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All Quiet on the Western Front 455 reviews
Erich Maria Remarque
Ballantine Books, 1987
A Great Work
I am a soldier with the US Army who has been deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom twice and Operation Enduring Freedom once. And yes I have lost some close friends to these wars.
I must say this is one of my favorite books on war that I have read next to the Red Badge of Courage. Yes soldiers are opened minded, I do know that this book focuses on the darker side of War and is considered an ...
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Loving Frank: A Novel 191 reviews
Nancy Horan
Ballantine Books, 2008
An Amazing Book
I read this book based on a recommendation from a friend. Even though I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, I was interested, as I have been to Falling Water and knew a few things- or so I thought- about Frank Lloyd Wright.
I was truly captivated by this book. Loving Frank tells of the clandestine love affair between the Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. This book was so ...
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The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914131 reviews
David McCullough
Simon & Schuster, 1978
A man, a plan, a canal . . .
The epitome of what a general narrative history should be-informative, fun, inspiring.
McCullough begins by tracing the idea of an isthmian canal in history, continues with the two abortive French efforts to complete the canal, and finally covers the completion of the canal in its political and technical aspects under the leadership of the United States.
The technical aspects are ...
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The Prize : The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power141 reviews
Daniel Yergin
Free Press, 1993
The Necessary Political and Economic Lubricant
The recent and tumultuous situation with petroleum pricing, coupled with the obviously baleful effects on the environment of hydrocarbon fuels, combined with rising demands, diminishing supplies, economic turmoil in the world economy and sourcing from the ever-unstable Middle East prompted me to re-read Daniel Yergin's masterpiece, "The Prize".
While everyone has an opinion on petroleum ...
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Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs Novels)
Jacqueline Winspear
Henry Holt and Co., 2009
In the thrilling new novel by the New York Times bestselling author of An Incomplete Revenge , Maisie Dobbs must catch a madman before he commits murder on an unimaginable scale It?s Christmas Eve 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the prime minister?s office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met?and the ...
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Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage392 reviews
Alfred Lansing
Basic Books, 1999
Just Incredible Account ,Absolutely Incredible
This account of Shackelton's expedition to Antarctic is a read like no other. I could not put this book down,nor could I believe the constitution each person on the crew had to continue forth under such insurmountable odds. The author, Lansing has provided a compelling book. His research of events are smoothly seamed together captivating the reader. Even if ones interest usually doesn't lean ...
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The Guns of August161 reviews
Barbara W. Tuchman
Presidio Press, 2004
Well the writing is geat but so is the book...
Of course the writing is amazing but this edition is a wonderful possession. The book I bought (library binding) is great! Book is built like a tank, great binding, good paper, and an attractive cover and spine design. If you are gifting this book this is your edition, a really beautiful job by the book manufacturer to complement what is no doubt a truly remarkable book of the 21st century!
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Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler17 reviews
Brad Matsen
Twelve, 2008
What a book!
Easy to read, non-fiction bringing the history of the Titanic to new, modern light. I loved it but now am a little afraid to ride the ferry...
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Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Avon Camelot Books)47 reviews
Beverly Cleary
HarperTrophy, 1992
This book brings back memories
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is written by Beverly Cleary and gets a 5 star rating by me.
I am rating this book 5 stars because it just brings back memories to kids older than 8. If you aren't older than 8 then it shows you sort of shows you what is to come in the future. Her lifestyle is a lot like a real human's lifestyle. That is another reason why I enjoyed reading this book so much. The author ...
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The Vertigo Years: Europe 1900-19143 reviews
Philipp Blom
Basic Books, 2008
The Vertigo Years from 1900 to the outbreak of World War I were a dizzying time in European culture
My dictionary defines "vertigo" as a state of dizzy disorientation. Think the film "Vertigo" directed by Alfred Hitchcok in 1958. In the excellent history book under review in this article we see Professor Philippe Blom of Vienna dissect European society during the last 15 years of the long "nineteenth century" world prior to the holocaust of World War I.
Blom devotes one chapter to each of ...
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The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story 22 reviews
Gloria Houston
Puffin, 1996
Perfect Christmas Story
What a delightful story that can remind us of the bygone days of old-fashioned country Christmases! Ruthie is a small-town girl whose family finally receives the honor of choosing the Christmas tree for their town--and sure enough she and her papa find the perfect balsalm. However, war comes and Papa leaves. Ruthie and her mother have more worries than they expected.
This is a surprisingly ...
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Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders20 reviews
William R. Drennan
University of Wisconsin Press, 2008
The Best Account of the Tragedy
This books gives an account of the tragic event and the circumstances surrounding it -- the murder of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, her two children and other members of celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright's household at Taliesin, his sprawling hillside home near Spring Green, Wisconsin.
The book is a work of non-fiction; it gives the reader as detailed a portrait of the tragedy as possible, ...
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Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World132 reviews
Margaret Macmillan
Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003
Paris 1919
I picked up this book as next in a series of books looking at why countries go to war. Given Germany's propensity for such since it's unification, this material seems to fit my quest. Summarily this book covers the mood of the times closing out one war and at the same time laying the pretext for the next. WWI was the culmination of a new world order, one that like its beginning could not wait for ...
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A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East125 reviews
David Fromkin
Holt Paperbacks, 2001
Still Sorting Out the Ottoman Empire
World War One brought about the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the modern Middle East. Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine (including a somewhat conditional Jewish Homeland), and the Transjordan were carved out mainly by the British. Turkey established itself as a separate entity including both European (East Thrace) and Asian parts. David Fromkin leads the reader through the ...
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Regeneration85 reviews
Pat Barker
Plume, 1993
Why you should read the entire trilogy
"Regeneration" is best read as part of the so-called "Regeneration Trilogy," of which it is the first book. (The other two, in order, are "The Eye in the Door" and "The Ghost Road.") This way, you will be able to follow the main characters: Dr. W.H.R. Rivers, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Billy Prior (all but the last are historical figures) through all three books. In particular, you'll ...
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Propaganda17 reviews
Edward Bernays
Ig Publishing, 2004
The spinning of consumer needs and beliefs in life and advertisement
The ancient art of infusing thought system in people to affect their daily judgement and "belief" in clearly illustrated in this book.
A must read for those interested in understanding the underlying forces that infuence what we believe,buy and vote for.
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The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (The Liberation Trilogy)89 reviews
Rick Atkinson
Henry Holt and Co., 2007
War is Hell
The Day of Battle is a masterful historical narrative which vividly describes the struggle to drive the Germans out of Italy during WWII. The book is written from the perspective of the soldiers doing the fighting and puts you right in the middle of the fierce battles. While the detailed retelling of the violence can at times be gut-wrenching, the book illustrates the enormity of the sacrifice ...
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To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War84 reviews
Jeff Shaara
Ballantine Books, 2005
A Masterpiece
You can't go wrong with a book by Jeff Shaara. His historical "novels" are really a true history that cannot be told within the confines of a historical work. A historian can't take his best guess at how actual (undocumented) dialogue took place or give you insight into the undocumented thoughts and feelings of historical characters. In other words, a "nonfiction" historical work cannot really ...
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Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph53 reviews
T.E. Lawrence
Anchor, 1991
A Unique Masterpiece
This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring ...
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Paradise Lost: Smyrna, 1922 11 reviews
Giles Milton
Basic Books, 2008
Paradise Lost: Smyrna 1922, by Giles Milton.
This fascinating book provides readers with an exhaustively researched narrative tracing the events leading up to the destruction of Smyrna, Turkey's sophisticated jewel on the Aegean, in 1922. It traces the city's growth and development, and tells us about the life of this vanished metropolis; along with its exotic and cosmopolitan population. World events, particularly World War I, its ...
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