratoga, and Daniel Morgan at Cowpens. Cowpens was the epitome of Washington’s strategy on using the militia. Fleming goes into great detail on Morgan’s excellent use of a small core of Continental troops with a larger number of state militia.
Fleming’s book is an excellent analysis of Washington’s expert handling of the American war effort during the American Revolution.