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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Year That Changed Our World
Agence France-Presse, author
Marielle Eudes, editor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025062, $60.00, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Year-That-Changed-Our-World/dp/0500025061
Synopsis: "The Year That Changed Our World" is a definitive, visual history of the Covid-19
Pandemic. With more than the use of some 500 photographs, this ambitious publication traces
the arc of the Pandemic from early 2020 through to the vaccine breakthroughs of Spring
2021.
Here, the talented photographers of Agence France Presse document the deep, human stories of
the Pandemic. Active in more than 150 countries, these capture all sides of the Covid-19 story as
experienced by people throughout the globe. Organized into six chronological parts, and braided
together with thematic breakout sections, including topics such as protests, sports, and politics,
The Year That Changed Our World is a comprehensive time capsule. These images show the
extraordinary efforts to understand, control, and cope with a previously unknown virus alongside
the human stories of our lives at home: playing, caring, watching, and sharing, both together and
at a distance.
Edited by Marielle Eudes, Director of Photography at Agence France Presse, and featuring, texts,
quotes and insights from a range of contributors and public figures, "The Year That Changed Our
World" is a photographic testament to humankind's resilience in the face of the pandemic. The
book's arresting imagery provides a visual record for us and for future generations to better
understand the world during the time of Covid-19.
Critique: Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French state-owned international news agency
headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
Deftly edited by Marielle Eudes (who is the Photo Director of Agence France Presse), "The Year
That Changed Our World: A Photographic History of the Covid-19 Pandemic" is a unique,
memorable, especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Photo Journalism and Covid Pandemic, and
Contemporary History collections.
The Navigation Case
John E. Happ
Knox Press
c/o Permuted Press
https://permutedpress.com/knox-press
9781642939613, $30.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Navigation-Case-Training-Flying-Fighting/dp/1642939617
Synopsis: An aged and glossy leather briefcase was discovered when the family house of John E.
Happ was cleaned out and sold. He came to learn that his father had meticulously collected his
military documents, private letters, and souvenirs, and packed them away in what was his father's
World War II pilot's navigation case.
From randomly within, a newspaper article tumbled out. It described a massive typhoon in New
Guinea causing "horror and tragedy" and resulting in incredible untold loss of men and aircraft.
But larger questions remained unanswered for John: What was his father, or any American, doing
in New Guinea, of all places? If America was fighting Japan, why was U.S. troops fighting in
New Guinea?
Aviation as an industry was in its infancy. Drawn from the author's personal research and his
father's documents, "The Navigation Case: Training, Flying and Fighting the 1942 to 1945 New
Guinea War" is the saga of pioneering pilots and details the fascinating but deadly cadet training
and violent air missions. The narrative comprising "The Navigators Case" is an incredible history
giving the context for all the Pacific war stories from Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Midway island,
and Iwo Jima, up to the avoidable catastrophes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Critique: An invaluable and unique contribution to the growing library of World War II histories
and biographies, "The Navigation Case: Training, Flying and Fighting the 1942 to 1945 New
Guinea War" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college,
and university library 20th Century American Military History collections in general, and World
War II Pacific Theatre supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for
students, academia, military buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Navigation Case: Training, Flying and Fighting the 1942 to 1945 New Guinea
War" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: John E. Happ is a contributing author to the Journal of the American Revolution,
has written for the World War One website The 75th Artillery C.A.C., and the adventure
magazine Atlantic Coastal Kayaker. A native of the Chicago area John was immersed in the
contrasting narratives of foreign cultures since his college days in Spain. John speaks five
languages and his varied assignments in Germany, Switzerland, the Philippines, and Japan
contributed greatly to his research into the origins of the Pacific War.
The Science Shelf
A Brief History of Timekeeping
Chad Orzel
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781953295606, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Timekeeping-Science-Stonehenge/dp/1953295606
Synopsis: Our modern lives are ruled by clocks and watches, smartphone apps and calendar
programs. While our gadgets may be new, however, the drive to measure and master time is
anything but -- and in "A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science of Marking Time, from
Stonehenge to Atomic Clocks", Professor Chad Orzel traces the path from Stonehenge to the
smartphone.
Predating written language and marching on through human history, the desire for ever-better
timekeeping has spurred technological innovation and sparked theories that radically reshaped
our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
In "A Brief History of Timekeeping", Professor Orzel, demystifies thorny scientific concepts by
using the clocks and calendars central to our everyday activities as a jumping-off point to explore
the science underlying the ways we keep track of our time. Ancient solstice markers (which still
work perfectly 5,000 years later) depend on the basic astrophysics of our solar system;
mechanical clocks owe their development to Newtonian physics; and the ultra-precise atomic
timekeeping that enables GPS hinges on the predictable oddities of quantum mechanics.
Along the way, Professor Orzel visits the delicate negotiations involved in Gregorian calendar
reform, the intricate and entirely unique system employed by the Maya, and how the problem of
synchronizing clocks at different locations ultimately required us to abandon the idea of time as
an absolute and universal quantity.
Sharp and engaging, "A Brief History of Timekeeping" is a history that is not just about the
science of sundials, sandglasses, and mechanical clocks, but also the politics of calendars and
time zones, the philosophy of measurement, and the nature of space and time itself.
For those interested in science, technology, or history, or anyone who's ever wondered about the
instruments that divide our days into moments: the time you spend reading this book may fly, and
it is certain to be well spent.
Critique: Impressively informative and presented, "A Brief History of Timekeeping: The Science
of Marking Time, from Stonehenge to Atomic Clocks" is an inherently interesting, unique, and
highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and academic
library Physics of Time & Scientific Measurement history collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "A Brief History of Timekeeping" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Chad Orzel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and
Astronomy at Union College in Schenectady, NY, where he has been on the faculty since 2001.
Orzel has been blogging about physics and academia for Forbes and www.Scienceblogs.com
since 2002. He is also the author of "How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog", "How to
Teach Relativity to Your Dog", and "Eureka: Discovering Your Inner Scientist".
The World History Shelf
The History of the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics
Paul Chrystal
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399005425, $42.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-World-Pandemics-Plagues-Epidemics/dp/1399005421
Synopsis: "The History of the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics" is a revelatory
history by Paul Chrystal that charts and explains the impact and consequences of successive
pandemics, plagues and epidemics on the course of world history -- all through the lens of today's
ongoing global experience of COVID 19.
Ranging from prehistory to the present day, "The History of the World in 100 Pandemics,
Plagues and Epidemics" first defines what constitutes a pandemic or epidemic then looks at 20
guilty diseases: including cholera, influenza, bubonic plague, leprosy, measles, smallpox,
malaria, AIDS, MERS, SARS, Zika, Ebola and, of course, Covid-19. Some less well-known, but
equally significant and deadly contagions such as Legionnaires' Disease, psittacosis, polio, the
Sweat, and dancing plague, are also covered.
"The History of the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics " is presented
chronologically. Each individual chapter features an explanation and description of
epidemiology, sources and vectors, morbidity, mortality, governmental response and reaction,
societal response and impact as well as psychological issues where known -- as well as the
political, legal and scientific consequences it had or has for each locus at a local and international
level.
"The History of the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics" explains how each of the
events both made and influenced subsequent history in its own way, particularly how each
shaped future medical and scientific research and vaccine development programmes. It also
examines myths about infectious diseases, the role of the media and social media. Perhaps most
importantly, what lessons have been learnt. Will we be better prepared next time? Because, if one
thing is sure, when it comes to pandemics in the modern age of global transportation, there is
going to be a 'next time'.
Critique: Timely, topical, informative, exceptionally well written and impressively presented,
"The History of the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics" is a strongly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library World History and
Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The History of
the World in 100 Pandemics, Plagues and Epidemics" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Paul Chrystal is the author of some seventy books published over the last decade,
including recent publications such as Wars and Battles of the Roman Republic, Roman Military
Disasters and Women and War in Ancient Greece and Rome. He is a regular contributor to
history magazines, local and national newspapers and has appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC World
Service and on BBC local radio throughout Yorkshire and in Teesside and Manchester. He writes
extensively for several Pen & Sword military history series including 'Cold War 1945 - 1991', 'A
History of Terror' and 'Military Legacy' (of British cities).
The White Ship
Charles Spencer
William Collins Books
WilliamCollinsBooks.com
9780008296803, $28.99 hc / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/The-White-Ship/dp/0008296804
Synopsis: The sinking of the White Ship on the 25th November 1120 is one of the greatest
disasters that England has ever suffered. Its repercussions would change English and European
history for ever.
King Henry I was sailing for England in triumph after four years of fighting the French.
Congregating with the king at the port of Barfleur on that freezing night was the cream of
Anglo-Norman society, including the only legitimate heir to the throne. By 1120, Henry was the
most formidable ruler in Europe with an enviable record on the battlefield, immense lands and
wealth and unprecedented authority in his kingdoms. Everything he had worked for was finally
achieved, and he was ready to hand it on to his beloved son, William.
Henry I and his retinue set out first. The White Ship - considered the fastest afloat - would
follow, carrying the young prince. Spoilt and arrogant, William had plied his comrades and crew
with drink from the minute he stepped aboard. It was the middle of the night when the drunken
helmsman rammed the ship into rocks. There would be only one survivor from the gilded roll call
of passengers...
Charles Spencer evokes this tragic and brutal story of the Normans from Conquest to Anarchy.
With the heir dead, a civil war of untold violence erupted, a game of thrones which saw families
turn in on each other with English and Norman barons, rebellious Welsh princes and the Scottish
king all playing a part in a bloody, desperate scrum for power.
Critique: The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I's Dream is a riveting
history of the violent fallout from a nautical disaster in the year 1120 that destroyed England's
conquering ruler and his heir. English and Norman barons, Welsh princes, and the Scottish king
all battled one another for power and influence. Expertly researched yet utterly enthralling in its
presentation to lay readers and scholars alike, The White Ship is highly recommended especially
for public library World History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The
White Ship is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
Editorial Note: Charles Spencer was educated at Eton College and obtained his degree in Modern
History at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a reporter on NBC's Today show from 1986 until
1995, and is the author of seven books, including the Sunday Times bestsellers Blenheim: Battle
for Europe (shortlisted for History Book of the Year, National Book Awards) and Killers of the
King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I.
The Struggle Against Russia in the Romanian Principalities
Radu R. Florescu
Center for Romanian Studies
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9789739809139, $49.99, HC, 382pp
https://www.amazon.com/Struggle-Against-Russia-Romanian-Principalities/dp/1592110266
Synopsis: The period leading up to the unification of the Romanian principalities is one of the
most dynamic periods in modern Romanian history. It was a time of effervescence, which
witnessed the birth of new ideas and the struggle between revolution and reaction. The Romanian
principalities, located on the crossroads between East and West, were at the center of the conflict
between the various empires dominating Southeastern Europe, making them a permanent subject
of international diplomacy.
With the expansion of Russia in the Balkans, amidst the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the
struggle against Russia in the Romanian principalities, supported by Anglo-Turkish diplomacy,
took on international significance. Written by Professor Radu R. Florescu (one of the leading
specialists on Romanian history in the United States), "The Struggle Against Russia in the
Romanian Principalities: A Study in Anglo-Turkish Diplomacy, 1821-1854" is a significant
contribution to nineteenth century European diplomatic history.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a twelve page Appendix, a thirty-eight
page Bibliography, and a thirteen page Index, "The Struggle Against Russia in the Romanian
Principalities: A Study in Anglo-Turkish Diplomacy, 1821-1854" is an extraordinary and
exceptionally informative history that is particularly and unreservedly recommended for
community, college, and university library 19th Century European History collections in general,
and 19th Century Romanian/Turkey histories in particular. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Struggle Against Russia in the Romanian Principalities: A Study in
Anglo-Turkish Diplomacy, 1821-1854" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781592110261, $39.99).
Editorial Note: The author, Radu R. Florescu, was professor of history at Boston College. He is
the author of The Struggle against Russia in the Romanian Principalities, Dracula: Prince of
Many Faces, and In Search of Dracula.
The Civil War Shelf
William Barksdale, CSA
John Douglas Ashton
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476683744, $39.95, PB, 307pp
https://www.amazon.com/William-Barksdale-CSA-Controversial-Congressman/dp/1476683743
Synopsis: An aggressive and colorful personality, William Barksdale (August 21, 1821 - July 3,
1863) was no stranger to controversy. Orphaned at 13, he succeeded as lawyer, newspaper editor,
Mexican War veteran, politician and Confederate commander. During eight years in the U.S.
Congress, he was among the South's most ardent defenders of slavery and advocates for states'
rights. His emotional speeches and altercations (including a brawl on the House floor) made
headlines in the years preceding secession.
His fiery temper prompted three near-duels, gaining him a reputation as a brawler and
knife-fighter. Arrested for intoxication, Colonel Barksdale survived a military Court of Inquiry to
become one of the most beloved commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia. His reputation
soared with his defense against the Union river crossing and street-fighting at Fredericksburg,
and his legendary charge at Gettysburg.
Critique: "William Barksdale, CSA: A Biography of the United States Congressman and
Confederate Brigadier General" by John Douglas Ashton is first comprehensive biography to
place Barksdale's life and career in an historical context. Enhanced for academia with the
inclusion of an Appendix (Previously Unpublished Material Concerning William Barksdale),
twenty-six pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a four page Index, "William
Barksdale, CSA" is an exceptionally informative and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library American Civil War History & Biography collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War history buffs,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "William Barksdale, CSA"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: John Douglas Ashton is a founding member and later Chairman of the Southern
Ontario Civil War Roundtable, he has traveled to all of the major battlefields where Barksdale's
Mississippians fought to gain further insights.
Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
James T. Holmes, author
Garth D. Bishop, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476673127, $29.95, PB, 163pp
https://www.amazon.com/Movements-Positions-Battle-Kennesaw-Mountain/dp/1476673128
Synopsis: Edited by Garth D. Bishop (who is the great-grandson of Col. James Taylor Holmes)
and published for the first time by McFarland & Company, "Movements and Positions in the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain: The Memoir of Colonel James T. Holmes, 52d Ohio Volunteer
Infantry" is the Civil War combat memoir of Lieutenant Colonel James Taylor Holmes of the
52nd Ohio Volunteers and presents a richly detailed firsthand account of the action on
Cheatham's Hill during the June 1864 Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
Written in 1915, Holmes' insightful narrative, with original hand-drawn diagrams, differs on key
points from the accepted scholarship on troop movements and positions at Kennesaw, and
contests the legitimacy of a battlefield monument. An extensive introduction and annotations by
historian Mark A. Smith (who's a professor at Fort Valley State University in Georgia) provides a
brief yet comprehensive overview of the battle and places Holmes' document in historical
context.
Critique: A rare and treasured contribution to the growing library of American Civil War
Histories, Memoirs, and Biographies, "Movements and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw
Mountain: The Memoir of Colonel James T. Holmes, 52d Ohio Volunteer Infantry" is enhanced
with the inclusion of two Appendices, twelve pages of Annotations, and a three page Index. An
impressively informative and inherently fascinating read that will be particularly appreciated by
Civil War historians and military fans and bringing out of relative obscurity a critically important
battle of the American Civil War with unique and interesting eye-witness detail, "Movements
and Positions in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain: The Memoir of Colonel James T. Holmes,
52d Ohio Volunteer Infantry" is recommended for professional, community, college, and
university library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies -- and is
also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
First Fallen
Meg Groeling
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215373, $29.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/First-Fallen-Colonel-Ellsworth-Norths/dp/1611215374
Synopsis: On May 24, 1861, Col. Elmer Ellsworth became the first Union officer killed in the
Civil War. The entire North was aghast. First Fallen is the first modern biography of this national
celebrity, Northern icon, and mostly forgotten national hero.
Ellsworth and his entertaining U.S. Zouave Cadets drill team had performed at West Point, in
New York City, and for President, James Buchanan before returning home to Chicago. He helped
his friend and law mentor Abraham Lincoln in his quest for the presidency, and when Lincoln
put out the call for troops after Fort Sumter was fired upon, Ellsworth responded. Within days he
organized more than 1,000 New York firefighters into a regiment of volunteers.
When he was killed, the Lincolns rushed to the Navy Yard to view the body of the young man
they had loved as a son. Mary Lincoln insisted he lie in state in the East Room of the White
House. The elite of New York brought flowers to the Astor House and six members of the 11th
New York accompanied their commander's coffin. When a late May afternoon thunderstorm
erupted during his funeral service at the Hudson View Cemetery, eyewitnesses referred to it as
"tears from God himself." The death of the young hero was knocked out of the headlines eight
weeks later by the battle of First Bull Run. The trickle of blood had now become a torrent that
would not stop for four long years.
Groeling's well-written biography is grounded in years of archival research and includes diaries,
personal letters, newspapers, and many other accounts. In the six decades since the last portrait of
Ellsworth was written, new information has been found that gives readers and historians a better
understanding of the Ellsworth phenomenon and his deep connections to the Lincoln family.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and impressively informative, "First Fallen: The Life of
Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the North's First Civil War Hero" examines every facet of Elmer
Ellsworth (April 11, 1837 - May 24, 1861) surprisingly complex and fascinating life, while
adding a key note to the historiography of the Civil War. Also readily available to students,
academia, Civil War historians, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49), "First Fallen: The Life of
Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, the North's First Civil War Hero" is a very special and core addition to
American Civil War Histories & Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Meg Groeling is a contributing writer for the blog Emerging Civil War. A writer,
teacher, and curriculum developer since 1987, she has taught at both the elementary and middle
school levels for more than thirty years. She graduated from California State University, Long
Beach with a B.A. in liberal studies and has been involved in continuing education for her entire
career; she is currently a master's candidate at American Public University, majoring in military
history with a Civil War emphasis.
The Military Shelf
Million-Dollar Barrage
Justin G. Prince
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806167558, $34.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Million-Dollar-Barrage-American-Field-Artillery/dp/0806167556
Synopsis: At the beginning of the twentieth century, field artillery was a small, separate,
unsupported branch of the U.S. Army. By the end of World War I, it had become a critical
component of American military might. "Million-Dollar Barrage: American Field Artillery in the
Great War" by Professor Justin G. Prince tracks this transformation. Offering a detailed account
of how American artillery crews trained, changed, adapted, and fought between 1907 and 1923,
"Million-Dollar Barrage" tells the story of the development of modern American field artillery, a
military history stretching from the period when field artillery became an independent
organization to when it became an equal branch of the U.S. Army.
The field artillery entered the Great War as a relatively new branch. It separated from the Coast
Artillery in 1907 and established a dedicated training school, the School of Fire at Fort Sill, in
1911. "Million-Dollar Barrage" describes the challenges this presented as issues of doctrine,
technology, weapons development, and combat training intersected with the problems of a
peacetime army with no good industrial base. This history draws on a wealth of sources, ranges
from debates about U.S. artillery practices relative to those of Europe, as well as discussing the
training, equipping, and performance of the field artillery branch during the war.
"Million-Dollar Barrage" follows the field artillery from its plunge into combat in April 1917 as
an unprepared organization to its emergence that November as an effective fighting force, with
the Meuse-Argonne Offensive proving the pivotal point in the branch's fortunes. "Million-Dollar
Barrage" also provides an unprecedented analysis of the ascendance of field artillery as a key
factor in the nation's military dominance.
Critique: A unique and impressively informative contribution to 20th Century American Military
History & Technology, "Million-Dollar Barrage: American Field Artillery in the Great War" is an
extraordinary, unique, comprehensive, exceptionally well presented and detailed study. While
strongly recommended for community, college, and university library Military Conventional
Warfare History in general, and World War I histories in particular, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist readers
with an interest in the subject that "Million-Dollar Barrage: American Field Artillery in the Great
War" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.10).
Editorial Note: Justin G. Prince is an adjunct professor of history at Oklahoma State University.
He has published numerous articles on the American army in World War I.
Churchill, Master and Commander
Anthony Tucker-Jones
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472847331, $30.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Master-Commander-Winston-1895-1945/dp/1472847334
Synopsis: From his earliest days Winston Churchill was an extreme risk taker and he carried this
into adulthood. Today he is widely hailed as Britain's greatest wartime leader and politician.
Deep down though, he was foremost a warlord. Just like his ally Stalin, and his arch enemies
Hitler and Mussolini, Churchill could not help himself and insisted on personally directing the
strategic conduct of World War II. For better or worse he insisted on being political master and
military commander.
Again like his wartime contemporaries, he had a habit of not heeding the advice of his generals.
The results of this were disasters in Norway, North Africa, Greece, and Crete during 1940 - 41.
His fruitless Dodecanese campaign in 1943 also ended in defeat. Churchill's pig-headedness over
supporting the Italian campaign in defiance of the Riviera landings culminated in him threatening
to resign and bring down the British Government.
Yet on occasions he got it just right, his refusal to surrender in 1940, the British miracle at
Dunkirk and victory in the Battle of Britain, showed that he was a much-needed decisive leader.
Nor did he shy away from difficult decisions, such as the destruction of the French Fleet to
prevent it falling into German hands and his subsequent war against Vichy France.
"Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895 - 1945" is a fascinating new
military biography of Churchill by acclaimed historian Anthony Tucker-Jones and explores the
record of Winston Churchill as a military commander, assessing how the military experiences of
his formative years shaped him for the difficult military decisions he took in office. "Churchill,
Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895 - 1945" also assesses his choices in the
some of the most controversial and high-profile campaigns of World War II, and how in high
office his decision making was both right and wrong.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, informatively detailed, meticulous, exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War
1895 - 1945" is an extraordinary and valued contribution to the growing body of World War II
histories and biographies. While highly recommended as an essential and core addition to
community, college, and university library 19th & 20th Century military biography collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military buffs, and non-
specialist general readers that "Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War
1895 - 1945" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.60).
Editorial Note: Anthony Tucker-Jones, a former intelligence officer, is a prolific writer and
military historian with well over 50 books to his name. His work has also been published in an
array of magazines and online. He regularly appears on television and radio commenting on
current and historical military matters.
Liberating Libya
Rupert Wieloch
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240824, $34.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Liberating-Libya-British-Diplomacy-Desert/dp/1636240828
Synopsis: Free Libya! was the chant heard throughout Libya during the Arab Spring revolution
that ended with the death of the Libyan dictator Colonel Gadaffi in October 2011. "Liberating
Libya: British Diplomacy and War in the Desert" by Rupert Wieloch is about the British military
and political involvement in Libya since the first treaty signed with the rulers in Tripoli in
January 1692.
"Liberating Libya" is divided into four eras. The first covers the period up to the Italian invasion
in 1911. The second covers the First World War and Italian pacification. The third covers the
Western Desert Campaign. The fourth part brings the reader up to date with recent events.
In the words of the Foreign Secretary, Edward Grey, the 1911 Italian invasion of Libya "led
straight to the catastrophe of 1914". Using memoirs of politicians and correspondents from both
sides of the conflict, the author pieces together British involvement, shedding new light on the
Senussi Campaign and the Duke of Westminster's rescue of 100 British PoWs at Bir Hakkeim, as
well as the story of Colonel Milo Talbot, who did as much as TE Lawrence to establish British
influence with Arab leadership, but was never rewarded for his work.
Even though hundreds of books have been written about the Western Desert Campaign,
"Liberating Libya" includes much unpublished material in addressing the contentious issues and
explains why General Brian Horrocks wrote: "Command in the desert was regarded as an almost
certain prelude to a bowler hat".
The final part of "Liberating Libya" begins with Britain's operations to establish Libya as an
independent kingdom and the rise of nationalism that led to Gadaffi's coup in 1969. The story of
the tense relationship with the Brotherly Leader during the "Line of Death" era and subsequent
rapprochement precedes an authoritative account of the 2011 revolution.
The final chapter, brings the reader up to date with the current conflict as well as the migration
crisis and the Manchester Arena bombers.
Critique: A detailed and documents history of Britain's involvement with Libya, "Liberating
Libya: British Diplomacy and War in the Desert" is an extraordinarily informed and informative
study and one that is especially recommended for community, college, and university library
Libyan History and British Military History collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Liberating Libya: British Diplomacy and War in the Desert" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Rupert Wieloch was appointed as the Senior British Military Commander before
Gadaffi was captured and killed. He had privileged access to the new Libyan government and
drafted the first Defence White Paper for the Libyan Chief of Defence in 2012. He was the first
foreign representative to visit Tobruk after the revolution, establishing the basis for a
multi-million pound international contract to refurbish the airport and military base at El Adem.
He led the immediate response after the Islamic attack on the British war graves in Benghazi and
was present at the Battle of Bani Walid, known as the start of the second civil war. His previous
books are Belfast to Benghazi and Churchill's Abandoned Prisoners (Casemate).
Eben-Emael and the Defence of Fortress Belgium, 1940
Clayton Donnell
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526779823, $42.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Eben-Emael-Defence-Fortress-Belgium-1940/dp/152677982X
Synopsis: In the early morning of 10 May 1940, the sky literally fell on the heads of the
defenders of Fort Eben-Emael, considered to be Belgium's most powerful fortress. This huge
structure, with its powerful artillery and infantry weapons, was the key to the Meuse and Albert
Canal defences. In the darkness of the pre-dawn, German DFS 230 gliders drifted silently over
the southern Netherlands, landing one by one on top of Eben-Emael. Within minutes German
Special Forces troops destroyed most of the fort's weapons and observation capabilities. The
following day, the garrison surrendered, and the door to Belgium and France was open.
"Eben-Emael and the Defence of Fortress Belgium, 1940" is an impressively perceptive and
meticulously researched study, by author and military historian Clayton Donnel focusing on
Eben-Emael, which was only one of the nineteen forts of the fortified positions of LiŠge and
Namur attacked in May 1940.
Three new and sixteen refurbished forts held out for several days, and fought to the death. The
story Donnell tells contradicts the common assumption that these static defenses were rolled over
or bypassed -- powerless to resist the overwhelming force of the German combat engineer's
assaults, Stuka bombs and heavy artillery shells. In vivid Donnel demonstrates that their
importance in the 1940 campaign has been seriously under reported, and he gives clarity to some
of the legends that have grown up around the capture of Eben-Emael itself.
Critique: An invaluable, original, and unique contribution to the growing body of World War II
histories, "Eben-Emael and the Defence of Fortress Belgium, 1940" is an extraordinarily
informative and impressively presented study. While very highly recommended, especially for
community, college, and university library World War II collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Eben-Emael and the Defence of
Fortress Belgium, 1940" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Clayton Donnell is retired from the US Air Force. He has a degree in history and
has passionately studied military history and fortress engineering for thirty years. Clayton lived
for many years in Europe and studied the architecture and archaeology of the most renowned
fortress systems of Belgium, France and Germany. He created the first internet site in the world
in English about the Maginot Line, and another on the fortress and Battle of Lige, Belgium.
The War on the Eastern Front
Alexander Hill
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526786104, $34.95, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/War-Eastern-Front-1941-1945-Photographic/dp/1526786109
Synopsis: The RIA-Novosti press agency (now known as Sputnik in the West) has one of the best
archives of Soviet Second World War photographs and for "The War on the Eastern Front: The
Soviet Union, 1941-1945 - A Photographic History", Professor Alexander Hill has made a superb
selection of them. These striking images record vividly, as only photographs can, the brutal
conflict on the Eastern Front and the extraordinary experience of the soldiers and civilians who
were caught up in it.
Every aspect of the struggle is depicted, including the fighting on the front lines and behind the
lines, aerial combat and naval warfare, the ordeal of living under German occupation, the war
industries and Lend-Lease and the massive sacrifices made at every level of Soviet society to
defeat the Germans.
The photographs and captions take the reader through the entire course of the war, from the
Nazi-Soviet Pact and Soviet expansion into Poland, Finland and the Baltic Republics, through
Operation Barbarossa and the German advances of 1941 and 1942, to the momentous battles at
Stalingrad and Kursk and the sequence of massive offensives mounted by the Red Army that
drove the Wehrmacht back to Berlin.
The landscapes over which the armies moved, and the shattered towns and cities they left behind,
are recorded as are individuals whose faces were captured by the camera during this devastating
conflict over seventy years ago.
Critique: A unique and inherently fascinating contribution to the growing library of World War II
histories, "The War on the Eastern Front: The Soviet Union, 1941-1945 - A Photographic
History" by military historian and academician Alexander Hill is a one-of-a-kind and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and
university library World War II collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for students, academia, military buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "The War on the Eastern Front: The Soviet Union, 1941-1945 - A
Photographic History" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Professor Alexander Hill teaches at the University of Calgary, Canada and is a
leading expert on the military and political history of Russia and the Soviet Union since 1917. He
has written extensively on Soviet military, naval and strategic history during the Second World
War, focusing in particular on the partisan movement, naval warfare and Lend-Lease. He is also
a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the author of The Red Army
and the Second World War.
Immortal Valor
Robert Child
Osprey Publishing
4301 21st St, Suite 220B, Long Island City, NY 11101
www.ospreypublishing.com
9781472852854, $30.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Valor-Black-Medal-Winners/dp/1472852850
Synopsis: In 1945, when Congress began reviewing the record of the most conspicuous acts of
courage by American soldiers during World War II, they recommended awarding the Medal of
Honor to 432 recipients. Despite the fact that more than one million African-Americans served,
not a single Black soldier received the Medal of Honor. The omission remained on the record for
over four decades.
But recent historical investigations have brought to light some of the extraordinary acts of valor
performed by black soldiers during the war. Men like Vernon Baker, who single-handedly
eliminated three enemy machine guns, an observation post, and a German dugout. Or Sergeant
Reuben Rivers, who spearhead his tank unit's advance against fierce German resistance for three
days despite being grievously wounded. Meanwhile Lieutenant Charles Thomas led his platoon
to capture a strategically vital village on the Siegfried Line in 1944 despite losing half his men
and suffering a number of wounds himself.
Ultimately, in 1993 a US Army commission determined that seven men, including Baker, Rivers
and Thomas, had been denied the Army's highest award simply due to racial discrimination. In
1997, more than 50 years after the war, President Clinton finally awarded the Medal of Honor to
these seven heroes, sadly all but one of them posthumously.
Critique: Timely and timeless, informative and memorable, unique and long overdue, "Immortal
Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners Of World War II" documents and commemorates
seven individual American soldiers whose acts of uncommon valor in the field of battle went
unrecognized for more than forty years because of racial discrimination and bigotry, but are now
redressed with the recognition and honor they deserved. Enhanced with the inclusion of a section
of black/white historical photos, "Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners Of World
War II" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and
university library World War II Histories & Biographies collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of students, academicians, military history buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners
Of World War II" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.60).
Editorial Note: Robert Child is a military history writer, director, and published author with
Penguin/Random House. Child has garnered more than 26 writing and directing awards including
an Emmy nomination and is one of only a handful of writer/directors whose work has screened
in the United States Congress. His film, The Wereth Eleven, was nominated for an Emmy and
won the highest honor at the G.I. Film Festival in Washington DC, the Founders Choice
Award. In 2011, the survivor's association of the World War II aircraft carrier, USS Franklin, singled
Child out for Honorary Crew Membership aboard the most decorated vessel in U.S. Naval
history.
The Genealogy Shelf
List of Free African Americans in the American Revolution
Paul Heinegg
Clearfield Company
c/o Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806359342, $25.00, PB, 174pp
https://www.amazon.com/List-African-Americans-American-Revolution/dp/080635934X
Synopsis: It is not commonly known that more than 420 African Americans who were born free
during the colonial period served in the American Revolution from Virginia. Another 400 who
descended from free-born colonial families served from North Carolina, 40 from South Carolina,
60 from Maryland, and 17 from Delaware.
It's also not well known that over 75 free African Americans served in the colonial militias, as
well as the French and Indian Wars in Virginia and North and South Carolina. (Lest the reader be
confused by the plural Wars, all the dynastic wars from the late 1600s through 1763 are
collectively referred to as the French and Indians Wars.)
Although some slaves fought to gain their freedom as substitutes for their masters, they were
relatively few in number; those who were not serving under their own free will are not included
in this list. While the information one each of the free black veterans varies, in most cases the
author has provided the individual's name, state and county, unit served in, military theatre, some
family information, often a physical description, pension applied for or received, sometimes
other information, and the source.
Critique: A unique and invaluable contribution to African American history and impressively
useful for genealogical research, "List of Free African Americans in the American Revolution:
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware (Followed by the French ...
French and Indian Wars and Colonial Militias)" by Paul Heinegg is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library
collections.
DNA for Native American Genealogy
Roberta Estes
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 229, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806321189, $34.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Native-American-Genealogy-Roberta-Estes/dp/0806321180
Synopsis: Written by genealogist Roberta Estes, the foremost expert on how to utilize DNA
testing to identify Native American ancestors, "DNA for Native American Genealogy" is the first
to offer detailed information and advice specifically aimed at family historians interested in
fleshing out their Native American family tree through DNA testing.
Figuring out how to incorporate DNA testing into your Native American genealogy research can
be difficult and daunting. What types of DNA tests are available, and which vendors offer them?
What other tools are available? How is Native American DNA determined or recognized in your
DNA? What information about your Native American ancestors can DNA testing uncover? This
book addresses these questions and much more.
Included are step-by-step instructions, with illustrations, on how to use DNA testing at the four
major DNA testing companies to further your genealogy and confirm or identify your Native
American ancestors. Among the many other topics covered are: tribes in the United States and
First Nations in Canada; ethnicity; chromosome painting; population genetics and how ethnicity
is assigned; genetic groups and communities; Y DNA paternal direct line male testing;
mitochondrial DNA maternal direct line testing; autosomal DNA matching and ethnicity
comparisons; creating a DNA pedigree chart; native American haplogroups by region and tribe;
ancient and contemporary Native American DNA.
Special features include numerous charts and maps; a roadmap and checklist giving you clear
instructions on how to proceed; and a glossary to help the genealogist decipher the technical
language associated with DNA testing.
Critique: Unique, illustrated, comprehensive, deftly organized and throughly 'user friendly' in
presentation and application, "DNA for Native American Genealogy" must be considered an
essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Genealogy instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Roberta Estes has been a professional scientist and business owner for 25+ years,
(MS Computer Science, MBA, graduate work in Geographic Information Systems), as well as an
obsessed genealogist since 1978. In 2005, reflecting her interest and expertise in genetics for
genealogy, she formed DNAeXplain, a company providing individual analysis of DNA results
and consulting services. Roberta is a National Geographic Society, Genographic Project affiliate
scientific researcher and became part of the design team in 2012. Roberta has authored multiple
academic papers, provided content and consultation to the New York Times, the Wall Street
Journal, the History Channel, and other organizations and businesses.
The Biography Shelf
Rare Integrity: A Portrait of L. W. Payne, Jr.
Hansen Alexander
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574418422, $21.95, HC, 176pp
https://untpress.unt.edu/catalog/alexander-rare-integrity
Synopsis: Leonidas Warren Payne, Jr. (July 12, 1873 - June 16, 1945), counted Robert Frost
among his friends and a member of the inner circle of poets who embraced him and sought his
advice. He altered forever the perception of Texas when he created the Texas Folklore Society
that continues to record, publish, and promote Texas history, myth, music, and customs. He
guided J. Frank Dobie back into The University of Texas fold, where Dobie produced his finest
work and established a voice for Texas literature. L. W. Payne, Jr., influenced generations of
American school children through his anthologies that became basic English textbooks.
Drawing upon Payne's own writing, interviews with former colleagues and students, and private
letters lain undisclosed since Payne's death, "Rare Integrity: A Portrait of L. W. Payne, Jr." by
biographer Hansen Alexander reveals a portrait of a man whose great gift of creative generosity
and warmth of heart enabled him to see a person as the person wished to be seen.
Critique: Commemorating an extraordinary man of extraordinary accomplishments, "Rare
Integrity: A Portrait of L. W. Payne, Jr." is exceptionally informative, well written, impressively
organized and presented life story. Enhanced with the inclusion of four pages of Notes and a six
page Index, "Rare Integrity: A Portrait of L. W. Payne, Jr." is also readily available in a digital
book format (University of North Texas Press, 9781574418521, $TBA), and is highly
recommended for community, college, and university library American Biography
collections.
Editorial Note: Hansen Alexander was an attorney for many years in New York City, and a
history major at The University of Texas when he began researching and writing about Payne. He
is the author of two books about Texas baseball legend Roger Clemens, One Brave Man and The
Life and Trials of Roger Clemens.
The General Fiction Shelf
A Cast of Falcons
Phillip Parotti
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240886, $22.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cast-Falcons-Casemate-Fiction/dp/1636240887
Synopsis: Lieutenant Devlin Collins, an Irish-American flier in the Royal Flying Corps who is
expecting to fly on the Western Front, instead finds himself flying antiquated two-seater bomber
and photo reconnaissance missions over the Egyptian desert against the forces of the Central
Powers which are trying to capture the Suez Canal.
Pitted against a German military air force which is up-to-date and well equipped, the men of the
RFC fight at a considerable disadvantage as they go forth to meet their enemy, but committed to
their cause and with aggressive spirit, no matter how great the stress of battle, they proceed and
prevail, continually forcing the Turks and Germans back as the army moves slowly toward
Palestine.
Constantly endangered by superior German machines, facing incessant ground fire during their
bombing and strafing attacks, Dev and his fellow pilot Crisp drive home their attacks with
unremitting determination. In the off hours from combat, Dev discovers that he has a particular
talent for planning his flight's air raids. This talent manifests itself completely in the campaign's
culminating attack on the German redoubts at the battle of Magdhaba, an attack so successful
that when the pilots are finally pulled back for a rest after a year of fighting, Dev is promoted and
invited onto the staff at GHQ is order to apply his expertise to air planning as the army moves on
Gaza with the intention of driving into Palestine.
Critique: "A Cast Of Falcons" by novelist Phillip Parotti offers fast-paced, deftly crafted,
action/adventure in the World War I skies over the Sinai desert in 1916. Memorable characters
within a deftly described historical background, this is a riveting World War I air war military
novel that will be an enduringly appreciated and high value addition to community library
General Fiction collections in general, and Military Fiction reading lists in particular. It should be
noted for dedicated military history buffs that "A Cast Of Falcons" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).
Editorial Note: Phillip Parotti graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963, and served four
years at sea on destroyers, both in the Pacific and the Atlantic, before exchanging his regular
commission for a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In addition to a number of short stories,
essays, and poems, Parotti has published three well received novels about The Trojan War.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Marine Scouts
Chuck Johnston
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240589, $22.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Scouts-Casemate-Fiction-Johnston/dp/1636240585
Synopsis: In August 1990, some 30,000 Iraqi troops have invaded Kuwait and are in a position to
influence nearly half of the world's oil supply. The United Nations condemn the aggression but it
is clear that only military intervention is going to displace Saddam Hussein.
Captain Joseph 'Quarry' Samuels and the Marines of Scout Platoon, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine
Division are tasked with discovering the strength and deployment of Iraqi troops. Quarry and his
scouts are soon engaged in a game of cat and mouse with the 10,000-strong 108th Iraqi Armored
Division. Operating behind enemy lines, they put themselves squarely in danger's way in order to
collect the intelligence necessary to launch military operations.
When hostilities end, with the greatest one-sided military victory of all time, the Marines deserve
to be on their way home. However, Quarry remains in Kuwait to continue the deadly game with
an old nemesis, but this time with a new ally on his side.
Critique: A compulsively riveting novel of war and intrigue from cover to cover, "Marine
Scouts" by Chuck Johnston is the stuff of which block buster movies are made. With all manner
of unexpected plot twists and turns, "Marine Scouts" is a fully entertaining and highly
recommended addition to community library collections and also available for personal reading
lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Chuck Johnston is a retired US Marine with 28 years of service. He currently
teaches in the Joint Military Intelligence Training Center for the Department of Defense.
There Was a Time
George H. Wittman
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240442, $24.95, PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/There-Was-Time-Casemate-Fiction/dp/1636240445
Synopsis: It is the summer of 1945, the last and very dangerous days of World War II. The Office
of Strategic Services is in close, cooperative contact with Ho Chi Minh and the fighting cadre of
the Viet Minh, working against the Japanese. In the closing months of the war, the OSS
parachute a team of special operations soldiers into Tonkin, northern Viet Nam.
Led by Major John Guthrie and his second-in-command, Captain Edouard Parnell, both
experienced officers from their earlier assignments in occupied France and Belgium, the team is
tasked with working with Ho Chi Minh against the Japanese in the midst of various groups vying
for control of Indochina. Guthrie and his team have to adapt to the entirely different context of
Vietnamese politics in order to encourage communist operations against the Japanese. Guthrie in
particular, struggles with both his personal and professional conflicts. The relationship that
Guthrie and the rest of the OSS team develops with the Viet Minh leadership is of distinct
annoyance to French ambitions to regain control of their colony, Indochina.
Based on the little-known true story of American and Viet Minh collaboration in 1945, "There
Was A Time" is a novel that challenges the later-accepted dogma of both those supporting and
those opposing the American role in the Viet Nam conflict. This novel notes how what is seen at
a later time is often inadequate to understand what actually went on. Its contemporary relevance
is simply a mirror of what is always the case in international affairs: today's enemies can and may
be tomorrow's friends - and most importantly, the reverse is true also.
Critique: A work of fiction by author George H. Wittman, and one that is based on obscure
historical facts with respect to American military involvement in the Vietnam War, "There Was
A Time" is a deftly written and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. While very
highly recommended for community library Military Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "There Was A Time" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.49).
Editorial Note: George H. Wittman served in the US Army during and after the Korean War and,
in the following decades, he became intimately involved in national security, global intelligence
matters and international business. Along the way he managed businesses, founded public service
organizations, and now writes prolifically. He is a veteran of forty-five years of international
security operations and analysis.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Bread and Tea: The Story of a Man from Karak
Ahmad Tarawneh, author
Nesreen Akhtarkhavari, translator
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611862775, $24.95, PB, 224pp
https://msupress.org/9781611862775/bread-and-tea
Synopsis: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Nesreen Akhtarkhavari,
"Bread and Tea: The Story of a Man from Karak" is post - Arab Spring novel by author Ahmad
Tarawneh and tells the story of conflicting loyalties between two Jordanian brothers, one who
serves in the Jordanian national security division, and another who belongs to an extremist
militant Islamic group.
With boldness, clarity, and an insider's eye, Tarawneh addresses the root causes and
circumstances that lead a desperate young Jordanian to be recruited into a terrorist organization,
tempted by the lure of glory purported by a skillful, self-serving sheikh. "Bread and Tea: The
Story of a Man from Karak" also depicts the positive and negative forces that influence the two
brothers in their soul-searching quests for self-actualization that lead to more questions than
answers -- questions many Arab youth still ask today, while engulfed in their own raging
struggles over tradition, religion, modernity, and secularism.
With the publication of "Bread and Tea: The Story of a Man from Karak" interested readers will
find themselves on an intimate journey into the minds and hearts of the protagonists to witness
the tragedy and absurdity of this conflict and the magnitude of the human destruction it leaves
behind.
Critique: An extraordinary and deftly crafted work of contemporary Arabic literature from cover
to cover, "Bread and Tea: The Story of a Man from Karak" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library Literary Fiction collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and the general public that
"Bread and Tea: The Story of a Man from Karak" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.70).
Editorial Note: Ahmad Tarawne is a Jordanian novelist, playwright, and journalist. He served as
the vice chair of the Jordanian Writers Society Executive Board and won the Jordanian National
Award for his novel Wadi Al-Safsafa in 2009. Nesreen Akhtarkhavri is associate professor of
Arabic language and culture and the director of Arabic Studies at DePaul University where she
teaches Arabic literature, culture, film, media, and translation.
Mad Prairie: Stories and a Novella
Kate McIntyre
University of Georgia Press
www.ugapress.org
9780820360744, $19.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Prairie-Stories-Novella-Flannery/dp/0820360740
Synopsis: A scary, funny, and slyly political short story collection by Kate McIntyre "Mad
Prairie" conjures a fever dream of contemporary Kansas. Boundaries between fantasy and reality
blur, and grotesque acts birth strange progeny.
A mother must choose between her children and her personal safety when her husband steadily
excavates a moat around their country home, his very own little border wall. A Kansas politician
grapples with international notoriety after an accident traps salt miners hundreds of feet
underground - in the same salt mine where his brother was murdered. A bigot's newly
transplanted liver gives him a taste for upbeat 1980s dance tracks while nudging him toward
darker plans.
Across several of the stories, we follow Miriam, a young overachiever hell-bent on leaving her
home state who is lured back after college to teach elementary school in a rural community. In
Culvert, Kansas, Miriam finds closed mouths and big secrets: the toxic waste storage for the
battery factory leaches into the soil; the hog farm waste lagoons have sprung leaks; and her
students, at turns psychic, lethargic, and aggressive, might not be human.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, fully engaging, often thought-provoking collection of short
stories by an author who is a master of the genre, "Mad Prairie" is a very special and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and
university Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections and reading lists.
Editorial: An assistant professor of creative writing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the fiction
and essays by Kate McIntyre have appeared in such journals as Denver Quarterly, the Cincinnati
Review, Copper Nickel, and the Cimarron Review, and she is a recipient of residencies at
Hambidge, Playa, and the Spring Creek Project. Kate has a notable essay in Best American
Essays 2014 and Special Mentions in the 2016 and 2019 Pushcart Prize anthologies.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
A Winter's Wish For The Cornish Midwife
Jo Bartlett
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781800489592, $31.30, HC, Large Print, 522pp
https://www.amazon.com/Winters-Wish-Cornish-Midwife-bestseller/dp/1800489595
Synopsis: As winter descends on the coastal town of Port Agnes, midwife Toni Samuels' mood is
as dark as the winter clouds that roll in. Toni loves her job as a midwife, but her private life is
falling apart. Because Toni is keeping a secret - a relationship with fellow male midwife Bobby
that no one can ever know about.
Kind and gorgeous, Bobby is a huge hit at the midwifery centre, but he's tired of keeping his
feelings for Toni a secret - of always coming second best. He knows that Toni's past is painful,
but unless she can be open with her feelings for him, he's prepared to walk away from their
love.
Can love find a way?
Toni loves Bobby and wishes things could be different between them. But torn between her past
and a future with him, everything seems hopeless. Until fate hands Toni one last chance. Now
Toni's secret wish is in her hands. If only she can be brave enough to take a chance and make her
dreams come true!
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of women's fiction and contemporary romance novels, this
large print edition of "A Winter's Wish for the Cornish Midwife" by English novelist Jo Bartlett
is certain to be an extraordinarily and enduringly popular addition to community library
Contemporary General Fiction & Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "A Winter's Wish for the Cornish Midwife" is also readily available from Boldwoods
Books in a large print paperback edition (9781800489615, $16.99, 312pp).
The Western Fiction Shelf
Showdown at Skull Canyon
Bradford Scott
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419638, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 288pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419638
Synopsis: There was a range war brewing: cattlemen against farmers, a familiar kind of trouble
compounded by attacks on the railroad that was being built. But when Texas Ranger Walt Slade
(who was also known by the name of El Halcon) rode into the town of Oresta (and into a hail of
bullets) he found things weren't that simple. He would put a stop to the range war, all right; but
then the outlaw who'd masterminded it and the attacks on the railroad struck again with dynamite
blasts! Slade knew he was up against a devilishly clever and ruthless enemy -- a killer who would
throw the whole border country into a bloodbath to carry out his plans.
Critique: "Showdown at Skull Canyon" by Bradford Scott is the latest in the western novelist's
series starring Texas Ranger Walt Slade and deftly blending mystery with gunplay. A riveting
read from cover to cover, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library
will be a welcome and appreciated addition to community library Western Fiction collections in
general, and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western action/adventure fans in
particular.
The Lawless Border
Allan Vaughan Elston
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419522, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 384pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419522
Synopsis: It was just one year ago that the O'Hara brothers planned to buy themselves a ranch,
settle down, and raise some stock. But that was before Milton disappeared the night after he won
forty-four hundred dollars at a poker game. Certain that his brother was hijacked and murdered
for his winnings, Lynn vows to investigate. When he arrives in Tucson, there's one man left on
his list...and he finds himself face-to-face with the ugly muzzle of a six-gun!
Critique: First published in 1976, "The Lawless Border" is a fast paced action/adventure novel
with great gunplay against seemingly overwhelming odds. Combining elements of mystery,
romance, and as ruthless a gang of outlaws as ever roamed the west, this new large print
paperback edition of "The Lawless Border" by veteran western novelist Allan Vaughan Elston is
highly recommended for community library Western Fiction collections, and most especially the
personal reading lists of all dedicated western action/adventure fans.
Trigger Talk
Clem Colt
Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419621, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 272pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419621
Synopsis: "Trigger Talk" features story of Misery Jones, a man trying to keep his faith in a harsh
land and who is unrecognized by his father and his brother after coming home from the Civil
War. It's a time when a notorious gunslinger like Curly Bill and his gang ruled the Cherrycows,
and the click of a revolver was the only law in all of Arizona. And wouldn't you know it but an
old and reformed (?) former Curly Bill associate, Short Beer Ballard, wants nothing more than to
help out Misery Jones -- even if Misery really and truly doesn't want him to.
Critique: Gunplay a plenty is deftly mixed with unexpected plot twists and a great deal of humor
in the pages of "Trigger Talk". The result is a western novel that is a pure and riveting
entertainment from first page to last. This new large print paperback edition of Clem Colt's
"Trigger Talk" (originally published in 1955) is very highly recommended for the personal
reading lists of dedicated western action/adventure fans and community library Western Fiction
collections.
The House Of Gold
Max Brand
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419683, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 536pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419683
Synopsis: Frederick Schiller Faust (May 29, 1892 - May 12, 1944) was an American author
known primarily for his Western stories using the pseudonym Max Brand -- which after his death
became a publishing house 'pen name' used by a number of other western novel authors.
"The House Of Gold" is a trio of tales by Faust under his Max Band pen name and features the
honest thief James Geraldi, who embarks upon three of his greatest adventures: #1 is a quest for
the elusive Golden Horus, a gold statue inlaid with four perfect emeralds and a large, flawless
yellow diamond. #2 is stealing a fortune in gold and jewels from the notorious Naylor outlaw
clan; #3 is surviving that same clan's quest for vengeance against Geraldi and his
companions.
Critique: Western action/adventure at its best, and whether the outlaw hero is seeking a treasure,
protecting an innocent girl, or handling other thieves who may not be quite so honest, the
character of James Geraldi remains a classic and unforgettable figure of Western Fiction by a
master of the genre. This large print paperback edition of "The House of Gold" is solid
entertainment from cover to cover and highly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library collections.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library
Holly Danvers
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643858906, $26.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Overdue-Lakeside-Library-Mystery/dp/1643858904
Synopsis: A glowing wood stove, a cozy log cabin, and shelves full of books are all Rain Wilmot
needs to ride out the Wisconsin winter, now that she's made her family's Lofty Pines library her
year-round home. But the warm-hearted librarian's blood runs cold when local man, Wallace
Benson, is found dead during the annual Ice Fishing Jamboree.
After Benson's body is found in his ice shanty, Rain recalls that she recently saw the victim in her
library, borrowing a few cookbooks to prepare for the fishing tournament's communal "chili
dump." She later finds these same books returned to the library's drop box, with an enigmatic
note from Benson to Rain.
As Rain seeks to understand the message, the prime suspect becomes Rain's friend Nick, who
was the last person to see Wallace alive and who returned to the Jamboree with a nasty cut on his
hand. The knife found in his tackle box only makes Nick's troubles worse. But Rain keeps fishing
for other suspects. Was the killer Danny, who lost his arm to a logging accident involving
Wallace? Or Danny's bitter father, whose dreams of retirement were dashed by his son's
accident?
With the help of her friends Julia and Jace, Rain sets out to hook the real culprit and clear Nick's
name. But can her sleuthing skills protect her from a killer who'd like to take her out of
circulation?
Critique: As a writer of that subgenre of suspense thrillers known as Cozy Mysteries, "Long
Overdue at the Lakeside Library" by Holly Danvers is another of her deftly crafted and
thoroughly entertaining novels from one plot twist to another until the final reveal. While certain
to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated
cozy mystery fans that "Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape
Media, 9781666534061, $22.99, CD).
The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter
Timothy Miller
Seventh Street Books
221 River Street, 9th Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030
https://www.seventhstreetbooks.com
9781645060420, $17.95, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Case-Dutch-Painter/dp/164506042X
Synopsis: Paris, 1890. When Sherlock Holmes finds himself chasing an art dealer through the
streets of Paris, he's certain he's smoked out one of the principals of a cunning forgery ring
responsible for the theft of some of the Louvre's greatest masterpieces. But for once, Holmes is
dead wrong.
He doesn't know that the dealer, Theo Van Gogh, is rushing to the side of his brother, who lies
dying of a gunshot wound in Auvers. He doesn't know that the dealer's brother is a penniless
misfit artist named Vincent, known to few and mourned by even fewer.
Officialdom pronounces the death a suicide, but a few minutes at the scene convinces Holmes it
was murder. And he's bulldog determined to discover why a penniless painter who harmed no
one had to be killed -- and who killed him. Who could profit from Vincent's death? How is the
murder entwined with his own forgery investigation?
Holmes must retrace the last months of Vincent's life, testing his mettle against men like the
brutal Paul Gauguin and the secretive Toulouse-Lautrec, all the while searching for the girl
Olympia, whom Vincent named with his dying breath. She can provide the truth, but can anyone
provide the proof?
From the madhouse of St. Remy to the rooftops of Paris, Holmes hunts a killer -- while the killer
hunts him.
Critique: A welcome addition to the growing library of Sherlock Holmes stories, "The Strange
Case of the Dutch Painter" by Timothy Miller does full justice to the exploits of that master
detective which was originally created by Sir Conan Doyle. A 'must read' selection for all
dedicated mystery buffs, as well as the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, and also readily
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), this paperback
edition of "The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter" from Seventh Street Books is an especially
and unreservedly recommended for all community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Dark Origins: Arkham Horror
Dave Gross, et al.
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839081187, $19.95, PB, 512pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Origins-Arkham-Collected-Novellas/dp/183908118X
Synopsis: "Dark Origins: Arkham Horror" from Aconyte Books is an anthology of four
outstanding horror fantasy novellas by four impressively skilled and imaginative masters of the
genre. These four novellas are: Hour of the Huntress by Dave Gross (the mysterious
disappearance of dilettante Jenny Barnes' beloved sister triggers a frantic search through
Arkham's darkest shadows); The Dirge of Reason by Graeme Davis (for federal agent Roland
Banks, investigating a bizarre incident exposes him to the supernatural horrors of Arkham) Ire of
the Void by Richard Lee Byers (the astronomer and professor Norman Withers finds himself the
subject of a strange creature's gaze when he agrees to assist in a fellow scientist's weird
experiment); The Deep Gate by Chris A Jackson (sailor Silas Marsh must return to Innsmouth
and confront his harrowing nightmares when he stumbles on a tome foretelling the end of the
world).
Critique: Each inherently fascinating and deftly crafted Arkham House themed horror fantasy
novella comprising "Dark Origins: Arkham Horror" is a truly memorable (and haunting) read.
Highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be
noted that "Dark Origins: Arkham Horror" is also readily available for the legions of horror
fiction fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95).
Gods and Dragons
Kevin J. Anderson
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
120 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
9781250302205, $29.99, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Dragons-Wake-Dragon-3/dp/125030220X
Synopsis: "Gods and Dragons" by Kevin J. Anderson is the story of two continents at war: the
Three Kingdoms and Ishara which have been in conflict with each other for a thousand years. But
when an outside threat arises in the form of the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that
wants to remake the world, these two warring nations must somehow set aside generations of
hatred to form an alliance against a far more deadly enemy.
Critique: The third title in science fiction and fantasy author Kevin J. Anderson acclaimed 'Wake
The Dragon' series, "Gods and Dragons" is still another imaginative, riveting, deftly crafted, and
memorably original novel by a true master of the science fiction and fantasy genres. While
absolutely and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted
for the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Kevin J. Anderson fans that "Gods and
Dragons" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Kevin J. Anderson has written dozens of national bestsellers and has been
nominated for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and the SFX
Readers' Choice Award. His critically acclaimed original novels include the ambitious space
opera series The Saga of Seven Suns, including The Dark Between the Stars, as well as Wake the
Dragon epic fantasy trilogy, the Terra Incognita fantasy epic with its two accompanying rock
CDs. He also set the Guinness-certified world record for the largest single-author book signing,
and was recently inducted into the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame.
The Library Science Shelf
Narrative Expansions
Jess Crilly & Regina Everitt, editors
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783304974, $78.05, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Expansions-Interpreting-Decolonisation-Libraries/dp/1783304979
Synopsis: The demand to decolonise the curriculum has moved from a protest movement at the
margins to the center of many institutions, as reflected by its inclusion in policies and strategies
and numerous initiatives in libraries and archives that have responded to the call, and are
critically examining their own historic legacies and practices to support institutional and societal
change.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Jess Crilly and Regina Everitt, "Narrative
Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries" explores the ways in which
academic libraries are working to address the historic legacies of colonialism, in the context of
decolonising the curriculum and the university. It acknowledges and explores the tensions and
complexities around the use of the term decolonisation, how it relates to other social justice aims
and approaches, including critical librarianship, and what makes this work specific to
decolonisation.
The fifteen articles comprising "Narrative Expansions" are international in scope, and
collectively consider the contextual nature of decolonisation, with discussion of the impacts of
settler colonialism, and post-colonial contexts with authors from Canada, the United States and
Kenya, as well as universities and the British Library in the UK.
Split into two sections, "Narrative Expansions" first addresses experiential contexts, discussing
the environment in which the academic library is enmeshed: legacy knowledge systems, the
neo-liberal university, the pervasive Whiteness of the higher education sector, the global
publishing industry -- how these structures are constitutive of coloniality and how they can be
challenged.
It then brings together theory and practice featuring case studies interpreting what it means to
'decolonise' in information literacy, collection management, inclusive spaces, LIS education,
research methods and knowledge production through the lens of critical pedagogy, critical
information literacy and Critical Race Theory (CRT).
"Narrative Expansions" also addresses the impact and implications of the Whiteness of university
library staffing. Bringing together the theory and practice of an area of critical concern to the
academy, "Narrative Expansions" is an important reference for academic librarians, educators
and researchers in LIS, education and sociology.
Critique: Timely addressing an increasingly important aspect of library collections and useages,
"Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries" is a unique and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university Library
Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for library
science students, academia, active librarians, racial equality activists, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in
Academic Libraries" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $59.95).
Editorial Note #1: Jess Crilly is an independent author and has worked mainly in academic
libraries, most recently as Associate Director for Content and Discovery, Library Services,
University of the Arts London, up to September 2020. Jess's interests include critical
librarianship, the meaning of and possibilities for the decolonisation of knowledge, and the
multiple contexts and uses of archives.
Editorial Note #2: Regina Everitt is Assistant Chief Operating Officer (ACOO) and Director of
Library, Archives and Learning Services at the University of East London. She began her
professional career as a technical author/trainer working with computer companies that
developed software for the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and financial sectors in the US and
UK. After managing a small library at a university in West Africa as a volunteer with the United
States Peace Corps, she transitioned into the HE sector, developing and managing libraries,
social learning spaces and other learning resources. At University of East London, she is
institution lead on excellence in customer service delivery.
The Business Shelf
The Big Book of HR
Barbara Mitchell, author
Cornelia Gamlem, author
Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.careerpress.com
9781632651945, $26.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-HR-10th-Anniversary/dp/1632651947
Synopsis: Every corporate and business leader will agree that managing people is challenging
and growing more complex. With all of the dramatic changes that have taken place in the
workplace and the workforce over the past decade, this fully updated 10th anniversary edition of
"The Big Book of HR" incorporates discussions and reflections on these changes which are
useful for any business owner, manager, or HR professional.
"The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition" includes up-to-date information about:
Flexibility and work; Diversity, equity and inclusion; Respectful workplaces and harassment
prevention; Technology for today's digital workplaces; Pay equity and its effect on transparency
in compensation; Benefits that meet the needs of a multigenerational workforce; Microlearning
and employee development strategy.
With :The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition" business executives and managers will
obtain the most from their organization's talent ranging from strategic HR-related issues to the
smallest tactical details. And, of course, there's information on remaining legally compliant
including state and local laws addressing societal changes.
Critique: Justifiably considered to be the 'bible' of sound HR management policies and practices,
this expanded and updated 10th anniversary edition of "The Big Book of HR" must be
considered an essential and core instructional reference and manual for professional, community,
corporate, college, and university library Business Management & Ethics collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executives, business
managers, entrepreneurs, union activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.55).
Editorial Note: Barbara Mitchell is the founder and managing partner of the Mitchell Group, a
management consulting practice that helps organizations find, hire, engage and retain the best
available talent. Cornelia Gamlem is the founder of the Gems Group, a management consulting
firm that assists organizations create and maintain respectful workplaces. A writing partnership
was born with the first edition of The Big Book of HR. Since that time, Mitchell and Gamlem
have gone on to write The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook, The Conflict Resolution
Phrase Book, and the award-winning The Manager's Answer Book. Giving back and being active
in the communities in which they live and work is important to both authors.
The Responsible Shareholder
Stephen Bottomley
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781800373396, $125.00, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Responsible-Shareholder-Stephen-Bottomley/dp/1800373392
Synopsis: Examining the role of corporate shareholders in modern companies, "The Responsible
Shareholder" by Stephen Bottomley (Emeritus Professor, ANU College of Law, The Australian
National University, Australia) is timely study which argues that more should be expected of
shareholders, both morally and legally. It explores the privileged position of shareholders within
the corporate law system and the unique rights and duties awarded to them in contrast to other
corporate actors. Introducing the concept of shareholders as responsible agents whose actions and
inactions should be judged on that basis, Professor Bottomley unites a number of distinct
corporate governance discussions including stewardship, activism and shareholder liability.
"The Responsible Shareholder" also argues that when companies cause harm to the environment,
inflict injury on workers, or commit financial fraud, it is not just the actions of the directors,
managers, advisers or regulators that should be scrutinized. Instead of consigning shareholders to
a passive or marginal role in the drive for greater corporate responsibility, "The Responsible
Shareholder" recommends that it is time to hold this key constituency in the company
decision-making structure accountable.
Comparative and interdisciplinary, "The Responsible Shareholder" will be a key resource for
students and scholars of corporate law and governance, business law and insolvency law. It will
also be of value to company law policy makers, corporate interest groups and think tanks
engaged in corporate law reform.
Critique: Comprehensive, informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "The
Responsible Shareholder" is highly recommended for the reading lists of corporate shareholders,
as well as professional, corporate, community, college, and university library collections -- and
an ideal textbook for Corporate Law, Corporate Governance, and Business Ethics curriculums
and supplemental studies reading lists..
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Directing Actors, 25th Anniversary Edition
Judith Weston
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933211, $29.95, PB, 380pp
https://www.amazon.com/Directing-Actors-Anniversary-Performances-Television/dp/1615933212
Synopsis: Collaborating with actors is, for many filmmakers, the scariest part and yet the part
they long for -- the human part, the place where connection happens. Now in a 25th Anniversary
Edition, "Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television" by
Judith Weston covers the challenges of the actor-director relationship, including the pitfalls of
"result direction"; breaking down a script; how to prepare for casting sessions; when, how and
whether to rehearse (but with updated references), expanded ideas, a more detailed chapters on
rehearsal and script analysis (using a scene from The Matrix), and a whole new chapter on
directing children. For twenty-five years the industry standard for instilling confidence in
filmmakers, Directing Actors perseveres in its mission -- to bring directors, actors and writers
deeper into the exhilarating task of creating characters the world will not forget.
Critique: Now in a newly updated and expanded 25th Anniversary Edition, "Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and
Television" is the essential and comprehensive DIY instruction guide and manual for anyone
having the responsibility of directing actors on stage, in film, or for television. Also readily
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.45), "Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances
for Film and Television" is an essential and core addition for personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Theatre/Movie Direction & Production collections.
Editorial Note: Judith Weston has been a teacher of directors, actors, and writers since 1985. Her
students have included: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Steve McQueen, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter,
Ritesh Batra, Mark Fergus, Patricia Cardoso, and Andrea Toyias.
The Films of John Garfield
James L. Neibaur
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629338439, $35.00, HC, 204pp
https://www.amazon.com/Films-John-Garfield-hardback/dp/1629338435
Synopsis: John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, March 4, 1913 - May 21, 1952) was, and
remains, one of the most impactful actors of 20th century American cinema. A towering
influence on so many screen performers who came along afterward, Garfield managed to create a
lasting image, despite living a life that was marked with tragedy, including the loss of a
child.
When he left the studios and began doing independent films, his politics informed his projects
and he was blacklisted by Hollywood, leading to his early death of a heart attack at only 39 years
of age. T
"The Films of John Garfield" is a film-by-film examination of Garfield's work, ranging from the
brash characters he played in his studio productions, to the tormented antiheroes of film noir that
he later portrayed. His film work continues to resonate into the 21stcentury.
Critique: Nicely illustrated throughout with black-and-white photos, "The Films of John
Garfield" by film historian James L. Neibuar is an impressively comprehensive and informative
study of the life and films of an unquestionably talented actor. While also available for personal
reading lists, "The Films of John Garfield" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Cinematic History
& Biography collections.
Editorial Note: James L. Neibaur is a film historian and educator who has written several books
on film, including Arbuckle and Keaton: Their 14 Film Collaborations (2005), Chaplin at
Essanay: A Film Artist in Transition, 1915-1916 (2008), and The Fall of Buster Keaton
(Scarecrow, 2010).
Magic in the Dark
Charles B. Moss Jr., author
Jonathan Kay, author
Sutherland House
https://sutherlandhousebooks.com
9781989555484, $24.95, HC, 380pp
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Dark-Familys-Adventures-Business/dp/1989555489
Synopsis: Early in the twentieth-century, B. S. Moss (1878 - 1951) was one of many ambitious
Jewish immigrants to leap from New York's textile business to the more promising and exciting
world of motion pictures. Unlike most, Moss resisted the siren call of Hollywood and instead
built one of the largest and most prestigious theater chains in the New York area. Inspired by his
vision, successive generations of Moss management have kept his chain thriving, even as
audiences migrated from vaudeville emporiums, to sumptuous Art Deco palaces, to suburban
multiplexes.
It was never easy: every movie was a gamble, and the business was constantly challenged by
world wars, depressions, urban blight, union battles, real estate values, and the threats of radio,
television, and streaming services. Yet the Mosses emerge as a rare multigenerational family
success story. Now, with the publication of "Magic in the Dark: One Family's Century of
Adventures in the Movie Business", co-authors Charles B. Moss Jr. and Jonathan Kay explore
every inch of the Moss family archives in their iconic Times Square headquarters to chart a
century of ups, downs, and fascinating adventures in the tumultuous cinema industry
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Magic in the Dark: One Family's
Century of Adventures in the Movie Business" is and impressively informative contribution to
the growing body of cinematic histories and biographies. An inherently fascinating read for
movie history buffs, and with the highest recommendation for personal, professional,
community, college, and university library American Movie History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
Editorial Note #1: A principal of the oldest motion picture theater company in the US, Charles B.
Moss Jr. lives in New York with his wife Ann, an art consultant. They are participants in both the
New York Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. Charley's favorite movie is
All That Jazz and Ann's is Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Editorial Note #2: Jonathan Kay is the Canadian editor of Quillette and a host of the Quillette
and Wrongspeak podcasts. His previous books include Among The Truthers and Legacy: How
French Canadians Shaped North America.
The Art Shelf
Antiquarians of Nineteenth-Century Japan
Hiroyuki Suzuki, author
Maki Fukuoka, editor & translator
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90049-1682
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606067420, $60.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Antiquarians-Nineteenth-Century-Japan-Archaeology-Tokugawa/dp/1606067427
Synopsis: Originally published in Japanese and ably translated into English for an American
readership by art historian and academician Maki Fukuoka, "Antiquarians of Nineteenth-Century
Japan: The Archaeology of Things in the Late Tokugawa and Early Meiji Periods" by Professor
Hiroyuki Suzuki looks at the approach toward object-based research across the late Tokugawa
and early Meiji periods, which were typically kept separate, and elucidates the intellectual
continuities between these eras.
Focusing on the top-down effects of the professionalizing of academia in the political landscape
of Meiji Japan, which had advanced by attacking earlier modes of scholarship by antiquarians,
Suzuki shows how those outside the government responded, retracted, or challenged new public
rules and values.
He also explores the changing process of evaluating objects from the past in tandem with the
attitudes and practices of antiquarians during the period of Japan's rapid modernization. He
shows their roots in the intellectual sphere of the late Tokugawa period while also detailing how
they adapted to the new era. Suzuki also demonstrates that Japan's antiquarians had much in
common with those from Europe and the United States.
In her role as editor, Professor Maki Fukuoka also provides an introduction to her English
translation that highlights the significance of Suzuki's methodological and intellectual analyses
and shows how his ideas will appeal to specialists and nonspecialists alike.
Critique: Occasionally illustrated with black-and-white photography, "Antiquarians of
Nineteenth-Century Japan: The Archaeology of Things in the Late Tokugawa and Early Meiji
Periods" is an exhaustively comprehensive, impressively presented, and exceptionally
informative course of instruction that will be an especially prized addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Japanese Art History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Hiroyuki Suzuki is professor emeritus of Japanese art history at Tokyo Gakugei
University. Maki Fukuoka is associate professor of the history of art at the University of
Leeds.
The Nautical Shelf
The Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation
Phil Somerville
Adlard Coles
https://adlardcolesnautical.wordpress.com
9781472987587, $40.00, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Celestial-Navigation-Step/dp/1472987586
Synopsis: A person standing on the equator is effectively travelling at 900mph? Any sailor can
use this information to work out where they are in the world, to an accuracy of about 3/4 miles. No
GPS, no computers. Just a sextant, some tables from an Almanac and the knowledge revealed
with the publication of "The Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation" by Phil Somerville.
It's the only back up if the GPS goes down, so it's a matter of safety. So if anyone wanting to
qualify as a commercial skipper or a superyacht captain needs to know how to carry out celestial
navigation. Anyone wanting to pass the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster exam, needs to know it too. It's
a major stumbling block for many sailors wanting or needing to take their next qualifications,
and the other books on the market are complex and often assume some prior understanding. "The
Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation" fulfills the need for a jargon-free explanation of celestial
navigation, illustrated with colour diagrams and including unique checklist sheets to enable even
the most novice of sailors to repeat all those calculations they learned back at home, when they
are aboard and on deck.
Without overwhelming the reader with a load of theory from the off, "The Practical Guide to
Celestial Navigation" breaks down what is necessary to do, step by step, explaining why at every
point -- and giving the information context, and making it more interesting and memorable.
Experienced naviagator Phil Somerville has trained students in this subject for years, and in the
pages of "The Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation" he is able to use his experiences of what
works, and what are the common pitfalls. There is included a 'What went wrong?' chapter near
the end, going through errors commonly made, and how to spot them.
The objective is that readers will finish "The Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation" not only
knowing what to do, but really understanding why, and being able to make sense of it all again
later (rather than just getting through and exam and finding themselves at a loss when on deck).
Somerville also includes time-tested 'proformas' -- quick reference sheets that sailors can refer to
when they come to putting the theory into practice on board, avoiding the terrifying 'cold start'
that most sailors experience when they suddenly need to put theory into practice.
Critique: Expertly written, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The
Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation" is an ideal textbook for DIY studies and formal
classroom navigation curriculums. Profusely illustrated throughout, "The Practical Guide to
Celestial Navigation" is unreservedly recommended for professional, community, college, and
university library Nautical & Navigation instructional reference collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, aspiring oceanic navigators and sailors, as
well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Practical Guide to
Celestial Navigation" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.49).
Editorial Note: Phil Somerville has been teaching Celestial Navigation for nearly a decade to
RYA Ocean and MCA Superyacht candidates in the UK, Spain, Italy and France (at numerous
RYA & MCA training centres). Teaching in the winter months, in the summer he has worked on
the likes of Skip Novak's Patagonia-based Pelagic Australis (a 23-metre expedition vessel
designed for high latitude sailing).
The Sports Shelf
Game Misconduct
Evan F. Moore, author
Jashvina Shah, author
Triumph Books
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.triumphbooks.com
9781629379203, $28.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Game-Misconduct-Hockeys-Toxic-Culture/dp/1629379204
Synopsis: Those fans who have been lured by the sound of skate blades slicing into fresh ice, by
the incomparable speed, split-second decisions, and everything-or-nothing attitude of the game
know that ice hockey can seem like its own world. It's all-consuming and exhilarating, boasting
its own language and complex morality code.
Yet in another light, that tight community can turn insular; the values of teamwork and humility
can manifest as collective silence in the face of abuse and discrimination, issues which have been
brought to the forefront of the sport as many share their stories for the first time.
With the publication of "Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It",
professional sports reporters and journalists Evan Moore and Jashvina Shah reveal hockey's toxic
undercurrent which has permeated the sport throughout the junior, college, and professional
levels. They address the topic with a level of passion that comes from being rabid hockey fans
themselves, and from experiencing its exclusivity first-hand.
With a sensitive yet incisive approach, "Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to
Fix It" lays bare the issues of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, bullying, sexism, and violence
on and off the ice. Readers will learn about notable players and activists fighting for
transformation as well as those beyond the spotlight who are nonetheless deeply affected by
hockey's culture of inaction.
Both a reckoning and a roadmap, Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It"
is an essential read for modern hockey fans, showing the truth of the sport's past and present
while offering the tools to fight for a better future.
Critique: Impressively informed and informative, "Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture
and How to Fix It" must be considered mandatory reading for anyone who has enjoyed hockey
and who cares about it as competitive sport. A clarion call to action to preserve, improve, and
protect hockey as a major and national sport, "Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and
How to Fix It" is recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary
Sports Collections in general, and the sport of Ice Hockey in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of hockey fans that "Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How
to Fix It" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781637270929, $16.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
The Psychology Shelf
Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems in Therapy
Beatriz Sheldon, author
Albert Sheldon, author
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393713275, $55.00, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complex-Integration-Multiple-Systems-Therapy/dp/039371327X
Synopsis: Beatriz and Albert Sheldon have spent the last 20 years developing the novel
therapeutic paradigm called Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems (CIMBS). They
have pioneered new methodology for "reading" and assessing emotional states using their
patients' carefully observed psychophysiological phenomena as empirical evidence. CIMBS also
incorporates the latest groundbreaking research on neuroplasticity, brain development, and
therapeutic change. "Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems in Therapy" details their
novel neurobiological and psychotherapeutic paradigm -- and reveals how therapists can use it
for more successful treatment.
Clients come to therapy troubled by deeply ingrained neural circuits and emotional habits. The
authors demonstrate how they use psychophysiological perspectives to recognize limitations in
brain systems that are interfering with their patients' functioning. And through
"physiopsychotherapy," they activate self-affirming, nonconscious emotional resources to change
rigid, maladaptive neural circuits. CIMBS offers a way of "integrating" these [brain system]
resources to foster more complex and flexible mental functioning and to produce more successful
psychotherapeutic outcomes. The therapeutic attachment relationship between therapist and
patient, and "present moment" experiences within the session rather than recollections of past
trauma, are key elements in this unique emotional resource-based mode of therapy.
"Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems in Therapy" is wide-ranging in documenting
CIMBS' success at operationalizing neuroscience research. Translating their academic, scientific,
and clinical research and successful training courses into a reference work that you can hold in
your hands and savor at leisure, the Sheldons have produced an approachable, intriguing, yet
comprehensive milestone in the psychotherapeutic literature.
Critique: An extraordinary, invaluable, and seminal contribution to the growing library of
Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology literature, "Complex Integration of Multiple Brain
Systems in Therapy" is especially recommended for professional, college, and university library
Clinical Psychology and Medical Clinical Psychology collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of psychology students, academia,
psychologists, practicing psychiatrists, counselors, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Complex Integration of Multiple Brain Systems in Therapy" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note #1: Beatriz Sheldon M.Ed, Psych. has practiced psychotherapy for forty years in
four languages. Ms. Sheldon received specialized post-graduate training in short-term dynamic
psychotherapy at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Director of a psychotherapy training
program for advanced clinicians in Vancouver, Canada, she and Albert Sheldon have researched
and taught psychotherapy together for 20 years.
Editorial Note #2: Albert Sheldon, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of
Washington, Seattle, has specialized in the research, practice and training of psychotherapy for
35 years. Dr. Sheldon received a Bush Medical Fellowship to study psychotherapeutic processes
from a psychophysiological perspective. The development of the CIMBS paradigm is a result of
the Sheldon's research and teaching experiential psychotherapy to clinicians throughout North
America and Europe.
The Computer Shelf
Computers For Seniors For Dummies: 6th Edition
Faithe Wempen
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
http://www.dummies.com
9781119849605, $24.99, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Computers-Seniors-Dummies-Computer-Tech/dp/1119849608
Synopsis: Most seniors who are new to computers can find them a little intimidating at first. But
with the right guidance, even a total novice can be sending email and banking online in no time
at all. Updated and expanded, this sixth edition of "Computers For Seniors For Dummies" by
Faithe Wempen is comprised of clear, easy, step-by-step instructions for accessing websites,
opening and using programs, and keeping safe from viruses and hackers. And unlike the
confusing "tips" from your son-in-law or grandchildren, you can rely on "Computers For Seniors
For Dummies" to deliver advice that actually works!
Whether you've set up your computer and are ready to start using it or it's still sitting in the box,
"Computers For Seniors For Dummies" walks you through each and every step you need to take
to connect with your family or share your photos with your friends on Facebook.
"Computers For Seniors For Dummies" will also show how to: Research topics you're interested
in on the web while steering clear of malicious websites and emails that can harm your computer;
Shop online in a way that keeps your credit card info secure; Find recipes, diet tips, the latest
news, or your favorite TV show.
"Computers For Seniors For Dummies" is a one one-stop resource for taking control of your
computer, transforming it from an expensive paperweight into the most useful gadget in your
home. Filled with easy-on-the-eyes type and tons of explanatory images, "Computers For Seniors
For Dummies" is the combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual that will finally get
you up to speed on personal computing.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and represented, "Computers For Seniors For
Dummies" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and especially ideal for senior citizens wanting to take
advantage of what the computer and the internet have to offer in this modern ages. While this
newly updated and expanded sixth edition of "Computers For Seniors For Dummies" is
unreservedly recommended for Senior Citizen Center and community library computer
instruction collections, it should be noted for personal use that it is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $15.00).
Editorial Note: Faithe Wempen is a computer and information technology instructor at Indiana
University Purdue University at Indianapolis. She designs online technology courses for
corporate clients and is the author of over 150 books on computer hardware and software.
The Education Shelf
Case Studies for Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools
Keith Storey, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093662, $29.95, PB, 162pp
https://www.amazon.com/Studies-Positive-Behavior-Supports-Classrooms/dp/0398093660
Synopsis: With the publication of "Case Studies for Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms
and Schools", Professor Keith Storey directly addresses the critical need for highly qualified
personnel to work with students that have varying support needs, and provides a framework for
analyzing these needs.
The exploration of Positive Behavior Supports in this text will serve as a guide to help prepare
teachers, teachers in training, and other service providers to adequately support and teach all
students. Professor Storey writes in a non\-technical style and provides case study examples and
guides for assisting readers in analyzing and understanding the appropriate supports and
interventions in Positive Behavior Supports. These case studies analyze real life situations that
will assist teachers and service providers.
The twelve case studies presented in "Case Studies for Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms
and Schools" contains four cases that offers a complete analysis, and eight cases containing a
description of the case with partial analysis components that readers can use for their own
education, including courses and\/or training purposes. The applicability of the case studies to
applied settings and the ability to use the case studies as assignments and\/or exams will be
beneficial to all teachers and college instructors.
General references related to Positive Behavior Supports are provided, including organizations
and resources. Empirical research to support that the interventions used in the case studies are
evidence\-based practices is depicted. Readers will appreciate the provision of a system for
teachers, teachers in training, school psychologists, behavior specialists, classroom assistants and
others, to analyze inclusion and to understand how supports and instruction can be used to best
educate students with disabilities.
Critique: An invaluable and informative contribution to the growing body of literature regarding
behavioral disorders in Special Education students, "Case Studies for Positive Behavior Supports
in Classrooms and Schools" is highly recommended for personal, professional, school district,
college, and university library Special Education collections.
Editorial Note: Keith Storey is a Professor Emeritus at Touro University in Vallejo, California.
He co-edited the book "Walking Isn't Everything: An Account of the Life of Jean Denecke" and
has published over 100 articles in professional journals and which can be accessed at
Researchgate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Keith_Storey). He served on the editorial
boards of Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, Career Development for
Exceptional Individuals, Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, Journal of Positive Behavior
Interventions, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Education and
Treatment of Children, The Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Bulletin, and
Exceptionality. He can be followed on Instagram at keith.storey.books. His Youtube channel is at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTfL7zEI4D3mPJDbpQF5olw
The Literary Studies Shelf
Hamlet: The First Quarto
William Shakespeare, author
William Percy, author
Anna Faktorovich, translator
Anaphora Literary Press
https://anaphoraliterary.com
9798750114160, $26.00, HC, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hamlet-British-Renaissance-Re-Attribution-Modernization/dp/B09K236LYQ
Synopsis: The standard summary of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' describes it as a "tragedy" about a
"mad" or "tormented" Prince of Denmark, who follows the solicitation of the Ghost of his
assassinated father to revenge-murder his incestuous and homicidal uncle Claudius.
The commentary that is a part of "Hamlet: The First Quarto" is a never before and fully
modernized First Quarto of Hamlet explaining how it was initially designed to be a satire that
diverged from Saxo Grammaticus' Danish History where Amleth pretends to be mad not only to
execute revenge but also to successfully win the crown from his uncle.
The First Quarto subtracts any desire for the crown from Hamlet, and instead subversively
explains that Hamlet is motivated to feign madness and to deflower Ofelia to disguise his
outlawed homosexual love for Horatio. Hamlet makes no direct expressions of attraction towards
Ofelia's beauty. And in the resolution, Horatio offers to poison himself to death when he learns
Hamlet is dying.
The satirical perspective of this history is especially apparent in the cemetery scene where the
Clown 1 gravedigger sifts through a mass-grave to help Hamlet find a dried skull among those
that are still decomposing.
The heavy re-write between the 1603 and 1604 editions of Hamlet also help to show Percy's
re-writing habit that confirms the attribution to him of diverging versions of anonymous and then
"Shakespeare" - bylined versions of Leir/ Lear, and Tragedy of.../ Richard III.
Critique: "Hamlet: The First Quarto" is an iconoclastic, unique, informative, and inherently
interesting study that is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Literary Studies collections in general, and supplemental curriculum
Shakespearean Studies lists in particular. Also readily available in a paperback edition
(9798750113255, $21.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) "Hamlet: The First
Quarto" is volume twelve of the simply outstanding British Renaissance Re-Attribution and
Modernization Series from Anaphora Literary Press. Ably translated by academician Anna
Faktorovich, "Hamlet: The First Quarto" will have a particular interest and value for
Shakespearean scholars and students, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest
in the subject.
The Political Science Shelf
American Turning Point
Robert Viney
Changemakers Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789049534 $26.95 pbk / $15.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/American-Turning-Point-Constitutional-Divisiveness/dp/1789049539
Synopsis: With the assault on our nation's capital on June 6, 2021, it is clear that American
Democracy is in immediate and looming peril. Most of the American people believe our
government is on the wrong track, is broken, and is not capable of solving our major problems.
Our national leaders have for too long made the rules for how we are governed for the benefit of
their careers and re-election, primarily serving partisan and donor interests instead of serving the
country. With the publication of "American Turning Point - Repairing and Restoring Our
Constitutional Republic: Becoming One Indivisible Nation in the Era of Divisiveness", Robert
Vieny presents fact-based, unbiased and non-partisan actions that "We the People" can take to
restore a service-to-country culture in Congress and the Administration.
Critique: A timely and clarion call to preserve the American democracy that, for some 200 years
has been able to resist foreign attempts to overthrow it, but is now on the edge of being destroyed
from within by a fractured society that once fell into Civil War and now may do so again,
"American Turning Point - Repairing and Restoring Our Constitutional Republic: Becoming One
Indivisible Nation in the Era of Divisiveness" is an urgent and highly recommended addition
community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science collections, as well as
to the personal reading lists of political activists, governmental policy makers, political science
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Robert Viney is a former nuclear powered submarine officer, US Naval Academy
graduate, and Cold War and Vietnam War Veteran. He served as a Marketing Executive at
Procter & Gamble, Chief Marketing Officer, at Arm & Hammer Household Products, and SVP,
CMO, COO for several digital marketing start ups. He has also contributed a chapter to the title
'When Core Values are Strategic '.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
The Art of Sushi
Franckie Alarcon
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681122854, $24.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Sushi-Franckie-Alarcon/dp/1681122855
Synopsis: The next best thing to actually flying to Japan, "The Art of Sushi" reveals all there is to
know about sushi as graphic illustrator and author Franckie Alarcon offers his readers a gourmet
panorama of this exceptional dish that has become a culinary favorite around the world!
The author's research for "The Art of Sushi" included his traveling to Japan to meet all the
players involved in the making of this true work of culinary art. From the traditional starred chef
to the young cook who is shaking up the rules, including all the artisans and producers involved,
"The Art of Suschi" covers the most emblematic of Japanese products from A to Z.
Critique: Offering a inherently fascinating and impressively informative journey of discovery that
also reveals a lot about Japanese culture, "The Art of Sushi" is presented in a graphic novel
format and is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library
cookbook and food history collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated sushi fans that "The Art of Sushi" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Franckie Alarcon studied graphic arts in Nantes, France, and after a few years as a
graphic artist, decided to go freelance as illustrator and comic artist, realizing various graphic
novels for prominent French publishers. He is also the author of "The Secrets of Chocolate".
The Audiobook Shelf
How to Book a Murder
Cynthia Kuhn, author
Rachel Dulude, narrator
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781666512373, $22.99, MP3-CD,
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Murder-Starlit-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/1666512370
Synopsis: To help save her family's floundering Colorado bookstore, Starlit Bookshop,
newly-minted Ph.D. Emma Starrs agrees to plan a mystery-themed dinner party for her wealthy,
well-connected high school classmate Tabitha Baxter. It's a delightful evening of cocktails and
conjecture until Tabitha's husband, Tip (hosting the affair in the guise of Edgar Allan Poe's
detective C. Auguste Dupin) winds up murdered.
In a heartbeat, Emma and her aunt Nora, a famous mystery writer, become suspects. Emma is
sure the party's over for Starlit events, until celebrated author Calliope Nightfall, whose gothic
sensibilities are intrigued by the circumstances, implores the bookseller to create a Poe-themed
launch event for her latest tome.
Throwing a bash to die for while searching for additional clues is already enough to drive Emma
stark raven mad, but another shocking crime soon reveals that Silvercrest has not yet reached the
final chapter of the puzzling case. Someone in this charming artistic community has murder on
the mind, and if Emma cannot outwit the killer, she and her beloved aunt will land behind bars,
to walk free nevermore.
Critique: Creating a true 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener, narrator Rachel Dulude
gives this complete and unabridged audio book edition of author Cynthia Kuhn's new mystery
novel "How to Book a Murder" a particularly impressive and compelling entertainment for all
dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery fans and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal and
community library audio book collections.
The Library CD Shelf
I Had a Dream: Songs of an Immigrant
Ruth Hertz Weber and Emilia Lopez-Yanez
www.ruthandemilia.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD
https://www.amazon.com/I-Had-Dream-Songs-Immigrant/dp/B09DT766D8
I Had a Dream: Songs of an Immigrant is an extraordinary music album by mother-daughter team
Ruth Hertz Weber and Emilia Lopez-Yanez, immortalizing the poems of Ruth's late grandmother
Betty Karon Hertz. The music album tells the story of Betty's impoverished childhood in Russia,
her escape during the Bolshevik Revolution, and her life as a Jewish immigrant in the United
States. Emotional and poignant, I Had a Dream: Songs of an Immigrant is utterly unforgettable
and worthy of the highest recommendation for personal and public library music CD collections.
The tracks are Mushrooms, I Had A Dream, I Am A Tree, To Lauren, The Six-Day War, Dear
Ruth, Mayn Heym, My Darling, Back In Your Younger Days, and Why Am I Here?
Poetica
Rachael Sage and Dave Eggar
Mpress Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LQ9L9GL
Poetica is an album that blends elements of jazz, classical, new age, and Americana. Producer
and multi-instrumentalist Rachael Sage and Grammy nominated cellist Dave Eggar combine
their talents with additional contributors to create a unique fusion that combines a musical
soundscape with eighteen spoken-word poems into lyrical masterpieces. The physical album for
Poetica includes two CDs (the second CD is entirely instrumental) and a book with colorful still
photographs and the text of the selected poems. Poetica is an extraordinary melding of talent,
highly recommended especially for avant-garde music connoisseurs. The tracks are
Unconditional, Beginning, Powder, Passenger, Magenta and Blue, Lower East Side Baby,
Lamentation, Handwriting, Days of Awe, Winemaker, Sleep When I'm Tired, Butterflies, How
Songs Are Born, engagement, Pulpit, Thanksgiving, Swing Dance, and untitled.
Don't Look Back
Bernie Senensky Quartet/Quintet
Cellar Live
cellarlive.com
$12.99 CD / $11.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-BERNIE-SENENSKY-QUARTET-QUINTET/dp/B09M8ZKTH
N
Don't Look Back is a previously unreleased album of Canadian jazz pianist and composer Bernie
Senensky, along with Bob Mover on alto saxophone, Sam Noto on trumpet, Neil Swainson on
bass, and Barry Elmes on drums. Their smooth, rhythmic artistry carries the listener on a journey
of imagination, in this thoroughly captivating album. Highly recommended, especially for
connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are Don't Look Back, I Hear a Rhapsody, Floating,
Together, May in June, The Mover, Jump for Joe, The Latest, Danse Encore, One is Enough, and
Who Cares?
Love Rules
Bodhiheart
Blue Yarn Records
$17.00 CD / $7.92 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Rules-Bodhiheart/dp/B09PYMBTPK
Love Rules: Meditations for Cello and Piano is an instrumental album by cellist Noah Hoffeld
and pianist Wells Hanley, with contributions from Mark Egan on bass and Arjun Bruggeman on
tablas. A beautiful, meditative collection ideal for fostering relaxation, meditation sessions, or
yoga, Love Rules is a boundless, unfolding soundscape that calms the spirit even as it stirs
imagination. Highly recommended, especially for new age music connoisseurs. The tracks are
Lilies of the Field, The Gardener, Love Rules, 444, Arc of the Sun, Mystery, Boundless Heart,
and Loving Awareness.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Decolonizing Wealth, second edition
Edgar Villanueva
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523091416, $19.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Decolonizing-Wealth-Second-Indigenous-Divides/dp/152309141X
Synopsis: Exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, the world is out of economic balance. With
increasing frequency, we are presented with the inescapable truth that systemic racism and
colonial structures are foundational principles to our economies. The $1 trillion philanthropic
industry is one example of a system that mirrors oppressive colonial behavior. It's an industry
whose name means "the love for humankind," yet it can and occasionally does more harm than
good.
Now in an updated second edition, "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides
and Restore Balance", author, activist, and expert on race, wealth, and philanthropy issues Edgar
Villanueva looks past philanthropy's glamorous, altruistic fa‡ade and into its shadows: white
supremacy, savior complexes, and internalized oppression. Across history and to the present day,
the accumulation of wealth is steeped in trauma. How can we shift philanthropy toward social
reconciliation and healing if the cornerstones are exploitation, extraction, and control?
Drawing from Native traditions, "Decolonizing Wealth" empowers individuals and institutions to
begin to repair the damage through his Seven Steps to Healing. In this newly published second
edition, Villanueva adds inspiring examples of people using their resources to decolonize
entertainment, museums, libraries, land ownership, and much more.
Critique: The underlying message of "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides
and Restore Balance" is that everyone and anyone can become a healer and a leader in restoring
economic, social, and political balance -- everyone is needed to do their part. Practical and
effecitve, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal
Divides and Restore Balance" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Money/Finance and
Philanthropy/Charity collections and reading lists.
Editorial Note: Edgar Villanueva is the Principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project and Liberated
Capital, as well as the adviser for a range of organizations including national and global
philanthropies, Fortune 500 companies, and entertainment/media agencies on social impact
strategies to advance racial equity from within and through their investment strategies.Villanueva
can be followed on Twitter and Instagram @VillanuevaEdgar.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Pandemic Spotlight
Ian Hanomansing
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771622929, $22.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pandemic-Spotlight-Canadian-Doctors-COVID-19/dp/177162292X
Synopsis: Canadians who have followed the news about the COVID-19 pandemic will recognize
the names of doctors Lisa Barrett, Isaac Bogoch, Zain Chagla, Sumon Chakrabarti, Susy Hota,
Fatima Kakkar, Srinivas Murthy, Lynora Saxinger and Alexander Wong -- nine remarkable
Canadian physicians who found themselves in the spotlight during a remarkably challenging
year.
While dealing with their own personal concerns about the worsening pandemic and their busy
medical practices, the doctors profiled in "Pandemic Spotlight: Canadian Doctors at the Front of
the COVID-19 Fight" by author and interviewer Ian Hanomansing volunteered their time and
offered their expertise in hundreds of media interviews, providing calm, clear and independent
analysis. Hanomansing talks to them about what inspired them to become doctors and what led
them to specialize in infectious diseases and then take on this very public role.
The doctors discuss the moment the pandemic became very real to them and speak candidly
about what it was like when infections raged out of control in Italy and then New York City,
leaving doctors at Canadian hospitals to wonder what might be next. And they explain the sense
of duty they felt to step into the media glare, even as public anxiety and skepticism sometimes
turned into hostility and social media made them easy to contact and, sometimes, easy targets.
And for anyone who's been asked to offer their expertise to the media, they have advice on how
to answer the call.
There are a few silver linings in the COVID pandemic. But one of them is how these doctors put
science front and centre and became public symbols of trust and hope. As they prepare to return
to their private careers, they respond to Hanomansing's invitation to reflect on lessons learned
and their concerns about the next pandemic.
Critique: Timely, informative, inspiring, "Pandemic Spotlight: Canadian Doctors at the Front of
the COVID-19 Fight" is unreservedly and urgently recommended for personal reading lists, as
well as professional, community, college, and university library Health & Medicine
collections.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Vancouver, BC., Ian Hanomansing is a co-host of CBC's
The National and has been a journalist for more than thirty years.
The Mathematics Shelf
Algebra & Geometry: An Introduction to University Mathematics, second edition
Mark V. Lawson
CRC Press
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
https://www.routledge.com
9780367563035, $66.95 pbk / $63.60 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Geometry-Mark-V-Lawson/dp/0367563037
Synopsis: Algebra & Geometry: An Introduction to University Mathematics, Second Edition
provides a bridge between high school and undergraduate mathematics courses on algebra and
geometry. The author shows students how mathematics is more than a collection of methods by
presenting important ideas and their historical origins throughout the text. He incorporates a
hands-on approach to proofs and connects algebra and geometry to various applications.
The text focuses on linear equations, polynomial equations, and quadratic forms. The first few
chapters cover foundational topics, including the importance of proofs and a discussion of the
properties commonly encountered when studying algebra. The remaining chapters form the
mathematical core of the book. These chapters explain the solutions of different kinds of
algebraic equations, the nature of the solutions, and the interplay between geometry and
algebra.
New to the second edition
Several updated chapters, plus an all-new chapter discussing the construction of the real numbers
by means of approximations by rational numbers
Includes fifteen short 'essays' that are accessible to undergraduate readers, but which direct
interested students to more advanced developments of the material
Expanded references
Contains chapter exercises with solutions provided online at
www.routledge.com/9780367563035
Critique: Now in an updated second edition with updated chapters, expanded references, and
fifteen brief essays designed to steer undergraduate readers to more advanced studies, Algebra &
Geometry: An Introduction to University Mathematics is an educational textbook ideal for
university students or self-study. Chapters cover such foundational mathematical concepts as
mathematic proofs, number theory, complex numbers, polynomials, matrices, vectors, properties
of real numbers, and more. A bibliography, an index, and chapter exercises with solutions
provided online round out this excellent pedagogical reference, resource, and teaching tool. It
should be noted that Algebra & Geometry is also available in a Kindle edition ($63.60).
Editorial Note: Mark V. Lawson is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Heriot-Watt
University. Dr. Lawson has published over 60 papers and has given seminars on his research
work both at home and abroad. His research interests focus on algebraic semigroup theory and its
applications.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Eyewitness to Wehrmacht Atrocities on the Eastern Front
Luis Raffeiner, author
Thomas Hanifle, editor
Alan Donohue, translator
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399097703, $32.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Wehrmacht-Atrocities-Eastern-Front/dp/1399097709
Synopsis: Throughout human history, war has always been accompanied by atrocities. It was
hoped that the Geneva Conventions that arose out of the ashes of World War I would prevent
that reality from reoccurring in future conflicts.
How can the truth about the devastating atrocities committed by the German army on the Eastern
Front in the Second World War be reconciled with the propaganda of their heroism and their
victories? And how did a simple soldier, caught up in the turmoil of a vast conflict, make sense
of the actions he had taken and the ruthlessness he had seen? Luis Raffeiner's plain and simple
account of his direct experience of the Nazi war of annihilation in the Soviet Union records in
graphic detail circumstances which made him a victim and perpetrator at the same time.
Raffeiner describes his family life in a remote village in the Tyrol in the 1930s, his military
service in Italy, his transfer to the Wehrmacht and his training as a mechanic on assault guns, and
then his march into the Soviet Union in 1941. There he experienced, as he himself says, 'war in
its brutal and cruel reality'. He was captured by the Red Army, barely survived as a prisoner of
war and, many years later, he recounted his vividly remembered experiences in order to produce
"Eyewitness to Wehrmacht Atrocities on the Eastern Front: A German Soldier's Memoir of War
and Captivity", an insightful and thought-provoking memoir.
His recollections are dramatic, honest and concise. He shatters the myth of the clean conduct of
the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. He can testify to the vicious actions of his fellow soldiers,
including some in which he himself was involved. His memoir is not a heroic tale, rather it
shows how a man from an ordinary background can become acquainted with, and a participant
in, the outlawed horrors of war.
Critique: Providing a stark, grim, detailed, and honest insights and examples of the darkest side
of World War II actions by the German military operating on the Eastern Front, "Eyewitness to
Wehrmacht Atrocities on the Eastern Front: A German Soldier's Memoir of War and Captivity"
is a unique, extraordinary, informative, and memorable addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library World War II history and memoir collections. While
also commended for supplemental curriculum World War II studies, it should be noted for
students, academicians, military historians, military history buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Eyewitness to Wehrmacht Atrocities on the Eastern
Front: A German Soldier's Memoir of War and Captivity" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Luis Raffeiner grew up in Karthaus in the South Tyrolean Schnalstal. In 1939,
aged 22, after serving in the Italian army, he transferred to the Wehrmacht. As a tank mechanic in
a unit of assault guns, he went to war against the Soviet Union in 1941. He was captured by the
Red Army, survived being held as a prisoner of war in the Caucasus and, in 1947, returned to the
Tyrol. He then worked as a master plumber at a brewery and set up his own company. Late in his
life he recorded his wartime experiences which were published in German and are now available
for the first time in English in this edition.
Editorial Note #2: Hannes Heer is a distinguished German historian best known for his work on
the controversial Wehrmacht exhibition in the 1990s. Although some of its exhibits were
criticized at the time, it showed that the German army on the Eastern Front was involved in war
crimes. In 2001 the revised exhibition was relaunched with the title 'Crimes of the German
Wehrmacht: Dimensions of a War of Annihilation 1941-1944'.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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