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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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.
Monday, December 12, 2011
THE ELEPHANT KEEPER
This is not a classic story like the The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago, but it's not Walt Disney's Dumbo either. This is a interesting novel about two elephants and their keeper journeying through England during the late seventeen hundreds. It's written by Christopher Nicholson, an award winning documentary producer for the BBC in England. You can feel his love for animals throughout the novel. The story is well formulated and uses the language and spelling of the times.
The novel starts out with a ship arriving in Bristol, England from the East Indies with various cargo, including exotic animals. Two of the crates contain two very sick elephants. They are purchased by a sugar merchant, John Harrington, for his estate, and are turned over to a young horse groomer, Tom Page, for the elephant's care and training. This turns out to be the start of decades of love between the trainer and the animals. Eventually the male elephant, Timothy, gets sold to another estate because of aggressive behavior. In the ensuing years Tom tries to find out what happened to Timothy, and when he finds out, it's not pretty.
The bulk of the book is spent on the life and trials of the keeper and his female elephant, Jenny. The communication between the two in the book is quoted conversation, but it's implied to be mental telepathy. It's really well done and has the reader believing that Tom and Jenny are really talking to each other. How much could we learn if this was possible? Jenny is bought and sold many times, including time spent at a menagerie, which is a humbling experience for both the keeper and animal. The book's ending is a little vague, but satisfying versus what I thought it would be.
This is a quality novel, and I highly recommend it to all the animal lovers out there. The book makes the reader wonder why man treats a magnificent animal like a elephant so dreadfully. Every so often you have to read a story like this to make you once again aware of animal conservation.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Christopher Nicholson has been involved with natural history all his life and has produced many BBC programs relating to the relationship between humans and animals. His previous novel was The Fattest Man In America, which is about a 1,000 pound man in Texas who decides to market himself as a tourist attraction.What??
The novel starts out with a ship arriving in Bristol, England from the East Indies with various cargo, including exotic animals. Two of the crates contain two very sick elephants. They are purchased by a sugar merchant, John Harrington, for his estate, and are turned over to a young horse groomer, Tom Page, for the elephant's care and training. This turns out to be the start of decades of love between the trainer and the animals. Eventually the male elephant, Timothy, gets sold to another estate because of aggressive behavior. In the ensuing years Tom tries to find out what happened to Timothy, and when he finds out, it's not pretty.
The bulk of the book is spent on the life and trials of the keeper and his female elephant, Jenny. The communication between the two in the book is quoted conversation, but it's implied to be mental telepathy. It's really well done and has the reader believing that Tom and Jenny are really talking to each other. How much could we learn if this was possible? Jenny is bought and sold many times, including time spent at a menagerie, which is a humbling experience for both the keeper and animal. The book's ending is a little vague, but satisfying versus what I thought it would be.
This is a quality novel, and I highly recommend it to all the animal lovers out there. The book makes the reader wonder why man treats a magnificent animal like a elephant so dreadfully. Every so often you have to read a story like this to make you once again aware of animal conservation.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Christopher Nicholson has been involved with natural history all his life and has produced many BBC programs relating to the relationship between humans and animals. His previous novel was The Fattest Man In America, which is about a 1,000 pound man in Texas who decides to market himself as a tourist attraction.What??
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
THE GOLDEN GLOBE
This novel is either part of John Varley's Eight Worlds stories or the second book of another wonderful trilogy. Varley is always unclear as to whether his novels fit into similar or slightly different universes. He continues to come up with characters that are familiar to movie goers. This time he submits a supposedly invisible character named Elwood P. Dowd, which happens to be the name of the delusional character that James Stewart portrays in the 1950 movie Harvey.
This novel tells the story of Sparky (Kenneth) Valentine, who is on the lam from the authorities in Luna for the murder of his father. He is also pursued by Isambard Comfort, a member of the mafia on Pluto's moon, Charon. This tale takes 70 years before it culminates in a trial on Luna by the recently mentally challenged Central Computer. Remember what happened to this computer at the end of Steel Beach? Also do you remember Hildy Johnson? Well, she's Back!
Since Sparky and his father are Shakespeare actors, the novel has the flavor of Dan Simmons's novels Ilium and Olympos, which relied heavily on Shakespeare's and Homer's works. I think this kind of writing is very difficult to research and to intertwine into a novel. Well done, John Varley. This novel is different in that there isn't a female narrator or heroine. Instead we have a male narrator, although I wouldn't consider him a hero. In the early parts of the book, Sparky is supplementing his acting monies by running "cons". This gets him into trouble with the Charonese mafia, and a chase ensues from Pluto to the Moon, while Sparky seeks the lead role of King Lear in a play by a old friend Polly. They starred together when Sparky had a children's hit T.V. show called "Sparky and His Gang".
The characters in this book are delightful and refreshing, including Sparky's ultra smart dog Toby. I love the way Varley brings back old characters in his books. This is easy since medical accomplishments have cured all physical problems except heavy brain damage. It's not uncommon to live 200-300 years in the Eight Worlds books. Since I'm a fan of Varley books, I give this book my highest recommendation.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: John Varley's next novel comes out in October 2012. The title will be either Slow Apocalypse or One Minute To Midnight. It's a story about a invented bacterium used to turn crude oil spills into a gooey mess. The problem is that it gets loose and destroys the World's oil supply! Sounds exciting; I can't wait.
This novel tells the story of Sparky (Kenneth) Valentine, who is on the lam from the authorities in Luna for the murder of his father. He is also pursued by Isambard Comfort, a member of the mafia on Pluto's moon, Charon. This tale takes 70 years before it culminates in a trial on Luna by the recently mentally challenged Central Computer. Remember what happened to this computer at the end of Steel Beach? Also do you remember Hildy Johnson? Well, she's Back!
Since Sparky and his father are Shakespeare actors, the novel has the flavor of Dan Simmons's novels Ilium and Olympos, which relied heavily on Shakespeare's and Homer's works. I think this kind of writing is very difficult to research and to intertwine into a novel. Well done, John Varley. This novel is different in that there isn't a female narrator or heroine. Instead we have a male narrator, although I wouldn't consider him a hero. In the early parts of the book, Sparky is supplementing his acting monies by running "cons". This gets him into trouble with the Charonese mafia, and a chase ensues from Pluto to the Moon, while Sparky seeks the lead role of King Lear in a play by a old friend Polly. They starred together when Sparky had a children's hit T.V. show called "Sparky and His Gang".
The characters in this book are delightful and refreshing, including Sparky's ultra smart dog Toby. I love the way Varley brings back old characters in his books. This is easy since medical accomplishments have cured all physical problems except heavy brain damage. It's not uncommon to live 200-300 years in the Eight Worlds books. Since I'm a fan of Varley books, I give this book my highest recommendation.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: John Varley's next novel comes out in October 2012. The title will be either Slow Apocalypse or One Minute To Midnight. It's a story about a invented bacterium used to turn crude oil spills into a gooey mess. The problem is that it gets loose and destroys the World's oil supply! Sounds exciting; I can't wait.
Monday, November 21, 2011
ALL THE LIVES HE LED
The premise of this book is exciting! Then you read it and realize it's barely worth remembering. The story begins with a volcano in Yellowstone National Park blowing up, then the scene switches to Pompeii for the two-thousand year celebration of Mt. Vesuvius's 79 A.D. eruption. What a start! What's going to happen next? The answer is pretty much nothing. I know Frederik Pohl is a science fiction grand master, but he drops the ball with this novel, because he fails to run with the idea and create a classic novel.
The empathy I felt for the characters was nil. There wasn't any character development for any of the book's participants. Basically, the book is another terrorist motif inspired novel set in the year 2079. The story's main characters, Brad Sheridan, Brian Bossert, a.k.a. Gerda Fleming, go through some interesting times working for the Pompeii theme park, but fail to excite the reader. The security people of the park and elsewhere seem to be omniscient-like without any validation of their powers. The theme park itself becomes less desirous when you learn that most of the park is actually virtual reality.
What happened in America after the Yellowstone eruption is left to the imagination. Mr. Pohl lets the reader know that America is no longer a super-power and the dollar is almost worthless, but that's it! We know people like Brad Sheridan indentured themselves to countries in Europe, but not why. It seems to me that more time should have been spent on the events after the U.S.A. eruption to set the seed for the exodus of Americans to Europe. Why would they sell themselves with a bond to pay off?
Then we have the issue of the Pompeii Flu. The pernicious virus seems to have originated from the "Stans" of Russia. These are the new countries that separated from Russia and became criminal safe havens. I'm surprised that James Bond didn't make an appearance! Nothing involving the terrorist and their activities is original or unpredictable. Paraphrasing Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, "This book coulda been a contenda"!
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Frederik Pohl is also a Lecturer and teacher in Future Studies, concentrating on environmental issues. He has written many trilogies and his famous Heechee novels have won him many honors during his brilliant career.
The empathy I felt for the characters was nil. There wasn't any character development for any of the book's participants. Basically, the book is another terrorist motif inspired novel set in the year 2079. The story's main characters, Brad Sheridan, Brian Bossert, a.k.a. Gerda Fleming, go through some interesting times working for the Pompeii theme park, but fail to excite the reader. The security people of the park and elsewhere seem to be omniscient-like without any validation of their powers. The theme park itself becomes less desirous when you learn that most of the park is actually virtual reality.
What happened in America after the Yellowstone eruption is left to the imagination. Mr. Pohl lets the reader know that America is no longer a super-power and the dollar is almost worthless, but that's it! We know people like Brad Sheridan indentured themselves to countries in Europe, but not why. It seems to me that more time should have been spent on the events after the U.S.A. eruption to set the seed for the exodus of Americans to Europe. Why would they sell themselves with a bond to pay off?
Then we have the issue of the Pompeii Flu. The pernicious virus seems to have originated from the "Stans" of Russia. These are the new countries that separated from Russia and became criminal safe havens. I'm surprised that James Bond didn't make an appearance! Nothing involving the terrorist and their activities is original or unpredictable. Paraphrasing Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, "This book coulda been a contenda"!
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Frederik Pohl is also a Lecturer and teacher in Future Studies, concentrating on environmental issues. He has written many trilogies and his famous Heechee novels have won him many honors during his brilliant career.
Friday, November 11, 2011
UNBROKEN
It took almost ten years for Laura Hillenbrand to write her second book, and it's a doozy! Wow! I thought Seabiscuit was a great maiden book, but this second effort destroys the sophomore jinx. It tells the story of Louis Zamperini, a Lieutenant in the Army Air Force during World War II. It's so realistically written that I felt that I was right there in the prison camps with the Lieutenant. This is a story of extreme mental fortitude and courageous actions in the face of hopelessness.
Louis goes from a juvenile delinquent, a high school track star, a Olympic runner, a bombardier, a prisoner of war, a post-war alcoholic to a Billy Graham inspired speaker in 406 delightful pages. The side characters are real and play important roles in Louis's life. They include his brother Pete, Marine officer William Harris, and B-24 Liberator bomber pilot Allen Phillips, who shared most of Louis's horrors. Laura Hillenbrand draws you into one calamity to the next at a furious pace. This book is hard to put down. It reads like a fiction novel, but it's all true. This is non-fiction at it's best.
While on the Green Hornet, a B-24 Liberator, in a bombing raid, Louis's plane gets shot down over the Pacific. He, along with his pal Phil and tail gunner Mac, float on a raft for 47 days while drifting west towards Japanese held islands. They are constantly surrounded by sharks; they are strafed by Japanese aircraft; and they are starving. Mac dies, while Louis and Phil are picked up by the enemy on the island of Kwajalein (known as the execution island). This starts two and a half years of misery from Kwajalein to Ofuna to Omori to Naoetsu, all prison camps from hell. Geneva Convention rules don't work in Japan. Here they meet the monster, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the most hateful disciplinary officer in Japan, known as The Bird. This part of the book is troubling - how can anybody beat another human senseless day after day? This is what Louis experienced. The Bird hated him!
The good news is that Louis Zamperini is alive and well at 94 years old. He may well be the indestructible man. He still has all his wits and a zest for life. He did 75 interviews with Laura, presented her with a 65 pound scrap book, and provided most of the photos for this book. This was the most awe inspiring book that I've read in a long time. If anything, this book should be read for the sake of American history.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars.
Comment: As a young Marine in the early sixties, I sat with veterans of these island campaigns at a camp fire in Camp Lejeune during a training exercise. They told me stories that sent a cold chill down my back. I still can't think of Kwajalein, Tarawa, or Iwo Jima without thinking of these brave Marines I met.
Louis goes from a juvenile delinquent, a high school track star, a Olympic runner, a bombardier, a prisoner of war, a post-war alcoholic to a Billy Graham inspired speaker in 406 delightful pages. The side characters are real and play important roles in Louis's life. They include his brother Pete, Marine officer William Harris, and B-24 Liberator bomber pilot Allen Phillips, who shared most of Louis's horrors. Laura Hillenbrand draws you into one calamity to the next at a furious pace. This book is hard to put down. It reads like a fiction novel, but it's all true. This is non-fiction at it's best.
While on the Green Hornet, a B-24 Liberator, in a bombing raid, Louis's plane gets shot down over the Pacific. He, along with his pal Phil and tail gunner Mac, float on a raft for 47 days while drifting west towards Japanese held islands. They are constantly surrounded by sharks; they are strafed by Japanese aircraft; and they are starving. Mac dies, while Louis and Phil are picked up by the enemy on the island of Kwajalein (known as the execution island). This starts two and a half years of misery from Kwajalein to Ofuna to Omori to Naoetsu, all prison camps from hell. Geneva Convention rules don't work in Japan. Here they meet the monster, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, the most hateful disciplinary officer in Japan, known as The Bird. This part of the book is troubling - how can anybody beat another human senseless day after day? This is what Louis experienced. The Bird hated him!
The good news is that Louis Zamperini is alive and well at 94 years old. He may well be the indestructible man. He still has all his wits and a zest for life. He did 75 interviews with Laura, presented her with a 65 pound scrap book, and provided most of the photos for this book. This was the most awe inspiring book that I've read in a long time. If anything, this book should be read for the sake of American history.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars.
Comment: As a young Marine in the early sixties, I sat with veterans of these island campaigns at a camp fire in Camp Lejeune during a training exercise. They told me stories that sent a cold chill down my back. I still can't think of Kwajalein, Tarawa, or Iwo Jima without thinking of these brave Marines I met.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
MILLENNIUM
John Varley's Millennium is a distinctly different type of time-travel book, and I enjoyed it. It's not as good as The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, but what can compare to that all-time classic. The only comparison is that both novels were made into movies (I only saw the 1960 movie that starred Rod Taylor). This novel has an unusual plot. People from the future go into the past via a gate and exchange doomed crash victims with replacements called wimps. Since the Earth of the future is a dying planet due to thousands of years of wars and pollution, the people from the future built a spaceship to carry the healthy humans from the past to another planet or to a future Earth millions of years from now. The people from the future couldn't go because they didn't live long due to the poisoned air that they evolved to breath. So Earth's future was really its past.
The biggest concern during these "snatch" operations was to avoid paradoxes. One little mistake could change the future and eliminate mankind forever. For example, if you went into the past and killed your father, you wouldn't have been born and therefore unable to kill your father. Changing anything in the past could cause the catastrophic erasing of man. So when the future time travel team lost two stunner guns, one in 1955 and one in 1980, the panic was on, or you know what hit the fan!
The guns were lost on two separate plane crashes during the removal of the crash victims before the accidents occurred. The guns are used to stun the passengers so that they can be transferred through the gate and into a holding pen while the wimps take their place. The head of the future snatch team is Louise Baltimore, and the head of the past crash investigation team is Bill Smith. The two other meaningful characters in the book are the Big Computer and Louise's robot, Sherman (like the tank). Can Louise go back into the past and find these stun guns before Bill Smith?
The story seemed to flow easily enough, although certain things didn't make much sense or add anything of value to the book. For instance, when Bill Smith's group discovers that the crash victims all ate chicken during the flight - so what? And when Smith discovers that some of victim's watches ran 45 minutes fast and some ran backwards, I didn't understand what that meant. Anyway both matters were quickly dropped and never came up again. Other than that, the book was well written and thought out. I especially like the way most chapters were titled the Testimony of Bill Smith or Testimony of Louise Baltimore, as if the story was a trial in front of God...maybe it was. John Varley continues to make me happy with his ability to make all his scientific theories comprehensible.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The theory of time travel has always been a puzzlement to mankind. Would the laws of physics even allow travel to the future or the past? Causing paradoxes would be very feasible, thus creating potentially perilous situations. Great authors have dealt with this subject in some respects, such as Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle.
The biggest concern during these "snatch" operations was to avoid paradoxes. One little mistake could change the future and eliminate mankind forever. For example, if you went into the past and killed your father, you wouldn't have been born and therefore unable to kill your father. Changing anything in the past could cause the catastrophic erasing of man. So when the future time travel team lost two stunner guns, one in 1955 and one in 1980, the panic was on, or you know what hit the fan!
The guns were lost on two separate plane crashes during the removal of the crash victims before the accidents occurred. The guns are used to stun the passengers so that they can be transferred through the gate and into a holding pen while the wimps take their place. The head of the future snatch team is Louise Baltimore, and the head of the past crash investigation team is Bill Smith. The two other meaningful characters in the book are the Big Computer and Louise's robot, Sherman (like the tank). Can Louise go back into the past and find these stun guns before Bill Smith?
The story seemed to flow easily enough, although certain things didn't make much sense or add anything of value to the book. For instance, when Bill Smith's group discovers that the crash victims all ate chicken during the flight - so what? And when Smith discovers that some of victim's watches ran 45 minutes fast and some ran backwards, I didn't understand what that meant. Anyway both matters were quickly dropped and never came up again. Other than that, the book was well written and thought out. I especially like the way most chapters were titled the Testimony of Bill Smith or Testimony of Louise Baltimore, as if the story was a trial in front of God...maybe it was. John Varley continues to make me happy with his ability to make all his scientific theories comprehensible.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The theory of time travel has always been a puzzlement to mankind. Would the laws of physics even allow travel to the future or the past? Causing paradoxes would be very feasible, thus creating potentially perilous situations. Great authors have dealt with this subject in some respects, such as Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle.
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