The Vietnam War, a true cluster of violence, hubris, and mismanagement of the American ideal of democracy, was a disaster for all countries involved. The Vietnam War, a true cluster of violence, hubris, and mismanagement of the American ideal of democracy, was a disaster for all countries involved. From the wasted effort to the great loss of life, the conflict still marks an embarrassing moment in American history.
Nick Turse makes this war an even worse blight on America with his expose Kill Anything That Moves by chronicling the vast numbers of outright human rights atrocities perpetrated against the people of Vietnam by its supposed saviors (America and South Korea). With over a decade of research, Turse highlights the incidences of slaughter, torture, and destruction that were committed against many innocent south Vietnamese civilians (most of them women, children, and the elderly).
From the infamous Mai Lai massacre to the Tet-Counter offensive it’s all here in stark and unflinching reality. Turse never once sugarcoats the incidents and never once apologizes for the action of the soldiers and commanders who authorized such actions. He also doesn’t shy away from the horrendous conditions opposed upon the rural communities of Vietnam that were unfortunately in the middle of a conflict they wanted no part of.
I was slightly worried this book would be too incredibly brutal in its description of violence against children (my one big red flag when it comes to my book choices…both fiction and non fiction), but thankfully Turse has enough tact to leave things mostly to the imagination. Some segments do get slightly repetitive but generally this is a well researched and eye opening account of a past America should never forget ....more
Brutal, bleak, and just the way I like my nonfiction, The Wager is a fascinatingly dark and rather depressing story of, like the byline says, shipwrecBrutal, bleak, and just the way I like my nonfiction, The Wager is a fascinatingly dark and rather depressing story of, like the byline says, shipwreck, mutiny, and murder.
Grann, who already penned the equally fascinating Killers of the Flower Moon, now tunes his sights on the doomed voyage of The Wager, a British war ship, that, like 100’s of ships before and after it, becomes wrecked in one of the most desolate areas on the planet, as well as the sailors who survived and were forced to make quite a few tough decisions.
But it’s more than just that.
The Wager is an incredibly well written, extremely fast paced, true story that reads like a straight up historical drama. Books on navel history are always bordering on falling into a trap of study language and bring descriptions of every little minutia of boat life. Not so here. Grann never once slows down his writing to makes this story chunky and slow. Rather he focuses on the incredible hardships these sailors encountered from nearly day one. From typhus, to scurvy, to starvation, to eventual madness and mutiny, Grann never shies away from the details and, in doing so, makes The Wager nearly impossible to put down.
I don’t know what is going on in the world of nonfiction books lately, but somewhere between 2023 and 2024, this side of reading has become incredibly addicting and so much fun to read. “The Wager” is now my 3rd straight 5 star nonfiction book published within the last year. Either my usual reading genres have become boring (of course they have) or this new set of authors who aren’t afraid to make nonfiction books read like thrillers and horrors…whatever the case, this has been a great year for nonfiction and “The Wager” just keeps that trend going strong. ...more
As much as story about NASA and the men and women who made up the astronaut crew as it is about the titular space shuttle itself, Challenger is an easAs much as story about NASA and the men and women who made up the astronaut crew as it is about the titular space shuttle itself, Challenger is an easy contender for one of the best books of 2024.
Being as part of this book is literal rocket science, Higginbotham had his work cut out for him in trying to explain the construction and research of building a reusable space craft, but he excelled in making the subject easy to read and understand. While fully researched and feeling complete, this one reads like a straight up thriller and if never feels like a nearly 600 page non fiction book and I plowed through it in only 2 days. There’s action and tension that’s thicker than I thought possible. I was gripping the edges of my book hard enough to make my fingers white as I read the last few minutes leading up to launch of Challenger (even though I knew what was going to happen). Even during the subsequent investigation, I almost forgot this was all a true story.
It’s also an incredibly frustrating read. Not because it’s hard to comprehend or understand, but frustrating because the entire tragedy could have easily been avoided but for the hubris of NASA. If Higginbotham’s research is factual (and I have zero doubt it’s accurate) It’s actually shocking we ever made it to space to begin with or that more lives weren’t lost in the process of getting there.
I wasn’t born yet when the events of Challenger occurred, but the story has fascinated me ever since I learned about it so I knew I was going to like this one but I didn’t expect to love Challenger as much as I did. If you want a history of NASA, an expose on the Challenger disaster, or just want a damn fine example of non fiction done right, then pick up Challenger. ...more
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was devastating in and of itself but it was the resultant fires that truly destroyed one of America’s mo3.5 stars
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was devastating in and of itself but it was the resultant fires that truly destroyed one of America’s most populous (and popular) cities of the early 20th century.
With the same exacting detail and research he demonstrated In Report From Ground Zero and the autobiographical Report From Engine Co. 82, Dennis Smith tells the story of l the titular event with the characters who were there and the history of that fateful day, before, during, and after. With damning proof Smith makes sure to inform readers that while earthquakes are unavoidable, the fire storm that engulfed San Fran could have been contained, but for a nearly comedy of errors, bad city planning, and a ruling government rife with corruption.
But this is not just a story of wonton destruction. It is also a biography of the mini men, women, and every day citizens that, in the face of overwhelming odds, somehow managed to look death in the eye and overcome one of the most destructive events in the American pants.
As a former New York fireman, It’s obvious this momentous situation is near and dear to Smith’s heart, as he takes the time to put in the research and write a nonfiction book that is easily readable and informative.
And while I moderately enjoyed what Smith presented with San Francisco is on Burning, I can also see why other readers have mixed feelings in regards to its content. This isn’t the most exciting non fiction book I’ve read about natural disasters or situations. Smith does fine with writing about the real life characters, but he does tend to wax poetic at times, or leave things far too brief at others.
There’s also the most common complaint of Smith taking a bit of literary freedom in describing emotions or feelings of these people. In the afterword he tries to explain it away by describing “San Francisco is Burning” as a “historical narrative” and not an “academic work”. Personally, this isn’t as big a deal to me as it is to others, however, for those purists, I can understand the slight annoyance it can cause. ...more
Being a fan of the Oakland A’s (soon to be the Sacramento A’s and then the Las Vegas A’s), is weird. I honestly don’t think there is a franchise that Being a fan of the Oakland A’s (soon to be the Sacramento A’s and then the Las Vegas A’s), is weird. I honestly don’t think there is a franchise that continues to have so many ups and downs through so many terrible owners, managers, and overall dysfunction throughout its history.
It’s hard to believe now, that as the team prepares to leave Oakland, they were once a team that captivated the entire country’s attention with the likes of “Billy Ball”, under Billy Martin’s uncouth and abrasive style of management.
In Billy Ball Dale Tafoya attempts to highlight just what a crazy moment in time “Billy Ball” was for the team and the rest of the baseball world. This book is by no means exhaustive, as it doesn’t bother with every nuance of Billy Martin’s life, but that’s perfectly fine, since, just like the titular character, this book is fast paced and gets to the point pretty quickly. Tafoya doesn’t sugarcoat Martin’s aggressive behavior, nor does he ever try to shy away from Martin’s penchant for anger and slightly abusive control of the Oakland A’s. Rather, Tafoya explains just how the Martin approach revitalized a franchise that was constantly teetering on the edge of ruin and how his mindset led the Athletics back to relative greatness.
My team may be the Dodgers, but the A’s were the very first baseball team I remember watching and rooting for. So as an Oakland fan, books like this make me appreciate the history of a team that’s always been the scrappy underdog, and as a fan of baseball, books like Billy Ball make me appreciate the deep history of a sport that’s far more than just throwing a baseball and trying to hit it with a bat. ...more
Looking at the sad state of affairs of Oakland today, it’s hard to believe they were a perineal powerhouse of sport city, sharing something like 9 worLooking at the sad state of affairs of Oakland today, it’s hard to believe they were a perineal powerhouse of sport city, sharing something like 9 world championships between the 3 main sporting leagues of football, baseball, basketball.
It’s actually pretty depressing that a city that at one time fielded 10 different professional sports teams over the years is now, in 2024, down to exactly one, the Oakland A’s, which will also fold up shop and spend a few miserable years in Sacramento while Jeff Fisher, the owner fleeces the citizens of Vegas for a new stadium.
As a fan of the Athletics, reading this book was incredibly heartbreaking and a huge bummer that a great franchise has been so mismanaged by one terrible owner after another, all to conclude in an ill advised and basically transparent money grab. But it’s not exclusive to the A’s.
In Goodbye, Oakland Dolich and Newhouse don’t blame the city, but rather the selfish owners of these teams that have packed up their proverbial tents and booked it to other cities that have more glitz and glamour, deserting the fans and the city that made their teams famous. The Raiders, the Warriors, the A’s, and a myriad of other franchises have either all left or folded due to one misstep after another. I’m no fan of Oakland’s progressive policies, but for city that prided itself on athletic prowess over so many strong franchises, and now to be the only city in America to lose all four of the major sports franchises, it’s a sad state of affairs that they’re left with nothing. I
totally understand why some readers won’t find this book essentially enlightening as it’s mostly 21 chapters of opinions or interviews, rather than a full history of any of the teams mentioned, however any book that bashes Al Davis and Jeff Fisher with any chance it gets, is going to receive a passing grade from me!...more
Whether you love him, hate him, or are entirely apathetic towards him and his creations, the fact remains that Elon Musk is one of this generstion’s mWhether you love him, hate him, or are entirely apathetic towards him and his creations, the fact remains that Elon Musk is one of this generstion’s most successful individuals and easily one of the most interesting.
In much the same way he chronicled the equally fascinating Steve Jobs, Isaacson’s biography of Musk is nearly complete in its depth, entertaining in its writing, and eye opening in its expose of the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, Nuerolink, the Boring Company, and a few other successful business as well.
Isaacson pulls no punches in his biography, more often than not highlighting Musk’s abrasive style of management, incredible drive, and lack of empathy for his fellow coworkers, leaving most readers with the impression that even though he’s massively successful, Musk is a bit of an ass and bares some shocking similarities with the aforementioned jobs.
I do feel like Isaacson went into this project with a preconceived notion of Elon and it does show a bit in his almost defense of Musk’s maniacal behavior. Sure, he’s often quoted Musk’s own admission of possible Asperger’s, but there’s never been any medical diagnosis, and it’s still a pretty flimsy excuse for the way Musk treats fellow employees and family.
Regardless, this is still a fascinating read, that even at 680 pages never feels stuffy or exceptionally long. So for that, it’s worth all 5 stars. ...more
History has always been my thing…especially American history. Because of that I feel like I tend to know more than the average person about my countryHistory has always been my thing…especially American history. Because of that I feel like I tend to know more than the average person about my country’s past. Sad that the Osage murders was never something I was taught or was even aware of before discovering this book (which I only knew about because of the Scorcesse film).
Needless to say, Killers of the Flower Moon is one of those rare nonfiction books that’s reads like a contemporary mystery/murder novel. Or at least a popular podcast.
Grann’s handling of the subject matter is done in a such a way that what you read feels like a fabrication. It’s incredibly twisted, multilayered, and drops bombshells every few pages. And while that’s awesome for a nonfiction book, it’s also incredibly sad and frustrating from a historical aspect. You almost forget that the Osage Indians were a real indigenous tribe that, like most native Americans, got totally screwed over by the rest of the country.
I’m not one to apologize for things I had nothing to do with, but damn, this was just straight up disgusting and sad. I’ve read more brutal nonfiction but few have made me feel so disappointed in the past. ...more
I’m 2023 we’re pretty familiar with the Titanic but in 1955, when A Night to Remember was originally published, most only knew of the disaster by nameI’m 2023 we’re pretty familiar with the Titanic but in 1955, when A Night to Remember was originally published, most only knew of the disaster by name or might have been alive to experience the actual event in 1912. And for that, the importance of this book can’t be overlooked. It’s because of this book that interest in the fabled ocean liner rose and eventually lead to its discovery in 1985…and the infamous Oceangate disaster of the summer of 2023.
Reading it now, however, it feels, even with Lord’s moderate prose and ability to keep me mostly interested, it still feels incredibly brief and quite short. While part of that is strictly based on the changing landscape of non fiction writing in the last 60 years since this was first published, the other part is that, honestly
, this one wasn’t very deep or even that fulfilling. It also lacks a bibliography or any kind of sources which is a huge no-no in this day and age.
I’ll wrap it up with a question: am I better person for having read A Night to Remember? Not really. It’s a quick read with some mildly interesting moments, however knowing what we know in the 21st century, it’s probably not the most exhaustive work on the subject. ...more
2023 has been the year I took the plunge and fell fully in love with the game of baseball and my hometown team of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I’ve always2023 has been the year I took the plunge and fell fully in love with the game of baseball and my hometown team of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
I’ve always enjoyed the sport and been a fan of the boys in blue but for whatever reason, it’s been this year that truly embraced both and can’t get enough of the game and team.
They Bled Blue was the perfect addition to feed my appetite for all things Dodgers. As someone who wasn’t born for another 7 years after the infamous 1981 team and didn’t get to experience Fernando-mania or the the impossible World Series run, this book served as my history lesson, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
They Bled Blue somehow manages to straddle that line between hard hitting non-fiction for die hard fans of the game (those who need to know every statistic of every player), and a more easy flowing tone for those more casual fans. In other words, it’s incredibly well written, informative, and a fantastic true story of one of the most improbable successes of Major League Baseball.
Whether a fan of baseball or just a fan of sports in general, They Bled Blue is the book that all should read. ...more
Just as he did with The Indifferent Stars Above Brown makes history incredibly bleak, brutal and depressing. Only instead of cannibalistic pioneers, tJust as he did with The Indifferent Stars Above Brown makes history incredibly bleak, brutal and depressing. Only instead of cannibalistic pioneers, this time it’s a devastating forest fire that causes mayhem and destruction.
Had Under a Flaming Sky been fiction it would be brutal enough, however, as it’s a non fiction text, it’s all the more emotionally scarring and gut wrenching. Especially considering Brown’s commitment to make the characters in his books as real as they were in reality.
This book reads like the perfect disasterporn film as each successive chapter only ups the ante in destruction and desperation, leaving the reader sweating in horror and white knuckling the book as yet another disaster befalls the citizens of Hinckley, Missouri. Seriously, this a Hollywood blockbuster that needs to be shown on the big screen.
In closing, It feels kind of morbid to get so addicted to the subject matter of disasters and incidents of horrible history, but when Daniel James Brown is the one telling the stories, it’s easy to see why this stuff is so compelling. ...more
160 years later, the I’ll fated Donner party expedition still remains a fascinating tale of failure that continues to fascinate history lovers and sca160 years later, the I’ll fated Donner party expedition still remains a fascinating tale of failure that continues to fascinate history lovers and scare the crap out of 4th graders who are required to learn about it.
The Indifferent Stars Above sets out to examine, yet again, the misfortunes of the entire band of emigrates who, through a series of bad decisions and probably the worst luck that could ever befall a group of people.
What sets Stars so far above other books of this subject matter is just how brutal, depressing, and relentlessly bleak Brown manages to make the misfortunes of the Donner party feel. In unflinching prose, he shows just how extreme things got for the group and highlights Murphy’s Law in action, where everything that could go wrong did. From trusting con-artists, to constantly misjudging their situation, to taking strong turns and being snowed in on a mountain peak for 4 months and having to resort to straight up cannibalism, the Donner Party is the perfect example of the extreme situations humanity is plunged into.
Not once does Brown look away from the black moments, nor does he ever try to justify the actions of any one individual. I had hopes this would be a decent non fiction read. Instead, this becomes a straight up survival horror story, made all the more addicting because it’s real. ...more
Sometimes you need a break from deep and challenging reads. Sometimes you need a dumb story to just give you some escapism from the world. And if thatSometimes you need a break from deep and challenging reads. Sometimes you need a dumb story to just give you some escapism from the world. And if that’s the case then Sonnet’s Splatter-saurus may be just what the doctor ordered.
What you see is what you get here.
There’s no back story. There’s no depth. Just a rampaging slaughtering teens and disgusting hillbillies alike.
Just like the cheesy SyFy channel original films it’s an homage to, It’s self aware. Never tries to take itself seriously and ends up being quite a bit of gory fun.
And with one of the most ridiculous endings, its sequel is gonna make for even more dumb entertainment that I can’t wait for. ...more
I’m an avid lover of history and I’ll always tell everyone who’ll listen that learning about our past should be one of the most important things we asI’m an avid lover of history and I’ll always tell everyone who’ll listen that learning about our past should be one of the most important things we as humans can do. That being said, I can’t argue that sometimes reading history and studying it can be extremely stuffy, boring, and far from entertaining.
Thankfully E. H. Gombrich proves that recounting the past can be entertaining, and interesting. Using a simple style (this was originally written with the intention of German school children as primary readers) Gombrich sets out to explain human history from the beginning of time to WWI, keeping things straight forward and to the point. In doing so, he makes history feel like a story told by your kindly grandfather, not some overpaid professor of ancient societies.
If I was to complain about anything it’s that the scope of history combined in A Little History falls much to short, ending at the culmination of WWI in 1918. Though that’s hardly the fault of Gombrich as this was originally published pre—1940s (and he died in 2001, before his full English translation of this book was finished)....more
Growing up, my family always had Nintendo products. Whether that’s because they were always cheaper than the competitors, had more family friendly gamGrowing up, my family always had Nintendo products. Whether that’s because they were always cheaper than the competitors, had more family friendly games, or it gave my parents a sense of nostalgia from the early 80’s, I don’t know, but regardless, Nintendo has always been a part of my life. That doesn’t translate to me being a “gamer”, but my love for books, nonfiction, and the fact that Super Mario highlights the game systems I grew up with felt like a perfect combination.
And it was.
Super Mario is a fun romp through Nintendo’s radical history, full of its meteoric rise to fame, it’s incredible longevity, it’s commitment to quality and decent price, and, of course the titular character who’s carried them through 8 (or is it 9?) generations of video games. Ryan does a fantastic job of keeping things simple and easy to follow, yet his easy style keeps the story engaging throughout its entirety.
My one complaint comes at the cost of this book’s age. Written in 2012, it’s already 13 years old and gets dated extremely fast. When the book closes on Nintendo’s (relative) failure of the Wii U and Japan’s struggles with the 2011 earthquake, there’s an entire decade’s worth of info that can’t be highlighted (though Ryan’s predictions about Nintendo’s rebounding with a new system (the Switch) and exploring how important a Nintendo theme park could be) are eerily prescient. ...more
David McCullough was an American treasure, a true master of the nation’s history and easily one of the best nonfiction authors of the last co3.5 stars
David McCullough was an American treasure, a true master of the nation’s history and easily one of the best nonfiction authors of the last couple of decades. Being the massive history buff I am, I’ve loved pretty much everything of McCullough’s illustrious bibliography I’ve managed to read and have been captivated by each of his books.
Brave Companions however, failed to grab me like previous works.
Unlike those lengthy, one subject tomes, the vignettes and short pieces collected in this book just didn’t have the same feel or depth associated with them. Many were too lengthy or woefully too short, and the many of the ones that dealt with past figures of history never really made me interested (like I honestly didn’t care about the Rothschild daughter or David Plowden)
However, there are a few shorts in here that are 100% worthy of your time. Both of the historical event pieces on the Panama Railroad and the forgotten figures of the Brooklyn Bridge are fascinating as is McCollough’s autobiographical sketch of Washington D.C. His speech to college graduates, extolling the virtues of studying history is, likewise, a worthy read. ...more
Nearly everyone knows about the Wright Brothers but few really understand just what a wild and crazy feat they pulled off.
Leave it David McCullough tNearly everyone knows about the Wright Brothers but few really understand just what a wild and crazy feat they pulled off.
Leave it David McCullough to explain how 2 men with only basic high school education managed to shock the world and produce something that was predicted never would be achieved…a flying machine.
I admit it wasn’t my intention to even really read The Wright Brothers as I originally used an audiobook version to help me fall asleep at night. However, due to McCullough’s unmatchable talent in telling the history of Wilbur and Orville, and his gentle, grandfatherly voice as he read, I was immediately hooked and instantly procured a physical copy.
This book is never boring or unnecessarily lengthy and reads in the simple, easy to understand manner that McCullough so perfectly excels at. It’s only February but I have no doubt The Wright Brothers will be in contention for one of the best books I read in 2023. It’s seriously that good. ...more
I’ve strayed away from non fiction over the last year or so and I’m very happy it was this particular book that got me back into the fold of reading aI’ve strayed away from non fiction over the last year or so and I’m very happy it was this particular book that got me back into the fold of reading about real life things.
From amazing information that’s easy to digest to Cooke’s humorous style, The Truth About Animals is one of those rare books that is just an absolute pleasure to read and one that is incredibly enjoyable throughout its entirety.
Here are some interesting facts I learned in this fantastic book. 1. Aside from humans and chimps, bats are the only mammals that practice oral sex for pleasure. 2. Hyenas are truly bad ass bitches who run their packs with true womanly power, all while urinating, copulating and giving birth through their exposed clitoris. 3. Female frogs will produce eggs if exposed to a pregnant woman’s urine. 4. Penguins are actually quite disgusting birds who’s females will practice prostitution and who’s horny male population will hump literally ANYTHING, alive or dead.
There are actually a lot more awesome tidbits in The Truth About Animals but with exposes on 13 different animals it’s hard to remember them all.
Even if you’re not an animal nut or one who thinks much about them, this is really a great book. Simply put, read it. It’s totally worth your time. ...more
Overall, what Rubenstein did with this non fiction book is mostly enjoyable.
As a fan of history (especially American history), the moments d3.5 stars
Overall, what Rubenstein did with this non fiction book is mostly enjoyable.
As a fan of history (especially American history), the moments discussing the founding of this country, as well as key moments in the advancement of technology and science that led this country to the envy of other countries made for informative and interesting reading. The interviews with Cal Ripken Jr., Billie Jean King, and McColough discussing baseball, tennis, and the Wright Bothers respectively, were easily the amongst the best.
Unfortunately, the political interviews felt engineered and unemotional…unless Rubenstein was finding ways to interject his own political beliefs into the conversation. Of course when you’re discussing the sides of the political spectrum, you’re gonna have to talk liberalism or conservatism but that shouldn’t be an excuse as an author/editor to interject how you lean on the spectrum. I feel like knowing Rubenstein supports BLM, gay rights, and hates Trump led to conversations that were politically one sided and didn’t leave room for debate.
Also surprisingly…Winston Marcellus is a bit of jerk. Lost respect for him immediately....more
I always preface my reviews of the Killing series by saying that even if Bill o’Reilly is a pompous ass, you can’t fault him for his love of history aI always preface my reviews of the Killing series by saying that even if Bill o’Reilly is a pompous ass, you can’t fault him for his love of history and his ability to co-author some of the most compelling and interesting non-fiction books out there.
And that’s the case with Killing the Mob, the 10th of his and Dugard’s best selling series.
We all know about the mob and the Mafia thanks to The Godfather and the conspiracy theories regarding their alleged part in assassinating JFK (which, thankfully neither of the authors believe), but there is a lot more history and politics involved in their creation and rise to power. Dugard and o’Reilly once again did a fantastic job of researching their background and eventual all encompassing power. As usual, I learned a lot and being part Sicilian and jokingly calling my huge extended family “the mob”, this one was a lot of fun to get into, even if that means I may or not be related to some of the most brutal gangsters on the planet.
While this one wasn’t quite up to snuff with previous books in the series, it’s still a great look into the crime families that have captivated Americans for decades. ...more
Loading...
