Books Read 2014

A nonny mouse · Post by **A nonny mouse** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:29 am

A few more started and under my belt. I am in the mood for a really good "epic" but am afraid I won't have the time to finish. that Is why I have so many short, easy reads.

If anyone has suggestions on good series, please let me know.

Updated 14 March 2014

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:41 am

Hiccup wrote:I am finally getting enough motivation to make lists, though not so much as to write reviews, ratings, or links.
YTD Completed:
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

I have tried to get through that one, but stopped twice, for many months each time. Had to go back each time and re-read sections already read just to remember what was going on. Still have not gotten to a part that it has grabbed me so it's difficult to put down, but I will finish the damn thing, if it's the last thing I do (just based on the gushing reviews, it's GOT to get REALLY good at some point, I assume I just have not gotten that far, yet).

Hiccup · Post by **Hiccup** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:14 am

Carpet_pissr wrote:
Hiccup wrote:I am finally getting enough motivation to make lists, though not so much as to write reviews, ratings, or links.
YTD Completed:
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
I have tried to get through that one, but stopped twice, for many months each time. Had to go back each time and re-read sections already read just to remember what was going on. Still have not gotten to a part that it has grabbed me so it's difficult to put down, but I will finish the damn thing, if it's the last thing I do (just based on the gushing reviews, it's GOT to get REALLY good at some point, I assume I just have not gotten that far, yet).

Sonofa…I had a response typed up, but had to walk away so that got erased by the logout.

For me, I picked it up because it was historical fiction (and I kept hearing about it). After reading the jacket, I thought I would really like the cathedral aspect of it. Once I started though I got invested in Tom Builder’s story, but not because of his desire to build a cathedral. Then Philip was introduced and I started caring about his story as well. Everything else besides those two was bonus. I can’t say that there are truly “I can’t put this down!” moments, but the pages flew by.

So if the characters aren’t worth reading for you, I’d say you might have a hard time finishing it.

I had the same issue with Anathem by Neal Stephenson. I had about 3 false starts because I went in expecting something like Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon/Baroque Cycle. I had completely given up on it, but found it for $3 in the clearance section at B&N 6 months after that. I started it again without my expectations from a Neal S. book, but just took it for what it was. Once I did that, I couldn’t put it down (and there were some slow parts in that book to be sure.)

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:46 pm

The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass by Bill Maher

A print version of a monologue segment of his TV show, this second collection dates as far back as the end of the Bush II administration. His targets are largely political or cultural phenomenon, and while still very funny, parts of the book seem a little dated. Not all of the optimism shown ridiculing right-wing nut jobs has quite played out the way Maher (or the rest of the nation) had hoped. But there is still plenty of ammo which to ridicule and scorn conservatives, fundamentalists, and both. And for that, I must highly recommend the book.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:51 pm

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives!: A World without World War I by Richard Ned Lebow

What if the spark that lit World War I never happened? That is the premise to Richard Lebow's alternate-reality book. While he thoroughly covers not only international and domestic politics; but also ponders changes on science, social science, and the arts. It is an interesting exercise that in the end is pure mental masturbation (the author pretty much concludes as much).

Cause and effect gets more specious the further you move from the divergence of the actual time line. Lebow carries his projections to modern times, and admittedly takes an idealized path in his reasoning. He doesn't always consider that some events, say, World War I for example, had multiple factors behind it; it is equally plausible that simply another spark would have led to the same outcome.

Lebow wants us to think there is benefit to this kind of what-if analysis, but it really does us little good in the end. Hindsight is always 20/20, while we can imagine a world without the September 11 attacks, for example, we couldn't imagine the events in the first place at a time they could have been prevented. Future atrocities will occur, not because the perpetrators were unaware of the domino effect of their actions, but because the rest of the world could not conceive it was necessary to intervene when it could have mattered.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:12 pm

Hiccup wrote: For me, I picked it up because it was historical fiction (and I kept hearing about it). After reading the jacket, I thought I would really like the cathedral aspect of it. Once I started though I got invested in Tom Builder’s story, but not because of his desire to build a cathedral. Then Philip was introduced and I started caring about his story as well. Everything else besides those two was bonus. I can’t say that there are truly “I can’t put this down!” moments, but the pages flew by.

Just wanted to say, I loved most of what's on your list, so we seem to share a similar interest. Even loved Anathem

Very much looking forward to the 3rd part of the Century trilogy.

I'm currently making my way trough The Terror by Dan Simmons, and it took me awhile to get into it. I tried once and it felt like such a slog to get through, and picked it up a second time and now it seems to be clicking better. I feel books go with mood. I have to really be in the mood for a particular novel.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 2:49 pm

Spilled Blood by Brian Freeman

Minnesota native Brian Freeman likes setting his novels in his home state. Even better, the narrator of the audiobook has, or at least read the book, with a local accent/dialect. While a nice touch, it did make the characters seem oddly aloof given horrific events and rising body counts.

This book has more twists and turns than the Snake River. A lawyer's daughter is accused of a murder she didn't commit, although evidence makes it appear to be an open and shut case. As more evidence is exposed, his daughter's motives to commit the murder seem to entrench rather than mitigate. However, he is convinced she has done no wrong, and she is remarkably confident that the outcome will go her way.

Five young people in the town of St. Croix die of leukemia in a short period of time. A local food research and development facility is blamed but exonerated. Then the daughter of the owner of this company is murdered, with all indications of a jealous love triangle with the lawyer's daughter and a pastor's son.

And then there are mysterious, threatening notes from someone calling himself "Aquarius."

It would be logical to thing that this Aquarius character is the ultimate bad guy, but Freeman keeps throwing curve balls. Yes, he's a bad guy and responsible for some of the bloodshed in this book. But he's not the only one, and his actions in the end are probably the best thing for a town that has become unfriendly, divisive, and hostile to residents and visitors alike. If you like complex thrillers, this book is for you.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:13 pm

Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Most of the Pendergast books are stand-alone...while there may be some references to events in other books, rarely is it necessary to enjoy the story. Last year I read Two Graves, the latest in the series. The opening sequence of that book is a direction continuation of Cold Vengeance.

This book opens with our hero, Aloysius Pendergast, on a hunting trip with his dear brother in law. The brother of his now-dead wife. Deep in the Scottish moors, the BiL takes the opportunity to pop a cap into Pendergast, who naturally anticipated the event and tampered with the ammo. A fight ensues, and Pendergast winds up in quicksand with a bullet wound. Esterhazy, the BiL, leaves before confirming the kill (how convenient).

Before Esterhazy leaves, he tells Pendergast that his wife is still alive. Pendergast recovers, sets about investigating this claim, then comes to a showdown with Esterhazy and his German allies. At this point there are some twists and turns that I won't spoil, but the end does setup the start of the next book.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:03 pm

I am starting to doubt whether Jeff V really has both a child and a job given his reading habits.

How can you be awake to read?

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:44 pm

The Night Angle Trilogy by Brent Weeks

I finally finished the last book in this series. It's about a street orphan who learns how to be an assassin by the world's greatest assassin. As he grows and becomes powerful he realizes that his skills will keep him away from the life he wants to live. I felt the series started off good and dwindled down to mediocre. Part of the problem was that in book three some characters become very important and I struggled to even remember who they were. This isn't a series with a cast of 1,000 characters like Song of Ice and Fire either. Okay series.

WYBaugh · Post by **WYBaugh** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:18 pm

Finished The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley

This is a pretty good story based around the three children of the slain emperor and how the two son's are being trained (one as a warrior the other a monk) and the daughter's role in the capital city. The story mainly revolves around the two sons and the conspiracies set in motion to take their lives after their father is killed.

It has the cliche going with the brother's where they move forward in their training but are not very successful until the end when the chips are down.

Besides that, the use of "Kent Kissing" as a swear word way too much and that the tough people enjoy pulling scabs off of body parts when they're thinking it's a good, engaging story.

WYBaugh · Post by **WYBaugh** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 9:23 pm

Did not finish The Dark Thorn by Shawn Speakman

Here's the Amazon description:

Beneath the streets of Seattle, a long-forgotten war is about to be renewed...

Richard McAllister, a spiritually destitute homeless man and Knight of the Yn Saith, protects one of seven portals linking his world to that of Annwn, where the fey Tuatha de Dannan of antiquity have been relegated by a long-running religious war.

Unknown to Richard though, powerful forces are aligning against him and all he stands to keep safe. In the wilds of a discarded world, Philip Plantagenet, son of Henry II, moves to claim a birthright nine centuries in the making, one that drives him to eliminate the Tuatha de Dannan--at any cost to both worlds. In the halls of Vatican City, Cardinal Vicar Cormac Pell O'Connor schemes to control the Heliwr--the Unfettered Knight--one who possesses the great power known as the Dark Thorn.

The three men are on a collision course with history--and their futures.

For in the wilds of Annwn, death comes as easily as magic.

Haunted by a past he can't forget and a knightly responsibility he can't shun, Richard is drawn into levels of machinations--and two worlds--far darker than any he has prepared for.

Ton of 5 stars on Amazon so figured it had to be a good book.

Wrong, just a horrible book. I made it 1/2 way then gave it up. For such a good premise all of the characterizations suck and just couldn't hold any interest.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:12 am

Zarathud wrote:I am starting to doubt whether Jeff V really has both a child and a job given his reading habits.

How can you be awake to read?

It's a baby -- it is more remarkable to NOT be awake.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:37 pm

The Hellhound of Wall Street

This is about what became known as the Pecora Investigation, in 1932 - 1933. This was a Senate inquiry into Wall Street practices (initially short selling, then getting a broader mandate) fueled by the crash and Great Depression (along with banking failures that make 2008 - 2009 look like cake). The investigations mostly stalled before the Senate Committee hired Ferdinand Pecora (a former Assistant District Attorney from New York) to act as committee counsel conducting the inquiry. He managed to expose significant abuses on Wall Street from one of the leading banks of the day (City Bank of New York, now Citibank), which in turn helped pave the way for the enactment of the Securities laws (and the creation of the SEC).

Really a tremendous book. Of course I'm a government lawyer so this is kind of in my wheelhouse, but really fascinating to read in light of the 2008 crash and the fallout from that. Interesting how things change and don't change. "Bailouts" were wildly unpopular at the time (I'd forgotten that the federal government did bank bailouts in 1932 as well), people claiming that new regulations would only kill business and jobs ... although the parties were less ideological at the time, so you wound up with things like the head of the Committee being a progressive Republican who wanted to go after wall street, and appointed a democrat to lead his inquiry. Also see bank executives helping themselves to big bonuses that they say are necessary to recruit talented people and preserve morale...while treating the lower employees and the customers like shit.

You also forget just how unbelievable the economic situation was then - the government literally shut all banks down across the country because otherwise many (most?) would have failed outright. You also see what happens without the transparency that the securities laws provide - pretty basic disclosures that are routine now did not happen before.

The book also gets into racial / ethnic issues of the day - Pecora was Italian-American, so him getting to such a prominent position (and embarrassing the largely anglo-protestant lords of Wall Street) was a big deal for the time as well.

Definitely would recommend it.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:19 am

Updated my post with this book:

Completed
Fiction
American Gods Neil Gaiman (Amazon, special thanks to Smoove_B for pointing out a recent sale of modern classics)
The majority of the story is a set-up of the Old Gods (dragged over to America by then-believing immigrants, only to fall out of favor) vs. the "gods" of modern times (such as Media, the Internet, etc.) as told by a bystander dragged into the fight. Since a good 80% of the book has to do with the set-up to the ultimate battle, it's easy for the reader to get lost in the anticipation rather than focus on the allegory involved in the build-up. I'm hesitant to offer a general recommendation as this is no standard plot-centric story driven by action, but rather a story about the journey. I rather enjoy Gaiman's writing style (and found my inner monologue following his same patterns when I was away from the book), which was not overly descriptive while remaining very much based in observation and rewarding those who read deeply rather than only on the surface.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:41 am

Malicious History: An Investigation into King James VI of Scotland, I of England, and His Place in the History of Witch Hunts by Joe Kasti

Malicious History is a masters thesis by Joe Kasti. The premise is that King James I has been unfairly memorialized by history as a witch hunter of epic proportions. His contention is that the number of convictions and executions actually declined over the term of his reign, and that the witch-hunting craze started during the reign of Elizabeth I. And while some of the more sensational trials during his reign do reflect badly on a purportedly highly intelligent, if somewhat unenlightened monarch, at worst he was simply keeping pace with the popular attitudes of the time.

Kasti calls out prior historians for inaccurate depictions of James I, but for the large part seems to write them off as propagators of hearsay. I haven't heard of any of these historians before; not all are modern, and perhaps they are better known in the witchcraft genre. Why numbers would be so artificially inflated I suppose points to an persecution complex by those in that field. Kasti suggests executions during his reign averaged about 2 per year, as opposed to thousands in some accusations.

From the start, the tone of this thesis is one of a James apologist. He grudgingly admits that the King harbored beliefs that witches did exist and must be rooted out, but then in later years, he found most celebrity cases to be fraudulent and pardoned a good many, while admonishing careless judges who passed death sentences without due process. I would have liked to see a little more of the prior history on how witch-hunting became a popular pastime, and also what the consequences were of actions during James reign on later generations.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:11 pm

Fever Dream by Lincon Child and Douglas Preston

The first of a three-book story arc that I had inadvertently read backwards. Starting with a flashback 12 years prior, we witness the death of Helen Esterhazy Pendergast at the jaws of a lion while on safari in Africa. Taken at face value as a horrible accident, back in present day the widower Aloysius Pendergast discovers that his wife was the target of a very elaborate murder plot. What seemed like a academic obsession with the 19th century artist James Audubon, Helen had more skeletons in her closet than in her grave. What follows is an exciting chase through bayou country as a medical mystery...and powerful people with a vested interest keeping it so, begins to emerge. The story directly feeds into the next book, Cold Vengeance.

Scuzz · Post by **Scuzz** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:24 pm

The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw

I ran across this in the discount racks at Barnes and Noble. It is an interesting but depressing look at a National Guard unit called into active duty after Pearl Harbor. The unit, comprised mainly of men from Bedford, Virginia, ended up being in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach in Normandy during the D-Day landings.

Bedford, a town of 3,000 had 19 men killed on that first day, and 22 overall died in Normandy. The book gives you their background and how they died, and how their families found out about their loss.

Anyone familiar with the Longest Day will recognize characters and actions described in this book. I would recommend the book although you have to know going in that it is depressing.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:25 pm

$iljanus wrote:
tgb wrote:Finished But He Was Good To His Mother and moving on to the Penn Jillette book Brian was reading.
How was But He Was Good To His Mother? After watching Mob City I was a bit curious about Meyer Lansky, Bugsy and the Jewish mob. Especially Lansky since he and Lucky Luciano were instrumental in bringing a bit of organizing to the endeavor of crime.

Sorry to be so long in answering this, but I've kind of forgotten about this thread and never returned. My bad

Anyway, it's quite good not only in detailing Jewish gangsters known and unknown (fun fact: The organization known as Murder, Incorporated was mostly comprised of Jews), but also analyzes why the number of Italians in organized crime grew while the Jewish presence mostly petered out (in short, the Italians felt that their illegal operations should stay within the immediate family, and brought siblings and children into the business, while the Jews felt that they didn't want this
life for their kids, and kept it hidden from family members. Often wives and children had no idea how daddy earned a living).

Also a lot of stuff on how Lansky used his connections in the war, busting the heads of Nazi sympathizers (he had de facto ppermission from DA Thomas Dewey as long as no one got killed) and preventing sabotage on the docks.

Anyway, I haven't had a whole lot of time to read since finishing Penn's book, but I did start this yesterday:

, an insiders guide to the tortuous process some films go through before getting made (or not) and why they turn out successful (or not). Right now I'm starting the chapter on how Indy IV became such a stinker.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:20 pm

tgb wrote:
$iljanus wrote:
tgb wrote:Finished But He Was Good To His Mother and moving on to the Penn Jillette book Brian was reading.
How was But He Was Good To His Mother? After watching Mob City I was a bit curious about Meyer Lansky, Bugsy and the Jewish mob. Especially Lansky since he and Lucky Luciano were instrumental in bringing a bit of organizing to the endeavor of crime.
Sorry to be so long in answering this, but I've kind of forgotten about this thread and never returned. My bad

Anyway, it's quite good not only in detailing Jewish gangsters known and unknown (fun fact: The organization known as Murder, Incorporated was mostly comprised of Jews), but also analyzes why the number of Italians in organized crime grew while the Jewish presence mostly petered out (in short, the Italians felt that their illegal operations should stay within the immediate family, and brought siblings and children into the business, while the Jews felt that they didn't want this
life for their kids, and kept it hidden from family members. Often wives and children had no idea how daddy earned a living).

Also a lot of stuff on how Lansky used his connections in the war, busting the heads of Nazi sympathizers (he had de facto ppermission from DA Thomas Dewey as long as no one got killed) and preventing sabotage on the docks.

Anyway, I haven't had a whole lot of time to read since finishing Penn's book, but I did start this yesterday:

, an insiders guide to the tortuous process some films go through before getting made (or not) and why they turn out successful (or not). Right now I'm starting the chapter on how Indy IV became such a stinker.

Oy, you don't type, you don't call...

It sounds like a fun read and with my e-book price fixing settlement I may have to pick it up. I find it amusing how each group viewed "the business" in regards to family.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:57 pm

Just recently finished The Terror by Dan Simmons, and took me awhile to get through it. Felt it started off slow and didn't really get into it until about midway through when it started to gather momentum. Interesting take on the Franklin Expedition.

McNutt · Post by **McNutt** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:24 pm

I really liked the Terror. It got weird, but was always riveting.

WYBaugh · Post by **WYBaugh** » Sat Mar 29, 2014 7:16 pm

Finished Terms of Enlistment by Marko KLoos

If you're looking for a Starship Troopers like book this is a good selection. Really enjoyed the book. It's an entertaining take on military sci-fi.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:32 pm

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan

I've been a fan of Michael Pollan since reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma." Combing a love for food, nature, biology and sociology, Pollan extracts fascinating stories from mundane foodstuffs we often take for granted.

In this book, Pollan discusses the rise (and potential fall) of four highly successful crops: apples, tulips, potatoes, and, well. weed. He theorizes how these plants, from humble beginnings, helped engineer us to aid in its reproductive success. Primordial apples from the forests of Kazakhstan are virtually inedible, and until fairly recently (and only because of the temperance movement in the late 19th century) have they been bred for sweetness and crispiness that we value as an edible fruit. Prior to this, apples largely were used to make apple cider, the alcohol of choice before California wine country was established. What I found interesting is that rarely does an apple seed produce a tree with edible fruit -- all of the popular varieties seen in supermarkets are grafted trees.

Tulips, on the other hand, were bred strictly for beauty. Holland, known for tulips went through a period of tulipmania where extravagant prices were paid for single perfect specimens. A more recent success story is that of weed, well, hemp, hooch, mary jane...yes, marijuana. While I have no intention of reliving indiscretions of my youth, I found it interesting that the "ditch weed" of yore -- domestic crap with low thc has given way to a very high quality product of domestic origin...all thanks to the "war on drugs." The result is marijuana is now the most valuable cash crop in America.

Finally, Pollan discusses potatoes. Modern genetically modified potatoes contain their own antibiotics...bacterial DNA that kills off bugs that often feast on potato crops. He speaks with potato farmers who explain the process...and then tell him on the sly they keep a small, organic plot for their own use and when it comes to the stuff they sell, they suggest there is no such thing as washing them too much.

One warning, a common theme for Pollan expressed in other books, is that fields of genetically identical products are susceptible to complete devastation from a specific virus or bacteria. This happened in Ireland, famously resulting in the great potato famine. It can happen too with any of the crops discussed in this book.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:46 pm

An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist by Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins is one of my favorite science educators alive today He does a wonderful job explaining the truth and fact behind science, as well as why we should all care and understand.

Dawkins was the product of a diverse childhood, his younger years in Africa holding out until the end of WW 2, then coming to England where he is educated in some of the top schools in the world. In his professional career as a scientist, he dabbles in computer programming and is proud of some of his programming accomplishments that helped abet his research. The result (and culmination of this book, which ends at the beginning of his career as a well-known author and science celebrity) is his seminal book. The Selfish Gene.

Much of this book is childhood and college anecdotes which, while memorable to Mr. Dawkins, aren't so interesting to those of us who probably "had to be there." I'll probably read the second half of his autobiography when published next year, I think his work as an author and science advocate is far more interesting.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 2:19 pm

McNutt wrote:I really liked the Terror. It got weird, but was always riveting.

Yeah, it was. I just found it hard to get into for some reason, perhaps due to his writing style, and it was only after awhile that I started appreciating it.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:49 pm

Bujold's 'The Curse of Chalion' just finished. Thanks, OO, for the excellent suggestion. Top shelf stuff, IMO, and highly recommended. Not GRR Martin level, but way up there for the genre.

I guess I will read the whole trilogy, but I got a very definite sense of closure/satisfaction even after reading just the first one. I'm almost hesitant to continue based on recent experiences with poor follow ups.

WYBaugh · Post by **WYBaugh** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 8:45 pm

Finished Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick

It's a light read which has a detective-ish line to the plot which I like but ultimately the book is just ok. The ending wraps things up too conveniently. Hopefully it's something he can build on and improve because it does have some interesting ideas and characters but just doesn't do much with them in this epsiode.

Herman Hum · Post by **Herman Hum** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:08 pm

'Chieftains' (Bob Forrest-Webb)

Very light reading for WW3 format. Not worth more than a buck or two.

Hiccup · Post by **Hiccup** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:19 am

Updated with

In Process:
The Winds of War - Herman Wouk
The Ghost Brigades - John Scalzi

Completed:
Winter of the World - Ken Follett
The Running Man (audiobook) - Richard Bachmann (SK)
Full Dark No Stars - Stephen King
Old Man's War - John Scalzi

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:27 am

I've got the PBS series recorded but haven't watched it yet.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:32 am

tgb wrote:

I've got the PBS series recorded but haven't watched it yet.

I'm catching up on Tivo recordings and yesterday saw this guy on Colbert. If my library gets the audiobook, I might check it out some time.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 12:16 pm

Jeff V wrote:
tgb wrote:

I've got the PBS series recorded but haven't watched it yet.
I'm catching up on Tivo recordings and yesterday saw this guy on Colbert. If my library gets the audiobook, I might check it out some time.

I thought tlr would want to watch it with me so I've been holding off, but she finally informed me last night she's not really interested. I'll probably start watching it over the weekend.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Apr 07, 2014 9:49 pm

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Medieval times a we revere it in popular culture pretty much coincides with the reign of the Plantagenet kings of England, beginning with Henry II and ending when Henry of Bolingbrook, a Lancaster cousin to King Richard II, usurped the throne. The Plantagenets offered up some strong rulers with enduring legacy: Henry II, his son, Richard I (The Lionhearted), Edward I (Hammer of the Scots), and Edward III, who revolutionized warfare, sparking the 100 Years War with France. There were also miserable failures, John (of whom the Magna Carta was first imposed), Edward II, and Richard II. Feudalism was redefined under their reign, and contention with the nobility and church was commonplace (Thomas Becket the most notable ecclesiastical casualty of this period). There were also crusades, and, perhaps most intriguing (especially if you enjoy the game Crusader Kings), attempts to retain possessions in France, including political maneuvering and homage to various French kings (eventually leading to the 100 Years War). Scottish nationalism was ultimately successful under Robert the Bruce, but not until after Edward I had given way to his weak son.

Dan Jones does a fine job covering all of the major events in each monarch's reign. I would have liked to have seen a little more on the effect each monarch had on day to day life...but common folk were the ultimate pawns in this period. Fans of A Game of Thrones will find something to like here...real life contention and intrigue.

Regarding the title of the book. the "Queems" should probably be singular as the most significant queen, Henry II's darling wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was probably the only queen of this period to be supported with an armed host. In comparison, the other queens were less pro-active, but in some cases, their deaths caused adverse reaction with their (in)famous husbands.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:45 pm

The Draco Tavern by Larry Niven

The Draco Tavern is a hub of interstellar travelers visiting Earth in the future...but given the number of pop culture references, not too distant of a future. At one point, Niven refers to "the host that followed Jay Leno on the Tonight Show." The book was published in 2006, so Jimmy Fallon was not yet the anointed one.

A collection of short stories, they all involve the owner/bartender of The Draco Tavern, Rick Schumann. While some of the stories follow the short story form. mostly this is Rick eavesdropping or talking to various aliens on topics ranging from Flutterby sex a cosmic intelligence enveloping the entire universe. I probably would have enjoyed this more if included races of his "Known Universe" collection of novels and short stories...but he did a predictably good job introducing us to the races in this particular universe.

I'm a long time Niven fan, but he hasn't impressed me all that much in the past decade. This book doesn't either, but it serves as brain comfort food nevertheless.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:53 pm

Wasn't there a series in the 50's or 60's by one of the classic SF writers that used an intergalactic dive bar as an excuse for short stories? The name of the bar and the author are on the tip of my tongue but I just can't get it...............

Pyperkub · Post by **Pyperkub** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:53 pm

Callahan's cross time saloon?

Larry Niven had something too, but I'm stuck on the short story The Fourth Profession, which is one of my favorites.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:15 pm

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base

Aside from the unsourced speculation about the "grays" and craft of the Roswell crash, the book does have a lot of good information about the history of the actual aircraft and nuclear testing that went on out in the Nevada desert. There was enough overlap between this text and Red Eagles that I believe the majority of the book to be well-sourced and true.

The stuff about the Roswell crash being a Soviet drone piloted from a remove aircraft and "piloted" by Dr. Mengele's teenaged science experiments? Not so much.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 3:55 pm

Battleground Prussia: The Assault on Germany's Eastern Front 1944-45 (General Military) by Prit Buttar

There's a reason Hollywood and television has portrayed the Eastern Front as a sinister punishment for German soldiers who are not successful enough combating the Allies in the west. With the desperation caused by lack of manpower, lack of equipment, lack of ammunition, lack of fuel, lack of food...well, you get the idea. War is hell and the Ostfront was the 9th level. No quarter was given, this phase of the war was fight or die. The created ample opportunity for heroic effort; something one can appreciate if he can separate the typical Wehrmacht soldier or officer from the Nazi degenerates who committed countless atrocities.

The Germans kept very good records of troop movements and engagements, especially on the Eastern Front as there was no worse place for a dissatisfied Fuhrer to banish architects of failed operations. This is not the first book of its ilk that I've read...if you're fans of games such as Squad Leader or Combat Mission, you'll read about the human element behind some of the small-scale actions replicated in those games. The German record is largely considered to be far more accurate than Soviet accounts of the same action -- Soviet leaders were forever multiplying reports of casualties caused and even reported engagements created whole cloth from the imagination of the staff officers in an effort to appease Stalin and his staff at STAVKA;

If you're particularly researching battles of this period, this book is an excellent resource. Without that purpose, however, the book is a lot of "the 2nd company of the newly formed 51st Volksgrenadier regiment was deployed to a town nobody has ever heard of and asked to hold it against 4 Soviet exploiting tank armies with nothing more than a half dozen panzerfausts and an armored Radio Flyer wagon." Well, not so silly, but after a few hundred pages of similar accounts of troop deployments, one's mind does tend to embellish.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 6:34 pm

Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign by Stephan Talty

The Romantic Age of Piracy (as opposed to the "Golden Age", which is now) is the stuff of legend and Hollywood epics. In reality, it came about as a means to wage wars by proxy when treaties interfered with direct military conflict. The unlikely Spanish Empire grew large and fat on treasures from the Americas, and relieving them of this source of wealth allowed poor nations such as England to compete as a world power.

Rather than condone piracy outright, Britain, France and others commissioned "privateer" ships; privately owned ships where the captain is given a Letter of Marque allowing him to legally prey upon enemies of the state. This legal distinction may or may not save the captain and crew from execution because of piracy. Some of the revenue brought in was staggering, however, there was not much affinity between the buccaneers (named for a dried meat the were fond of stocking) and the governments that originally instigated their activities. Sure, there were some plain-old scoundrels, but a pirate ship was a very democratic thing and the captain's authority was entirely on the sufferance of the crew.

Which makes the activities of Captain Henry Morgan all the more remarkable. Bearing authority from the British government, he waged a privateering war against Spain. More remarkable, and something I hadn't heard of, was his leading an actual pirate army on a campaign on the isthmus of Panama. Despite suffering hardships and supply shortages, the pirate army succeeded in combating inferior Spanish forces, resulting in entire towns paying massive ransoms for the pirates to simply go away.

Empire of Blue Water is not a romantic, swashbuckling tale but it is a fascinating look at the political aspects of the institution of piracy in the Caribbean during colonial times.