Tag: 5 stars
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Under the Volcano
Review: This was so good. A modernist novel that right from its first publication was recognized as a masterpiece. I loved this book and will be referring back to it in the future, often, until people are sick of me banging on about Under the Volcano. With that said, not everyone loves or even admires Read more
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Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Review: This was a great book, both when it was originally published in 1942 and reading it now in 2025. In cliché terms it has stood the test of time as have the myths and epics described inside this remarkable volume. I have been reading Greek drama and myths since I was a youth so Read more
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Muse of Fire
Review: First completed read of 2025 and we’re 4 months in! And this book was well worth the wait. As the subtitle indicates this book is a a history of WWI as seen through the the eyes and the lives of the soldier poets, or as they are often remembered, the War Poets. Why I Read more
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Book of Divine Works
Review: Hildegard of Bingen has been called a Renaissance woman centuries before the Renaissance. After reading this book I can unequivocally state this is not an opinion, it is an undisputed fact. As a Renaissance man myself, game recognizes game. So, for starters, who was this woman with the hemi-loaded name? Hildegard of Bingen was Read more
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WWII German Super-Heavy Siege Guns
Review: I have been looking forward to reading this for a while and I’m happy to report that it was worth the wait. The book is published by Osprey publications, they are the premier military history publishing house and never disappoint. Lavishly illustrated with historic photos, drawings and even 3D computer renderings the book brings Read more
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Babbitt
Review: This was an extraordinary novel, and I was not expecting that at all. How I came to read this was due to a trivia question that I got wrong a few weeks ago. The question was: Who was the first American author to receive a Pulitzer Prize? So I looked at the choices and Read more
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The Fire and the Darkness
Review: Dresden. Kurt Vonnegut made the name part of popular consciousness with the publication of Slaughterhouse Five. But for historians this is a minefield that most choose not to navigate. How to balance the remembrance with politics and the war. Like with Hiroshima, it’s difficult to discuss or write about without taking a side or Read more
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Burning Chrome
Review: This is one of my rare re-reads and it was by design, not something that I read and halfway through figured that I had actually read this before. I did that with a few, remember that 25 years of this reading journal was read through a vodka filter. I first discovered William Gibson when Read more
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The Sea
Review: This book, perhaps of all the (eight so far) Booker Prize winners I have read is the One True Winner. An outstanding piece of modern literature and a joy to read. So what is it about? In this case, I’m at a loss, it’s sort of about life, and dealing with illness, and grieving, Read more
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History Year by Year
Review: This was excellent. A long tour through the whole of human history, from Australopithecus to the smart phone. Fully illustrated throughout with photos and diagrams on every beautiful page. The timeline runs through the entire volume but every few pages there is a deep dive on a particular area of interest, like life in Read more