In his own words
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The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books
Review: Hernando Columbus and his quest to build a universal library. Extraordinary research into an extraordinary man and an extraordinary project. Highly interesting and informative, both historically and scientifically. Books are our memories and need to be preserved and accessible to all. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Libby suggestion Noteworthy experiences…
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Electra
Review: An excellent treatment of the Clytaemnestra/Electra myth. Justice prevails, but at a cost. Or rather, revenge versus justice is shown as a dichotomy. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s other books? Y Recommend this book? To whom? Ratings (1-10, 10 being…
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100 Years of Solitude
Review: Very well written but needed an editor. It just went on too long. Really exquisite prose, but it felt tedious near the last third of the book. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: World spiraling into chaos from Covid-19 Check out author’s other books?…
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The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea
Review: A very, very good book. Almost poetic in its tone and descriptions without being forced or contrived. A short, sad, glorious tale of a man, a boy, a woman, and the timeless eternity of the ocean. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Coronavirus scare…
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Raid on St. Nazaire
Review: A very well written account of a daring raid in WWII. The first raid. A lot like the first bodybuilders, these first commandos had to make everything from scratch, including their units and themselves. It was a big eyeopener in that this was a real story, with real men, really dying. Not a movie,…
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Chariots of Fire
Review: An excellent treatment of my favorite movie. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s other books? Recommend this book? To whom? Ratings (1-10, 10 being exceptional):
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Fathers and Sons
Review: Bazarov the Nihilist. Arkady the Starry-eyed Youth. Women of the Aristocracy. Men of the Aristocracy. Add vodka. Shake and pour into novel. It really works out well in terms of readability, pace, characters. It just works. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out…
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Madam Bovary
Review: Lots of rapturous sighs. It was a good read, I can see why it is respected, and the characters are good illustrations of 19th century townspeople. A bit 2-D though. She’s a “fallen woman” and things go downhill and end very badly. He’s a starry-eyed optimist. Everyone dies at the end. Good work, but…
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The WWI Trivia Book
Review: Once again, a good book spoiled completely by so many errors and typos as to be a real disappointment. The author is a smart guy, but he needs to get a proofreader and fix the file. I learned a lot, the format is a good effort, with history, then facts, then trivia test questions.…
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Poetry of the First World War
Review: An excellent anthology. Obviously some of the most notables get lots of space, but there were some lesser knowns, as well as women and civilian poets. A very powerful book of verse from a very terrible period of our human experience. Excellent editing made for an excellent anthology. Overall rating: How I discovered or…