Review: Above and Beyond: John F. Kennedy and America’s Most Dangerous Cold War Spy Mission

A weekend reading review, because Pastor’s also need a break from heavy theological reading!

Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias.  Above and Beyond: John F. Kennedy and America’s Most Dangerous Cold War Spy Mission. New York, NY: PublicAffairs, April 17th 2018. 306 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Anyone lived during the Cuban Missile Crisis?  While I knew some things about the incident I didn’t know the extent of how close the United States and Russia came to a nuclear war during that time until I read this book!  While the book starts kind of slow in the beginning it does pick up and is riveting and will have readers’ full attention.

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Book Review: The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World

A weekend reading review!  Because Pastors also need a break from heavily theological reading!  Last week I also reviewed a history book: SOG: The Secret Wars of America’s Commandos in Vietnam.

Greg King.  The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World.  New York, NY: Saint Martin’s Press, September 3rd 2013. 432 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Most people know about the Archduke as the one who was assassinated that became the catalyst for the First World War.  Other than that little else is known about him not because there’s no information out there but I believe a large part of it is because Archduke Franz Ferdinand was not popular with the elites in the Austrian ruling family and its court and also because the horror of World War One eclipsed everything.  This book turned out to be quite interesting in its own right not just in relations to thing that led to the World War but also for the tragic love story of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.  Certainly the human interest is there in this book!

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Review: Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway

A weekend reading review…because sometimes Pastors need a break from heavy reading also.

Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway.  Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, November 1st 2005. 612 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Want to read one of the best book on the Battle of Midway?  I remember as a young kid reading about this battle and how it turned the tide of the war in Pacific in favor of the United States in which Japan suffered serious loss in this battle.  This work simply exceeded my expectation and I was thoroughly hooked from page to page, which might sound almost unbelievable concerning a military operational book but the two authors did a good job telling us the story of the Battle of Midway and throughout the book they also critically interact with previous presentation of the battle by historians and popular misconception and argue for their account of what happened in a way that is informative while displaying an attitude of being concern for truth of what really happened.

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Reviews: Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels volume 11 through 12

In continuing with our blog’s “wee-kids Wednesdays” here’s a review of Children’s books.  While this week’s review of children’s books aren’t Christian works they are still something homeschool kids and parents would appreciate!

I’m posting first my top recommended book…

 

Geronimo Stilton.  The First Samurai. New York, NY: Papercutz, March 19th 2013. 56 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Want your kids to experience a fun way of learning about samurais and Medieval Japan? This is your book!  This is the twelfth volume of the Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel series and is among my top two of the series thus far.  My kids also thought this was one of their top book from this series.

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Reviews: Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels volume 8 through 10

In continuing with our blog’s “wee-kids Wednesdays” here’s a review of Children’s books.  While this week’s review of children’s books aren’t Christian works they are still something homeschool kids and parents would appreciate!

Geronimo Stilton.  Play It Again, Mozart! New York, NY: Papercutz, September 13th 2011. 56 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

How much do you know about Mozart the famous composer?  This is a fun kids book about some mouse going back in time through a time machine and along the way readers will learn about Wolfgang Mozart when he was a young child prodigy.  This is the eighth volume of the Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novel series, a series my kids and I have grown to love and appreciate.

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Review: 1924: The Year That Made Hitler

Peter Ross Range.  1924: The Year That Made Hitler. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, January 26th 2016. 336 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase:  Amazon

This was an enjoyable read on history.  The author in the beginning of the book mentioned about how few historical works have focused on this important critical year for Hitler and his rise to fame and recognition in 1924.  I can see that there is truth to his claim; as I think back to my previous readings on the Nazi and Hitler there’s more discussion about Hitler’s rise to power situated in the 1930s rather than his turning point in the 1920s.

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