Terry's Book Reviews

Terry's Book Review, 2022:

American Midnight:
The Great War, a Violent Peace,
and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis

by
Adam Hochschild

Hochschild is the legendary historian who wrote To End All Wars and this new work of his is an impressive continuation of that initial examination of this period.
[5 stars!]

I highly recommend this book!

 

Groundbreaking new account of a pivotal period in American history: 1917-1921, when violence broke out across the home front during World War I and continued into its aftermath, fueled by the first Red Scare and battles over race, immigration, and the rights of labor.

The nation was on the brink. Mobs burned Black churches to the ground. Courts threw thousands of people into prison for opinions they voiced--in one notable case, only in private. Self-appointed vigilantes executed tens of thousands of citizens' arrests. Some seventy-five newspapers and magazines were banned from the mail and forced to close. When the government stepped in, it was often to fan the flames.  

This was America during and after the Great War: a brief but appalling era blighted by lynchings, censorship, and the sadistic, sometimes fatal abuse of conscientious objectors in military prisons--a time whose toxic currents of racism, nativism, red-baiting, and contempt for the rule of law then flowed directly through the intervening decades to poison our own. It was a tumultuous period... a time that we have mostly forgotten about, until now...." 

In 2022
I was hooked
on the mysteries
of Anthony Horowitz

He was the creator and writer of the series Foyle's War, and wrote scripts for Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders.

I first took an interest in Horowitz's mysteries with The House of Silk, his homage to Holmes. 


I've since read his:

  • Magpie Murders (adaptation coming 
    to PBS in October -
    I am so excited!),
  • Moonflower Murders, 
  • The Word Is Murder, 
  • The Sentence is Death, 
and on my future list, 
  • Moriarty.

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Terry's Readings in 2021:




Isaacson's work is outstanding!  

My favorite course I ever taught as a high school teacher was AP Art History.  If only this biography of Leonardo da Vinci had been around then, it would have been required reading for my students.


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Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico province who founded the Center for Action and Contemplation, has written a book that spoke to me on so many levels.  Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life examines the differences between these two halves of our lives but, more importantly, how the experience of a great fall can be the needed catalyst.  In the first half of our life we focus on establishing our identity. But as we grow older we need to see ourselves in a different and more life giving way...and it is in "falling down" that we in fact move upward in this second half of our lives.  

Rohr offers a new paradigm for understanding this great life mystery -- how our fallings can become the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth.  

I can not recommend this book more highly. Particularly if you, like me, are 50-something, knockin' at the door of 60 ... this is definitely a book you should read.

 ________________________________


The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is a historical fiction novel by British author David Mitchell who also authored Cloud Atlas. This book is set in Nagasaki Harbor during the Dutch trading concession with Japan in the late 18th-century.  

Rarely have I read a more beautifully written book so filled with stunning imagery and emotion. 

I'm not a fan of romance novels, I am a fan of historical fiction.  This book is a welcome combination of these genres.  An achingly romantic story of forbidden love, that it is, but also a novel of ideas, of good and evil -- and those who fall somewhere in between.

________________________________



"A brilliant, mind-altering book....Everyone should read this astonishing book."—The Guardian

“If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this—the most inspiring book I've ever read." —Bill Gates (May, 2017)

Steven Pinker traces human history - and yes, The Better Angels of Our Nature do occasionally appear. He shows that despite the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually been in decline over long stretches of history. Exploding myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened world.
________________________


The Great Influenza pandemic of 1918-20 killed up to 100 million people - more than died in the two world wars. 
  
"The field of medicine began to change as the 19th century progressed. Researchers, mostly in Europe and especially in Germany, began to lay the foundations for a scientific approach to medicine and public health, understanding the causes of disease and searching for means of prevention and cure. The invention of new instruments for medical examination, anesthesia, and antiseptic procedures began to transform the practice of medicine and surgery.

All of these advances were slow to arrive in the United States...."   

Reeeeaaaallllllly!?  The acceptance of medical advancements -- including the idea of viral inoculation -- slow to arrive in the U.S.?  Wow, it was truly a captivating experience to read about this tragedy in history as, a century later, the drama of the anti-vaxxers in the Age of Covid unfolded outside my window.

Jan - Feb 2014 
I enjoyed participating in
a weekly book study group
at San Gabriel Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship 
examining A Chosen Faith, 
by John Buehrens
and Forrest Church.

March 2014
Spring means
taking a 'break'
from deep topics.
Something I've always 
wanted to do,
but never have found time
was to read the works of
two of the other
Grand Dames of Mystery
other than
Agatha Christie.
And so it is that this month
I'm churning out one work
after another 
of Ngaio Marsh
and 
Dorothy L. Sayers.


April - June 2014

I return to my
SGUUF Study Group
for 10 weeks of

Building Your Own Theology
Volume 1
by
Richard S. Gilbert


My 2013 Book Reviews:

FALL OF GIANTS 
by Ken Follett

"Follett is ­masterly in conveying so much drama and historical information so vividly."  
{New York Times Book Review}

I recently completed the first in Ken Follett's Century Trilogy and am completely enthralled!  My finger consistently hovered anxiously over the Nook screen, trembling in anticipation of its next swipe - yes, I was (and, thank God for sequels) am hooked!  

 I can't wait to find out what's in store next for the 20th century families whose lives are examined in Follet's sweeping account of this last era of human history:  The American Dewar Family, the Russian Peshkov Family, the Fitzherbert Family from England, the von Ulrich Family of Germany, and the Leckwith-Williams Family of Wales....

 I tell you this, by the time you get to the final pages 
- and hear Billy Williams, home from The Great War, speak to his friends and neighbors on a platform outside the Aberowen town hall, saying "...gentlemen, you are history!" 
- and visualize with sheer delight the metaphorical imagery Follett provides of Ethel Williams ascending the staircase in the Houses of Parliament, announcing "And now we'll bid you good day!"
...you'll be so overwhelmed with emotion 
and, like me, you'll be eager to pick up Part II!

 And guess what?!  It's here!  "Fall of Giants” spanned from 1911 to 1924. 
The sequel covers 1933 to 1949 and I've now begun reading it.

WINTER OF THE WORLD 
by Ken Follett

"The result, as in “Fall of Giants,” is an honorable piece of popular entertainment and a consistently compelling portrait of a world in crisis."  
{Washington Post Book Review}

What impresses me most about these works of historical fiction is Follett's achievement in delivering on the great risk that accompanies this genre - weaving actual history into a fictional tale.  Follett skillfully compacts all the well-chosen historic scenes, those that history geeks will recognize as relevant to understanding these war periods, into these well-woven narratives wrapped around these intriguing families from various socio-political-economic backgrounds. 

And yes, I understand that's the definition of historical fiction.  Unfortunately, this imperative is not always the indicative. Though a fan of this genre, I am often left disappointed by the narrative's lack of one of the Cs - credibility or coherence. Follett sets a high standard for others who would choose to take up pen and attempt this literary form.  This trilogy of his is providing wonderful historical background and behind-the-scenes insight into some of the most pivotal moments in 20th century history in a satisfyingly entertaining way.  And as a former history teacher, my hope is that these books fall into the hands of a whole new generation of young historians.  Enjoy!

 I cannot recommend more highly to you this wonderful work of historical fiction!

Terry's Book Reviews uses a 4-plus rating system and Terry is giving these two selections 
(and hopefully the third) 
+ + + -


Terry's Other Recent Reads and Ratings

+ + +
  • The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide.
    By Professor Gary J. Bass
    How did Pakistan's free elections in 1970 lead to a genocidal military crackdown against East Pakistan in 1971?
    And how did that result in the creation of an independent Bangladesh?
    And why was the United States involved?

    I highly recommend you first listen to the excellent podcast regarding this fascinating topic at laphamsquarterly.com
  • "Caryl argues that 1979 belongs to the select club of real turning-points: years in which one era ended and another was born. And, after reading the arguments he makes, you might as well."

    I was not fully convinced (although it may have something to do with my aversion to the 70s)!

  • + + +
    "Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic characters by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived: first-century Palestine, an age awash in apocalyptic fervor. Scores of Jewish prophets, preachers, and would-be messiahs wandered through the Holy Land, bearing messages from God. This was the age of zealotry—a fervent nationalism that made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews." 

    As a history buff, let's hear it for Azlan for reminding us of the importance when examining a story and / or documents associated with any historic figure to always consider the context.  For his efforts in this regard, examining the multiple religious and political fringe groups of the period and placing Jesus and his followers in that larger context, kudos!  However,      putting the far-right evangelical barking about Azlan aside, what the book should behoove Christians to emphasize is that Jesus has not been referred to as the Prince of Peace as an empty gesture. "Aslan is mediagenic and charismatic, but he is not correct and his scholarship is not up to standards held by serious students of the Gospels. Jesus' attack on the Roman Empire was clear and that might have attracted some Zealots to his movement but Jesus went to the cross as a subversive element who had refused to take arms. Jesus’ death by crucifixion came about as a result of strong statements against the Roman Empire and against those forces in priestly Judaism who cooperated with Pilate. But it is a major stretch to suggest that Jesus, like the Zealots, advocated violence.

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Terry’s “Good Living” Guide:

Body:
Avoid the 3 PsBsSs
Processed Foods, Phthalates, Plastics;
Beef, Butter, Breads;
Sedentary activities, Sugars, Salt.
Trust me,
you’ll be feeling better in no time!

Mind & Spirit:
Avoid the 3 F’s
Manufactured in these mediums are
misinformation, fear, anger and hate!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

JOIN ME IN ENSURING AN EDUCATED CITIZENRY!

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