This is historical fiction at its tear-jerking best! This novel by Alan Brennert takes you on a roller coaster ride of varied emotions. It involves the infamous Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement on the island of Moloka'i in Hawaii. It also touches on America's illegal overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani's throne in 1893. More can be read about that in the Queen's book Hawaii's Story or in James A. Michener's classic novel Hawaii. As with Honolulu, Brennert uses a lot of local vocabulary; such as, 'ohana (family) and haole (a caucasian), which I find adds realism and charm to his novels.
It's 1891, and five year old Rachel Kalama is enjoying life as a child in Honolulu. Everything is great until her mother finds a pink patch on Rachel's leg. She later develops another spot on her foot. When mom pricks the spots with a pin, there isn't any pain, which is a sign of leprosy. Later that week, her sister Sarah gets mad at Rachel and calls her a leper in front of schoolmates. That brings the leprosy bounty hunter to the house and it's off to Kahili Hospital for Rachel. She is there eleven months for evaluation and treatment to no avail. At this point she is torn away from her family and sent to the leper camp on Moloka'i. Since there isn't any known cure, it's a death sentence for the now seven year old.
In Kalaupapa, Rachel is befriended by Sister Catherine of the missionaries and reunited with her Uncle Pono, who was previously declared a leper. She struggles with the disease's traits, but manages to make friends with the dying people around her. Fortunately, her symptoms are slower to develop, and she is able to surf and meet other young patients under the quarantined life. Here Brennert turns this somber and depressing story into a dramaturgy of ups and downs, good and bad fortune, and high and low spirits. The many characters in this book are so contagious to the reader (pardon the pun) that you feel vicariously through them. Great job of character development!
Alan Brennert does a yeoman's job of cramming 79 years of Rachel's life into 389 pages. The novel was such a page-turner that I hardly noticed the years go by. The reason I like historical fiction of this kind is due to the educational benefits you gain from reading this book. It's hard to believe that a wondrous place like Hawaii could have also been a cold-hearted prison for the forsaken kama'aina.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Early western explorers and missionaries killed off thousands of Hawaiians by bringing smallpox, measles, leprosy, whooping cough, and sexual diseases to a once healthy race. If you know how America disposed of Hawaii's monarchy in 1893, you will understand why there is a current movement in Hawaii to get the throne reinstalled. Fat chance of that happening since 119 years have passed and given Hawaii's statehood in 1959. Another wonderful book about Hawaii is Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The RIVER of DOUBT
Candice Millard brings Theodore Roosevelt's image to a new high level with this non-fiction thriller! After a near miss from an assassin's bullet and a failed run as the Bull Moose Party's candidate for his third Presidential term, Teddy decides to go on a speaking tour in South America. In Brazil, he teams up with hero and Brazilian explorer Colonel Candido Rondon to make a trip down an uncharted river in the Amazon forest. Sponsored by The American Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt, his son Kermit, naturalist George Cherrie, Col. Rondon and about twenty others enter the punishing realm of the Amazon with its many unknown tributaries, insects, animals and Indians.
Candice Millard describes the journey into the Amazonian jungle as "not just dark and dangerous but inescapably oppressive". The expedition of 12/12/1913 through 4/26/1914 meets with one calamity after another: loss of canoes and supplies, loss of life, sickness from malaria and typhoid fever, and attacks from a unknown Indian tribe. Roosevelt's imperialistic white attitude changed when he saw how the native camaradas endured and worked during the trip. Colonel Roosevelt at 5' 8" and Colonel Rondon at 5' 3" proved to be giants when it came time for heroics and bravery. Their exploratory effort rivals Dr. Livingstone's tribulations in discovering the sources of the Nile River as written in The Last Journals of David Livingstone.
The book is filled with wonderful tidbits about our 26th President, such as his relationship with his son Kermit, his innate need for physical challenges, and the Presidential Campaign speech he gave with two bullets from an assassination attempt still in his chest! Millard's descriptions of the indigenous insects and animals are summed up with "The creatures of the Amazon had become such masters of disguise that all that the men could see on either side of the river was verdant leaves and heavy vines". This book is not only well researched (48 pages of notes) and immensely enjoyable, but educational; yet, it reads like a historical-fiction mystery with fresh dangers emoting chapter after chapter.
If you like history with a flare, I highly recommend this non-fiction masterpiece. I continue to enjoy this type of writing. There was a lot of non-fiction published in 2011 following this genre also featuring ex-presidents, especially from America's imperialistic phase of the late 1890's and early 1900's.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: The would be assassin, John Schrank, said that President Mckinley's ghost told him to kill Roosevelt as a warning to anybody running for a third term. Schrank was found to be insane and died 29 years later in a mental hospital. Theodore Roosevelt wrote many books including a four volume The Winning of the West and Rough Riders. It is believed that his trip to the Amazon contributed to his early death at 60 years old. His son, Archie, telegraphed all the siblings "The old lion is dead".
Candice Millard describes the journey into the Amazonian jungle as "not just dark and dangerous but inescapably oppressive". The expedition of 12/12/1913 through 4/26/1914 meets with one calamity after another: loss of canoes and supplies, loss of life, sickness from malaria and typhoid fever, and attacks from a unknown Indian tribe. Roosevelt's imperialistic white attitude changed when he saw how the native camaradas endured and worked during the trip. Colonel Roosevelt at 5' 8" and Colonel Rondon at 5' 3" proved to be giants when it came time for heroics and bravery. Their exploratory effort rivals Dr. Livingstone's tribulations in discovering the sources of the Nile River as written in The Last Journals of David Livingstone.
The book is filled with wonderful tidbits about our 26th President, such as his relationship with his son Kermit, his innate need for physical challenges, and the Presidential Campaign speech he gave with two bullets from an assassination attempt still in his chest! Millard's descriptions of the indigenous insects and animals are summed up with "The creatures of the Amazon had become such masters of disguise that all that the men could see on either side of the river was verdant leaves and heavy vines". This book is not only well researched (48 pages of notes) and immensely enjoyable, but educational; yet, it reads like a historical-fiction mystery with fresh dangers emoting chapter after chapter.
If you like history with a flare, I highly recommend this non-fiction masterpiece. I continue to enjoy this type of writing. There was a lot of non-fiction published in 2011 following this genre also featuring ex-presidents, especially from America's imperialistic phase of the late 1890's and early 1900's.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: The would be assassin, John Schrank, said that President Mckinley's ghost told him to kill Roosevelt as a warning to anybody running for a third term. Schrank was found to be insane and died 29 years later in a mental hospital. Theodore Roosevelt wrote many books including a four volume The Winning of the West and Rough Riders. It is believed that his trip to the Amazon contributed to his early death at 60 years old. His son, Archie, telegraphed all the siblings "The old lion is dead".
Monday, February 13, 2012
The PRESIDENT and the ASSASSIN
No flapdoodle here in this spectacular look at President McKinley's assassination with extras! The extras are the story of America's anarchist movement, and the country's growing imperialistic attitude. Scott Miller writes in the attention grabbing style of authors like Erik Larson and Candice Millard. This new genre that adds excitement to history makes me want to seek out other works of the same ilk; and, it has. No more dry books like American Lion by Jon Meacham or Years of Upheaval by Henry Kissinger for me. Not that there isn't a place for those books, but how many pages can you read before your eyelids grow heavy. I love history, but I need a little piquancy with it, and with a book like Scott Miller's, I get a history lesson that reads like fiction. Much, much more enjoyable.
As for the assassination of McKinley, modern medical technology could have easily saved him, as it could have Garfield twenty years earlier. The assassin Leon Czolgosz, a Polish immigrant, didn't even think about the assassination until a few days before the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. He was a anarchist that seemed to be unguided until he started to follow the thoughts of radical Russian immigrant, Emma Goldman. This part of the book is very interesting, since I didn't know anarchy was such a big problem from the late 1890s to early 1900s.
Since I read The Imperial Cruise by James Bradley, I was aware of America's imperialistic attitude, although it is still hard to comprehend. The only difference is that Miller depicts Theodore Roosevelt as more manly than did Bradley. Roosevelt's charge of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War of 1898 seemed to me like a Keystone Cops venture. The war was won because of Spain's ineptness, lack of desire, and funding. The part of the book about America deceiving the Philippine rebels into thinking they were going to govern their islands is remarkable.
President Mckinley's original attitude toward imperialism was docile, but progressed after winning the Spanish American War against a much stronger Spain. He seemed oblivious to America's industrialists making the already poor workers destitute and the rich wealthier. This error in observation would lead to many riots and strikes and ultimately to his death. This book is a must read for history buffs and presidential fact finding enthusiasts. Bravo to Scott Miller for a brilliant look at our 25th President's life and times.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Believe it or not, Theodore Roosevelt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his actions in Cuba. The anarchist Leon Czolgosz never spoke in court or to his defense lawyers during his trial. He died in the electric chair 53 days after the President died. Can you imagine getting justice that fast in today's legal system?
As for the assassination of McKinley, modern medical technology could have easily saved him, as it could have Garfield twenty years earlier. The assassin Leon Czolgosz, a Polish immigrant, didn't even think about the assassination until a few days before the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. He was a anarchist that seemed to be unguided until he started to follow the thoughts of radical Russian immigrant, Emma Goldman. This part of the book is very interesting, since I didn't know anarchy was such a big problem from the late 1890s to early 1900s.
Since I read The Imperial Cruise by James Bradley, I was aware of America's imperialistic attitude, although it is still hard to comprehend. The only difference is that Miller depicts Theodore Roosevelt as more manly than did Bradley. Roosevelt's charge of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War of 1898 seemed to me like a Keystone Cops venture. The war was won because of Spain's ineptness, lack of desire, and funding. The part of the book about America deceiving the Philippine rebels into thinking they were going to govern their islands is remarkable.
President Mckinley's original attitude toward imperialism was docile, but progressed after winning the Spanish American War against a much stronger Spain. He seemed oblivious to America's industrialists making the already poor workers destitute and the rich wealthier. This error in observation would lead to many riots and strikes and ultimately to his death. This book is a must read for history buffs and presidential fact finding enthusiasts. Bravo to Scott Miller for a brilliant look at our 25th President's life and times.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Believe it or not, Theodore Roosevelt was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his actions in Cuba. The anarchist Leon Czolgosz never spoke in court or to his defense lawyers during his trial. He died in the electric chair 53 days after the President died. Can you imagine getting justice that fast in today's legal system?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
LIONHEART
If you thought the story of the Plantagenets of England was over with Devil's Brood, forget it! Here is a brilliant historical novel about Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart. Sharon Kay Penman writes a convincing account of the Third Crusade (1189-1192) and states in the author's notes that the story will end in her next novel, A King's Ransom. This is a highly enjoyable novel backed up by historical resources as she states, "Lionheart was a unique writing experience. I've never had such a wealth of eyewitness accounts of events." In my opinion, Sharon Kay Penman equals or supersedes anything Bernard Cornwell has written about medieval times, only lacking Cornwell's ability to describe death by combat.
Richard the Lionheart was a glorious leader in both combat and military strategy, but lacked empathy for anyone that wasn't a loyal Lord, Knight, soldier, or honored opponent. The author says he slaughtered 2,600 Saracen prisoners at Acre in the Holy Lands for supposed military reasons that are suspect to some historians. His constant strife with the King of France, Philippe Capet, is legendary and well chronicled in this novel. I also find it interesting that Richard's love of valor and honor in battle actually led him to knight some enemy Muslim Emirs. His struggles with French support coupled with the tenacity of his Muslim counterpart Saladin led to a truce instead of total victory in Jerusalem. According to the author, this gnawed at Richard since he vowed to free Jerusalem when he "took the cross". To the chagrin of his Queen Berengaria, Richard never visited Jerusalem because of this failure.
This splendid story also details Richard's harrowing trips at sea to Cyprus, Sicily, and finally to the Holy Land. The research I did shows that almost every character in this novel existed. King Philippe of France did conspire with Richard's brother John to take Richard's crown while he was fighting the Holy War. This was against papal mandate, but the Pope at the time was old and weak. The next book will deal with what happened to Richard the Lionheart and all the other characters after a depressed King Richard left the Holy Lands.
To sum it up, this was a great read that was expertly written. Thanks to Penman for her Cast of Characters (there are many with difficult names to remember). Also important and interesting are her many pages of author notes and acknowledgments. I didn't read the trilogy about King Henry and Queen Eleanor written prior to this book, but certainly will read the concluding book about "One of history's most dysfunctional and fascinating families."
RATING: 5 out 5 stars
Comment: It's somewhat of a curiosity that during these years, the King of England lived in France and only considered his English holdings as a source of revenue. Richard is purported to have said that he would have sold London if he could have found a buyer. Richard is also known to speak mainly French along with other European languages, but not English!
Richard the Lionheart was a glorious leader in both combat and military strategy, but lacked empathy for anyone that wasn't a loyal Lord, Knight, soldier, or honored opponent. The author says he slaughtered 2,600 Saracen prisoners at Acre in the Holy Lands for supposed military reasons that are suspect to some historians. His constant strife with the King of France, Philippe Capet, is legendary and well chronicled in this novel. I also find it interesting that Richard's love of valor and honor in battle actually led him to knight some enemy Muslim Emirs. His struggles with French support coupled with the tenacity of his Muslim counterpart Saladin led to a truce instead of total victory in Jerusalem. According to the author, this gnawed at Richard since he vowed to free Jerusalem when he "took the cross". To the chagrin of his Queen Berengaria, Richard never visited Jerusalem because of this failure.
This splendid story also details Richard's harrowing trips at sea to Cyprus, Sicily, and finally to the Holy Land. The research I did shows that almost every character in this novel existed. King Philippe of France did conspire with Richard's brother John to take Richard's crown while he was fighting the Holy War. This was against papal mandate, but the Pope at the time was old and weak. The next book will deal with what happened to Richard the Lionheart and all the other characters after a depressed King Richard left the Holy Lands.
To sum it up, this was a great read that was expertly written. Thanks to Penman for her Cast of Characters (there are many with difficult names to remember). Also important and interesting are her many pages of author notes and acknowledgments. I didn't read the trilogy about King Henry and Queen Eleanor written prior to this book, but certainly will read the concluding book about "One of history's most dysfunctional and fascinating families."
RATING: 5 out 5 stars
Comment: It's somewhat of a curiosity that during these years, the King of England lived in France and only considered his English holdings as a source of revenue. Richard is purported to have said that he would have sold London if he could have found a buyer. Richard is also known to speak mainly French along with other European languages, but not English!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY
I'm starting to love historical non-fiction that reads like a novel! Once again, Erik Larson succeeds where others fail. Educators should take note that students would willingly dive into history if their books were page turners. The non-fiction genre has become exciting with authors such as Larson and Candice Millard. I'm not knocking writers like Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, but with this style they would see their ratings go from three stars to five stars immediately. This is not to say that there isn't a market for historical fiction since Bernard Cornwell has proven it to be huge. I'm just saying that this reviewer prefers his non-fiction to possess a little flamboyance and pizzazz.
This is a story of two main themes and several side attractions. One main topic includes the trials and tribulations of the construction of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The protagonist is Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works, who encounters many problems with the short amount of time he had to build the "White City". The other main feature is the story of Doctor Herman W. Mudgett, America's answer to England's Jack the Ripper. Here is a man with many aliases, who was alleged to have murdered between nine and two hundred people during the world's fair. Somehow Erik Larson alternates chapters with these historic figures and makes two untenable subjects intertwine.
The side stories are fantastic, including George W.G. Ferris and his famous wheel, the landscape architect Frederick L. Olmstead's radical ideas, Buffalo Bill Cody's side show with Annie Oakley, and the frightening Patrick Prendergast stalking Chicago's five time Mayor Carter Henry Harrison. The fair debuted Cracker Jack's, Shredded Wheat, and the first spray paint nozzle and hose. These were exciting times for entrepreneurs, and Erik Larson illustrates all their World Fair contributions and difficulties in rich story telling. In reading this book, I really felt like I was there, or at least wished I was there, especially on the day Chicago crushed Paris's World's Fair "one day" admissions total by 354,000 people.
This book has to be read to understand what I'm saying about non-fiction reading like Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, regardless of the fact that this work is backed up by 41 pages of notes. This volume is highly recommended for readers of any genre, and if you are a student of literature, grab a Erik Larson book and enjoy his style.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: As a side story, it's interesting to know that a junior architect at the 1893 World's Fair was fired for "using his free time to design houses for clients of his own". His name was Frank Lloyd Wright. Also interesting is the fact that the Director of Color and Functions, Frank Millet died on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. He had all the buildings in the fair painted white, thus the "White City".
This is a story of two main themes and several side attractions. One main topic includes the trials and tribulations of the construction of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The protagonist is Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works, who encounters many problems with the short amount of time he had to build the "White City". The other main feature is the story of Doctor Herman W. Mudgett, America's answer to England's Jack the Ripper. Here is a man with many aliases, who was alleged to have murdered between nine and two hundred people during the world's fair. Somehow Erik Larson alternates chapters with these historic figures and makes two untenable subjects intertwine.
The side stories are fantastic, including George W.G. Ferris and his famous wheel, the landscape architect Frederick L. Olmstead's radical ideas, Buffalo Bill Cody's side show with Annie Oakley, and the frightening Patrick Prendergast stalking Chicago's five time Mayor Carter Henry Harrison. The fair debuted Cracker Jack's, Shredded Wheat, and the first spray paint nozzle and hose. These were exciting times for entrepreneurs, and Erik Larson illustrates all their World Fair contributions and difficulties in rich story telling. In reading this book, I really felt like I was there, or at least wished I was there, especially on the day Chicago crushed Paris's World's Fair "one day" admissions total by 354,000 people.
This book has to be read to understand what I'm saying about non-fiction reading like Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, regardless of the fact that this work is backed up by 41 pages of notes. This volume is highly recommended for readers of any genre, and if you are a student of literature, grab a Erik Larson book and enjoy his style.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: As a side story, it's interesting to know that a junior architect at the 1893 World's Fair was fired for "using his free time to design houses for clients of his own". His name was Frank Lloyd Wright. Also interesting is the fact that the Director of Color and Functions, Frank Millet died on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. He had all the buildings in the fair painted white, thus the "White City".
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
DESTINY of the REPUBLIC
This is Candice Millard's stunning look at the assassination of our twentieth President, James Garfield. It's hard to believe that in the 1880s the President of the United States didn't have Secret Service protection, or doctors that believed that germs existed! If Garfield had either of these, he probably would have gone on to become a great President. As it turns out, Secret Service worked strictly on counterfeiting and protection didn't become a reality until after President William McKinley was shot in Buffalo, NY in 1901. Europe had adopted antiseptic surgery sixteen years before Garfield was shot, but the U.S. Medical Congress deemed the idea of "invisible germs to be ridiculous".
Millard spends an equal amount of time on the life and thoughts of the assassin madman, Charles Guiteau ("God wanted him to kill the president"), Garfield's rise from poverty to president, and Alexander Graham Bell's race to perfect an induction balance machine that would enable him to locate the bullet in Garfield's back. Unfortunately for Garfield, his surgical team led by Dr. D.Willard Bliss probed the bullet hole for 79 days using their dirty fingers and non-sterile probes. It's no wonder that at Charles Guiteau's trial, he admitted firing the bullet, but stated, "General Garfield died from malpractice".
Also expertly intertwined in this book is a overview of the corrupt spoils system used by political parties from 1828 until the election of Garfield in 1880. Garfield attempted to break this system, issuing offices by merit versus a rewards system for help in winning the election. His main adversary in this struggle was Senator Roscoe Conkling from NY and his lackey Chester Arthur, who was hand picked by Conkling to be Garfield's Vice-President. (As a sidebar to this issue, Arthur became a good man after he became president, shocking Roscoe Conkling into retirement.) After Garfield passed away, his wife, Lucretia, added a wing to their farmhouse in Ohio to store the president's papers, thus creating the first Presidential Library.
Millard has written a delightfully engaging non-fiction history book, but it reads like a chilling murder novel. Well done! I'm going to have to read her first book, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. My recommendation is simple: get this book and read it; it's great!
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Candice Millard got her Master's degree in literature from Baylor University. Both of her books made the New York Times Best Seller List. She is a former editor of National Geographic and lives in Kansas City.
Millard spends an equal amount of time on the life and thoughts of the assassin madman, Charles Guiteau ("God wanted him to kill the president"), Garfield's rise from poverty to president, and Alexander Graham Bell's race to perfect an induction balance machine that would enable him to locate the bullet in Garfield's back. Unfortunately for Garfield, his surgical team led by Dr. D.Willard Bliss probed the bullet hole for 79 days using their dirty fingers and non-sterile probes. It's no wonder that at Charles Guiteau's trial, he admitted firing the bullet, but stated, "General Garfield died from malpractice".
Also expertly intertwined in this book is a overview of the corrupt spoils system used by political parties from 1828 until the election of Garfield in 1880. Garfield attempted to break this system, issuing offices by merit versus a rewards system for help in winning the election. His main adversary in this struggle was Senator Roscoe Conkling from NY and his lackey Chester Arthur, who was hand picked by Conkling to be Garfield's Vice-President. (As a sidebar to this issue, Arthur became a good man after he became president, shocking Roscoe Conkling into retirement.) After Garfield passed away, his wife, Lucretia, added a wing to their farmhouse in Ohio to store the president's papers, thus creating the first Presidential Library.
Millard has written a delightfully engaging non-fiction history book, but it reads like a chilling murder novel. Well done! I'm going to have to read her first book, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. My recommendation is simple: get this book and read it; it's great!
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Candice Millard got her Master's degree in literature from Baylor University. Both of her books made the New York Times Best Seller List. She is a former editor of National Geographic and lives in Kansas City.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Prague Cemetery
Not for nothing, this historical novel by Umberto Eco is 444 pages of unadulterated hatred! It spans approximately 40 years in the late 1800s in Europe. It mostly involves Italy, France, Germany, and Russia, and their infighting and subversive attacks against each other. Most of these assaults are based on forged documents meant to cause perplexities amongst the Catholics, Jews, Freemasons, Jesuits, and the common populist. However, the main focus is to eliminate the Jews from the face of the Earth. The counterfeit papers of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion became ammunition for Adolph Hitler to attempt the unimaginable elimination of an entire race of people. The idea was also aided by the Ottoman Empire's try at genocide on Turkey's Armenian residents during and after World War I.
The narrator of this story, Captain Simonini, is the only character that Eco says is fictitious. All of the rest are historic figures with a few minor exceptions. It seems our Captain Simonini is also Abbe Dalla Piccola! So what we have here is a main character with a multiple personality disorder that is an acquaintance of Dr. Sigmund Froide (Freud). Captain Simonini is also chief forger and spy for many governments receiving and issuing false accusations against each other and the "devilish" masonic Jews. He also, on page six, says "I have known Germans, and even worked for them: the lowest conceivable level of humanity. A German produces on average twice the feces of a Frenchman".
This is a very difficult book to read; it offers no respite or reprieves to catch your breath. The many years of false attacks against the Jews resulted in latter year writings such as Hitler's Mein Kampf, which highlighted the supposed Jewish conspiracy to control the world, and Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto, which displays the disharmony between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Although this is the second "eye-opening" book I've read recently, I find it difficult to believe wholly, only because this slant was not taught during my school years.
This is the first Eco work that I've read, and I did like his writing style with most of the story summarized from a diary. Eco is known as a medievalist and semiotician writing some books about the Knights Templar. I did like the book, but wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If this is truly historical fiction, then it shouldn't be so ambiguous without any author notes to back up his findings. The charges against the real characters are too harsh not to be backed up by documentation from other studies, even though this is a novel.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Umberto Eco states that his writing has been influenced by James Joyce and Jorge Luis Borges. Eco's best seller, The Name of the Rose, had a symbologist friar/investigator, William of Baskerville, who might be the forerunner for Dan Brown's character, Robert Langdon.
The narrator of this story, Captain Simonini, is the only character that Eco says is fictitious. All of the rest are historic figures with a few minor exceptions. It seems our Captain Simonini is also Abbe Dalla Piccola! So what we have here is a main character with a multiple personality disorder that is an acquaintance of Dr. Sigmund Froide (Freud). Captain Simonini is also chief forger and spy for many governments receiving and issuing false accusations against each other and the "devilish" masonic Jews. He also, on page six, says "I have known Germans, and even worked for them: the lowest conceivable level of humanity. A German produces on average twice the feces of a Frenchman".
This is a very difficult book to read; it offers no respite or reprieves to catch your breath. The many years of false attacks against the Jews resulted in latter year writings such as Hitler's Mein Kampf, which highlighted the supposed Jewish conspiracy to control the world, and Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto, which displays the disharmony between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Although this is the second "eye-opening" book I've read recently, I find it difficult to believe wholly, only because this slant was not taught during my school years.
This is the first Eco work that I've read, and I did like his writing style with most of the story summarized from a diary. Eco is known as a medievalist and semiotician writing some books about the Knights Templar. I did like the book, but wouldn't recommend it to everyone. If this is truly historical fiction, then it shouldn't be so ambiguous without any author notes to back up his findings. The charges against the real characters are too harsh not to be backed up by documentation from other studies, even though this is a novel.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Umberto Eco states that his writing has been influenced by James Joyce and Jorge Luis Borges. Eco's best seller, The Name of the Rose, had a symbologist friar/investigator, William of Baskerville, who might be the forerunner for Dan Brown's character, Robert Langdon.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
In the Garden of Beasts
This is a guest review from my eldest son, Deron:
Erik Larson tells the story of Hitler's rise to power from chancellor to dictator primarily through the eyes of William E. Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and his daughter Martha. I write "story", rather than "history", because this book reads like fiction; however, this is nonfiction. All quotes are sourced from a letter, diary, or other document. This pivotal time in history and the Dodds' involvement with many of the primary actors makes for a wonderful read.
President Roosevelt's first choice for ambassador was not William E. Dodd, an accomplished history professor at the University of Chicago. With congressional adjournment for summer quickly approaching (Congress must confirm any ambassador) and after several candidates declined his offer, Roosevelt was pressured to make offers outside the normal political circles. He asked Dodd. Dodd was ambivalent. He had wanted to complete his major history, Old South, and the post would severely limit his ability to complete the multivolume work. However, after encouragement from the university and his wife, he accepted.
Roosevelt had two primary tasks for Dodd. Germany owed a great deal of money to American creditors. Dodd was to do whatever he could to ensure that the debt would be repaid. The more delicate issue involved the German government's treatment of the Jews. The debate raged as to whether the U.S. government should directly speak out against the persecution or work through quieter diplomatic and unofficial channels to improve the situation for the Jews. Roosevelt opted for the quieter policy. As we all know, both tasks would prove impossible.
While Dodd was the ambassador from 1933-1937, the story mostly occurs in the years 1933 and 1934. Through Dodd, we meet in mostly official capacities the Nazi leaders - Hitler; Göring; Goebbels; Diels, commander of the Gestapo; and Röhm, commander the Stormtroopers. Through Martha, we see everyday life. Her friends and romances included diplomats, writers, a communist, and several well placed Nazis, which provides great insight into the social and political intrigue going on at that time.
Both Dodds had hoped that the Nazis would be amenable to reason, that they would moderate over time, that one could do business with them. The Dodds, especially Martha, even sympathized to some extent with the Nazis. But over time, the Nazis revealed themselves for what they were, culminating in the Night of the Long Knives, where Hilter purged the Nazi leadership and eliminated political adversaries to solidify his hold on power. Shortly thereafter, von Hindenburg, the German President, died upon which Hitler solidified power and made himself dictator.
I earlier mentioned that this book reads more like fiction than the nonfiction it is. There are many short chapters and cliffhangers that read more like Dan Brown or James Patterson than as history. To me, this somehow diminished the importance of the events. They were almost like cheap devices to keep my interest where none was needed.
Overall, this is an excellent book that I would recommend.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: I've read historical fiction before, but I think this may be the first book that I've read in the genre of what I understand to be novelistic history. Every character and quote is real. Every situation happened. While I enjoyed Larson's book, I'm not sure I'm sold on the genre yet. I think that history should be dispassionate in its telling to avoid biases. A novel such as Larson's cannot and doesn't try to avoid those biases. I can say, though, that Larson is the master of the genre.
Erik Larson tells the story of Hitler's rise to power from chancellor to dictator primarily through the eyes of William E. Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and his daughter Martha. I write "story", rather than "history", because this book reads like fiction; however, this is nonfiction. All quotes are sourced from a letter, diary, or other document. This pivotal time in history and the Dodds' involvement with many of the primary actors makes for a wonderful read.
President Roosevelt's first choice for ambassador was not William E. Dodd, an accomplished history professor at the University of Chicago. With congressional adjournment for summer quickly approaching (Congress must confirm any ambassador) and after several candidates declined his offer, Roosevelt was pressured to make offers outside the normal political circles. He asked Dodd. Dodd was ambivalent. He had wanted to complete his major history, Old South, and the post would severely limit his ability to complete the multivolume work. However, after encouragement from the university and his wife, he accepted.
Roosevelt had two primary tasks for Dodd. Germany owed a great deal of money to American creditors. Dodd was to do whatever he could to ensure that the debt would be repaid. The more delicate issue involved the German government's treatment of the Jews. The debate raged as to whether the U.S. government should directly speak out against the persecution or work through quieter diplomatic and unofficial channels to improve the situation for the Jews. Roosevelt opted for the quieter policy. As we all know, both tasks would prove impossible.
While Dodd was the ambassador from 1933-1937, the story mostly occurs in the years 1933 and 1934. Through Dodd, we meet in mostly official capacities the Nazi leaders - Hitler; Göring; Goebbels; Diels, commander of the Gestapo; and Röhm, commander the Stormtroopers. Through Martha, we see everyday life. Her friends and romances included diplomats, writers, a communist, and several well placed Nazis, which provides great insight into the social and political intrigue going on at that time.
Both Dodds had hoped that the Nazis would be amenable to reason, that they would moderate over time, that one could do business with them. The Dodds, especially Martha, even sympathized to some extent with the Nazis. But over time, the Nazis revealed themselves for what they were, culminating in the Night of the Long Knives, where Hilter purged the Nazi leadership and eliminated political adversaries to solidify his hold on power. Shortly thereafter, von Hindenburg, the German President, died upon which Hitler solidified power and made himself dictator.
I earlier mentioned that this book reads more like fiction than the nonfiction it is. There are many short chapters and cliffhangers that read more like Dan Brown or James Patterson than as history. To me, this somehow diminished the importance of the events. They were almost like cheap devices to keep my interest where none was needed.
Overall, this is an excellent book that I would recommend.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: I've read historical fiction before, but I think this may be the first book that I've read in the genre of what I understand to be novelistic history. Every character and quote is real. Every situation happened. While I enjoyed Larson's book, I'm not sure I'm sold on the genre yet. I think that history should be dispassionate in its telling to avoid biases. A novel such as Larson's cannot and doesn't try to avoid those biases. I can say, though, that Larson is the master of the genre.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
THE CITY & THE CITY
After reading Kraken, I wasn't sure I would read another China Mieville novel, but I'm glad I read this weird fiction detective/murder mystery. It's not that Mieville isn't a brilliant writer, but his use of neologisms and his articulation of the English language is sometimes overwhelming. This novel was much tamer in the lexical ambiguity category than usual, but he still has his exemplar prints all over the text. If you don't understand what I'm writing, then you haven't read a Mieville fantasy novel.
The narrator and hero of this novel is Tyador Borlu, an inspector in the Extreme Crime Squad of the city of Beszel. This city's borders are crosshatched with a twin city named Ul Qoma. These cities are rivals, and the populations are taught to "unsee" each other, even if they are inches apart. Each city has different architecture, vehicles, garb and gait. The only way to travel to the other city is with special papers through Copula Hall, the only building in both cities. Any violation of the rules will bring the Breach upon you, which means you will not be seen again. The Breach is invoked by a 42 person board from both cities called the Oversight Committee that ensures the strict rules are obeyed. The Breach is an alien group living unseen between the borders of the cities with unbridled policing powers. What a setting for a murder.
A foreign student, Mahalia Geary, is found murdered in Beszel. Inspector Borlu finds out that she was working on a archaeology dig in Ul Qoma. Is this murder a breach? This sets off a chain of events, including the investigation of Orciny, a legendary invisible third city. Borlu teams with detective Qussim Dhatt (there are no easy names in this book) of Ul Qoma to try to solve this mystery. They are thwarted by unificationists from both cities, an arcane Doctor Bowden, and the prohibitive rules of "unseeing" people and events in the crosshatched areas.
The strange thing about this novel is that Mieville spends very little time on character development, but the reader still maintains empathy for the characters. Instead he spends a lot of time explaining the Breach and the rules of "unseeing" seemingly on every page. Another writer faux pas is that he does't let you know how the Breach came into existence or why they were called upon by the cities in the first place. Weird fiction/ fantasy is a unusual genre, and China Mieville is its master writer. I enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.
The strange thing about this novel is that Mieville spends very little time on character development, but the reader still maintains empathy for the characters. Instead he spends a lot of time explaining the Breach and the rules of "unseeing" seemingly on every page. Another writer faux pas is that he does't let you know how the Breach came into existence or why they were called upon by the cities in the first place. Weird fiction/ fantasy is a unusual genre, and China Mieville is its master writer. I enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: China Mieville's latest novel Embassytown is a stretch from his usual weird fiction, since it follows a slightly different path. It involves alien contact and war unlike his usual fantasy themes. Mieville considers himself a complete geek, who admires writers Neal Stephenson and Susanna Clarke.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
THE IMPERIAL CRUISE
Horace Greeley's "Go west, young man" takes on a new meaning in James Bradley's eye-opening book. The history, narrated by the author, occurs between the years 1850 and 1908. According to Mr. Bradley, it's a time dominated by White Christian Aryans, who looked west to follow the sun and civilize any race or country in their path. How much of this book is gospel and how much is conjecture is unknown to me. I do know that at times I thought I was reading America's version of William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I do remember the history related in this book, but not with Mr. Bradley's white supremacy slant.
The book is about a large diplomatic mission sent across the Pacific Ocean in 1905 with the secret mission of an unconstitutional pact with Japan. The American delegation was led by future president and current Secretary of War, William Howard Taft. Among the many dignitaries aboard the ship Manchuria was Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. She was known as America's Princess, and in today's world, she would be what you would call a "rock star". This ship also stopped in Hawaii, the Philippines, China and Korea, supposedly to check on the progress of the "barbaric" territories and countries.
The book is primarily about the prevailing attitude of President Roosevelt, most of the politicians, and Ivy League Professors, who thought that only white men were capable of civilizing the world. A lot of the book is about the brutal and unfair take over of Hawaii and the Philippines by a very aggressive White Christian Aryan America. Remember, this is all according to James Bradley. Also very interesting is how America and England got China hooked on opium. The famous Queen Victoria of England actually became the largest drug dealer in history! The book also highlights America's horrendous treatment of Chinese immigrants on the west coast of America, which ultimately caused a boycott of America in China.
As a sidebar to the story, I thought the way Mr. Bradley portrayed Teddy Roosevelt was unique. Everybody visualizes President Roosevelt as a very manly "Rough Rider". The author characterizes the President as somewhat sickly, slightly effeminate and conniving. He goes into detail about how the President staged all his manly pictures. He also portrays the President as a treaty breaker, giving Korea to Japan, our "honorary" Aryan country, to civilize Asia. Most history books leave a lot of this book's theories out, so it's up to the reader to decide on who is right or wrong.
A lot of reviewers gave this book a poor rating. I believe it's because they don't agree with Bradley's seemingly Un-American slant on this subject. To some extent I agree, but I also think it was an enjoyable and well researched literary work supported by 51 pages of notes. I highly recommend this book to all those history buffs out there.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: James Bradley is the son of John Bradley, one of the men who raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi , Iwo Jima during World War II. James's book Flags of Our Fathers was made into a great movie directed by Clint Eastwood. I think that in all of his writings, James Bradley tells it the way he sees it, whether its popular or not.
The book is about a large diplomatic mission sent across the Pacific Ocean in 1905 with the secret mission of an unconstitutional pact with Japan. The American delegation was led by future president and current Secretary of War, William Howard Taft. Among the many dignitaries aboard the ship Manchuria was Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. She was known as America's Princess, and in today's world, she would be what you would call a "rock star". This ship also stopped in Hawaii, the Philippines, China and Korea, supposedly to check on the progress of the "barbaric" territories and countries.
The book is primarily about the prevailing attitude of President Roosevelt, most of the politicians, and Ivy League Professors, who thought that only white men were capable of civilizing the world. A lot of the book is about the brutal and unfair take over of Hawaii and the Philippines by a very aggressive White Christian Aryan America. Remember, this is all according to James Bradley. Also very interesting is how America and England got China hooked on opium. The famous Queen Victoria of England actually became the largest drug dealer in history! The book also highlights America's horrendous treatment of Chinese immigrants on the west coast of America, which ultimately caused a boycott of America in China.
As a sidebar to the story, I thought the way Mr. Bradley portrayed Teddy Roosevelt was unique. Everybody visualizes President Roosevelt as a very manly "Rough Rider". The author characterizes the President as somewhat sickly, slightly effeminate and conniving. He goes into detail about how the President staged all his manly pictures. He also portrays the President as a treaty breaker, giving Korea to Japan, our "honorary" Aryan country, to civilize Asia. Most history books leave a lot of this book's theories out, so it's up to the reader to decide on who is right or wrong.
A lot of reviewers gave this book a poor rating. I believe it's because they don't agree with Bradley's seemingly Un-American slant on this subject. To some extent I agree, but I also think it was an enjoyable and well researched literary work supported by 51 pages of notes. I highly recommend this book to all those history buffs out there.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: James Bradley is the son of John Bradley, one of the men who raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi , Iwo Jima during World War II. James's book Flags of Our Fathers was made into a great movie directed by Clint Eastwood. I think that in all of his writings, James Bradley tells it the way he sees it, whether its popular or not.
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