Is The Anarchy the best title for this book? I've been considering some alternate titles. Perhaps Senseless Slaughter: A Brief History of Corporate MiIs The Anarchy the best title for this book? I've been considering some alternate titles. Perhaps Senseless Slaughter: A Brief History of Corporate Militarism. Or maybe Land Pirates: How Britain Perfected Corporate Crime.
In case you hadn't guessed, there is a shocking amount of violence in this book. Almost every chapter has some novel form of torture or a new way to die. This violence is driven largely by the East India Company (EIC) and their thirst for riches beyond avarice, but it's also driven by the warring factions within India, including the Mughals and the Marathas, as well as their periodic alliances with France.
It's truly mind-blowing how many people violently lost their lives on the Asian subcontinent during the 1700s and early 1800s. Hundreds of thousands of people. Despite this bloody past many Indian people today have no recollection of these historical events (according to Dalrymple).
Speaking of Dalrymple, he's done an excellent job documenting all that happened with the EIC in India. The amount of detail he provides is more than thorough. Because of this, the book is difficult to read at times. There are literally hundreds of names of people and places. Hard to keep track of everything. However, sections of the book are highly compelling and hard to put down. These usually involve central characters involved in high stakes battles.
Some takeaways:
1. 1700s warfare sounds ghastly. I'm glad I did not leave at that time.
2. Greed drives war. Greed also drives terms of surrender.
3. The desire for revenge and retribution can keep wars going for generations.
4. Greed + desire for revenge has the potential to create perpetual war.
So why have I given this book three stars instead of four or five? Because I liked it, but I didn't love it. It was more of a struggle than a breeze, and after all that violence I really just wanted to be done with it. That's not Dalrymple's fault, of course; it's just the nature of the story he wrote....more
I wonder if FBI agent Tom White was ever called a "conspiracy theorist"? Probably not since the CIA didn't invent the term until the 1960s.
NeverthelesI wonder if FBI agent Tom White was ever called a "conspiracy theorist"? Probably not since the CIA didn't invent the term until the 1960s.
Nevertheless, White was instrumental in uncovering "one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history" that involved the systematic and methodical killing of Osage Indians over a period of many years.
Most of the book is set in northeast Oklahoma, in Osage county, during the 1920s. This coincided with an oil boom on land owned by the Osage. Boom towns proliferated, as did organized crime.
J. Edgar Hoover and his fledgling Bureau saw an opportunity to cement its reputation in the minds of the American public by solving the mystery of the Osage murders. To do so, Hoover enlisted the help of former Texas Ranger Tom White, who became one of Hoover's agents.
The story centers around Mollie Burkhart as her family members begin to be knocked off one at a time. Investigations seem to go nowhere. Many questions, few answers. But slowly the truth begins to come out.
I love this book. It's got history, intrigue, good guys, bad guys, and a deep mystery tying it all together. Oh, and numerous black-and-white photos that bring the story to life.
My buddy Ben Settle recommended this book in one of his daily emails, and one of my kids bought it as a gift for me. As I expected, I enjoyed it immenMy buddy Ben Settle recommended this book in one of his daily emails, and one of my kids bought it as a gift for me. As I expected, I enjoyed it immensely.
This book is chock full of stories and anecdotes about the Inklings, a writing club whose most famous members include C.S. Lewis, his brother Warnie, J.R.R. Tolkein, and his son Christopher.
Glyer shows us the advent of the Inklings, where and when they met, as well as what those meetings looked like and how the group's feedback and criticism affected individual members. For fans of Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia, it's fascinating stuff.
Did you know that Lewis and Tolkein made a wager and it was randomly decided that Lewis should write a novel about space travel? And so he did. That novel is Out of the Silent Planet. But did you know Tolkein's half of the wager was to write a novel about time travel? This he never did. Still, Lewis's space trilogy owes its existence to the wager he made with Tolkein.
I love the idea of being part of the Inklings or a similar group in which each member is writing and seeking feedback on their works-in-progress. Glyer closes the book with advice for how to form creative groups and sustain them. The focus is obviously on writing groups, but the advice applies to similar groups as well.
A quote I appreciated is from Charles Williams on page 150: "Much was possible to a man in solitude.... But some things were possible only to a man in companionship, and of these the most important was balance. No mind was so good that it did not need another mind to counter and equal it, and to save it from conceit and blindness and bigotry and folly."
Highly recommended for: Participants of writing and creative groups; fans of British literature and writing culture; fans of Lewis and/or Tolkein....more
What if the widely accepted chronology of world history is wrong? What if 700 "phantom years" of history have been inserted into the first millennium?What if the widely accepted chronology of world history is wrong? What if 700 "phantom years" of history have been inserted into the first millennium? This is the argument made by Guyénot's Anno Domini, which examines Catholic clerical forgeries and compares and contrasts the conflicting narratives of history, chronology, stratigraphy, and archaeology.
I'm not an historian, so I'm unfamiliar with some of the periods of time referenced and terminology used, but I'm literate enough to understand Guyénot's arguments. Basically, our modern chronology didn't come into existence until the 16th Century. And there are massive historical gaps between the years 230-930 AD that can be harmonized, believe or not, by simply removing them.
Naturally, one might wonder how 700 phantom years came to be inserted into our chronology? Quoting from page 124: "By such processes, 'different sources dealing with the same events have been split (and altered) in such a way that the same event is described twice, albeit from different angles, thereby creating a chronology that is twice as long as the actual course of history that can be substantiated by archaeology.'"
And what happens when these phantom years are removed? Quoting from page 137: "Heinsohn's shortened chronology of the first millennium can potentially solve fundamental inconsistencies in the history of many regions of the globe."
The book raises a lot of questions and suggests some possible solutions, but never puts forth a completely revised timeline. Furthermore, the Appendix seems to get away from the main arguments of the book and begins to attack biblical chronology during the pre-Christ millennia. This I found less cogent and less persuasive than the rest of the book.
All things considered, this is a solid revisionist work, which I found extremely interesting. If what Guyénot suggests is true, we might not be living in the year 2023 AD, but rather the year 1323 AD. Imagine that!...more
I can sum up the whole book for you in one sentence: If you don't want to follow Desmond's prescription for ending poverty in America, then you're a rI can sum up the whole book for you in one sentence: If you don't want to follow Desmond's prescription for ending poverty in America, then you're a racist.
And what is his prescription? Massive tax increases, higher minimum wages, expanded access to credit for the poor, zoning changes that require high-density affordable housing in rich neighborhoods, more late-term abortions, and "best-in-class contraceptive care" for all women, especially poor women, funded by the federal government.
Could entrepreneurship, freelancing, or perhaps learning the trades be a part of beating poverty? Not in Desmond's world. These topics aren't discussed. In fact, they're never even mentioned.
I found many of Desmond's arguments to be shallow and poorly thought out. Intentionally or unintentionally, he ignores information that is damaging to his case. For example, he blames the unaffordability of housing on people who bid up the prices. In other words, the rich and middle class are causing the affordability crisis in housing!
But he never stops to ask WHY this is happening. To me, it's clear. Anywhere the government subsidizes the debt purchasing of a product or service, the price of that product or service rises much faster than the rate of inflation. This is proven by the data.
The reason both homes and college degrees are so expensive is because the government has subsidized the debt used to purchase those things, which has caused too much money to flow into those industries, driving up prices. Get rid of cheap, 30-year mortgages and home prices will fall. Same goes for cheap student loan debt.
Anyway, discussions like this are far beyond the scope of Desmond's polemic, which is designed to stir up sympathy for the poor and inspire readers to become "poverty abolitionists," ready to march forward and implement Desmond's prescription for ending poverty.
Sorry, but I'll be opting out. Not because I disagree with the importance of helping those less fortunate, but rather because I disagree with both Desmond's ideas of what causes poverty as well as what he thinks will cure it....more
Back when Obamacare was first made law, thousands of people were quickly hired but they had nothing to do. Some months later a whistleblower revealed Back when Obamacare was first made law, thousands of people were quickly hired but they had nothing to do. Some months later a whistleblower revealed they sat around and played board games all day.
In similar fashion, those who worked in Nevada on the Apollo space program took advantage of the government largesse and lack of supervision. If a man could steal away for a few hours with a lady friend, have a picnic lunch, and roll around in the bushes, why not? This was common practice. Kaysing describes one division that was supposed to be moved elsewhere to work on a different part of the project, but nobody took the initiative. So the employees just lounged around for months on the taxpayer dime waiting until somebody noticed.
The Apollo program had serious quality control issues through at least 1967, the year that Grissom et al burned alive on Pad 34. These issues were thoroughly documented by both Thomas Baron and Major General Samuel Phillips. They were also documented by astronaut Gus Grissom, but all his written records were stolen by the government from his home immediately after his death.
A significant portion of this book is dedicated to quoting excerpts from Baron's testimony before Congress combined with excerpts from Phillips' report. It is fascinating to see how members of Congress tried to intimidate, twist, and suppress Baron's testimony. Of course, we know that Baron and his wife were killed just 4 days after he testified; struck by a train in his car on a train track. Suspicious timing, isn't it? Baron's full 500-page report has never been released.
Kaysing takes a few bunny trails to talk about the sad state of American medicine, food, and education. He was a man wide awake back in the 1960s and 70s. I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. And here we are, 50+ years later and the masses are still alseep. Unbelievable.
Five stars for the content. There are nuggets of information in this book I've not encountered anywhere else. For example, the moon rocks have been proven fake in the years since Kaysing published his book. He suspected the moon rocks were fake (but had no proof in 1976), so he described the process by which they could have been created at NASA's facility for manufacturing ceramics.
Three stars for the reproduction of this book. It's done in black and white, and the reproduced pictures are not worth anything, really. They look mostly like smudges. However, the reproduced letters are legible, and it's fascinating to read them....more
What a dense book! It's only 300 pages, but it's absolutely packed with German history.
In his fascinating memoir, "Putzi" documents his first encounteWhat a dense book! It's only 300 pages, but it's absolutely packed with German history.
In his fascinating memoir, "Putzi" documents his first encounters with Hitler in the early 1920s all the way up to his flight from Germany in 1937, and his eventual return to Germany and release in 1946.
Hanfstaengl was one of the few voices of moderation among Hitler's entourage. He discouraged Hitler's xenophobia and was one of the few who would contradict Hitler to his face. He remained involved in the Nazi party in hopes it could be shaped into something positive, or at least less evil. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
In 1937 Goebbels and Goering sent Hanfstaengl on a fake mission intended to end in his assassination. The pilot of the plane informed Putzi of the true nature of the flight and faked mechanical issues so Putzi could escape. He ultimately became a prisoner of war and wrote intelligence reports to help the U.S. win the war against Germany.
I'm currently about 80% through the massive William Randolph Hearst biography The Chief, and in it the author mentions Putzi and how he acted as liaison between Hearst and Hitler to get articles published in the Hearst papers. This event is also documented in the memoir, and it was serendipitous that I encountered these scenes at virtually the same time in both books.
If you have any interest in Hitler as a person and how events took shape in Germany, then this book is a must-read. After all, Hanfstaengl was a close friend and observer of Hitler's for nearly 20 years....more
Do you like to read about covert assassination operations? Do you like military history? Then you'll enjoy Rise and Kill First. It's a thorough accounDo you like to read about covert assassination operations? Do you like military history? Then you'll enjoy Rise and Kill First. It's a thorough accounting of Israel's targeted assassination program from before Israel became a nation all the way up to 2015.
Some of the early chapters are more difficult to get through as the names change more frequently and there's less of a "thread" to hold onto. But once Bergman hits the 1970s, the names become more familiar and appear repeatedly through multiple chapters. At this point, the book skims along from one operation to the next, with all the drama you'd expect from assassinations carried out on foreign soil.
While Bergman does a fairly good job of reporting the facts without bias, I noticed a few places where he editorializes and inserts his opinion. For example, he describes the PFLP's "murderous attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets abroad." Did you catch it? When describing Palestinian aggression, it's "murderous." But when describing similar Israeli aggression, it’s framed in clean business-like terms.
Two additional shortcomings: Bergman's failure to clearly and accurately describe 1) Israel's illegal occupation and violation of treaties and international law; and 2) Israel's source of funding that has enabled outsized military strength and regional dominance. These ommissions feel intentional as their inclusion would further damage Israel's reputation.
That said, Bergman includes numerous damaging admissions in the book. For example, there are multiple direct quotes showing how callous and tone-deaf some Mossad operatives are. For example, this quote on page 322:
Yaalon had no regrets, however. He called the operation "the perfect hit" and added, with characteristic cynicism, "I don't understand why they say why we, Israel, are losing the war for minds. If I put a bullet between Abu Jihad's eyes, right in the middle of his mind, doesn't that mean I've won?"
Despite my nitpicking, I still enjoyed this book, and I'm glad I read it. It fits well with other books I've read about the Mossad and Israel (Victor Ostrovsky's By Way of Deception, Dr. Stephen Jones' Struggle for the Birthright, even Ronan Farrow's Catch and Kill).
A final thought: While reading this book I felt grateful for the peaceful life I live in the United States. I can't imagine the ongoing low level fear one must feel living in a region under the constant threat of Arab suicide bombers and Mossad hits in which collateral damage is a natural side effect....more
This biography was my introduction to the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, and I enjoyed it.
No doubt, Shackleton lived a dangerous and adventurous life.This biography was my introduction to the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, and I enjoyed it.
No doubt, Shackleton lived a dangerous and adventurous life. That said, the events of Shackleton's life begin to feel redundant after a time. It seems he was stuck in an endless loop of fundraising, adventuring, surviving, lecturing, then fundraising to go do it all over again.
His poor wife, Emily. And his poor kids. They basically grew up without him. And every time he promised to come home, he either wouldn't... or he would leave them as quickly as possible.
As a pioneer and leader, he was a hero. But as a father, husband, and provider, he was an absolute failure. Naturally, I have conflicted feelings about Shackleton.
Note: The author has also traveled and set records in Antarctica, so he will occasionally interject his own experiences and insights into the story. This is jarring at first, but I got used to it....more
Each chapter is a short story about an historical figure written as a mystery. Once Rowe reveals the subject of the This was a fun, easy to read book.
Each chapter is a short story about an historical figure written as a mystery. Once Rowe reveals the subject of the msytery, he tells a story from his own life and career.
These anecdotes are often just as interesting as the mystery he's just told. For example, I enjoyed the stories of his time living at the "haunted" Georgia Farm and working the graveyard shift at QVC.
Funny enough, I've actually never watched any of Mike Rowe's shows. I have read some of his updates and essays on Facebook, and I always enjoy those. Now I feel like I should watch Dirty Jobs.
Point is, you don't have to be familiar with Rowe's work to enjoy this book....more
I was completely unaware of the early history of Hollywood, a deficiency which this book has corrected. Speaking for myself, I thought the 1930s and 1I was completely unaware of the early history of Hollywood, a deficiency which this book has corrected. Speaking for myself, I thought the 1930s and 1940s were the early days of Hollywood. But all the major players were firmly established by the early 1920s before sound was ever used in film.
This book is very methodical in telling the story of the early Jewish movie moguls, starting with Adolph Zukor (Paramount), then moving on to Carl Laemmle (Universal), William Fox, Louis B. Mayer (MGM), the Warner Brothers, and Harry Cohn (Columbia).
Gabler tells the stories of each of these moguls: where they came from, what life events shaped them, their motivations, and more. And he doesn't stop there. He also tells the stories of other major Hollywood players like Frank Capra, Irving Thalberg, Nick Schenk, Rabbi Magnin, Marcus Loew, and others I'm forgetting.
It's a fascinating history, although very complex, as you might expect with the number of years and people covered in the book.
Overall, this book is excellent and makes for good reading. Although I got bogged down in the second half of the chapter "Refugees and British Actors," which covers the communist witch hunts of the late 1940s that focused on Hollywood. The level of detail is important, but tedious.
Interestingly, most of the Jewish moguls were conservative, patriotic, and went out of their way to prove their Americanism. It was the second generation of Hollywood Jews who began to lean left and embrace communism. But during the late 1940s there was no uniform political ideology in Hollywood.
The final chapter is engrossing. It describes the changing of the guard as the original moguls find their power waning, their families falling apart, their studios taken from them. A stark reminder that youth, wealth, and power are fleeting....more
I actually haven't watched the Plandemic documentaries yet. Nevertheless, I still wanted to buy this book and support Mikki Willis and his team.
I expeI actually haven't watched the Plandemic documentaries yet. Nevertheless, I still wanted to buy this book and support Mikki Willis and his team.
I expected Plandemic to remain largely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, but I got more than I expected -- and I mean that in a good way. The anonymous author (a left-leaning accomplished journalist who voted for Joe Biden) touches on a number of subjects, including the AIDS epidemic, Dr. Fauci, the U.S. patent system, Operation Mockingbird, John D. Rockefeller's takeover of medicine, a brief history of Bill Gates, vaccine damage in India, Event 201, and even the January 6 Stop the Steal rally.
Much of the information in Plandemic I've shared on my own Facebook page during the last 18 months. But this book puts it all (and more) into a persuasive, well-documented package.
As I read the book, I felt like I should send copies to some of the people I know, especially Democrats who've lashed out at me for my beliefs. Because I feel like anybody who reads Plandemic will be persuaded on some basic facts. For example, that the media lies to us all the time -- and they are legally permitted to do so!
This book is very well written and I feel that all Americans should read it. It's only 162 pages long, so length shouldn't be an excuse....more
I watched A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon... back in 2016, and it was a key part in my journey to recognizing and acknowledging that theI watched A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon... back in 2016, and it was a key part in my journey to recognizing and acknowledging that the moon landings from 1969-1972 had been faked. Later, I also watched Astronauts Gone Wild -- another gem.
So when I saw that Bart Sibrel had just published this book, I rushed to buy it and read it. (I naturally bought a paper copy in case it ends up getting banned!)
In the first half of the book, Sibrel describes what happened behind the scenes while filming both of his famous documentaries. And what happened is absolutely stunning. Quite frankly, it's a miracle that Sibrel survived and completed the films.
While some readers might question the veracity of Sibrel's account due to how sensational and outrageous it sounds... I personally believe Sibrel has taken great pains to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In fact, as I read, I was reminded of the same intimidation tactics used to try to silence Henry Vinson, which he describes in his memoir Confessions of a D.C. Madam, another must-read.
The first half of Sibrel's book is extremely compelling and hard to put down, but some of the best material is near the end. I'm talking about two things in particular. First, the major disclosure that begins on page 155. Sibrel writes...
"Now I have something major to disclose. This disclosure is now possible as the high-ranking military source of my investigation into this matter has died, and the predetermined waiting period after his death has expired. I am now free to publish his testimony that comprises the following highly relevant information about the Moon landing deception, which is shared here for the very first time."
The second thing that really stood out to me was the new information revealed in Chapter 11 about the targeted killing of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, who was the lead astronaut among the first trio who were supposed to fly to the moon. Grissom's problem was that he was too honest, too principled. He became an obstacle to the faked moon landings and had to be taken out. Sibrel relates these incidents, which includes intel he's been able to obtain that I've not seen or heard before.
To be clear, I was already familiar with the manner of (and reason for) Gus Grissom's death. But Sibrel shares new details about these events that I didn't know about.
There are a few typos in the book, and Sibrel has a tendency of repeating some of the same thoughts and ideas at various points in his book. Nevertheless, even this was not enough for me to deduct a star from my rating. Sibrel has done the U.S. and the world a huge favor by writing and publishing this book. Read it....more
Prior to reading this book (or, rather, listening to it on Audible), I had very little exposure to the Tate murders. I knew Charles Manson was the leaPrior to reading this book (or, rather, listening to it on Audible), I had very little exposure to the Tate murders. I knew Charles Manson was the leader of a group of hippies, and that he allegedly ordered them to kill, and they obeyed. Manson's followers then murdered Sharon Tate and others, scrawling "Death to Pigs" on the wall with blood.
Other than these basic details, I knew very little. But I wanted to learn more, and this book looked promising, especially since it presented a new perspective on the case.
The first part of the book rips along as we read all the gory details of the Tate murders, and we join O'Neill in his effort to discover the truth about the murders for a feature article he's writing to be published on the anniversary of the murders.
Spoiler: O'Neill misses his deadline.
As he follows leads and interviews survivors connected to the case, the story explodes in a hundred directions. Hundreds of questions are asked, most of which can never be answered.
Like O'Neill, I felt frustrated and maddened about his getting stonewalled and backstabbed and harrassed for trying to uncover the truth. I would never have had the tenacity that O'Neill did. Of course, for O'Neill, it became an obsession, as he readily admits.
One downside of listening to this book is that it became difficult to keep track of all the shadowy figures. Warning: There are many. For that reason, it would have been nice to have a print copy so I could easily go back and refresh my memory about the various characters.
Overall, the book is a mixed bag. There are parts that are really good and parts that feel tedious. One thing O'Neill has proven beyond doubt is that the official narrative of the Tate/LaBianca murders is not only wrong, but grossly wrong. Yet that narrative prevails today.
So, if you'd like a fresh perspective on and new information about Charles Manson and the Tate/LaBianca murders, this is a solid choice. Just know that you're going to have to walk alongside O'Neill's multi-decade investigation for a few hundred pages to reach the somewhat nebulous conclusion....more
This is an excellent companion to Kollerstrom's The Life and Death of Paul McCartney 1942-66. I would say Foster's book is more thorough, covering addThis is an excellent companion to Kollerstrom's The Life and Death of Paul McCartney 1942-66. I would say Foster's book is more thorough, covering additional information about Paul's disappearance in late August 1966. Foster also presents evidence of nefarious intent behind Paul's death and replacement.
One thing Foster does not cover, but Kollerstrom does, is the unusual death of Jane Asher's father. Regarding the suspicious deaths of people who were close to The Beatles, Kollerstrom's book seems a little more thorough in that department.
Either way, you can't go wrong with this book if you'd like a near-complete education of the 'Paul Is Dead' theory.
One of the strength's of Foster's book is that it's extremely methodical and heavily cited. The case is presented in a direct and factual way. I found it a very compelling read and hard to put down.
Having read two full books on this subject, as well as a collection of essays in the book "And I suppose we didn't go to the moon, either?" -- it's undeniable that Paul McCartney disappeared in late 1966 and was replaced by an impostor. The evidence is simply overwhelming.
Note: The meaning of the title Plastic Macca is "Fake McCartney," plastic being a euphemism for "fake" (or a person who's had plastic surgery), and Macca being a shortened nickname for McCartney....more
I was first seriously introduced to the idea that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 when I read the book "And I suppose we didn't go to the moon, eitherI was first seriously introduced to the idea that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 when I read the book "And I suppose we didn't go to the moon, either." Part II of that book is "Did Paul McCartney Die?" and includes 4 chapters by 4 different authors, one of whom is Nicholas Kollerstrom.
This is Kollerstrom's full-length effort at examining the clues and evidence that McCartney died in September 1966 and was replaced shortly thereafter. The case is extremely compelling, covering everything from photographic evidence, quotes, song lyrics, interviews, and the mysterious deaths and near-deaths of people who knew the pre-1966 McCartney.
I didn't realize this, but the number of unusual premature deaths of people who knew the pre-1966 McCartney is statistically improbable. Furthermore, the timing of such deaths could not be coincidental. For example, roadie Mal Evans' manuscript Living the Beatles' Legend was due to be submitted to the publisher on January 12, 1976, but he was killed on January 5. The suitcase containing the manuscript vanished and has never been recovered.
Anyway, if you have any interest in "Paul Is Dead" research, this is a good book to read....more
This is not just a story about the influenza pandemic of 1918; it's also a story of the transition from pre-1900 "heroic medicine", which employed outThis is not just a story about the influenza pandemic of 1918; it's also a story of the transition from pre-1900 "heroic medicine", which employed outdated practices such as venesection, to modern 20th Century medicine, which was rooted in rigorous scientific experiments.
So while we're witnessing the origin of the deadly influenza virus, its passage from the U.S. to Europe and back again, and the death and destruction it left in its wake... we're also witnessing the origin of John Hopkins University, the first nonprofit organizations dedicated to public health, and a nation and media struggling to decide what to tell the public about the pandemic.
I bought this book 15 years ago, but finally decided to read it now due to the coronavirus outbreak. It's clear there are some stark differences between 1918 and 2020. For example...
During 1918, the press lied and concealed the truth to minimize what was truly a dangerous and terrifying influenza pandemic. This was done in the name of "morale." After all, the U.S. was still fighting World War I, and good morale was imperative.
Today, in 2020, it appears to be almost the opposite. The press has lied and hyped the coronavirus into something it never was. This has been done in the name of safety... and perhaps to damage Trump's re-election prospects.
Quoting from The Great Influenza (pp. 335-6), John M. Barry writes:
"As terrifying as the disease was, the press made it more so. They terrified by making little of it, for what officials and the press said bore no relationship to what people saw and touched and smelled and endured. People could not trust what they read. Uncertainty follows distrust, fear follows uncertainty, and, under certain conditions such as these, terror follows fear.
"[...] Fear, that was the enemy. Yes, fear. And the more officials tried to control it with half-truths and outright lies, the more the terror spread."
Following the coronavirus outbreak, the mainstream media has run hyperbolic stories about the coronavirus and, in some cases, even published outright false stories to fan the flames of collective panic. Is this an overreaction to the "everything is okay" lies the press peddled in 1918? Is it propaganda to crash the economy and keep Trump from winning in November? It's hard to tell.
The bottom line: This is a valuable book to read in the year 2020 because it provides contrast and insight into what happened in the U.S. during the last major pandemic. It's also just a good read. Well-written, engaging, educational, and entertaining....more
I've never read a book focused on Native American history, so this was a first for me, and I was pleasantly surprised. I now have a whole new appreciaI've never read a book focused on Native American history, so this was a first for me, and I was pleasantly surprised. I now have a whole new appreciation for the dilemma faced by the Comanches and the white settlers.
The history of conflict between the Comanches and whites is bloody, gruesome, and complicated. There's plenty of guilt to go around. And yet in the midst of this, Gwynne tells the powerful story of the last days of the Comanche nation and perhaps its greatest warrior, Quanah Parker.
I had never heard of Quanah prior to this book. Given his fame and notoriety at the beginning of the 20th Century, I feel somewhat ignorant that I'd not learned of him before.
The entire story is engrossing from start to finish. Although there are many characters who come and go during the 40-year conflict with the Comanches, there are still some central characters that maintain the narrative thread throughout.
I greatly appreciated the nuance in this book. Gwynne talks about how the Civil War impacted the war with the Comanches, how technology played a role, and even why the slaughter of the buffalo was allowed (encouraged?) to happen.
As I read this book, I was often reminded of the fictional book by Thomas Berger, Little Big Man. It's one of my favorites. It deals with some of the same issues that are dealt with in this book. How does a person assimilate into a totally different culture? What is it like when returning back to one's original culture?
Anyway, I highly recommend Empire of the Summer Moon. It's an excellent and enlightening read....more
What do you get when you mash-up Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, and John Steinbeck's East ofWhat do you get when you mash-up Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, and John Steinbeck's East of Eden?
You get The Devil in the White City.
This book completely captivated me. I thought I was going to be reading a book mostly about a serial killer. Turns out, this book is so much more than that.
There are two strong (parallel) narrative threads: one about Daniel Burnham and the construction of the Chicago World Fair; and another about the rise of H.H. Holmes and his unusual building.
Even though the book is packed with fascinating historical detail and multiple subplots and story lines, it's a fast read with excellent pacing.
Prior to reading this book, I'd heard about the Chicago World Fair, but really didn't know much about it. What surprised me most was discovering how many long-lasting effects sprang out of the Fair.
For example, one of the most iconic architectural inventions of the last 150 years came about only because Chicago was trying to "out-Eiffel" the Eiffel Tower. The GE vs. Westinghouse battle essentially came to a conclusion in Chicago. Even the invention of a certain type of paint application originated with the Fair.
During the first three parts of the book, the story is mostly about Daniel Burnham and the Chicago World Fair. I estimate two-thirds of the story is about Burnham and only one-third about Holmes. But the tension builds steadily and the payoff comes in Part IV -- the part most remniscient of Capote's In Cold Blood.
The last 100 pages of this book are irresistible. Dozens of story lines climax, then are completed and tied up. Tears welled up in my eyes more than once while reading the conclusions. So much beauty, so much ugliness, so much... humanity. A brilliant book, and I'm sad that it's over....more
This book is a chronological summary of more than 100 years of the troubles of Northern Ireland. In essence, "This is what happened in the 1920s, thisThis book is a chronological summary of more than 100 years of the troubles of Northern Ireland. In essence, "This is what happened in the 1920s, this is what happened in the 1960s, etc."
The chronology can be summed up like this: sectarian violence, despair, hope for peace, distrust of the peace process, sectarian violence... cycle repeats ad nauseum with a rotating cast of characters through the decades.
I felt the book would have been much improved had it opened with a scene far in the future, describing the carnage of a roadside bomb, leading up to the question: "So how did we get here?" That would be a dramatic way of setting up the book and making the reader more interested in how the ancient conflict began.
Instead, the book opens with this clunker of paragraph: "The observation that nothing is more remote than the recent past is particularly applicable to the Northern Ireland troubles, since the understandable instinct of many people has been to shy away from them. For very many people it was a terrible period, in which a generation grew up not knowing peace or stability."
Um, yeah. Thank you for stating the obvious.
In terms of providing an overview, the book does its job. But most of the time, it's dry reading. Furthermore, since I'm not familiar with Irish/British politics, the multitude of names, organizations, paramilitary groups, acronyms, and political positions are difficult to follow.
Some of the most engaging parts of the book are descriptions of paramilitary attacks, victim responses (direct quotations), and excerpts from the memoirs of former political leaders. But these are a small fraction of the book.
For example, deadly bombings that happened during the troubles may get a page or two at most, then it's on to something else. I wanted to know more about major events like these, but that would not be in keeping with the book's purpose, which is to provide a broad overview.
Anyway, I'm thankful that I understand more about the troubles now, but just wish the book hadn't been so dry and required so much effort to read....more
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