Perhaps it's just because I found the genre novels I chose for July 2024 a little underwhelming on the whole, I come away from this "modest proposal" Perhaps it's just because I found the genre novels I chose for July 2024 a little underwhelming on the whole, I come away from this "modest proposal" of a book rather impressed; this is having not engaged with Manibo's writing before. Yes, the deck is stacked to demonstrate that the characters who are going to find themselves up against the wall probably deserve what's coming to them, but that's the best part of the book; the folks who find this novel perhaps not long enough for Manibo to achieve all his ends probably have a point. Still, at a certain level this is a thriller, and economy is usually a virtue in such books. As for the argument that this is a little too far-fetched, well, when a "libertarian" tech executive, who has declared that he's prepared to sacrifice "democracy" for "freedom," manages to parachute his chosen instrument into a major American presidential campaign, well, I'll argue that you have to take this book as serious food for thought....more
While it seems to me that there was probably a better way to organize this book, the author does achieve their mission of creating a portrait of the sWhile it seems to me that there was probably a better way to organize this book, the author does achieve their mission of creating a portrait of the sort of town that is often at the center of policy and political debates in contemporary America. On paper, Rock Creek, Wyoming is the sort of place that gives the "American Dream" a bad name, as a glorified mill town locked into a boom-and-bust relationship with the "extraction" industry, and which, from the outside, looks like a cesspool of social pathology. Anselmi is trying to understand how this pathology came to be, being a product of this town, and to a large degree he concludes that it's a combination of a dysfunctional embrace of work almost for its own sake in a single-minded embrace of the legitimate ideals of self-reliance and stoicism, taken to a destructive conclusion. The point being a little empathy, and a decent commitment to taking mental health seriously, would go a long way towards ameliorating these issues.
Also, Anselmi does delve into the positives of the place, which include that there is a sense of belonging (if you're the right sort of person), that the money is good when times are good, and if you're an "outdoors" focused person there are great opportunities. Anselmi still got out of town and headed for L.A. at the earliest opportunity to pursue an adventure in music.
Where Anselmi leaves me wanting a bit more are the times where he and his contributors make veiled references to the politics of the state, and the old-money families that no one wants to rile up. Not to mention this whole exercise makes me recall how it was said of Dick Cheney (Wyoming's most notable politician), that not only did he not feel your pain, he didn't even feel his own pain!
Stephen Turnbull has been a long-time contributor to Osprey on subjects related to Medieval Asian warfare, almost always to good effect, and this bookStephen Turnbull has been a long-time contributor to Osprey on subjects related to Medieval Asian warfare, almost always to good effect, and this booklet is in keeping with his past work. Besides getting a compare-and-contrast of the military systems of Medieval Europe and the Mongol Empire, Turnbull also provides a good overview of the course of this campaign, as while severely chastised, the Hungarians and their allies were able to make life so difficult for the Mongols, that they came to the conclusion that further advances were not worth it. Besides that Turnbull does provide a solid bibliography for those intending to do more reading....more
To cut to the chase, this is one of the most disappointing genre novels I've read this year. Keeping in mind that I rather liked Hao's "Vagabonds," thTo cut to the chase, this is one of the most disappointing genre novels I've read this year. Keeping in mind that I rather liked Hao's "Vagabonds," there is really very little here I can point to that impressed me. But where I really lost it is when Hao decided to play the "ancient astronauts" card. For me, there was no coming back from that, and I engaged in a quick skim to see if I would strike on anything that would make me take this book seriously; the answer being no. Also, considering that speculative fiction is mostly tolerated in mainland China for its didactic qualities, my impression, from the behavior of the characters, is that the tone is meant to slew "YA," and I really don't do YA. About the best selling point I can come up with for this book is that there might be a rollicking farce of a comic/anime struggling to escape the pseudo-philosophizing Hao puts in the mouths of her characters.
Given the opportunity I might be able to give this book 2.5 stars; but that's it....more
What you'll buy this book for, and you will end up buying it seeing as almost no lending libraries are collecting this series, is for the many interesWhat you'll buy this book for, and you will end up buying it seeing as almost no lending libraries are collecting this series, is for the many interesting pictures of "Shokaku" and "Zuikaku" during their short and intense careers. Most interesting are the images of the battle damage these ships took, particularly that inflicted on "Shokaku."...more
The second half of Giuseppe Picarella's amazing study of the first real strategic reconnaissance aircraft deals with the IJN version of the Ki.15, refThe second half of Giuseppe Picarella's amazing study of the first real strategic reconnaissance aircraft deals with the IJN version of the Ki.15, referred to as the C5M, before launching into a really in-depth look at the technical details and variations of all the iterations of these machines; one could build a one-to-one replica of this aircraft on the basis of this book. It wets one's appetite for Picarella's forthcoming work on the Kawanishi Ki.46 "Dinah."...more
You might say that my interest in reading a book such as this, dealing with a very obscure military unit (though I do love my obscure military units),You might say that my interest in reading a book such as this, dealing with a very obscure military unit (though I do love my obscure military units), was planted from the years that I worked at the U.S. National Archives, and would occasionally shelf-check for a small series of records referred to as "Canadian Volunteer Warrants." Simply speaking, these were the basic records of federal land grants to soldiers who joined the "Patriot" side in the American Revolution, and who won the war but lost the battle; bringing the area around Montreal into the Continental Confederacy.
The story that Prof. Mayer tells is an involved one, but at the core of it are the 1st & 2nd Canadian Regiments, raised during the 1775 invasion of Canada, and filled with men (both English and French speaking), who didn't care for how the so-called "Quebec Act" of 1774 revived many of the privileges of the French gentry class. Thus started an adventure where these men were run out of Canada, along with Benedict Arnold, spent the whole war fighting to return to Canada on their own terms, and who mostly wound up being resettled in upstate New York and Vermont.
This doesn't tell the half of it because, in particular, the 2nd Regiment was a problematic unit. In as much as the Canadian regiments had no state government to support them, the Continental Congress had to enable and provision them, and Congress became collectively unenthusiastic over time with the responsibility; not helped by how the commander of the 2nd, Moses Hazen (a nominal American who had put down roots in Quebec), was really difficult to deal with. Combat effectiveness and personal commitment was what kept this unit alive, though the wonder is that the whole problem wasn't dumped on New York State at some point.
In the end, the actual Canadians in the unit did get some solid recompense, mostly in the form of land grants from the U.S. and New York governments, with Albany looking for people to populate lands stripped from the Seven Nations of the Iroquois. The last laugh might have been had by those members of the regiment who eventually found themselves as officers in the New York Militia fighting, and beating, British forces at the battle of Plattsburgh in 1814. There's probably a streaming mini-series in all this for someone with a good imagination; historical or otherwise!
Apart from that, Prof. Mayer has a lot to say about the building of imagined communities, social frontiers, and the creation of bonds between individuals. This is all of relevant concern, but after a certain point gets labored and repetitive.
So, while not the first book you should read on the subject (I'd suggest Mark Anderson's "The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony"), I certainly found this work worthy of the time invested. Frankly, I'm surprised that it seems to have made so little impact; possibly too much sociology for the readers who want straight-up military history, and too much "drums & trumpets" for the folks mostly concerned with social and political history....more
Apart from the inherent silliness of Vlad Taltos hiding amongst a theater troop, so as to avoid assailants for whom his death represents personal busiApart from the inherent silliness of Vlad Taltos hiding amongst a theater troop, so as to avoid assailants for whom his death represents personal business, not just policy, Brust sharpens his attack trajectory in regards to his grand climax for this long-running epic. I found myself rather liking this installment (some of the later books have only been a notch above pot-boiler quality), as Vlad is also forced to come to grips with the reality that he is an agent of destiny, whether he likes it or not....more
Gordon Spice (who passed away in 2021), seems to have been quite the character. Having led a charmed childhood, he eventually annoyed his father enougGordon Spice (who passed away in 2021), seems to have been quite the character. Having led a charmed childhood, he eventually annoyed his father enough that he was forced to make his own way in business, and threw a lot of money at racing cars. Here's the thing, the apparently feckless young man turned out to be a damn good driver of touring cars and sports cars, and was a good enough business man to pay the bills, when he wasn't a factory driver. Previously I had only really been aware of his prototype cars from the 1980s-1990s; this is a complete racing life set during a certain golden age....more
William Hiestand is a new author for me in regards to Osprey's stable of writers, but I was quite impressed with this contribution to the "New VanguarWilliam Hiestand is a new author for me in regards to Osprey's stable of writers, but I was quite impressed with this contribution to the "New Vanguard" series. While these booklets tend to be mini-manuals focused on origins and development, the more recent books dealing with the deployment of vehicles in various campaigns remind me of the the old "Battle Order" books to a degree, in that the concern is with inventory and force structure, though Hiestand does provide a useful overview of the actual battle....more
Having been very impressed with "The Saint of Bright Doors," I was certainly very interested in Chandrasekera's next work. When I first saw the blurbsHaving been very impressed with "The Saint of Bright Doors," I was certainly very interested in Chandrasekera's next work. When I first saw the blurbs for "Rakesfall," my initial thought was that this was either going to be very good, or something that I was just going to bounce off. Once I actually got my hands on the book, and was slowly paging through it, I noticed that a considerable portion of this novel had been published in bits and pieces going back to 2016; my thought then became, oh boy, the dreaded "trunk novel." Now that I've finished it my report is that while there is considerable evidence of the author's dry wit and excellent word crafting, this book reads like a cross between scripture and chronicle and never really engaged me emotionally; too bad, better luck next time.
Actual rating: 3.5. I just couldn't kid myself that I liked this enough to round up to 4.0....more
One of my favorite smart observations (probably courtesy of Ashleigh Brilliant) is "that more books have been written from people's need to write thanOne of my favorite smart observations (probably courtesy of Ashleigh Brilliant) is "that more books have been written from people's need to write than from people's need to read." Such is the case here, as this book feels like an effort to strike while the iron is hot by a writer who needs to quickly make a mark; having become a dissident exile.
Having said that, if you know only the bare minimum of Russian and Ukrainian history since the break-up of the Soviet Union, I suspect that you will find this book useful. Apart from that the author's apologetic for having, at one point, bought into Russian triumphalism without much thinking is a notable distinction....more
Having just wrapped up this novel I'm torn between a sense of being impressed with Jacobs' characters on one hand and finding a lot of the plotting anHaving just wrapped up this novel I'm torn between a sense of being impressed with Jacobs' characters on one hand and finding a lot of the plotting and infrastructure a bit too convenient on the other. This is not to say that I finished this book feeling like I wasted my time but some of the characters are pulling off stunts that I find very improbable, in terms of internal consistency, and which only certain types of science fantasy manga and anime are generally able to get away with. Still, modern space opera is hard to do well, and I'm very curious as to what Jacobs does next with her concept.
Actual rating: 3.5. I'm being charitable by dwelling on the positive aspects; I may not be so forgiving next time!...more
That this book wound up on the TBR list about five years ago was due to wanting a better explanation of why General George Kenney was a failure as theThat this book wound up on the TBR list about five years ago was due to wanting a better explanation of why General George Kenney was a failure as the first commander of the Strategic Air Command. That it's only now that I've read it is a commentary on having found a satisfactory answer to my main question, and this monograph seemed a little less necessary.
Be that as it may, the main reason to read this work is to get a better sense of what the Air Force mind looks like, as Deaile takes you from the creation of the "pilot" as a military occupational specialty, what the experience of actual strategic bombing in World War II did to USAF leadership expectations, and how Curtis Le May, an indispensable man, did turn SAC into a force ready to go to war almost instantaneously. What lifts this above being just a staff history is that Deaile is very concerned about what this experience meant to the flyers, and their families; Deaile no doubt speaks from the heart on this having been a career bomber pilot.
In the end, SAC's hair-trigger operational profile was not sustainable, at least not on the scale that Le May envisioned, but Deaile does make a good argument that the classic SAC image had real substance to it; the Cuban Missile Crisis probably being the high-water mark.
Downsides to this book? The introduction really does read like an unreconstructed doctoral thesis, and one wonders if you're going to be subjected to 200-plus pages of such dragginess; such is not the case though.
Actual rating: more like 3.5; though one leaves with the sense that the sum is greater than the parts....more
Although the title of this work is certainly truth in marketing, the author is coming at the subject from an angle I really didn't expect. What one baAlthough the title of this work is certainly truth in marketing, the author is coming at the subject from an angle I really didn't expect. What one basically has here is an examination of the point where "media" science fiction, the publicity work for real-life space exploration, and the marketing of the ephemera (toys, insignia, etc.) come together. I was already quite aware of the history of how cinema and TV approached space exploration, but where Weitekamp shines is in regards to the interstitial curiosities; a favorite example being how early "Buck Rogers" made veiled reference to actual pioneers of rocketry like Robert H. Goddard and Max Valier. There is also a running theme of how period media SF intersected with real life attitudes; good examples including the 'Yellow Peril" references of "Buck Rogers" and "Flash Gordon," or how young SF fans in the 1960s American South had to sneak around to watch "Star Trek" (due the presence of the Nichelle Nichols). Finally, Weitekamp makes no apologies for her fascination with toys, and makes good arguments for the importance of such things in building a certain default enthusiasm for space exploration at the foundational level.
The events covered in this book fall under the category of events I THINK I should remember, as I was eleven and a half at the time and I certainly reThe events covered in this book fall under the category of events I THINK I should remember, as I was eleven and a half at the time and I certainly remember media coverage of the "incursion" into Cambodia (I was a precocious military history buff), and the shootings at Kent State University (I grew up about twenty miles away from the school), but it would have been easy at the time to regard what went down in New York City as just one more damn thing. By 1970 people might well have been as inured to riots in the U.S. as we are to mass shootings in the current day.
Having said all that about my personal context, I must say that Kuhn has done a signal service in terms of hunting down the background information on what seems like a salient event rapidly consigned to that special black hole reserved for circumstances that generate cognitive dissonance, and where most of the clashing factions appear not especially admirable in retrospect. Not the politicians who have since made a career of exploiting class resentment, not the student protestors who now do look callow and self-serving, and not the construction workers and their fellow travelers who gave into their sense of victimhood (with varying degrees of justified anger and ill-informed narcissism) and just identified an easy target to "take it out on." Maybe it's all a commentary on how the political parties that we have in the United States haven't really represented much of anything in terms of higher values in a long time; apart from the short-term greed of late-stage capitalism and the suburban middle-class desire for insulation from conflict and turmoil. The U.S. is so not mentally ready for the next great emergency, the sort that crumbles institutions; but I digress.
Besides that, Kuhn also performs a lot of work in terms of reconstructing the flavor of the time, as when you have to be as old as 65 to have a real memory of a happening, a lot of reconstruction is in order. That might be my one issue with this narrative; Kuhn has to do so much explanation of the historical lay of the land that the more specific story does seem like it's going to get lost in the details.
So, while a rather dense work dealing with a down and dirty time that most people would rather not confront intellectually, I found this very worthwhile; maybe even a "must read."...more
At some point I know that I have to have encountered Walter F. White in my reading (probably in conjunction with the politics of the Truman AdministraAt some point I know that I have to have encountered Walter F. White in my reading (probably in conjunction with the politics of the Truman Administration), but if you asked me to say something intelligent about his life and career I would have drawn a blank. This is unfortunate, seeing as there are currently people who seem to have plans to essentially reintroduce a race-based society written in law akin to the "Jim Crow" regime that White spent his life fighting. I suspect that what drew Baime to White's story is the man's work as a crusading journalist; White's ability to "pass" as a Caucasian man giving him opportunities to get close to scene of the 'lynching" culture of the first half of the 20th Century. Eventually the stress of it all caught up with White, particularly after his first marriage crumbled, and his second marriage to a Caucasian woman made him a race traitor to many of the people on whose behalf he had fought. A poignant story, and one well-worth becoming acquainted with, though this book does feel a little shallow on context at times....more
After events go kinetic in the climax of "Fevered Star," and certain characters manage to dodge their intended deaths, I was wondering how Roanhorse wAfter events go kinetic in the climax of "Fevered Star," and certain characters manage to dodge their intended deaths, I was wondering how Roanhorse was going to one-up the violence, and pull her chestnuts out of the fire. To put it another way, I've really been looking forward to this novel, but I was also afraid of a let down. Well, this turns out to be a good novel, but I can't call it a great novel. Without giving away many plot points, since the book just came out, I look over the structure of the three books and it feels like events were really front-loaded, meaning that the reader is spending a long time just waiting to see which characters wind up escaping doom in the end, and which do not. This is another way of saying that there's a major character who is left in an indeterminate state that I found very unsatisfactory; your mileage may differ....more
While I'm always interested in reading about the great industrial designers of the 20th century, this is a rather peculiar take on the subject, as theWhile I'm always interested in reading about the great industrial designers of the 20th century, this is a rather peculiar take on the subject, as the late Christopher Innes chose to focus on Norman Bel Geddes and Joseph Urban due to how they came out of theater, the author's great interest.
What mars the book a little for me is that I'm not sure that Innes was aware of what he did not know, starting with granting Bel Geddes rather too much credit for the "Streamline" look, though he was certainly one of the great populizers of the style. Frankly, in the late 1920s/early 1930s, you might say that "streamlining" was in the air, as designers were taking notes from a new generation of airplanes and ocean liners for which streamlining was a matter of necessity as velocities increased.
Other examples of background ignorance that I tripped over like rocks is, one, when Innes describes "Starwars" as a "brilliant revival of the genre," apparently not being aware that there was a significant number of people who saw the work of George Lucas as an artistic regression after the hard won respectability of the "New Wave" of science fiction in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Also, when talking about Otto Koller, who collaborated on the aviation concepts of Bel Geddes, is described as "the former chief engineer for the German Luftwaffe," Innes apparently being unaware that the German air arm of the Great War was called the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte. Finally, to give one last example, Innes goes out of his way to somewhat low-ball the importance of men such as Harley Earl and Raymond Loewy, in his urge to build up the importance of Bel Geddes.
What this means is that while Innes had many interesting insights to offer, I really don't trust this book, and I would recommend "Norman Bel Geddes Designs America" (edited by by Donald Albrecht) as a more measured overview of the man's work. This is to be followed by "Streamliner" (written by John Wall) as good introduction to Raymond Loewy's life and work. As for other commentary on Joseph Urban, I have no great suggestions.
Given the option, despite my reservations, I could give this a rating of 3.5....more
Sometimes what one wants is basic information, and, in particular, I wanted details of the army that Rome sent to North Africa in an act of self-aggraSometimes what one wants is basic information, and, in particular, I wanted details of the army that Rome sent to North Africa in an act of self-aggrandizement, and I was happy to get it. Besides that Esposito also provides a good overview of the conflict, which lasted through the Great War....more
