Book Reviews

Pershing: Commander of the Great War by John Perry

2011-11-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

John J. Pershing was an excellent military leader. While many of the soldiers saw Pershing as a strict leader who demanded perfection, those who were close to him knew Pershing as a man who liked to have some fun. Pershing always put his duties before his family. While he suffered some tragedies in life, i.e., the loss of his wife and most of his children, many illnesses, and the loss of soldiers on the battlefield, Pershing did not allow his grief to get in the way of coordinating some brilliant strategies during war. Whenever possible, Pershing tried to reconcile differences with non-violent tactics, like with the Moros in the Phillipines.

This book may be a bit confusing for those not well versed in military knowledge, though I didn't find the material too difficult to understand. One thing I didn't like was the placement of the photographs. The photos did not fit in chronologically with the chapters. Every couple of chapters, there is a spread of photos. Although the photos have captions, the events depicted in the photos have not yet been covered by the text, so I got confused about what was happening when. I found myself going back a number times and saying, Oh, so this picture took place now, in this chapter.

Also, I found this book to be a bit tedious to go through. It took me two months to finish reading the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone interested in reading about General John J. Pershing, about his life and accomplishments. This book does cover a broad span of time, and the reader will gain an insight into the world events that occurred during Pershing's lifetime.

(The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze® so that I may review the book.)

MacArthur by Mitchell Yockelson

2011-05-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

This biography really portrays the pomposity of Douglas MacArthur. Yockelson tells us how haughty MacArthur was, how he always needed to get his way, even by overruling his superiors, and how MacArthur reveled in hero welcomes and parades. MacArthur was a good general, obtaining several victories for the United States, but he needed to always be in the limelight. Many people, American, Japanese, Filipino, and others, admired Douglas MacArthur for his brilliant strategies and maneuvers yet overlooked his being a big shot.

This book is a bit confusing for those not well versed in military knowledge, especially when the author goes into details how this unit became that division and this infantry joined with that regiment. Additionally, a number of missing words did not make this book a smooth read. Also, some of the details of MacArthur's early life could have been omitted to make this book less boring.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone interested in reading about General Douglas MacArthur, about his life and accomplishments. This book does cover a broad span of time, and the reader will gain an insight into the world events that occurred during MacArthur's lifetime.

(The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze® so that I may review the book.)

Knitting Knee-Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary by Barb Brown

2011-04-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Barb Brown presents many nice patterns and ideas in this knitting book. The text is clear and readable, the instructions are straightforward, the patterns really help the knitter create the pattern, and the pictures of the finished products are well done. Taking the usual knitting book one step up, Brown provides instructions not just for knitting knee-highs, but also for knitting regular socks and leg warmers, too, with the same patterns as the knee-highs. The options are endless!

Not for a beginner or those faint of heart, these patterns require skill, dexterity and lots of patience to complete. But, the reward of knitting socks from one of these creative patterns will definitely be worth it when you wear them and others want you to knit them a pair, too.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is an accomplished knitter, to someone who is looking for new ideas or for a new spin on something old.

(The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze® so that I may review the book.)

The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner

2011-03-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic provides a new perspective on an old, much discussed historical event of tragic proportions. Well researched, this book brings to light many previously unknown facts about 8 brave heroic souls.

On the night of April 14, 1912, eight men showed extreme devotion to their trade. Choosing to play music to keep up the spirits of the passengers of the Titanic after it hit an iceberg, instead of trying to save their own lives, these musicians showed true courage. In his book, Turner provides us with the background of each band member, telling us about their families, lives, and musical histories, showing us what led them to join the ill-fated band of the Titanic. One can only speculate why these men chose to do as they did, opting to continue playing even when they knew the boat, and probably themselves, were doomed.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the Titanic, and perhaps to any history buff. This book is well written, extensive research has been done, and it provides the reader with many new ideas. After finishing the book, the reader will likely want to learn more about these eight brave musicians and do further research on his or her own.

(The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze® so that I may review the book.)

Curiosities of the Civil War: Strange Stories, Infamous Characters and Bizarre Events by Webb Garrison

2011-02-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

An awewome book to read! With lots of unique facts and details about the Civil War, (as hinted at in the subtitle), this book is sure to interest anyone, even those people who aren't Civil War buffs. I really learned quite a bit reading this book - each tidbit is interesting and informative. Additionally, each piece of information is short and sweet, which is great when you don't have a lot of time to read but just want to read a drop for two minutes. I especially think this book is good for when you want something short to read until you fall asleep, or for when you need something short to read when you go to the bathroom. This book is sure to pique the interest of any reader, making you want to learn more about the Civil War. I highly recommend this book, both for its ease of reading and for its unique tidbits of information that have been gathered into one comprehensive work.

(The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze® so that I may review the book.)

The Wackiest Wildest Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna

2009-06-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

With awesomely vivid photos, and lots of interesting facts, this book is a great introduction to many different animals. Mammals, reptiles, insects, fish, and more are all brought to life with Hanna's photographs. Readers will discover new animals, like the binturong and the blue-footed booby, and meet up with old favorites, like the lion and the baboon. A glossary in the back of the book is very helpful for readers unfamilar with terms such as prey, mantle, and troop.

The included CD enhances the knowledge contained within the book. It's nice to actually see the author in person. It makes the whole thing more personal. The CD details parts of the author's journey to photograph the animals, and contains some funny incidents.

The vivid images of this book really caught my eye. The book is informative about each animal, saying what they eat, where they live, and how big they get. The interesting tidbits and facts are also very informative. However, I don't think I agree with the author when he says these animals are wacky, wild, and weird. That's a matter of perspective. Each animal is beautiful in its own way.