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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Plagues, Pandemics and Viruses
Heather E. Quinlan
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578597390, $49.95, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plagues-Pandemics-Viruses-Plague-Athens/dp/1578597390
Synopsis: The only known function of viruses is to replicate themselves, which can have
devastating consequences on their hosts. Most, but not all, bacteria are good for us. Some are
truly horrific, including those that caused the bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plagues. And
viruses and bacteria are always morphing, evolving, and changing, making them hard to
treat.
"Plagues, Pandemics, and Viruses: From the Plague of Athens to Covid 19" by Heather E.
Quinlan is an enlightening, and sometimes frightening, recounting of the destruction wrought by
disease, but it also looks at what man has done and can do to overcome even the deadliest and
bleakest of contagions.
This timely volume covers: The differences (and similarities) between COVID-19 and other
coronaviruses; The bubonic plague/black plague, which wiped out 30% to 60% of Europe's
population; The devastation to the indigenous population during the European colonization of the
Americas; The 1918 Spanish Flu, which did not come from Spain; How disease "inspired" The
Canterbury Tales, Wuthering Heights, the pop art of Keith Haring, and other art and
literature; AIDS' "patient zero"; How climate change will affect future pandemics; The aftermath of various
pandemics; Several modern diseases that are making a comeback; and so much more.
Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented for the benefit of the non-specialist general
reader, "Plagues, Pandemics, and Viruses: From the Plague of Athens to Covid 19" is
comprehensively informative, exceptionally timely, unreservedly recommended, and should be
considered an essential addition to highschool, community, college, and university library
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Plagues, Pandemics, and Viruses:
From the Plague of Athens to Covid 19" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781578597048, $22.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Mind Over Media
Renee Hobbs
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393713503, $32.95, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Over-Media-Propaganda-Education/dp/0393713504
Synopsis: Media literacy educators have always insisted that we are both creators and receivers
of media messages. The truth of this is even more apparent in today's digital environment, with
children and adults alike participating in a ubiquitous, nonstop stream of social media. Clearly,
students need the tools to interpret news and information critically -- not just for school but for
life in a "post-truth" world, where the lines blur between entertainment, information, and
persuasion.
In "Mind Over Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age", Renee Hobbs demonstrates how
a global perspective on contemporary propaganda enables educators to stimulate both the
intellectual curiosity and the cultural sensitivities of students. Replete with classroom and online
learning activities and samples of student work, "Mind Over Media" provides a state-of-the-art
look at the theory and practice of propaganda in contemporary society, and shows how to build
learners' critical thinking and communication skills on topics including computational
propaganda, content marketing, fake news, and disinformation.
Critique: A critically important factor in accounting for the extreme political, social, and culture
polarization of the American public today is that digital media in the form of Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and 'information/news' web sites (especially on the far right and left of our political
spectrum) informs more American citizens than traditional radio, television, newspaper, and
magazine formats. This makes "Mind Over Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age" a
critically important and essential addition to community, college, and library Political Science in
a Digital Age collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, digital media corporate
executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Mind Over
Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.17).
Editorial Note: Renee Hobbs is a world- renowned authority on digital and media literacy
education. She founded the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of
Rhode Island and is director of its Media Education Lab.
History & Morality
Donald Bloxham
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198858713, $25.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-Morality-Donald-Bloxham/dp/019885871X
Synopsis: Against majority opinion within his profession, in the pages of "History & Morality",
Professor Donald Bloxham argues that it is legitimate, often unavoidable, and frequently
important for historians to make value judgements about the past.
Published by the Oxford University Press, "History & Morality" draws on a wide range of
historical examples, and its Professor Bloxham's insights as a practicing historian. Examining
concepts like impartiality, neutrality, contextualisation, and the use and abuse of the idea of the
past as a foreign country, Professor Bloxham investigates how far tacit moral judgements infuse
works of history, and how strange those histories would look if the judgements were
removed.
Professor Bloxham argues that rather than trying to eradicate all judgmental elements from their
work, historians need to think more consistently about how, and with what justification, they
make the judgements that they do. The importance of all this lies not just in the responsibilities
that historians bear towards the past - responsibilities to take historical actors on those actors'
own terms and to portray the impact of those actors' deeds - but also in the role of history as a
source of identity, pride, and shame in the present. The account of moral thought in "History &
Morality" has ramifications far beyond the activities of vocational historians.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, thought-provoking, and occasionally iconoclastic approach to
evaluating and interpreting history, "History & Morality" is an extraordinary accomplishment, a
work of impressively detailed scholarship, and a critically important, highly recommended
addition to community and college/university library Historiography, Ethics & Morality
Philosophy, and World History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "History & Morality" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.75).
Editorial Note: Donald Bloxham is Professor of History, University of Edinburgh and has taught
at there since 2001. He was appointed Professor of Modern History in 2007 and given the
established Richard Pares chair of history in 2011. Beyond his work on the history and
philosophy of the discipline of history, he is a specialist in the study of genocide and of the
punishment of perpetrators of genocide. His book The Great Game of Genocide: Imperialism,
Nationalism, and the Destruction of the Ottoman Armenians (OUP, 2005) won the Raphael
Lemkin Prize for genocide scholarship. He has also been a recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize
and is currently on a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Organised Writer
Antony Johnston, author & narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781472977182, $22.95, CD
https://www.amazon.com/Organised-Writer-projects-never-deadline/dp/1472977181
Synopsis: The Organised Writer is a practical, no-nonsense system that allows you to write
without worrying about administration, business affairs, or scheduling. This straight-talking
guide will help you become more productive, cope with multiple projects, and make time within
your life to write - while also dealing with non-writing tasks more efficiently.
It includes advice on how to: Manage your schedule; Prioritize your writing time; Take notes
effectively; Work with a 'clean mind'; Get more written every day; Deal effectively with
non-writing tasks; Set up a foolproof filing system; Organize your working space.
Spend a weekend setting-up the system described, and you'll make the time back with interest.
You'll get more written every day and complete more of your other tasks without being
overwhelmed by all the things you have to do, forgot to do, or don't want to do.
Critique: Also available from Bloomsbury Yearbooks in a paperback edition (9781472977182,
$22.95, 272pp) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), Tantor Media has produced "The
Organised Writer: How to stay on top of all your projects and never miss a deadline" narrated by
the author Antony Johnston in a complete and unabridged audio book edition (6 CDs, 7.5 Hours)
that is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Writing/Publishing collections.
Editorial Note: Antony Johnston is an award-winning author and creator of the hit Charlize
Theron movie Atomic Blonde, which was based on his graphic novel. His work spans books,
film, graphic novels, videogames, podcasts, music, and more, with titles translated throughout
the world. He lives and works in England -- and is highly organized.
The Education Shelf
Conducting Authentic Historical Inquiry
Scott M. Waring & Richard Hartshorne
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807764053, $90.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Conducting-Authentic-Historical-Inquiry-Technologies/dp/0807764051
Synopsis: Engaging students with primary sources that foster inquiry, critical thinking, and
deductive reasoning skills are vitally important to success in school and beyond. But simply
inserting primary sources into the classroom is not enough.
"Conducting Authentic Historical Inquiry: Engaging Learners with SOURCES and Emerging
Technologies" by Scott M. Waring and Richard Hartshorne is an educator's resource that uses the
best of emerging Internet applications (Web 2.0) to capture the interest of today's students who
have grown up using diverse technologies and multiple applications such as podcasts, social
networks, social bookmarks, digital curation, and blogs.
Readers will learn about the SOURCES Framework, an innovative approach for scaffolding
inquiry-rich social studies instructional practices. Filled with multiple classroom-ready examples
that seamlessly integrate Web 2.0 applications, the authors provide readers with the tools and
confidence to create instructional opportunities to engage learners in authentic historical
inquiry.
The goal is to give students the skills and knowledge necessary to think critically, engage with
sources, and create authentic, evidence-based narratives. "Conducting Authentic Historical
Inquiry" will be of primary interest to instructional technology coordinators and university
faculty teaching courses in instructional technology and design.
"Conducting Authentic Historical Inquiry": Offers effective and engaging methods for teaching
with primary and secondary sources while seamlessly integrating emerging technologies; Fosters
critical thinking skills and deductive reasoning skills while allowing instructors an opportunity to
personalize learning environments; Provides students with opportunities to authentically
construct historical narratives, replicating methods utilized by historians; Introduces an
innovative framework for teaching with primary and secondary sources; Includes web links that
make it easy for the reader to see examples and resources and video walk-throughs related to
many of the Web 2.0 tools.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Conducting Authentic Historical
Inquiry: Engaging Learners with SOURCES and Emerging Technologies" is an ideal curriculum
textbook and unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library
History Education collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
education students, classroom teacher, school district administrators, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Conducting Authentic Historical Inquiry" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9780807764046, $29.95) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $28.45).
Editorial Note: Scott M. Waring is a professor and the program coordinator for the Social
Science Education Program at the University of Central Florida. Richard Hartshorne is a
professor and chair of the Learning Sciences and Educational Research department at the
University of Central Florida.
The Innocent Classroom
Alexs Pate
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416629337, $25.95, PB, 122pp
https://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Classroom-Dismantling-Support-Students/dp/1416629335
Synopsis: When children of color enter their classrooms each year, many often encounter low
expectations, disconnection, and other barriers to their success. In "The Innocent Classroom:
Dismantling Racial Bias to Support Students of Color", Alexs Pate traces the roots of these
disparities to pervasive negative stereotypes, which children are made aware of before they even
walk through the school door. The cumulative weight of these stereotypes eventually takes shape
as guilt, which inhibits students' engagement, learning, and relationships and hurts their prospects
for the future.
If guilt is the primary barrier for children of color in the classroom, then the solution, according
to Pate, is to create an Innocent Classroom that neutralizes students' guilt and restores their
innocence. To do so, readers will embark on a relationship "construction project" in which they
will deepen their understanding of how children of color are burdened with guilt; discover
students' "good," or the motivation behind their behaviors, and develop strategic responses to that
good; and nurture, protect, and advocate for students' innocence.
Ultimately, students will reclaim their innocence and begin to make choices that will lead to their
success. Teachers will renew their commitment to their students. And the current ineffective
system can give way to one that reflects a more enlightened understanding of who our children
are -- and what they are capable of.
Critique: Impressively timely given the current pandemic exposed need for racial justice and
equity, "The Innocent Classroom: Dismantling Racial Bias to Support Students of Color" offers a
positive and effective response to the problem of systemic racism in educational settings --
making it an essential, core addition to college and university library Contemporary Education &
Racial Justice collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of education students, academia, classroom teachers, school administrators,
political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The
Innocent Classroom: Dismantling Racial Bias to Support Students of Color" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.92).
Editorial Note: Alexs Pate is the President and CEO of Innocent Technologies and the creator of
the Innocent Classroom, a program for K - 12 educators that aims to transform U.S. public
education and end disparities by closing the relationship gap between educators and students of
color. The Innocent Classroom has partnered with districts and schools throughout the United
States, training more than 7,000 educators. The success of the Innocent Classroom has led to the
development of Innocent Classroom for Early Childhood Educators and Innocent Care training
for healthcare professionals to build connections with their patients. Alexs was also a professor
and teacher at Macalester College, the University of Minnesota, Naropa University, and the
University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast Creative Writing Program, where he also earned an
MFA.
A Mirror for Americans
Cornelius N. Grove
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781475844603, $60.00, HC, 174pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Americans-Experience-Teaching-Students/dp/1475844603
Synopsis: What is the explanation for American students' comparatively mediocre academic
performance? "A Mirror for Americans: What the East Asian Experience Tells Us about
Teaching Students Who Excel " by Cornelius N. Grove finds part of it lies in how they are taught
in primary schools.
Comparisons with East Asian teaching are supplied by 50 years of research findings. But Grove
asks not that we copy East Asian teaching approaches, rather that we use them as a mirror to gain
insights into typically American approaches and their underlying values, which are handicapping
our children's learning.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "A Mirror for
Americans: What the East Asian Experience Tells Us about Teaching Students Who Excel" is
exceptionally well written, organized, and presented -- making it an ideal curriculum textbook, as
well as an unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college and university library
Contemporary Teacher Education collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
education students, academia, classroom teachers, education administrators, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Mirror for Americans" is also readily
available in a paperback edition (9781475844610, $30.00) and in a digital book format
(eTextbook, $27.09).
Editorial Note: Cornelius N. Grove's mission has been to explain to Americans the historical and
cultural reasons for their children's comparatively mediocre performance in schools. His two
books are: The Aptitude Myth (2013) and The Drive to Learn (2017). With a doctorate in
education from Columbia University, he is the author of entries on pedagogy across cultures in
two new encyclopedias, and founder of the intercultural consulting firm Grovewell LLC.
The Science Shelf
Manipulating Quantum Systems
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309499514, $85.00, PB, 314pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manipulating-Quantum-Systems-Assessment-Molecular/dp/0309499518
Synopsis: The field of atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) science underpins many
technologies and continues to progress at an exciting pace for both scientific discoveries and
technological innovations. AMO physics studies the fundamental building blocks of functioning
matter to help advance the understanding of the universe. It is a foundational discipline within
the physical sciences, relating to atoms and their constituents, to molecules, and to light at the
quantum level. AMO physics combines fundamental research with practical application,
coupling fundamental scientific discovery to rapidly evolving technological advances, innovation
and commercialization. Due to the wide-reaching intellectual, societal, and economical impact of
AMO, it is important to review recent advances and future opportunities in AMO physics.
"Manipulating Quantum Systems: An Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics" in
the United States assesses opportunities in AMO science and technology over the coming decade.
Key topics in this report include tools made of light; emerging phenomena from few- to
many-body systems; the foundations of quantum information science and technologies; quantum
dynamics in the time and frequency domains; precision and the nature of the universe, and the
broader impact of AMO science.
Critique: Presenting a wealth of well current, well organized and presented data in an consensus
study format, "Manipulating Quantum Systems: An Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and
Optical Physics" is deftly organized into eight major chapters and six appendices. While very
highly recommended as a core addition to college and university Contemporary Physics
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and
academia that "Manipulating Quantum Systems: An Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and
Optical Physics" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $69.99).
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
The Animated Marx Brothers
Matthew Hahn
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629332253, $30.00, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Animated-Marx-Brothers-Hardback/dp/1629332259
Synopsis: To many people, The Marx Brothers (almost universally known today by their stage
names: Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo) always seemed cartoonish. Small wonder
that film animators plucked their personas from their first appearances in The Cocoanuts (1929)
and Animal Crackers (1930) and caricatured them in countless animated appearances in
theatrical cartoons. Their animated likenesses have since been wisecracking in television
cartoons, direct-to-video movies, fan films, commercials, flip books, avatars, emoji, a slot
machine, and two TV pilots so rare they were once thought not to exist.
At last, Marx Brothers fans can rejoice with the publication of "The Animated Marx Brothers" as
author Matthew Hahn's search for every animated appearance of a Marx brother has trailed
longer than Groucho's coattails. His discoveries include the backstories of the studios,
moviemakers, and stars, rare test drawings from the Smithsonian Institution National Portrait
Gallery, abandoned projects, connections, coincidences, and apocrypha.
Through the reels of Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes, and Merrie Melodies, to their comic
clashes with Heckle & Jeckle, Oswald Rabbit, Krazy Kat, Pooch the Pup, Buddy, Cubby, Willie
Whopper, Flip the Frog, and Popeye, journey back through the most detailed analyses ever
compiled of animated Marx Brothers appearances. "The Animated Marx Brothers" also draws
from appearances in You Bet Your Life (1950), Quick Draw McGraw (1959), The Simpsons
(1989), Tiny Toon Adventures (1990), and Animaniacs (1993), among many others.
Featured contributions and contributors include Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Walter Lantz, Rudold
Ising, Hugh Harman, Shamus Culhane, Joe Grant, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, T.
Hee, Robert McKimson, Bob Godfre, Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera, Michael Maltese, Daws Butler,
Dayton Allen; Pat Harrington, Jr.; Frank Felker, Frank Ferrante, Dan Castellanata, Laurel &
Hardy, Joe E. Brown, Greta Garbo, Frank Nelson, and Jerry Colonna.
Critique: With the inclusion of an informative Foreword by Joe Adamson (an authority on The
Marx Brothers and animation) and an Epilogue that contains a never-before-published Groucho
anecdote, a Bibliography, and an Index, "The Animated Marx Brothers" is a 'must read' for the
legions of Marx Brothers fans and certain to be an enduringly popular and valued addition to
community, college, and university library Theatre/Cinema/TV collections.
Editorial Note: Matthew Hahn is an award-winning filmmaker whose research for this subject
took more than thirty years -- and the wait was well worth it!
Out of the Shadows
Leslee Asch
Inform Press
https://inform-press.com
9780578665344, $45.00, HC, 248pp
What is the first name that comes to mind when you hear the word puppet? Likely, it's Jim
Henson. Many books and thousands of pages have been written about Jim Henson's life and
work. "Out of the Shadows: The Henson Festivals and Their Impact on Contemporary Puppet
Theater" by Leslee Asch, however, is the first book to focus solely on his love of the field of
puppetry, an important and as yet unexplored aspect of Jim Henson's lasting legacy. The Jim
Henson Foundation's International Puppet Festivals brought puppet theater into mainstream
American theater.
Jim Henson knew that in order to introduce U.S. audiences to puppet theater our American
companies would need to be seen with the best in the world. Thus, a festival! To realize Jim
Henson's vision for a puppetry festival in New York, the author served as producing director,
working with Jim's daughter Cheryl, who served as executive producer, to produce five
award-winning festivals that would equal the European festivals and put U.S. puppet artists on
the international stage.
Between 1992 and 2000, The Jim Henson Foundation presented five International Festivals of
Puppet Theater in New York City, and developed a national touring program. The festivals
presented 136 different productions from 31 countries in 24 theaters throughout New York City.
Over 120,000 people attended New York performances; nearly 400,000 saw exhibitions; 100,000
more attended Festival on Tour performances; and millions of people read about the
festivals.
"Out of the Shadows" examines the festivals and their continued legacy, including a look at the
contemporary puppet theater landscape. This year, 2020, is the 20th Anniversary of the last
Henson Festival and the 30th Anniversary of Jim Henson's death. It is time to reflect back.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Jim Henson fans, "Out of the Shadows: The
Henson Festivals and Their Impact on Contemporary Puppet Theater" will prove to be an
immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community,
college and university library Theatre/Cinema/TV collections in general, and Contemporary
Puppetry studies in particular.
Editorial Note: Leslee Asch worked for Jim Henson and the Jim Henson Company for over
twenty years. She began her career as a puppet builder, and went on to serve as Director of
Exhibitions for Jim Henson Productions, curating and managing exhibitions world-wide. She
also served as Executive Director of the Jim Henson Foundation and Producing Director of the
Henson International Festivals of Puppet Theater. She is a recognized expert in the field and has
published articles and catalogs on the subject, including The Art of Contemporary Puppet
Theater for the Katonah Museum of Art. She developed a performing arts series integrating the
performing and visual arts while serving as Executive Director of Silvermine Arts Center. As a
member of the Flinn Gallery Committee, she continues to curate exhibitions.
The Native American Studies Shelf
All Guns Fired at One Time
Jerome A. Greene
South Dakota Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813331, $34.95, HC, 289pp
https://www.amazon.com/All-Guns-Fired-One-Time/dp/194181333X
Synopsis: Historians and others have long debated events surrounding the Wounded Knee
Massacre of December 1890, which followed decades of conflict between American Indians and
the United States Army in the West. Government officials, reporters, and white Americans
quickly appropriated the tragedy that took place on Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota,
creating narratives of the events that echoed longstanding federal Indian policy.
"All Guns Fired at One Time: Native Voices of Wounded Knee" by historian and author Jerome
A. Greene sets aside official narratives of what was once called a "battle" and centers instead on
the voices of survivors and witnesses. Their memories shed new light on the day that ultimately
ended in the loss of over two hundred Lakota men, women, and children.
Critique: A seminal work of simply outstanding and meticulously detailed scholarship, "All Guns
Fired at One Time: Native Voices of Wounded Knee" is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, college and university library Native American
History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jerome A. Greene is the author of twenty-three books in addition to many
scholarly articles and government reports. Following studies at the University of Oklahoma,
Greene taught American Indian history at Haskell Indian Nations University. He then began a
career as a research historian with the National Park Service, retiring in 2007 after over forty
years of government service. His 2014 book "American Carnage: Wounded Knee, 1890"
(University of Oklahoma Press, 9780806144481, $34.95 HC, $16.17 Kindle, 620pp) received a
Spur Award for Best Western Historical Nonfiction from the Western Writers of America.
Indian Tribes of Oklahoma: A Guide
Blue Clark
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806164489, $24.95, PB, 464pp
https://www.oupress.com/books/15310200/indian-tribes-of-oklahoma
Synopsis: Oklahoma is home to nearly forty American Indian tribes and includes the largest
Native population of any state. As a result, many Americans think of the state as "Indian
Country." In 2009, Blue Clark, an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, produced
an invaluable reference for information on the state's Native peoples. Now, building on the
success of the first edition of "Indian Tribes Of Oklahoma: A Guide", this newly revised and
expanded guide offers an up-to-date survey of the diverse nations that make up Oklahoma's
Indian Country.
Since publication of the first edition more than a decade ago, much has changed across Indian
Country -- and more is known about its history and culture. Drawing from both scholarly
literature and Native oral sources, Clark incorporates the most recent archaeological and
anthropological research to provide insights into each individual tribe dating back to prehistoric
times.
Today, the thirty-nine federally recognized tribes of Oklahoma continue to make advances in the
areas of tribal governance, commerce, and all forms of arts and literature. This new edition of
"Indian Tribes Of Oklahoma: A Guide" encompasses the expansive range of tribal actions and
interests in the state, including the rise of Native nation casino operations and nongaming
industries, and the establishment of new museums and cultural attractions.
In keeping with the user-friendly format of the original edition, "Indian Tribes Of Oklahoma: A
Guide" provides readers with the unique story of each tribe, presented in alphabetical order, from
the Alabama-Quassartes to the Yuchis. Each entry contains a complete statistical and narrative
summary of the tribe, covering everything from origin tales to contemporary ceremonies and
tribal businesses. The entries also include tribal websites, suggested readings, and photographs
depicting visitor sites, events, and prominent tribal personages.
Critique: The definitive reference and resource on Oklahoma's Native American tribal
organizations, this new and impressively informative second edition of "Indian Tribes Of
Oklahoma: A Guide" must be considered a mandatory and core addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Native American Studies collections and
supplemental curriculum reference lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers that "Indian Tribes Of Oklahoma: A Guide" is also readily available in
a digital book format from the University of Oklahoma Press. (9780806167619, $TBA)
Editorial Note: Blue Clark holds the David Pendleton Chair in American Indian Studies and is
Professor of Law at Oklahoma City University. An enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek)
Nation and an active supporter of American Indian cultural institutions, he is the author of Lone
Wolf v. Hitchcock: Treaty Rights and Indian Law at the End of the Nineteenth Century.
They Met at Wounded Knee: The Eastmans' Story
Gretchen Cassel Eick
University of Nevada Press
Mail Stop 0166, Reno, NV, 89557-0166
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9781948908726, $45.00, HC, 372pp
https://www.amazon.com/They-Met-Wounded-Knee-Eastmans/dp/1948908727
Synopsis: When Charles Ohiyesa Eastman, a degreed Dakota physician with an East Coast
university education, met Elaine Goodale, a teacher and supervisor of education among the
Sioux, they were about to witness one of the worst massacres in U.S. history: the 1890 Wounded
Knee Massacre. As Charles and Elaine witnessed the horror, they formed a bond that would carry
them across the United States as they become advocates for Native Americans, whistle-blowing
the corruption and racism of the nation's Native American policies.
They used their lives to fight for citizenship and equal rights for indigenous people. Charles built
a national organization of and for Native Americans that paralleled the NAACP. He brought
Indian ways into the popular scouting movement. They each wrote eleven books, lobbied
Congress, made speeches, wrote articles, and protested the steady erosion of indigenous rights
and resources.
In this double biography, social and political history combine to paint vivid pictures of the time.
Gretchen Cassel Eick deftly connects the experiences and responses of Native Americans with
those of African Americans and white progressives during the period from the Civil War to
World War II. In addition, tensions between the Eastmans mirror the dilemmas of gender,
cultural pluralism, and the ethnic differences that Charles and Elaine faced as they worked to
make a nation care about Native American impoverishment.
The Eastmans' story is a national story, but it is also intensely personal. It reveals the price
American reformers paid for their activism and the cost exacted for American citizenship. This
thoughtful book brings a bleak chapter in American history alive and will cause readers to think
about the connections between Charles and Elaine's time and ours.
Critique: An inherently interesting work of seminal and meticulous scholarship by history
professor Gretchn Cassel Eick, "They Met at Wounded Knee: The Eastmans' Story" is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university
library Native American Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "They Met at Wounded Knee: The Eastmans' Story" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.75).
Editorial Note: Gretchen Cassel Eick is an a professor of history at Friends University in Wichita,
Kansas. She and her husband divide their year between Witchita and Mostar, Bosnia and
Herzegovina(BiH), where they teach in the English Department of the Dzemal Bijedic University
in Mostar, BiH.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Woman Who Spoke to Spirits
Alys Clare
Charnwood Large Print / Thorpe
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780727888686, $28.99, HC, Large Print, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Worlds-Bureau-Victorian-Mystery/dp/0727888684
Synopsis: London, 1880. When accounts clerk Ernest Stibbins approaches the World's End
investigation bureau with wild claims that his wife Albertina has been warned by her spirit
guides that someone is out to harm her, the bureau's owner Lily Raynor and her new employee
Felix Wilbraham are initially skeptical. How are the two private enquiry agents supposed to
investigate threats from beyond the grave? But after she attends a seance at the Stibbins family
home, Lily comes to realize that Albertina is in terrible danger. And very soon so too is Lily
herself!
Critique: Deftly combining elements of the supernatural and a suspense thriller of a mystery,
"The Woman Who Spoke To Spirits" by Alys Clare is a tour-de-force historical novel set in
Victorian era England. An original and impressively entertaining read from beginning to end,
"The Woman Who Spoke To Spirits" is the debut novel for the author's 'World's End Bureau'
mystery series and will leave reader's looking eagerly toward the next one from the mind and
imagination of Alys Clare. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
personal reading lists and community library collections, this large print hardcover edition of
"The Woman Who Spoke To Spirits" is especially and unreservedly recommended.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Copsi Castle
Norah Lofts
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418259, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 430pp
https://www.amazon.com/Copsi-Castle-Norah-Lofts/dp/1785418254
Synopsis: Copsi Castle has handed down from father to son since the time of William the
Conqueror and now belongs to Sir Harald Copsey, a kindly gentleman who adores his home. But
Magnus, his only son and heir, is cut from a different bolt of cloth.
Harald has indulged Magnus over the years, overlooking his erratic extremes of behaviour. When
Magnus obsessively sets his mind upon marrying a local tenant farmer's daughter,
sixteen-year-old Hannah Reeve, Harald, initially appalled at his son's choice, overcomes his
misgivings over the match. His son needs an heir -- and who would otherwise be induced to
marry a madman?
Hannah, finding herself at a crossroads when tragedy strikes her family, agrees to marry Magnus
-- but sudden elevation to the gentry cannot recompense her adequately for what she is forced to
endure.
Critique: Set in 1836, "Copsi Castle" is pure entertainment in the form of a deftly crafted
historical novel with that very special Norah Lofts storytelling touch. This large print hardcover
edition of "Copsi Castle" is unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction
collections and a 'must read' selection for the legions of Norah Lofts fans.
Day of Days
John Smolens
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
9781611863819, $29.95, HC, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Day-Days-John-Smolens/dp/1611863813
Synopsis: In the spring of 1927, Andrew Kehoe, the treasurer for the school board in Bath,
Michigan, spent weeks surreptitiously wiring the public school, as well as his farm, with
hundreds of pounds of dynamite. The explosions on May 18, the day before graduation, killed
and maimed dozens of children, as well as teachers, administrators, and village residents,
including Kehoe's wife, Nellie. A respected member of the community, Kehoe himself died when
he ignited his truck, which he had loaded with crates of explosives and scrap metal.
Decades later, one survivor, Beatrice Marie Turcott, recalls the spring of 1927 and how this
haunting experience leads her to the conviction that one does not survive the present without
reconciling hard truths about the past. In its portrayal of several Bath school children, "Day of
Days", although a work of expertly crafted historical fiction, deftly examines how such traumatic
events scar one's life long after the dead are laid to rest and physical wounds heal, and how an
anguished but resilient American village copes with the bombing, which at the time seemed
incomprehensible, and yet now may be considered a harbinger of the future.
Critique: Offering a compelling, entertaining, thought-provoking, narrative driven storytelling by
an accomplished novelist, John Smolen's "Day of Days" is one of those works of fiction that will
linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the
shelf. While especially recommended for both community and college/university library
Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Day of Days" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).
Editorial Note: John Smolens has published ten novels and a collection of short stories. He is
Professor Emeritus at Northern Michigan University, where he taught in the English Department
and served as the Director of the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing. In 2010 he
was the recipient of the Michigan Author Award from the Michigan Library Association.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Road Out of Winter
Alison Stine
Mira Books
195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
www.mirabooks.com
9780778309925, $17.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Out-Winter-Alison-Stine/dp/0778309924
Synopsis: Wylodine comes from a world of paranoia and poverty because her family grows
marijuana illegally, and life has always been a battle. Now she's been left behind to tend the crop
alone. Then spring doesn't return for the second year in a row, bringing unprecedented, extreme
winter.
With grow lights stashed in her truck and a pouch of precious seeds, she begins a journey,
determined to start over away from Appalachian Ohio. But the icy roads and strangers hidden in
the hills are treacherous. After a harrowing encounter with a violent cult, Wil and her small
group of exiles become a target for the cult's volatile leader. Because she has the most valuable
skill in the climate chaos: she can make things grow.
Critique: Providing a very realistic dystopian vision of the near future, "Road Out of Winter" by
novelist Alison Stine is a deftly scripted and compelling read from first page to last. Certain to be
an enduringly appreciated addition to both community and college/university library
Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Road Out of Winter" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781799918882, $39.99, CD).
The Unmasking: A Novel
Lynn C. Miller
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826361714, $19.95, PB, 246pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-Novel-Lynn-C-Miller/dp/0826361714
Synopsis: Best friends Bettina, Miriam, and Fiona are shocked when their dean of liberal studies
dies in a single-car accident amid accusations of mishandling university funds. They suspect
murder, especially after learning that the dean's estranged wife will inherit three million
dollars.
Events take a surprising turn when they travel from Austin, Texas, to a Chautauqua performance
in Silver City, New Mexico, where they join several others, some with questionable motives,
including the dean's wife and her lover. In the close confines of the lodge, the group brings to life
remarkable women from history -- including Victoria Woodhull, Gertrude Stein, Edith Wharton,
Mabel Dodge Luhan, and Virginia Woolf. But when one woman is kidnapped and another
disappears, the friends' lives are forever changed as they realize that the masks we wear often
hide chilling truths.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and a
distinctively riveting narrative storytelling style, "The Unmasking" by author Lynn C. Miller is an
extraordinary, memorable, timely and timeless addition to both community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Unmasking" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lynn C. Miller is the author and coauthor of several books, including The Day
After Death: A Novel (UNM Press) and Death of a Department Chair: A Novel. She has
performed a number of solo performance pieces and plays about Edith Wharton, Gertrude Stein,
Katherine Anne Porter, and Victoria Woodhull.
Compassion Michigan: The Ironwood Stories
Raymond Luczak
Modern History Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9627
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615995288, $33.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Compassion-Michigan-Ironwood-Raymond-Luczak/dp/1615995285
Synopsis: Doesn't history matter anymore? Could we still have compassion for others who don't
share our views? Encompassing some 130 years in Ironwood's history, "Compassion, Michigan:
The Ironwood Stories" by Raymond Luczak (who is a Yooper native, and either the author or the
editor of 24 books -- including Flannelwood) illuminates characters struggling to adapt to their
circumstances starting in the present day, with its subsequent stories rolling back in time to when
Ironwood was first founded.
These are deftly crafted and engaging stories about what does it mean to live in a small town (so
laden with its glory day reminiscences) against the stark economic realities of today.
A Deaf woman, born into a large, hearing family, looks back on her turbulent relationship with
her younger, hearing sister.
A gas station clerk reflects on Stella Draper, the woman who ran an ice cream parlor only to kill
herself on her 33rd birthday.
A devout mother has a crisis of faith when her son admits that their priest molested him.
A bank teller, married to a soldier convicted of treason during the Korean War, gradually falls for
a cafeteria worker.
A young transgender man, with a knack for tailoring menswear, escapes his wealthy Detroit
background for a chance to live truly as himself in Ironwood.
When a handsome single man is attracted to her, a popular schoolteacher enters into a marriage
of convenience only to wonder if she's made the right decision.
Critique: The twin roles of the literary short story are to entertain and to provoke thought. As an
author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that keeps
the readers total and rapt attention to what they are reading, author Raymond Lucazk has created
an impressive body of work with "Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories". While
especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library
Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781615995271, $21.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).
Editorial Note: Raymond Luczak is a Yooper native, is the author and editor of 24 books,
including Flannelwood.
The Western Fiction Shelf
To The Far Sierras
Will DuRey
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844924, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Far-Sierras-Will-DuRey/dp/144484492X
Synopsis: When drifter Tom Belman's horse is stolen in the Texas panhandle, his pursuit of the
young thief leads to an unfriendly reunion with a former soldier in his unit, Lou Currier, now
sheriff of the small town of Ortega Point. A subsequent lynching compels Tom to find and return
to her home an unknown woman who is also being sought by Currier's posse. But her
investigation into the affairs of a local businessman upon returning to Ortega Point will put
herself and Belman in grave danger.
Critique: Another deftly crafted, guns blazing, cliff hanger of a western adventure novel by Will
DuRey, this large print edition of "To The Far Sierras" from the Linford Western Library is an
inherently entertaining read that is unreservedly recommended for community library Western
Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western novel fans.
Iron Eyes Unchained
Rory Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844948, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Eyes-Unchained-Rory-Black/dp/1444844946
Synopsis: In a quest taking him all the way from Mexico to the forests of the West, the
notoriously lethal bounty hunter known as Iron Eyes is tracking down his errant and self-
appointed sweetheart Squirrel Sally who had absconded with his bounty payment of gold coins
with the idea of finally getting his romantic attention..
However, unbeknown to Iron Eyes, two unscrupulous and competitive bounty hunters, envious
of his success in his profession are pursuing him with a view to a kill. Iron Eyes is unwittingly
riding into the jaws of Hell itself and will not survive a hostile group of Indians and a three man
gang of seasoned murders unless his stalwart horse, his two six guns, and his luck can hold
out!
Critique: Another deftly crafted gem of western action/adventure, "Iron Eyes Unchained" is the
newest novel from the pen of author Rory Black and is a 'must' for the legions of Iron Eyes fans.
This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library will prove to be an
especially welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
Guns Across The Rio Grande
Jack Tregarth
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444844962, $21.49, PB, Large Print, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Across-Grande-Jack-Tregarth/dp/1444844962
Synopsis: When Captain Barnabas Quinnell, late of the defeated Confederate army, decides to
smuggle a cart carrying a ton and a half of Henry repeater rifles and ammo into Mexico with his
band of bushwhackers, it seems like a simple, straightforward and profitable enterprise. He hasn't
counted, though, on the Mexican officer who has been charged with putting an end to such
gun-running. When Colonel Lopez and Captain Quinnell come face to face, only one of them
will emerge alive from the bloody confrontation!
Critique: Another original and deftly written western novel by veteran western author Jack
Tregarth, "Guns Across The Rio Grande" is another impressively entertaining read that will have
a special attractions for all dedicated western action/adventure fans. This large print edition of
"Guns Across The Rio Grande" is highly recommended -- especially for community library
Western Fiction collections!
Wagon Captain
E. E. Halleran
Sagebrush Lare Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785416996, $30.59, PB, Large Print, 246pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785416996
Synopsis: It's going to take a lot of luck to survive on the Bozeman trail in view of the rising
threat of Indian attacks -- but luck is what ex-union army officer and now wagon captain Ross
Sheldon has in spades.
From the flood-ravaged plains of Nebraska to the dust-strewn canyons of Wyoming, his new
freight business goes from strength to strength -- until he agrees to help the US army out by
hauling weapons and lumber to the new fort they're building, right in the heart of Indian
territory.
Wanted on suspicion of criminal activity, dodging snipers and raiding parties, and himself on the
hunt for renegades smuggling guns to the Sioux, Sheldon's got plenty to keep him busy --
including a strong minded young woman insistent on coming along to keep an eye on him. But
when he's caught off guard in a brutal blizzard and held captive by a murderer keen to make a
profit from the Indian troubles, it looks like his luck may finally have run out!
Critique: Another carefully crafted and expertly plotted action/adventure western from a master
of the genre, "Wagon Captain" by E. E. Halleran is a thoroughly compelling and entertaining
read from beginning to cliff-hanger ending. This large print paperback edition of "Wagon
Captain" will prove to be a welcome and popular addition to personal reading lists and
community library Western Fiction collections.
The Cowboy Way: Stories of the Old West
Elmer Kelton
Forge
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250768957, $24.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Way-Stories-Old-West/dp/1250768950
Synopsis: No one writes short stories (or full length novels) set in the old west like seven-time
Spur Award-winning author Elmer Kelton. In "The Cowboy Way", Kelton captures the action,
adventure, brotherhood and betrayal of the old west, chronicling the highs and lows of cowboy
life in these sixteen stories, collected together for the first time.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Elmer Kelton fans, "The Cowboy Way" is
superbly crafted and thoroughly entertaining set of short stories that western fiction buffs will
greatly appreciate. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library
Western Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Cowboy Way"
is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781250768971, $16.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Elmer Kelton (April 29, 1926 - August 22, 2009) was the award-winning author
of more than forty novels, including The Time It Never Rained, Other Men's Horses, Texas
Standoff and Hard Trail to Follow. He grew up on a ranch near Crane, Texas, and earned a
journalism degree from the University of Texas. His first novel, Hot Iron, was published in 1956.
Among his awards were seven Spurs from Western Writers of America and four Western
Heritage awards from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. His novel The Good Old Boys was
made into a television film starring Tommy Lee Jones.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Girl In The Water
A. J. Grayson
Charnwood Large Print / Thorpe
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444843897, $37.00, HC, Large Print, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Water-J-Grayson/dp/1444843893
Synopsis: Amber adores her husband David and their dog Sadie, and her job working at a local
bookstore. But when the body of a young woman is found in a stretch of river near their house,
her world begins to collapse. The headaches she has been experiencing start to intensify, and she
struggles to maintain a shaky hold on her own thoughts and memories.
When Amber makes a chilling discovery in her home, she starts to doubt her husband and
everything they have built their lives on. And as she probes deeper into the identity of the dead
woman, the answers she uncovers will plunge her into a terrifying world where nothing, and no
one, are what they seem!
Critique: A carefully crafted and impressively entertaining mystery that plays fair with the reader,
"The Girl In The Water" showcases the narrative storytelling talents of novelist A. J. Grawson
and will prove to be a popular, welcome and appreciated addition to the personal reading lists of
all dedicated mystery/suspense fans. This large print hardcover edition of "The Girl In The
Water" is unreservedly recommended for any and all community library collections.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation
Edward O. Wilson, author
Jim Ottaviani, author
C. M. Butzer, illustrator
Island Press
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610919586, $28.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Naturalist-Graphic-Adaptation-Edward-Wilson/dp/1610919580
Synopsis: Regarded as one of the world's preeminent biologists, Edward O. Wilson spent his
boyhood exploring the forests and swamps of south Alabama and the Florida panhandle,
collecting snakes, butterflies, and ants -- the latter to become his lifelong specialty. His memoir
"Naturalist", is an inspiring account of Wilson's growth as a scientist and the evolution of the
fields he helped define. This graphic edition from Island Press is adapted by Jim Ottaviani and
illustrated by C. M. Butzer, and brings Wilson's childhood and celebrated career to life through
dynamic full-color illustrations and Wilson's own lyric writing.
In this graphic novel style adaptation of "Naturalist", vivid illustrations draw readers in to
Wilson's lifelong quest to explore and protect the natural world. His success began not with an
elite education but an insatiable curiosity about Earth's wild creatures, and this new edition of
Naturalist makes Wilson's work accessible for anyone who shares his passion. On every page,
striking art adds immediacy and highlights the warmth and sense of humor that sets Wilson's
writing apart.
"Naturalist" was written as an invitation and as a reminder to the reader that curiosity is vital and
scientific exploration is open to all of us. Each dynamic frame of this graphic adaptation deepens
Wilson's message, renewing his call to discover and celebrate the little things of the world.
Critique: Entertaining, absorbing, informative, insightful, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
presentation, and inherently interesting from first page to last, "Naturalist: A Graphic
Adaptation" will prove to be a uniquely welcome and enduringly popular addition to community
and college/university library biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.39).
Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson
Sharon Rudahl, author/illustrator
Rutgers University Press
106 Somerset St., 3rd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
9781978802087, $49.95, HC, 142pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ballad-American-Graphic-Biography-Robeson/dp/1978802080
Synopsis: "Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson" is the first-ever
graphic biography of Paul Robeson and charts Robeson's career as a singer, actor, scholar,
athlete, and activist who achieved global fame.
It was through his films, concerts, and records, that, as an African-American, Robeson became a
potent symbol representing the promise of a multicultural, multiracial American democracy at a
time when, despite his stardom, he was denied personal access to his many audiences.
Robeson was a major figure in the rise of anti-colonialism in Africa and elsewhere, and a tireless
campaigner for internationalism, peace, and human rights. Later in life, he embraced the civil
rights and antiwar movements with the hope that new generations would attain his ideals of a
peaceful and abundant world.
"Ballad of an American" features beautifully drawn chapters by artist Sharon Rudahl, a
compelling narrative about his life, and an afterword on the lasting impact of Robeson's work in
both the arts and politics. This graphic biography will enable all kinds of readers (especially
newer generations who may be unfamiliar with him) to understand his life's story and everlasting
global significance.
Critique: An inherently reader engaging and impressively informative biography, "Ballad of an
American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson" will prove to be an extraordinary and
enduringly appreciated addition to school, community, college, and university library American
Biography and Black Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the life and
career of Paul Robeson that "Ballad of an American" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781978802070, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: "Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson" is published in
conjunction with Rutgers University's centennial commemoration of Robeson's 1919 graduation
from the university.
Plutocracy: Chronicles of a Global Monopoly
Abraham Martinez
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681122687, $24.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plutocracy-Chronicles-Monopoly-Abraham-Martinez/dp/1681122685
Synopsis: In the year 2051 the world's largest corporation, The Company, has seized power on a
planetary scale and runs the world as if it were a business. In a plutocracy, the richer one is, the
more powerful one is. In this context, an anonymous citizen becomes compelled to uncover how
the world came to this situation, without paying any attention to the official version. Several
members of the government end up encouraging him to carry out this investigation by giving him
access to all information. He decides to discover the true history of The Company and the various
interests that are trying to influence his investigation.
Critique: Highly entertaining while at the same time thought-provoking with respect to the role
that plutocracy plays in the world today, "Plutocracy: Chronicles of a Global Monopoly" by
Abraham Martinez is an absorbing read from first page to last. While very highly recommended
for both community and college/university library collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Plutocracy: Chronicles of a Global Monopoly" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle / comiXology, $12.99).
The American History Shelf
Black History 1619-2019
Sandra K. Yocum & Frances Presley Rice
Paragon House
3600 Labore Road, Suite 1, St. Paul, MN 55110-4144
https://www.paragonhouse.com/wp
9781557789440, $39.95, HC, 512pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-History-1619-2019-Illustrated-African-American/dp/1557789444
Synopsis: "Black History 1619-2019: An Illustrated and Documented African-American History"
by Sandra K. Yocum and Frances Presley Rice is an inspiring and educational journey through
American history. It is an in-depth look at the events which shaped the lives and contributions of
the African-American community in the United States of America.
"Black History 1619-2019" is specifically designed to restore the integrity of African-American
history and is based on extensive research and documentation related to the African-American
experience from the era of slavery until modern times. In this landmark history, Yocum and Rice
promote awareness and preserve significant information and material that can replace revisionist
accounts of African-American history.
"Black History 1619-2019" is an African-American study that is richly illustrated with 393
photos, maps, and illustrations that portray the real lives of African-Americans during slavery,
the Civil War, reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, and beyond. This history
documents the profound impact that African-Americans have made on the history of the United
States and its culture.
"Black History 1619-2019" also contains fourteen well-researched chapters starting with Chapter
1, Colonial Domestic Slave Trade (1619 - 1775), and ending with Chapter 14, Post-Civil Rights
Movement (1967 - 2019). Each chapter is dedicated to revealing the truth and correcting
misrepresentations about black history. Of special note is how "Black History 1619-2019" is
packed with images that tell the written story visually.
Critique: An ideal curriculum textbook for Black Studies and American History curriculums,
"Black History 1619-2019: An Illustrated and Documented African-American History" is
exceptionally well written, organized and presented for the edification and education of the
reader. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university
library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia,
political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Black
History 1619-2019: An Illustrated and Documented African-American History" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Sandra K. Yocum is the Founder/President of the Yocum African-American
History Association. Since the late 1960s, when she taught second grade students in Watts, the
predominately black community in Los Angeles, she became aware that black students knew
little about their own history, or how African-Americans for centuries overcame obstacles and
achieved success. As she delved into civil rights history she found omissions and revisionism in
history texts that prevent students and teachers from knowing the truth about black history. This
discovery caused her to compile her extensive research for "Black History 1619 to 2019".
Frances P. Rice is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of active service and several
distinguished medals. She holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California,
Hastings College of Law and a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University,
San Francisco. She worked for McDonnell Douglas a government contract advisor on the law of
space exploration. She taught Business Law for the European Division of the University of
Maryland in Brussels, Belgium. She has been researching black history since the 1960s and is a
co-founder of the Yocum African-American History Association.
The Whigs' America
Joseph W. Pearson
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813179728, $45.00, HC, 238pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whigs-America-Middle-Class-Political-Thought/dp/0813179726
Synopsis: The political polarization of the American populace in the first two decades of the 21st
century is not a new phenomena. Passionate political disagreement is as old as the American
Republic, and the antebellum era (the thirty years before the Civil War) was as rife with partisan
discord as any in our history. From 1834 to 1856, the Whigs battled their opponents, the
Jacksonian Democrats, for offices, prestige, and power. The partisan expression of America's
rising middle class, the Whigs boasted such famous members as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster,
and William Henry Seward, and the party supported tariffs, banks, internal improvements, moral
reform, and public education.
In "The Whigs' America: Middle-Class Political Thought in the Age of Jackson and Clay",
Joseph W. Pearson (Associate Professor of History at Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky)
explores a variety of topics, including the Whigs' understanding of the role of the individual in
American politics, their perceptions of political power and the rule of law, and their impressions
of the past and what should be learned from history.
Long dismissed as a party bereft of ideas, Professor Pearson provides a counterbalance to this
trend through an attentive examination of writings from party leaders, contemporaneous
newspapers, and other sources. Throughout, he shows that the party attracted optimistic
Americans seeking achievement, community, and meaning through collaborative effort and
self-control in a world growing more and more impersonal.
Professor Pearson effectively demonstrates that, while the Whigs never achieved the electoral
success of their opponents, they were rich with ideas. His detailed study adds complexity and
nuance to the history of the antebellum era by illuminating significant aspects of a deeply felt,
shared culture that informed and shaped a changing nation.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an informative nine page Foreword, forty-
four pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "The Whigs'
America: Middle-Class Political Thought in the Age of Jackson and Clay" is an impressive work
of meticulous and detailed scholarship, making it an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to community, college, and university library American History 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 Whigs' America: Middle-Class Political Thought in the Age of
Jackson and Clay" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.99).
The World History Shelf
The Black Death
John Aberth
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780199937981, $24.95, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Death-History-Mortality-1347-1500/dp/0199937982
Synopsis: In "The Black Death: A New History of the Great Mortality, 1347-1350", John Aberth
(who received his Ph.D. in Medieval History from the University of Cambridge, UK and
specialized in the history of the Black Death and disease) provides the most authoritative,
up-to-date treatment of the Black Death, giving not just a narrative account but also a thorough
examination of the latest forensic, historical, and DNA evidence to date.
Offering new information, research, and debates that have not been covered before in previous
works, the unique text comprising "The Black Death: A New History of the Great Mortality,
1347-1350" is certain to be the new standard historical reference resource on the Black
Death.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of figures, images, maps, tables, a fourteen
page Appendix (The Great Denial of Plague), an eight page Select Bibliography, one hundred
twenty-eight pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "The Black Death: A New History of the
Great Mortality, 1347-1350" is recommended as an essential, core addition to community,
college, and university Medieval History collections in general, and Black Death pandemic
supplemental curriculum studies reading lists in particular.
The Civil War Shelf
Defending the Arteries of Rebellion
Neil P. Chatelain
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215106, $32.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Defending-Arteries-Rebellion-Confederate-Mississippi/dp/1611215102
Synopsis: American Civil War studies of the Mississippi River usually focus on Union
campaigns to open and control it, while overlooking Southern attempts to stop them. But Neil
Chatelain's "Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the
Mississippi River Valley, 1861-1865" presents the other side of the story in the first modern
full-length treatment of inland naval operations from the Confederate perspective.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis realized the value of the Mississippi River and its entire
valley, which he described as the "great artery of the Confederacy." This was the key internal
highway that controlled the fledgling nation's transportation network. Davis and Stephen
Mallory, his secretary of the navy, knew these vital logistical paths had to be held, and offered
potential highways of invasion for Union warships and armies to stab their way deep into the
heart of the Confederacy.
They planned to protect these arteries of rebellion by crafting a ring of powerful fortifications
supported by naval forces. Different military branches, however, including the navy, marine
corps, army, and revenue service, as well as civilian privateers and even state naval forces,
competed for scarce resources to operate their own vessels. A lack of industrial capacity further
complicated Confederate efforts and guaranteed the South's grand vision of deploying dozens of
river gunboats and powerful ironclads would never be fully realized.
Despite these limitations, the Southern war machine introduced numerous innovations and
alternate defenses including the Confederacy's first operational ironclad, the first successful use
of underwater torpedoes, widespread use of army-navy joint operations, and the employment of
extensive river obstructions. When the Mississippi River came under complete Union control in
1863, Confederate efforts shifted to the river's many tributaries, where a bitter and deadly
struggle ensued to control these internal lifelines. Despite a lack of ships, material, personnel,
funding, and unified organization, the Confederacy fought desperately and scored many localized
tactical victories (often won at great cost) but failed at the strategic level.
Critique: A meticulously researched, impressively informative, and seminal work of historical
research, "Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi
River Valley, 1861-1865" is an extraordinary contribution to the growing body of American Civil
War histories and is unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university
library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for the personal reading roster of students, academia, Civil War history buffs, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Deffending the Arteries of
Rebellion" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note, Neil P. Chatelain is a former Navy Surface Warfare Officer and grounds his study
in extensive archival and firsthand accounts, official records, and a keen understanding of terrain
and geography.
Tullahoma
David A. Powell & Eric J. Wittenberg
http://www.ericwittenberg.com
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215045, $34.95, HC, 408pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tullahoma-Forgotten-Campaign-Changed-Course/dp/1611215048
Synopsis: On June 23, 1863, the Union General Rosecrans, with some 60,000 men, initiated a
classic campaign of maneuver against Confederate General Bragg's 40,000. Confronted with
rugged terrain and a heavily entrenched foe, Rosecrans intended to defeat Bragg through strategy
rather than bloodshed by outflanking him and seizing control of Bragg's supply line, the
Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, at Tullahoma and thus force him to fight a battle outside of
his extensive earthworks. It almost worked.
The complex and fascinating campaign included deceit, hard marching, fighting, and incredible
luck -- both good and bad. Rosecrans executed a pair of feints against Guy's Gap and Liberty Gap
to deceive the Rebels into thinking the main blow would fall somewhere other than where it was
designed to strike. An ineffective Confederate response exposed one of Bragg's flanks (and his
entire army) to complete disaster. Torrential rains and consequential decisions in the field
wreaked havoc on the best-laid plans.
Still Bragg hesitated, teetering on the brink of losing the second most important field army in the
Confederacy. The hour was late and time was short, and his limited withdrawal left the armies
poised for a climactic engagement that may have decided the fate of Middle Tennessee, and
perhaps the war. Finally fully alert to the mortal threat facing him, Bragg pulled back from the
iron jaws of defeat about to engulf him and retreated -- this time all the way to Chattanooga, the
gateway to the rest of the Southern Confederacy.
For "Tullahoma: The Forgotten Campaign that Changed the Course of the Civil War, June 23 -
July 4, 1863", American Civil War scholars David A. Powell and Eric J. Witten Wittenberg have
mined hundreds of archival and firsthand accounts to craft a splendid study of this overlooked
campaign that set the stage for the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, the removal of
Rosecrans and Bragg from the chessboard of war, the elevation of U.S. Grant to command all
Union armies, and the early stages of William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Tullahoma
(arguably one of the most brilliantly executed major campaigns of the war) was pivotal to Union
success in 1863 and beyond. And now readers everywhere will know precisely why.
July 1863 was a momentous month in the American Civil War. News of Gettysburg and
Vicksburg electrified the North and devastated the South. Sandwiched geographically between
those victories and lost in the heady tumult of events was news that William S. Rosecrans's Army
of the Cumberland had driven Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee entirely out of Middle
Tennessee. The brilliant campaign nearly cleared the state of Rebels and changed the calculus of
the Civil War in the Western Theater. Despite its decisive significance, few readers even today
know of these events. The publication of "Tullahoma: The Forgotten Campaign that Changed the
Course of Civil War, June 23 - July 4, 1863" by the collaborative team of David A. Powell and
Eric J. Wittenberg rectifies that oversight.
Critique: A model of superbly crafted and meticulously documented research, "Tullahoma: The
Forgotten Campaign that Changed the Course of the Civil War, June 23 - July 4, 1863" is a
seminal and significant contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories --
making it an unreservedly recommended and core addition to community and academic library
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Civil War buffs, students, and
academia that "Tullahoma: The Forgotten Campaign that Changed the Course of the Civil War,
June 23 - July 4, 1863" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: David A. Powell has published numerous articles in various magazines, and more
than fifteen historical simulations of different battles. For the past decade, David's focus has been
on the epic battle of Chickamauga, and he is nationally recognized for his tours of that important
battlefield. The results of that study are five books, The Maps of Chickamauga (2009), Failure in
the Saddle (2010), and the three volumes of a Chickamauga trilogy: The Chickamauga
Campaign: A Mad Irregular Battle (2014), The Chickamauga Campaign: Glory or the Grave
(2015), and the final volume, The Chickamauga Campaign: Barren Victory (2016). His most
recent works are Battle Above the Clouds (2017) and Union Command Failure in the
Shenandoah: Major General Franz Sigel and the War in the Valley of Virginia, May 1864
(2019).
Eric J. Wittenberg is an accomplished American Civil War cavalry historian and author. An
attorney in Ohio, Wittenberg has authored over 21 books on various Civil War subjects, with
particular focus on cavalry operations, as well as three dozen articles in popular magazines such
as North & South, Blue&Gray, America's Civil War, and Gettysburg Magazine. His first book,
Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions (Thomas Publications, Gettysburg PA, 1998) won the
prestigious 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award. The second edition won the Army
Historical Foundation's Distinguished Writing Award, for Reprint, 2011. His 2014 book, "The
Devil's to Pay": John Buford at Gettysburg. A History and Walking Tour, was awarded the
Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable's 2015 Book Award. Wittenberg is a favored speaker at Civil
War Roundtables, and conducts tours of various Civil War battlefields and related sites. He was
instrumental in saving important battlefield land at Trevilian Station and Brandy Station,
Virginia, and wrote the text for the historical waysides located at Trevilian Station. He maintains
an informative website at: http://www.ericwittenberg.com
The Military Shelf
I Marched with Patton
Frank Sisson & Robert L. Wise
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063019478, $28.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marched-Patton-Firsthand-Alongside-Greatest/dp/0063019477
Synopsis: "I Marched with Patton: A Firsthand Account of World War II Alongside One of the
U.S. Army's Greatest Generals" by Frank Sisson is a remarkable eyewitness account that offers
priceless insights into a foot soldier's life on the front lines during World War II under the
command one of the legendary figures in American military history.
Now a spry ninety-four years old, in "I Marched with Patton", Sisson looks back at his life and
his service in the Third Army. Born in rural Oklahoma, Frank grew up fatherless during the Great
Depression. In 1944, at age eighteen, he enlisted and was deployed to France where he marched
with Patton, taking part in many of the key Allied movements of the war. Frank fought in the
Battle of the Bulge, nearly died crossing the Rhine with Patton, and was among the first
American soldiers who liberated the notorious Dachau concentration camp.
After the war, Frank continued to serve in the army as a military police inspector in Berlin. When
he finally returned home, he attended college and built a career in business.
Frank Sisson's remarkable reminiscences provide a fresh, unique look at Patton's leadership, the
final year of World War II and its direct aftermath, and the experience of combat on the front
lines.
Critique: With the assistance of Robert L. Wise, Frank Sisson's "I Marched With Patton" is
impressively informative military memoir is a welcome and appreciated addition to the growing
library of World War II military histories and nicely enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of
25 black-and-white photographs. While a fully endorsed and recommended addition to both
community and college/university library World War II Military History & Biography
collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of military buffs that "I Marched
With Patton" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book, (Blackstone Audio, 9781799942726, $34.99, CD).
Jayhawk
Jay A. Stout & George L. Cooper
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008837, $34.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jayhawk-Love-Liberation-Terror-Pacific/dp/1612008836
Synopsis: Born in the Philippines to an American father and a Filipina mother, George Cooper is
one of the few surviving veteran pilots who saw action over such fearsome targets as Rabaul and
Wewak. Not just another flag-waving story of air combat and written with the assistance of Jay
A. Stout, "Jayhawk: Love, Loss, Liberation, and Terror Over the Pacific" vividly describes the
war as it really was -- a conflict with far-reaching tentacles that gripped and tore at not only the
combatants, but also their families, friends and the way they lived their lives.
In "Jayhawk" Stout examines the story of Cooper's growing up in gentle and idyllic pre-war
Manila and how he grew to be the man he is -- and at 100 years old, few men are left alive who
can share similar experiences. Stout reviews Cooper's journey to the United States and his
unlikely entry into the United States Army Air Forces. Trained as a B-25 pilot, Cooper was
assigned to the iconic 345th Bomb Group and flew strafing missions that shredded the enemy,
but likewise put himself and his comrades in grave danger. A husband and father, Cooper was
pulled two ways by the call of duty and his obligation to his wife and daughter. And always on
his mind was the family he left behind in the Philippines who were in thrall to the Japanese.
Critique: A unique and invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II military
biographies, "Jayhawk: Love, Loss, Liberation, and Terror Over the Pacific" is an extraordinary
story, exceptionally well presented and highly recommended for both community and
college/university library American Military History collections in general and World War II
Pacific Theatre supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated military buffs that "Jayhawk: Love, Loss, Liberation, and
Terror Over the Pacific" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Jay Stout is a native of Indiana and a 1981 graduate of Purdue University. He was
commissioned into the Marine Corps that same year and earned his designation as a naval aviator
in 1983 with orders to fly the F-4 Phantom. He later served as an instructor on the T-2C Buckeye
and transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. As a Hornet pilot, he flew 37 combat missions during
Desert Storm.
Leningrad: The Advance of Panzer Group 4, 1941
W. Chales De Beaulieu, author
Linden Lyons, translator
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008752, $34.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Leningrad-Advance-Panzergruppe-Wehrmacht-Kampf/dp/1612008755
Synopsis: At the launch of Operation Barbarossa, Army Group North was tasked with the
operational objective of Leningrad -- and what lay between it and the city were 800 kilometers of
the Baltic states, and 18-20 infantry divisions, two cavalry divisions, and eight or nine
mechanized brigades of the Red Army.
It was apparent that in order to succeed they would have to race through to the western Dvina and
establish a bridgehead before the Russians exploited this natural feature to organise a defensive
front. Panzer Group 4, which included LVI Panzer Corps and XLI Panzer Corps, was to lead the
way. By the end of the first day the group had pushed 70 kilometers into enemy territory. Red
counterattacks on their unprotected flanks slowed them down, resulting in the tank battle of
Raseiniai, but the group managed to capture Dnaburg on the Western Dvina on June 26, with a
bridgehead established shortly thereafter.
The group then pushed northeast through Latvia to the Stalin Line. In mid-July Hoepner was
preparing to push the last 100 kilometers to Leningrad, however Leeb, commander of the army
group, had other plans for the group and the advance did not continue for several more
weeks.
This account of Panzer Group 4's advance was written by Walter Charles de Beaulieu, chief of
staff of Panzer Group 4. Published in German in 1961, "Leningrad: The Advance of Panzer
Group 4, 1941" is the first English translation. Beaulieu not only gives a detailed account of the
Panzer Group's advance, but also offers an assessment of the fighting, an examination of how
Panzer Group 4's operations were affected by the limitations imposed on Army Group North, and
the lessons that can be learnt from its experiences in the Baltic States. He then concludes with a
discussion of whether Leningrad could ever have been taken.
Critique: Very ably and expertly translated into English for an American readership by Linden
Lyons, "Leningrad: The Advance of Panzer Group 4, 1941" is an extraordinary 'first person' study
and provides a wealth of information and detail that will make it an appreciated and welcome
addition to both community and academic library World War II history collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and dedicated military history buffs
that "Leningrad: The Advance of Panzer Group 4, 1941" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: W. Chales de Beaulieu was chief of the General Staff of Panzer Group 4 during
World War II, under commander Erich Hoepner. He was discharged from service in early 1945
following Hoepner's involvement with the 20 July plot.
Linden Lyons holds a master's degree in history from Monash University in Melbourne,
Australia. He also studied German at the University of Freiburg and librarianship at the
University of Canberra. He has also translated Panzer Operations by Hermann Hoth in the
Wehrmacht im Kampf series.
Major General James A. Ulio
Alan E. Mesches
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008264, $37.95, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Major-General-James-Ulio-Winning/dp/1612008267
Synopsis: Major General James A. Ulio (June 29, 1882 - July 30, 1958) helped win World War
II, though his war was fought from the desk from 1942 to 1946. As adjutant-general throughout
the war years, many American families would have recognized his name from one of nearly
900,000 telegrams he signed -- all of which began with the words: "...regret to inform you..."
However, his role was far wider than overseeing these sad communications.
Ulio faced the task of building an Army large enough to fight wars in Europe, North Africa and
the Pacific. Through his efforts, the Army increased in size from around 200,000 soldiers to eight
million - in less than five years. He advocated and navigated around lowering the draft age to
eighteen. He led and oversaw training efforts that quickly and efficiently prepared soldiers. The
general correctly projected that those methods would be a positive outcome of the war. His team
identified the appropriate allocation for incoming troops. In order to field sufficient troops to
ensure an Allied victory, Ulio had to address and challenge commonly held beliefs on race and
gender. It was his order in 1944 that ended segregation on military transportation and in
recreational facilities on Army posts.
In many ways, Ulio became the face of the Army during the war, through radio addresses,
newspaper interviews, and public appearances. He served as troop morale booster, advocate, and
cheerleader for the war effort. Finally, he led demobilization planning to bring home millions of
soldiers after the war, transitioning them back into civilian life.
The son of an immigrant career soldier, Ulio grew up on Army posts and had an eleventh-grade
education. A West Point alternate, Ulio enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army in 1900. In 1904,
he earned his commission as a lieutenant, and served in France during World War I. Without a
college degree, he graduated from the Army's Command and Staff School and the Army War
College and five colleges would eventually award him honorary doctorates. Ulio's military career
spanned 45 years and he served as military aide to two presidents. This impressively detailed
biography sets Ulio's achievements in context and explores the magnitude of his part in
facilitating an Allied victory World War II.
Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a two page Selected Bibliography, twenty
pages of Endnotes, and a nine page Index, "Major General James A. Ulio: How the Adjutant
General of the U.S. Army Enabled Allied Victory" is a singularly important addition World War
II military histories and memoirs -- bringing out of obscurity one of the critically important
positions that helped win the war and the man who filled it so capably. While an unreservedly
recommended addition to community and academic library World War II Military History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for military history
buffs, students, and academia that "Major General James A. Ulio: How the Adjutant General of
the U.S. Army Enabled Allied Victory" by Alan E. Mesches is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Living in the Shadow of a Hell Ship
Georgianne Burlage, editor
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle, #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574418088, $29.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Shadow-Hell-Ship-Prisoner/dp/1574418084
Synopsis: U.S. Marine George Burlage was part of the largest surrender in American history at
Bataan and Corregidor in the spring of 1942, where the Japanese captured more than 85,000
troops. More than forty percent would not survive World War II. His prisoner-of-war ordeal
began at Cabanatuan near Manila, where the death rate in the early months of World War II was
fifty men a day. Sensing that Cabanatuan was a death trap, he managed to get transferred to the
isolated island of Palawan to help build an airfield for his captors.
Malaria and other tropical diseases caused him to be sent to Manila for treatment in 1943 (a year
later, 139 of his fellow POWs were massacred on Palawan). After another year of building
airfields, Burlage survived a 38-day voyage in the hull of a Japanese hell ship and ended the war
as a miner for Mitsubishi in northern Japan. By sheer luck, strength, and a bit of sabotage, he
survived and was freed in September 1945 after the Japanese surrendered. He had endured
starvation and torture and lost half of his prewar weight, but no one had killed him.
After the war Burlage became a journalist and wrote about his POW experiences. His daughter
Georgianne (who is a national officer of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor
Memorial Society) discovered his writings after George passed away in 2008, and edited them
with additional historical material to provide context for his World War II experiences in the
Pacific.
Critique: A truly extraordinary, exceptionally informative, and inherently fascinating military
memoir, "Living in the Shadow of a Hell Ship: The Survival Story of U.S. Marine George
Burlage, a WWII Prisoner-of-War of the Japanese" is an invaluable and unreservedly
recommended addition to community, college, and university library World War II Military
History, Memoir & Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for military history buffs that "Living in the Shadow of a Hell Ship" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.38).
Red Star at War: Victory at all Costs
Colin Turbett
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526763280, $34.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Star-War-Victory-Costs/dp/1526763281
Synopsis: Russia's losses during the Second World War were beyond imagination, far exceeded
those of the United States, and touched the lives of an entire population caught between a brutal
and murderous invader and a ruthless leadership at home. Soviet victory over the Nazis, which
effectively won the war, was the end result of effort and sacrifice by the ordinary millions who
were totally committed to saving their 'motherland'.
The humanity of the ordinary Soviet citizen in uniform is often forgotten because of later Cold
War narratives propagated by both the East and the West for differing ideological reasons. "Red
Star at War: Victory at all Costs" seeks to redress these imbalances. In its pages the tragedy of
war and loss are captured in the faces of those who lived through some of the most momentous
years in human history. Many of the pictures supported the text show the women who fought
alongside men in the front line -- a unique feature among the belligerent nations during World
War II.
Indeed, "Red Star at War: Victory at all Costs" is centered on photographs taken before, during
and after the Second World War, which illustrate the human face of the immense Soviet war
effort. These show soldiers, sailors, airmen (men and women) not in battle, but in photographs
taken for their families and friends, and the messages that often went with these images. A
number were taken in the knowledge that they might be the last image of a loved one as death
was almost a certainty for many. The photographs and captions are backed up by text that
provides both context and baseline -- drawn from writings of the period as well as more recent
historical accounts and research.
Critique: A unique and invaluable contribution to the growing library of World War II histories,
biographies, memoirs and studies, "Red Star at War: Victory at all Costs" is an extraordinary and
seminal read that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtfully insightful and thorough-
provoking. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Red Star at War:
Victory at all Costs" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a four page Bibliography and
a three page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and
college/university library World War II military history 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 of the Russian experience during World War II that
"Red Star at War: Victory at all Costs" is also readily available in a digital format (Kindle,
$16.99).
The Technology Shelf
Blockchain for Cyberphysical Systems
Ali Dorri, Salil Kanhere, Raja Jurdak
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630817831, HC, $159.00, 306pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blockchain-Cyberphysical-Systems-Information-Security/dp/163081783X
Synopsis: The latest addition to the Artech House 'Information Security & Privacy' series,
'"Blockchain for Cyberphysical Systems" by the team of Ali Dorri, Salil Kanhere, and Raja
Juddak explores how Blockchain (BC) technology has the potential to overcome challenges in
the current cyber-physical system (CPS) environment. BC is a timestamp ledger of blocks that is
used for storing and sharing data in a distributed manner. BC has attracted attention from
practitioners and academics in different disciplines, including law, finance, and computer
science, due to its use of distributed structure, immutability and security and privacy. However,
applying blockchain in a cyber-physical system (CPS) is not straightforward and involves
challenges, including lack of scalability, resource consumption, and delay.
"Blockchain for Cyberphysical Systems" will provide a comprehensive study on blockchain for
CPS. CPS and the existing solutions in CPS and will outline the limitations are presented. The
key features of blockchain and its salient features which makes it an attractive solution for CPS
are discussed. The fundamental challenges in adopting blockchain for CPS including scalability,
delay, and resource consumption are presented and described. Blockchain applications in smart
grids, smart vehicles, supply chain; and IoT Data marketplaces are explored. The future research
directions to further improve blockchain performance in CPS is also provided.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Blockchain for Cyberphysical
Systems" is an ideal curriculum textbook and unreservedly recommended for professional,
college and university library Blockchain Technology collections and supplemental studies
reading lists.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Big Book of Mars
Marc Hartzman, author
Johnny Heller, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781705257227, $37.99, CD
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Mars-Deep-Space-Obsession/dp/1705257224
Synopsis: Packed with a combination of entertaining history, pop culture ephemera, and
interviews with NASA scientists, "The Big Book of Mars: From Ancient Egypt to The Martian,
A Deep-Space Dive into Our Obsession with the Red Planet" by Marc Hartzman is the most
comprehensive look at our relationship with Mars-yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed
its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn't until the nineteenth
century when "canals" were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of
water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the
question of whether there's life on Mars.
Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an
iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, ranging from Ray Bradbury's
Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It's this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that
continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA's launch of the Mars rover
Perseverance to Elon Musk's quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by
2024. Perhaps, one day, we'll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they
looked up at the night sky millennia ago.
Critique: An impressive combination of information and entertainment, "The Big Book of Mars:
From Ancient Egypt to The Martian, A Deep-Space Dive into Our Obsession with the Red
Planet" by Marc Hartzman is skillfully narrated by Johnny Heller. The result is a complete and
unabridged audio book that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
personal, community, and college/university library audio book collections. (5 CDs, 6
Hours).
How the Old World Ended
Jonthan Scott, author
Davd De Vries, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781705218495, $12.99, CD
https://www.amazon.com/How-Old-World-Ended-Anglo-Dutch-American/dp/1705218490
Synopsis: "How the Old World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800" by
Jonthan Scott (Professor of history at the University of Auckland) is a truly fascinating and
impressively informative account of how the cultural and maritime relationships between the
British, Dutch, and American territories changed the existing world order-and made the Industrial
Revolution possible
Between 1500 and 1800, the North Sea region overtook the Mediterranean as the most dynamic
part of the world. At its core the Anglo-Dutch relationship intertwined close alliance and fierce
antagonism to intense creative effect. But a precondition for the Industrial Revolution was also
the establishment in British North America of a unique type of colony-for the settlement of
people and culture, rather than the extraction of things.
England's republican revolution of 1649-53 was a spectacular attempt to change social, political,
and moral life in the direction pioneered by the Dutch. In this book Jonathan Scott argues that it
was also a turning point in world history.
In the revolution's wake, competition with the Dutch transformed the military-fiscal and naval
resources of the state. One result was a navally protected Anglo-American trading monopoly.
Within this context, more than a century later, the Industrial Revolution would be triggered by
the alchemical power of American shopping.
Critique: This flawlessly produced, complete and unabridged audio book edition of "How the
Old World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800" is expertly narrated by
David De Vries. With a special appreciation by students of American history, "How the Old
World Ended: The Anglo-Dutch-American Revolution 1500-1800" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library American History
and audio book collections. (11 CDs, 13 Hours).
Zorro's Shadow
Stephen J. C. Andes, author
Robert Fass, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781705237595, $12.99, CD
https://www.amazon.com/Zorros-Shadow-Mexican-Americas-Superhero/dp/1705237592
Synopsis: Long before Superman or Batman made their first appearances, there was Zorro. Born
on the pages of the pulps in 1919, Zorro fenced his way through the American popular
imagination, carving his signature letter Z into the flesh of evildoers in Old Spanish California.
Zorro is the original caped crusader, the first hero to have a band called the Avengers, and the
character who laid the blueprint for the modern American superhero.
With "Zorro's Shadow: How a Mexican Legend Became America's First Superhero", historian
and Latin American studies expert Stephen J. C. Andes (Associate Professor of History at
Louisiana State University) investigates the legends behind the mask of Zorro, revealing that the
origin of America's first superhero lies in Latinx history and experience. Revealing the length of
Zorro's shadow on the superhero genre is a reclamation of the legend of Zorro for a multiethnic
and multicultural America.
Based on the never-before-seen letters of Zorro creator Johnston McCulley, Professor Andes
describes how the legends around Lamport and Murrieta influenced the development of the
masked hero in black, and further, how Zorro went from a real life Mexican bandido to a
distinctly white, aristocratic hero. Revealing the length of Zorro's shadow on the superhero genre
is a reclamation of the legend of Zorro for a multiethnic and multicultural America.
Critique: An absolutely fascinating and informative study of meticulous and detailed scholarship,
"Zorro's Shadow: How a Mexican Legend Became America's First Superhero" is exceptionally
well narrated by Robert Fass. The result is a complete and unabridged audio book that is truly
exceptional and highly recommended for both community and academic library popular culture
in general and audio book collections in particular. (9 CDs, 11 Hours).
Sandstone Spine
David Roberts, author
David de Vries, narrator
Brilliance Audio
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781799727286, $34.99, CD
https://www.amazon.com/Sandstone-Spine-Seeking-Anasazi-Traverse/dp/1799727289
Synopsis: On September 1, 2004, three middle-aged buddies set out on one of the last geographic
challenges never before attempted in North America: to hike the Comb Ridge in one continuous
push. The Comb is an upthrust ridge of sandstone (virtually a mini-mountain range) that stretches
almost unbroken for a hundred miles from just east of Kayenta, Arizona, to some ten miles west
of Blanding, Utah. To hike the Comb is to run a gauntlet of up-and-down severities, with the
precipice lurking on one hand, the fiendishly convoluted bedrock slab on the other -- always at a
sideways, ankle-wrenching pitch. There is not a single mile of established trail in the Comb's
hundred-mile reach.
The friends were David Roberts, writer, adventurer, famed mountaineer of decades past, at age
61 the graybeard of the bunch; Greg Child, renowned mountaineer and rock climber, age 47; and
Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a wilderness guide intimately acquainted with the canyonlands, age 53. They
came to the Comb not only for the physical challenge, but to seek out seldom-visited ruins and
rock art of the mysterious Anasazi culture. Each brought his own emotions on the journey; the
Comb Ridge would test their friendship in ways they had never before experienced.
Searching for the stray arrowhead half-smothered in the sand or for the faint markings on a far
sandstone boulder that betokened a little-known rock art panel, becomes a competitive sport for
the three friends. Along the way, they ponder the mystery, bringing the accounts of early and
modern explorers and archaeologists to bear: Who were the vanished Indians who built these
inaccessible cliff dwellings and pueblos, often hidden from view? Of whom were they afraid and
why? What caused them to suddenly abandon their settlements around 1300 AD? What meaning
can be ascribed to their phantasmagoric rock art? What was their relationship to the Navajo, who
were convinced the Anasazi had magical powers and could fly?
Critique: Expertly narrated by the vocal talents of actor, film writer, director, and producer David
de Vries, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Sandstone Spine: Seeking the
Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge" by David Roberts is an inherently fascinating,
informative, and entertaining experience providing the listener with a true 'theatre of the mind'
experience that will have a very special attraction for those with an interest in mountain climbing
and/or Native American archaeology -- making it a very highly recommended addition to
community library collections. (6 CDs, 7 Hours).
The Library CD Shelf
Sixteen Tons
Merle Travis
Country Rewind Records
www.countryrewind.com
c/o Hindsight Records
PO Box 566, Massena, NY 13662
$TBA amazon.com
Part of the Western Heritage Collection published by Country Reward Records, Sixteen Tons is a
country album preserving classic guitar performances by Kentucky legend Merle Travis. A
treasure for genre connoisseurs with the potential to pull in a new generation of fans, Sixteen
Tons is an excellent gift for music lovers! The tracks are "Cincinnati Lou", "Cannonball Rag",
"Common Folks Common Folks Don't", "Midnight Special", "I'll See You In My Dreams",
"Louisiana Boogie", "Sixteen Tons", "Lawdy, What A Gal", "I Am A Pilgrim", "Merle's Boogie
Woogie", "Kentucky Means Paradise", "If You Want It, I've Got It", "Fat Gal", "John Henry",
and "That's All".
New Orleans Mambo: Cuba to NOLA
Putumayo
www.putumayo.com
$15.98 amazon.com
New Orleans Mambo is an anthology of festive Latin dance music by a wide variety of talented
performers. An extraordinary, eclectic fusion brimming with vibrancy, New Orleans Mambo is a
choice pick for both personal and public library music collections. Highly recommended! Liner
notes, artist photos, and an album download card are included in the package of the physical CD.
The tracks are "Going Back to New Orleans", "Mos' Scocious", "Jive Samba", "Coconut Milk",
"Jambalaya", "Mananita", "Panama Tones/Nuevo Boogaloo", "Yellow Moon", "Nature Boy", and
"Kreyol".
Light of the Sun
Paul Winter
www.paulwinter.com
Living Music
$15.00 CD / $8.99 digital
Light of the Sun is an album by seven-time Grammy award-winning music artist Paul Winter,
showcasing his extraordinary saxophone talent, with superbly complementary performances by
additional music artists on instruments including piano, pipe organ, cello, and guitar. Featuring
brand-new compositions as well as re-imaginings of iconic works from Winters' long and storied
career, Light of the Sun represents the transition of morning to nighttime as well as the seasons
of the year, and is highly recommended for connoisseurs of quality instrumental music. The
tracks are "Sun Singer", "My Father's Smile", "Dolphin Morning", "Hymn", "Primavera
(Spring)", "The Well-Tempered Wood Thrush", "Quiet Now", "Turning", "Wolf Eyes", "Canto
Triste (Sad Song)", "Sweet Home", "Canyon Chaconne", "Wintersong", and "Inner Peace".
The Library DVD Shelf
Bellingcat
First Run Features
$24.95 firstrunfeatures.com
http://firstrunfeatures.com/bellingcatdvd.html
Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World is a DVD documentary about Bellingcat, a group of
online researchers, all of whom are private citizens, and all of whom dedicate themselves to
uncovering the truth behind disputed news stories. Using digital forensics, crowdsourcing, and
more, Bellingcat seeks to bring clarity and accountability, demystifying reports of events ranging
from a Malaysian jetliner shot down over the Ukraine to the poisoning of a Russian spy in
England. Utterly fascinating as well as educational, Bellingcat is highly recommended for both
personal and public library DVD collections. 88 min.
The Psychology Shelf
Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy
Susan McConnell
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623174880, $24.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Practitioners-Guide-Somatic-IFS-Therapy/dp/1623174880
Synopsis: "Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement
and Touch in Practice" by Susan McConnell introduces a new therapeutic modality that blends
principles of somatic therapy (like movement, touch, and breathwork) with the traditional tools
of the Internal Family Systems framework. Broadening the benefits and applications of the IFS
model, author Susan McConnell introduces 5 core practices that mental health professionals can
apply to their practice: somatic awareness, conscious breathing, radical resonance, mindful
movement, and attuned touch. Clinical applications include the treatment of depression, trauma,
anxiety, eating disorders, chronic illness, and attachment disorders.
Within the IFS framework, clients will learn to identify their "inner worlds" -- the discrete sub-
personalities within each of us that hold emotions, perceptions, and belief systems, and that affect
our behavior and emotional wellness. Body-based somatic tools are incorporated into therapy as
patients learn to recognize different facets of their internal family and reconcile the needs of
subpersonalities (like their inner child or internal manager) to bring more harmony to their
physical and emotional well-being.
Critique: An erudite, impressively informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study,
"Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement and
Touch in Practice" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to professional,
community, psychological clinic, college, and university library Contemporary Psychology &
Counseling collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, therapists, counselors, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement and
Touch in Practice" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Susan McConnell is a senior trainer for the Center for Self Leadership, and has
taught Internal Family Systems (IFS) in the U.S. and internationally since 1997. Somatic IFS,
which McConnell developed in 2004, is a synthesis of her forty years of study, teaching, and
clinical practice with bodywork, psychotherapy, and spiritual practices. McConnell holds a
Master's Degree with an emphasis on Somatic Psychology, and is a Certified Internal Family
Systems Therapist and a Certified Hakomi Therapist. She was also instrumental in curriculum
development for IFS trainings and, as a Hakomi faculty member, for a training for bodyworkers
using the Hakomi Method to explore through touch the way mind, body, heart, and spirit weave
together to form the client's experiential world. McConnell has had a private practice since 1983
in Chicago, where she offers bodymind integration and consultation.
The Social Issues Shelf
Weed Science: Cannabis Controversies and Challenges
Godrey Pearlson
Academic Press
c/o Elsevier/Butterworth Heinemann
1600 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1800, Philadelphia PA 19103-2879
www.elsevier.com
9780128181744, $125.00, PB, 326pp
https://www.amazon.com/Weed-Science-Cannabis-Controversies-Challenges/dp/0128181745
Synopsis: Even thought marijuana is being legalized in an increasing number of states here in
America, it still remains the most frequently consumed illicit drug worldwide, with over 158.8
million users, according to the UN. Responding to public pressure, the US federal government is
likely to legalize recreational marijuana within the next few years.
With increasing numbers of people using cannabis both medically and recreationally there are
many looming questions that only science can answer. These include: What's likely to happen,
both good and bad, if the US legalizes marijuana?; What are some simple, science-based rules to
separate fact from fiction and to help guide policy in the highly contentious marijuana debate?;
Exactly what is cannabis doing in the brain that gets us high?; Does cannabis really have medical
benefits - what's the evidence?; To what extent does cannabis impair driving?; Can smoking
marijuana in adolescence affect IQ or risk for developing schizophrenia?; Is marijuana safe to use
during pregnancy? -- and more!
Critique: An impressively informative and exceptionally well organized and presented
contribution to our national dialogue over the use and regulation of cannabis, "Weed Science:
Cannabis Controversies and Challenges" is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Social Issues collections in
general, and Cannabis Studies supplemental curriculum reading lists in particular. It should be
noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Weed Science: Cannabis Controversies and Challenges" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $100.00).
Editorial Note: A physician and researcher, Godfrey Pearlson completed his medical degree at
Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and a graduate philosophy degree at Columbia
University in NYC. He trained in psychiatry and was subsequently a psychiatry professor at
Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Yale
University and directs a brain research center at the Institute of Living in Connecticut. He has
published over 700 peer-reviewed scientific articles and his marijuana research is funded by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.
Dr. Pearlson is an expert in the fields of marijuana and of psychosis. He believes that any
political platforms regarding cannabis should be based on scientific facts rather than
emotion.
The Parenting Shelf
Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders
Rondalyn V. Whitney & Varleisha D. Gibbs
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781646320660, $17.95, PB, 190pp
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Sensory-Processing-Disorders-Week/dp/1646320662
Synopsis: Specifically written for parents and taking an informative look at the most common
sensory issues kids face and now in a fully updated and expanded second addition, "Raising Kids
With Sensory Processing Disorders: A Week-by-Week Guide to Helping Your Out-of-Sync
Child With Sensory and Self-Regulation Issues" by Rondalyn Whitney and Varleisha Gibbs
offers a compilation of unique, proven strategies that parents can implement to help their
children move beyond their sensory needs.
This newly published second edition of "Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders":
Shows parents how to characterize their child's sensory issues into one of several profiles; Helps
parents find the best adaptations and changes to their child's everyday routines; Provides a
week-by-week series of activities and checklists; Helps improve children's performance on tasks
like homework, transitions between activities, and interactions with friends.
Whether it's having to remove tags from clothing or using special dimmed lighting when they
study, kids with sensory disorders or special sensory needs often need adaptations in their
everyday lives in order to find success in school and beyond. "Raising Kids With Sensory
Processing Disorders" is an invaluable aid in helping parents to meet the special needs of a
special child.
Critique: Expertly written, deftly organized, and thoroughly 'parent friendly' in presentation,
"Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders: A Week-by-Week Guide to Helping Your
Out-of-Sync Child With Sensory and Self-Regulation Issues" is an invaluable, practical, and
comprehensive instructional guide and manual that is especially recommended for the personal
reading lists of parents, as well as professional, community, and college/university library
Children's Learning Disorders collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Editorial Note: Rondalyn V. Whitney, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, is nationally recognized for her
lifelong scholarship and clinical contribution to families and children. Varleisha D. Gibbs, Ph.D.,
OTD, OTR/L, is the founding chair and director of Wesley College's Masters of Occupational
Therapy. Both authors are occupational therapists with a combined 40+ years of experience in the
area of sensory processing and occupational performance.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Metamorphic Readings
Alison Sharrock, editor
Daniel Moller, editor
Mats Malm, editor
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198864066, $85.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Metamorphic-Readings-Transformation-Interpretation-Metamorphoses/dp/019886406X
Synopsis: Publius Ovidius Naso (20 March 43 BC - 17/18 AD), known as Ovid in the
English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of the Emperor
Augustus.
Ovid's remarkable and endlessly fascinating Metamorphoses is one of the best-known and most
popular works of classical literature, exerting a pervasive influence on later European literature
and culture.
A vast repository of mythic material as well as a sophisticated manipulation of story-telling, the
poem can be appreciated on many different levels and by audiences of very different
backgrounds and educational experiences.
As the poem's focus on transformation and transgression connects in many ways with
contemporary culture and society, modern research perspectives have developed
correspondingly.
"Metamorphic Readings: Transformation, Language, and Gender in the Interpretation of Ovid's
Metamorphoses" presents the state of the art in research on this canonical Roman epic. Written in
an accessible style, the essays comprising this volume represent a variety of approaches,
exploring the effects of transformation and the transgression of borders. The contributors
investigate three main themes: transformations into the Metamorphoses (how the mythic
narratives evolved), transformations in the Metamorphoses (what new understandings of the
dynamics of metamorphosis might be achieved), and transformations of the Metamorphoses
(how the Metamorphoses were later understood and came to acquire new meanings).
The many forms of transformation exhibited by Ovid's masterpiece are explored -- including the
transformation of the genre of mythic narrative itself.
Critique: Collaboratively co-edited by the team of Alison Sharrock (Professor of Classics at the
University of Manchester); Daniel M ller (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Lund
University); and Mats Malm (Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of
Gothenburg), "Metamorphic Readings: Transformation, Language, and Gender in the
Interpretation of Ovid's Metamorphoses" is comprised of ten erudite and informative essays
deftly organized into three principle sections (Tranformations Into The Metapmorphoses;
Transformations In The Metamorphoses; Transformations Of The Metamorphoses). Enhanced
for academia with the inclusion of a twenty page Bibliography, a nine page Index Locorum, and a
six page General Index, and a two page listing of the contributors and their credentials.
A model of literary scholarship, "Metamorphic Readings: Transformation, Language, and Gender
in the Interpretation of Ovid's Metamorphoses" is highly recommended for college and university
library Ancient & Medieval Literary Studies collections. It should be noted for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Metamorphic
Readings: Transformation, Language, and Gender in the Interpretation of Ovid's
Metamorphoses" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $80.75).
The Art Shelf
The Art of NASA
Piers Biozony
Motorbooks
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760368077, $50.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Art-NASA-Illustrations-That-Missions/dp/0760368074
Synopsis: First formed in 1958, NASA has long maintained a department of visual artists to
depict the concepts and technologies created in humankind's quest to explore the final frontier.
Culled from a carefully chosen reserve of approximately 3,000 files deep in the NASA archives,
the 200 artworks presented in this large-format edition of "The Art of NASA: The Illustrations
That Sold the Missions" by Piers Bizony provide a unique and visual insight into NASA
history.
From space suits to capsules, from landing modules to the Space Shuttle, the International Space
Station, and more recent concepts for space planes, "The Art of NASA" presents 60 years of
American space exploration in the form of artworks. All of the landmark early missions (Gemini,
Mercury, Apollo) are represented in detail, as are post-Space Race accomplishments like the
mission to Mars and other deep-space explorations.
An accompanying insightfully informative text relates the wonderful stories associated with these
works of art. For instance, the incredibly rare early Apollo illustrations show how Apollo might
have looked if the landing module had never been developed. Black-and-white Gemini drawings
illustrate how the massive NASA art department did its stuff with ink pen and rubdown Letraset
textures. Cross-sections of the Apollo - Soyuz Test Project docking adapter reveal Russian
sensitivity about US "male" probes "penetrating" their spacecraft, thus the androgynous "adapter"
now used universally in space. International Space Station cutaways show how huge the original
plan was, but also what was retained.
Every picture in The Art of NASA tells a special story. This collection of the rarest of the rare is
not only a unique view of NASA history -- it is also a fascinating look at the art of illustration,
the development of now-familiar technologies, and a glimpse of what the space program might
have looked like.
Critique: A magnificent, unique and informative coffee table style volume (12.13 x 0.88 x 12.25
inches), "The Art of NASA: The Illustrations That Sold the Missions" is a truly extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university
library American Aviation & Astronautical collections.
Editorial Note: Piers Bizony has created a major publishing project on the theme of digital
special effects, based on the work of Digital Domain, the company founded by James Cameron,
while Space: 50 was a similarly ambitious joint venture between the publishers HarperCollins
Worldwide and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., marking the 50th anniversary of
Sputnik. Another space-based book, The Man Who Ran the Moon, picked up rave reviews for its
account of Apollo-era Washington politics. Bizony has also co-produced the world's only TV
documentary charting the production of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey for Channel 4.
Narrated by Jim Cameron, and now featured on a Warner Brothers DVD, this documentary was
based on Bizony's award-winning books on the making of that landmark movie.
Bob Bilyeu Camblin
Sandra Jensen Rowland
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417890, $45.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Bilyeu-Camblin-Iconoclast-Houstons/dp/1574417894
Synopsis: Born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Bob Camblin (1928 - 2010) was an artist, first and
foremost. He earned his BFA and MFA degrees from the Kansas City Art Institute. His studies
were followed by a Fulbright Fellowship that allowed him a year's stay in Italy. Returning to the
USA, he held teaching positions at the Ringling Museum, the University of Illinois, Detroit
Mercy, and the University of Utah before moving to Houston in 1967 to teach at Rice's new art
department.
Camblin was active in Houston during the late 1960s through the 1980s, collaborating with Earl
Staley and Joe Tate on many projects, including "happenings" on the beach in Galveston. His
career led him to creative undertakings all over the world. Throughout his lifetime he constantly
experimented with various art media. He remained open to new ideas and new techniques until
his death in Louisiana in 2010.
Camblin was also a central figure in the period of artistic fermentation in Houston that is now
beginning to receive increasing critical attention. He chose Sandra Rowland to be his historian
while still at Rice, and her insights into him are based on many personal letters and
conversations. In addition, she is a trained art historian and brings to bear professional expertise
about his place in regional and American art. Her work includes a useful timeline of Camblin's
exhibitions and major artworks.
Critique: A definitive and impressively informative biography and study of the life and art of Bob
Bilyeu Camblin, "Bob Bilyeu Camblin: An Iconoclast in Houston's Emerging Art Scene
Hardcover" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a fifty-six page Timeline, fourteen
pages of Notes, an eight page listing of References, and an eleven page Index. While an
especially recommended addition to both community and college/university library American Art
History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bob Bilyeu Camblin: An
Iconoclast in Houston's Emerging Art Scene Hardcover" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $36.00).
Celebrating Australia's Magnificent Wildlife: The Art of Daryl Dickson
Daryl Dickson
EK Books
c/o Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
9781925820607, $36.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Australias-Magnificent-Wildlife-Dickson/dp/1925820602
Synopsis: "Celebrating Australia's Magnificent Wildlife" expertly showcases the museum quality
art of Daryl Dickson, which is deftly informed by her passion for the conservation of wildlife and
wild places. From black-winged stilts to brushtail possums, readers will appreciate the variety
and color of Australian wildlife contained in one wonderful coffee table style volume (10.4 x 1 x
10.45 inches) as Dickson highlights the natural beauty of species that deserve to be saved in what
is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the natural world.
Critique: A pure pleasure to simply browse through one magnificent image at a time,
"Celebrating Australia's Magnificent Wildlife: The Art of Daryl" will make an extraordinarily
informative and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, college and
university library Contemporary Art & Pets/Wildlife collections.
Editorial Note: Daryl Dickson is an award-winning painter and illustrator with a passion for the
natural environment and wildlife rehabilitation. She has received an Australia Day Award for her
work in environmental education, wildlife rescue, Cassowary Award, and the Drawing prize at
the Hinchinbrook Bird Life Art Awards. She now works full-time producing original artworks
and a range of wildlife cards and prints. Her greeting cards & artwork prints are popular with
tourists are from around the world including the USA, Europe and NZ. The home of Daryl and
her husband is shared with an amazing diversity of wildlife, providing endless inspiration,
interest and color which she channels into her artwork.
A Year in the Art World
Matthew Israel
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500239926, $29.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Art-World-Matthew-Israel/dp/0500239924
Synopsis: The world of contemporary art has become more globalized and transparent in the last
few decades, yet it is still perceived as closed-off and obscure. In "A Year in the Art World",
curator, writer, and art historian Matthew Israel takes the reader on a cross-continental journey
through a year in the field of art, lifting the veil on a culture that emerges as diverse, adventurous,
nuanced, and meaningful. From Los Angeles and New York to Paris and Hong Kong, Israel
encounters artists, curators, critics, gallerists, and institutions, uncovering the working lives of
these art-world figures from the renowned to the unseen.
Drawing on exclusive interviews and expertly researched content, Israel ventures into the inner
workings of the art industry to ask: What is it that people in the art world actually do? What
drives interest in working with art? How do artworks acquire value? And how has technology
transformed today's art world? Anchoring the narrative in the history, economics, and cultural
dynamics of the field, this fascinating story reveals how "the art world" describes a realm that is
both surprisingly vast and deeply interconnected.
Critique: An impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented study
that is enhanced for the reader with some 40 color illustrations, "A Year in the Art World" is an
inherently fascinating read and one that will prove to be an enduringly welcome and appreciated
addition to both community and college/university library Art History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, artists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Year in
the Art World" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.16).
Liz Collins - Energy Field
Liz Collins, author
Ian Berry, editor
Molly Channon, editor
The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum
https://www.lizcollins.com/Energy-Field
9780998242217, $40.00, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Collins-Energy-Field/dp/0998242217
Synopsis: Dedtly edited by the team of Ian Berry and Molly Channon, "Liz Collins - Energy
Field" documents the artist's two-year exhibition at the Tang Teaching Museum. The project is
the first in a series that asks artists to imagine what a museum community space can be.
As an artist, Liz Collins explores the boundaries between painting, fiber arts, and installations,
creating vibrating color fields bursting with color, shape, and texture. "Energy Field"
incorporated these elements and transformed the Tang Teaching Museum's mezzanine into a
lounge and place for social gatherings.
"Liz Collins - Energy Field" is a catalogue that reflects on Collins' energy-inspired artwork and
collaborations with friends and community members, featuring images of the space and related
events along with newly-published writings by Liz Collins, Nayland Blake, E.V. Day, Eleanor
Rochman '17 and Jessica Pavia '20, Mike Albo, Shelley Marlow, Leah DeVun and Lauryn Siegel,
Laurel Sparks, SKOTE, Jennifer Kabat, Peggy Shaw, and Amelia Bande.
Critique: Unique, beautifully illustrated throughout, and enhanced with informative
commentaries, "Liz Collins - Energy Field" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition
to personal, professional, community, college, university, and museum American Art History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Travel Shelf
The Bigger Book of Everything, expanded edition
Nigel Holmes
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781838690410, $19.99, HC, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Book-Everything-Lonely-Planet/dp/1838690417
Synopsis: Want to know how to wear a kilt, prevent a hangover, get out of a sinking car, survive
when you're lost, deliver a baby, brew a great beer and so much, much more? The new and
expanded edition of "The Bigger Book of Everything" by Nigel Holmes is the quintessential and
informative guide to travel, to the world, and to all sorts of things you didn't know you needed to
know. With "The Bigger Book of Everything", you will learn something new, enjoy a world of
smart, safe and exciting travel and use your witty know-how to make friends wherever you
go.
"The Bigger Book of Everything" covers an impressive broad range of practical subjects ranging
from how etiquette varies from country to country, how to deal with venomous snakebites, and
what to do if you're attacked by a crocodile or a shark, to how to predict the weather just by
looking at the clouds.
A series of six light-hearted chapters (understanding the world, outdoors, etiquette, food and
drink, health and safety and other fun stuff) takes you on a journey of discovery and answers all
the questions which you won't even have thought about asking. Besides covering factual subjects,
such as the world's longest rivers and what exactly the Northern Lights are, "The Bigger Book of
Everything" also touches upon more serious subject matter, such as how to deliver a baby in an
emergency, how to defend yourself from an attacker or how to survive getting lost on a hike.
It is quite conceivable that a traveler abroad that "The Bigger Book of Everything" just might just
save a life!
Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and profusely illustrated
compendium of well organized and thoroughly practical information, "The Bigger Book of
Everything" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community,
college and university library General Travel Guide collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists of armchair travelers and on-site visitors around the world that "The Bigger Book of
Everything" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Environmental Studies Shelf
The Future of the Fringe
Michael Buxton & Andrew Butt
Csiro Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781486308958, $42.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Future-Fringe-Crisis-Peri-Urban-Planning/dp/1486308953
Synopsis: Peri-urbanisation relates to those processes of dispersive urban growth that create
hybrid landscapes of fragmented urban and rural characteristics. Peri-urban landscapes are some
of the world's most vulnerable areas. Although they are often thought of simply as land awaiting
development, these landscapes retain important natural resources and make valuable
contributions to agriculture, water use, biodiversity conservation, landscape preservation and
human well-being. Billions of people use them and enjoy their natural values. Their continuing
loss threatens to alter our relationships with nature and have a negative impact on the
environment.
"The Future of the Fringe: The Crisis in Peri-Urban Planning " by Michael Buxton and Andrew
Butt is the first published study to explore the history of peri-urban areas, international peri-urban
policy and practice, and related concepts. It analyzes internationally relevant issues such as green
belts and urban growth boundaries, regional policy, land supply and price, and the concepts of
liveability, attractiveness, well-being and rural amenity.
"The Future of the Fringe" then examines a range of Australian peri-urban issues, as an extended
case study in which the authors argue for a precautionary approach so that we retain the greatest
number of options to adapt during rapid and unprecedented change.
Critique: A seminal contribution to the every growing library of environmental studies, "The
Future of the Fringe: The Crisis in Peri-Urban Planning" is an extraordinary, unique, and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Contemporary Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum reading
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy
makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Future of the
Fringe: The Crisis in Peri-Urban Planning" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $40.80).
Editorial Note: Michael Buxton is an Emeritus Professor at RMIT University and is former head
of RMIT Planning and Environment. He has published more than 80 refereed papers, books,
book chapters and monographs, including Planning Melbourne (CSIRO Publishing, 2016). He
has led 20 major research projects, mainly on peri-urban issues and urban form. He formerly held
senior positions in local, regional and state governments.
Andrew Butt is an Associate Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning at RMIT University.
His experience in planning practice, research and teaching has focused on rural and peri-urban
issues, including a PhD on approaches to planning for farmland protection in peri-urban
Australia, as well as articles and book chapters exploring socio-economic transitions and
planning systems in rural and peri-urban regions.
The Photography Shelf
The Photography Storytelling Workshop
Finn Beales
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780711254701, $22.00, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Photography-Storytelling-Workshop-unforgettable-photographs/dp/0711254702
Synopsis: Storytelling is a gift to photographers, letting them weave together characters, events,
locations and subjects into a work of beauty greater than the sum of its parts. There are as many
stories to tell as pictures to take, but there are also tried-and-tested methods a photographer can
adopt to help improve both their photography and the streamlining of their workflow.
"The Photography Storytelling Workshop: A five-step guide to creating unforgettable
photographs" is a beginner-to-pro DIY workshop by award-winning photographer and influencer
Finn Beales who teaches amateur enthusiasts and aspiring professionals how to master every
element of the photographer's process. By following his five-step course - Pitch, Prepare, Shoot,
Edit and Deliver - photographers will develop the same successful, reliable working methods that
earn influence and delight audiences, regardless of what genre they are working in.
All the essentials are covered from building a story from start to finish, including creative shoot
preparation, the necessary gear and props, working with mood-boards and call sheets,
compositional balance, and directing models, right through to post production, editing and file
delivery.
"The Photography Storytelling Workshop" covers: What equipment needed, when and why;
The secret to key shots and essential techniques; Plot devices to help craft a narrative;
Step-by-step DSLR projects to perfect a photographer's skill set; Effortlessly capture events,
landscapes, portraits, interiors and experiences; How to edit better and be different; Extra
exercises to improve smartphone photography.
Critique: A thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional guide and manual, "The Photography
Storytelling Workshop" is an ideal curriculum textbook and one that should be studied by every
novice photographer hoping to turn their photographed images into truly memorable story telling.
Simply stated, "The Photography Storytelling Workshop" is unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Photography
collection and supplemental studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Starting out as a designer, Finn Beales decided the pictures he was
commissioning weren't good enough, so he left his desk behind, took up a camera and started
telling his own stories. Ten years, 600,000 Instagram followers (@finn), and multiple awards
later, in this, his first practical book, Finn shares what he's learned along the way: how to create,
craft and share beautiful photographs that sell and attract attention. Finn knows what it takes to
amplify a brand using a narrative cinematic style. His clients include Apple, Land Rover, Audi
and Cartier.
The Biography Shelf
Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life
Gustavus Stadler
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9780807018910, $26.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Woody-Guthrie-Intimate-Gustavus-Stadler/dp/0807018910
Synopsis: Woody Guthrie (July 14, 1912 - October 3, 1967) is often mythologized as the classic
American "rambling' man," a real-life Steinbeckian folk hero who fought for working-class
interests and inspired Bob Dylan. Biographers and fans frame him as a foe of fascism and focus
on his politically charged folk songs. What's left unexamined is how the bulk of Guthrie's work
(most of which is unpublished or little known) delves into the importance of intimacy in his
personal and political life. Featuring an insert with personal photos of Guthrie's family and
previously unknown paintings, Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life is a fresh and contemporary
analysis of the overlapping influences of sexuality, politics, and disability on the art and mind of
an American folk icon.
Part biography, part cultural history of the Left, "Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life" by Gustavus
stadler offers a stunning revelation about America's quintessential folk legend, who serves as a
guiding light for leftist movements today. In his close relationship with dancer Marjorie Mazia,
Guthrie discovered a restorative way of thinking about the body, which provided a salve for the
trauma of his childhood and the slowly debilitating effects of Huntington's disease. Rejecting
bodily shame and embracing the power of sexuality, he came to believe that intimacy was the
linchpin for political struggle. By closely connecting to others, society could combat the
customary emotional states of capitalist cultures: loneliness and isolation. Using intimacy as
one's weapon, Guthrie believed we could fight fascism's seductive call.
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Woody Guthrie fans, this detailed and seminal
biography will be an enduringly appreciated and valued addition to community, college, and
university library American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Woody Guthrie: An Intimate Life" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$16.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781662047909,
$24.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Gustavus Stadler is a professor of English at Haverford College. A
well-established scholar of nineteenth- and twentieth-century US culture and popular music, he is
the author of Troubling Minds: The Cultural Politics of Genius in the U.S., 1840 - 1890. His
writing has appeared in the Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, the North Carolina Independent Weekly,
Social Text, Sounding Out!, www.avidly.com, and numerous other outlets.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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