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Library Bookwatch

Volume 19, Number 11 November 2024 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf AI Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Science Shelf
International Studies Shelf Economic Studies Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Military History Shelf Civil War Shelf
Nautical Shelf Parenting Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Music Shelf Art Shelf Mathematics Shelf
Biography Shelf General Fiction Shelf Historical Fiction Shelf
Romantic Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Native American Studies Shelf Architecture Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian
Jane Olson
Independently Published
https://www.worldcitizenthebook.com
9781513695693, $34.95, HC, 429pp

https://www.amazon.com/World-Citizen-Journeys-Humanitarian-Olson/dp/151369569X

Synopsis: Jane Olson has worked many decades in volunteer leadership positions promoting international humanitarian and human rights organizations, having chaired the international board of Human Rights Watch, Landmine Survivors Network, and the Women's Refugee Commission. Extensive travels took her to Central America during the Contra Wars, to Ukraine (1989 and 1990), the former Yugoslavia during the "ethnic cleansing" war against Bosnia, and the Caucasus countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Her journeys to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America focused on human rights abuse and refugee conditions, HIV/AIDS, landmines, and other calamities caused by conflict and extreme poverty.

Using lessons learned during her childhood in rural Iowa, she bonded with survivors and recorded their hope-filled stories of resilience in the face of disaster.

With the publication of "World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian", Olson's experiences as an investigative journalist and photographer bring those inspirational stories to life.

During her journeys to war zones and places of extreme poverty and disease over decades, Olson was to meet numerous survivors whose resilience inspire hope, despite unimaginable suffering. Intimate details and beautiful photos illustrate that all lives are valuable and equally deserving of protection and support.

Critique: Articulate, eloquent, informative, fascinating, emotionally engaging, motivationally inspiring, and profusely illustrated throughout for the reader's benefit with both color and B/W photos, "World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian" is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman living and working under extraordinary circumstances.

This exceptionally well written personal and professional memoir accurately reveals what it means to to be a World Citizen, to embrace and champion the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that in the words of Jane Olson -- "knowing that all lives are valuable and equally deserving of protection and support".

While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of Civics students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hard cover edition of "World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) as well.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Craft of Professional Writing, second edition
Michael S. Malone
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839992100, $70.00, HC, 356pp

https://www.amazon.com/Craft-Professional-Writing-Second-Amateur/dp/1839992107

Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "The Craft of Professional Writing: A Guide for Amateur and Professional Writers" by Michael S. Malone is arguably the most complete manual ever written for every form of professional (and professional quality) writing.

The chapters comprising "The Craft of Professional Writing" range from toasts and captions to every form of journalism to novel writing, book authorship, and screenplays. This comprehensive instructional guide offers techniques for the writing of each form, sample templates, and the advice on navigating a career in each writing field, including public relations and commercial writing, journalism in all media, and self-employment as a freelancer.

Of special note is that "The Craft of Professional Writing" also offers sections on the tools of writing, including pacing, editing, pitching, invoicing, and managing the highs and lows of the different writing careers.

Critique: Author Michael S. Malone has dedicated his book "To every person who ever wrote a sentence and wondered if they could make a living from it." The Craft of Professional Writing is an absolutely essential addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Fiction Writing Instructional Reference and Study Guide collections. It should be noted for aspiring and experienced writers, authors, and novelists alike that this new second edition of "The Craft of Professional Writing: A Guide for Amateur and Professional Writers" from Anthem Press is an ideal textbook for creative writing workshops and curriculums and also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.00) as well.

Editorial Note: Michael S. Malone is Dean's Professor of Professional Writing at Santa Clara University and Distinguished Friend of Oxford University. He is one of the world's best-known technology writers.

Networking for Writers
Linda Ruggeri
The Insightful Editor
https://www.theinsightfuleditor.com
9781736420584, $27.99, PB, 163pp

https://www.amazon.com/Networking-Writers-Practical-Strategies-Success/dp/1736420585

Synopsis: "Networking for Writers: Practical Strategies for Networking Success" is a practical, guided workbook to help you as an author to create, strengthen or revamp your current network -- whether that's because your current network is not the supportive community you need, or you haven't found your community yet, or because the hoped-for income, sales, and opportunities that a network can provide hasn't shown up the way you expected them to. It's also a 'how-to' guide for those looking to create a self-publishing team they can work with and rely on now, and in the future.

If you're a well-established writer, chances are that you've built a publishing network that's meeting your basic needs, and that's good! But it's easy to go beyond that and turn your network into something rich and dynamic -- with resources and opportunities, with strong and meaningful contacts that will help you boost your exposure, credibility, and sales.

"Networking for Writers" will help you create a networking practice that works for you -- one that incorporates your goals, your communication style, the activities you enjoy, and the tools and resources that are available to you today. If you intend to be profitable and make a living off your writing, then organizing your thoughts and goals as a writer will help you achieve that success much faster. You can still be wildly creative and efficient and productive at the same time.

Though networking may seem like an overwhelming task at times for some of us, you'll soon discover that building the network you need is completely within your power, with the time and space available to you now. That network will be uniquely yours because it will be built on your goals, your strengths, and your everyday activities.

"Networking for Writers" is the perfect workbook for writers who want to make a living off their writing, whether it be books, magazine articles, ad copy, podcasts, medical journal articles, instruction manuals, screenwriting, and more.

Critique: Simply stated, "Networking for Writers: Practical Strategies for Networking Success" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in style, organization and presentation. An ideal DIY combination of instructional guidebook and 'how to' manual that will prove to be immense interest to writer's concerned with the business aspects of writing, and working their writing career operating as a home-based business, "Networking for Writers" will prove an invaluable source of information and example. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), this large format (7 x 0.37 x 10 inches) paperback edition from The Insightful Editor has 'fill in the blank' sections making it a consumable and therefore not appropriate for community or college/university library Writing/Publishing collections -- but ideal as a writer workshop textbook and the personal library collections of aspiring (and experienced!) authors.

Editorial Note: Linda Ruggeri is a bilingual (EN/SP) nonfiction editor and writer based out of Los Angeles. She's the author of recently published Networking for Writers, and the co-author of The Conference Notebook, and Networking for Freelance Editors which won an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award in 2022. She has directed the Editorial Freelancers Association Welcome Program, the Professional Editors Network mentorship program, and has presented at writing and publishing conferences across the US. She is a founding member of The Networking Studio as well as the Argentinean-based writer community Tres Vias Creativas (3VC Crea).


The AI Shelf

Algorithms of Armageddon
George Galdorisi & Sam J. Tangredi
Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781612515410, $29.95, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Armageddon-Impact-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/161251541X

Synopsis: It is unclear if U.S. policy makers and military leaders fully realize that we have already been thrust into an artificial intelligence (AI) race with authoritarian powers. Today, the United States' peer adversaries (China and Russia) have made clear their intentions to make major investments in AI and insert this technology into their military systems, sensors and weapons. Their goal is to gain an asymmetric advantage over the U.S. military.

The implications for our national security are many and complex. With the publication of "Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars" national security experts and co-authors George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi examines this most pressing security issue in a clear, insightful delivery by men who are national security professionals and deal with AI issues on a day-to-day basis in their work in both the technical and policy arenas.

The opening chapters of Algorithms of Armageddon" explain the fundamentals of what constitutes big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. They investigate the convergence of AI with other technologies and how these systems will interact with humans. Critical to the issue is the manner by which AI is being developed and utilized by Russia and China.

The central chapters of the work address the weaponizing of AI through interaction with other technologies, man-machine teaming, and autonomous weapons systems. The authors cover in depth debates surrounding the AI "genie out of the bottle" controversy, AI arms races, and the resulting impact on policy and the laws of war. Given that global powers are leading large-scale development of AI, it is likely that use of this technology will be global in extent. Will AI-enabled military weapons systems lead to full-scale global war? Can such a conflict be avoided?

The later chapters of the work explore these questions, point to the possibility of humans failing to control military AI applications, and conclude that the dangers for the United States are real.

Neither a protest against AI, nor a speculative work on how AI could replace humans, Algorithms of Armageddon provides a time-critical understanding of why AI is being implemented through state weaponization, the realities for the global power balance, and more importantly, U.S. national security. Galdorisi and Tangredi propose a national dialogue that focuses on the need for U.S. military to have access to the latest AI-enabled technology in order to provide security and prosperity to the American people.

Critique: An ever increasingly critical concern with respect to American national security (and the security of the free world) as we advance further into the 21st century, "Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars" from the Naval Institute Press is a seminal and groundbreaking study that is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university library AI and Military Strategy collections. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental police makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Algorithms of Armageddon" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publisher, 9798874850463, $39.42, Amazon).

Editorial Note #1: George Galdorisi is a career naval aviator. His Navy career included four command tours and five years as a carrier strike group chief of staff. He has written several books and over two hundred articles in professional journals and other media. He is the director of the Corporate Strategy Group at the Navy's C4ISR Center of Excellence in San Diego.

Editorial Note #2: Sam J. Tangredi, U.S. Navy (Ret.) is the Leidos Chair of Future Warfare Studies and professor of national, naval, and maritime strategy at the U.S. Naval War College. A surface warfare officer and warship captain deployed worldwide, Dr. Tangredi also served multiple tours of duty in the Pentagon as a leader of strategic planning teams. He has published six books and over 200 articles on defense strategy and has won fifteen professional literature awards. His book Anti-Access Warfare, considered a definitive work, was recently republished in paperback by Naval Institute Press as well as translated into Chinese by the People's Liberation Army.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Hospital, Heal Thyself
Mark Taylor
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781394283347, $45.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Heal-Thyself-Brilliant-Mathematicians/dp/1394283342

Synopsis: Part biography and part clear-eyed examination of a healthcare system in crisis, "Hospital, Heal Thyself: One Brilliant Mathematician's Proven Plan for Saving Hospital, Many Lives. and Billions of Dollars" is the story of enigmatic healthcare visionary Eugene Litvak, whose research and strategies have already been implemented at many top 12-ranked hospitals to save hundreds of millions of dollars and countless thousands of patient lives. While U.S. healthcare costs continue to skyrocket, Litvak's program described in "Hospital, Heal Thyself offers tested, effective methods to trim those costs while simultaneously improving patient outcomes.

Written by veteran prize-winning healthcare journalist Mark Taylor, "Hospital, Heal Thyself" includes compelling discussion on: How hospital and emergency room overcrowding has harmful and potentially deadly effects on patients and staff; How Litvak's algorithms and complex mathematical theories help hospitals staff appropriately to safely manage patient flow; How applying Litvak's unique patient flow interventions improves nurse retention in an era of mass nurse exodus.

Litvak's methods have been proven to work in the best hospitals in America and the world. Studies in the top medical journals confirm their success in reducing medical errors; hospital and emergency room overcrowding; nurse and physician burnout and stress and patient mortality rates. They've saved millions of dollars for each hospital adopting them, while improving patient satisfaction and outcomes, nurse retention, hospital efficiency and addressing healthcare disparities and inequities.

Distilling complex ideas into accessible language, "Hospital, Heal Thyself" is a timely, essential read for all medical practitioners and healthcare administrators and staff who want to play their part in transforming modern healthcare, and the world, for the better.

Critique: A high value contribution to our on-going national discussion over health care issues in general, and hospital practices and requirements in particular, "Hospital, Heal Thyself: One Brilliant Mathematician's Proven Plan for Saving Hospitals, Many Lives, and Billions of Dollars" is as informative as it is comprehensive. While also readily available is a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone, 9798228331402, $45.95, CD), "Hospital Heal Thyself" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university library Hospital Administration/Health Care Delivery collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.

Editorial Note: Mark Taylor is a veteran prize-winning healthcare journalist who has written for newspapers, healthcare business magazines, and online publications for 30+ years. He is a cofounder and past board member of the Association of Healthcare Journalists, a Kaiser Foundation Media Fellow, and a former steelworker, taxi driver, waiter, and lifeguard.

Beyond the Blues, sixth edition
Pec Indman, EdD and Shoshanna S. Bennett, PhD
Gaudium Publishing
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592115280, $34.99, HC, 148pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Blues-Understanding-Postpartum-Depression/dp/1592115284

Synopsis: This 2024 edition of "Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety" by co-authors Pec Indman and Shoshanna S. Bennett contains the most current pregnancy and postpartum resources for the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges for all new parents.

Critique: With fully updated information and current research about medications, as well as complementary and alternative options to dealing with and effectively treating postpartum depression, this new 6th edition of "Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety" is direct, compassionate, comprehensive, and required reading for anyone emotionally suffering before or after the baby is born -- as well for all the medical professionals working with them. While a critically important and fully recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Pregnancy/Childbirth collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for medical students, mental health care providers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Beyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781592115334, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Pec Indman has a doctorate in counseling and a master' s degree in health psychology. She is a retired marriage and family therapist and nationally certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Her training as a physician assistant in family practice was at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Indman is a Past Chair of Education and Training for Postpartum Support International, and serves on the PSI Advisory Council. She develops curriculum and is a trainer for Postpartum Support International. Dr. Indman has been interviewed on national radio and television, for magazines, newspapers, and videos. Lecturing for a wide variety of audiences nationally and internationally, Dr. Indman has served as an expert advisor for federal and local programs as well as a reviewer for several women' s mental health journals.

Editorial Note #2: Shoshanna Bennett founded Postpartum Assistance for Mothers in 1987 after her second experience with two life-threatening postpartum depressions. She is the author of Children of the Depressed, Pregnant on Prozac, and Postpartum Depression for Dummies. National TV shows feature Dr. Shosh as the postpartum expert, and news stations consult her. She' s interviewed regularly on national radio and has been quoted in dozens of newspapers and magazines. She is a past president of Postpartum Support International, noted guest lecturer, keynote speaker, creator of the first PPD app, an Executive Producer of the film Dark Side of the Full Moon, and Co-Founder of the Postpartum Action Institute. She has earned three teaching credentials, two master' s degrees, a PhD, and is licensed as a clinical psychologist.

Constipation Nation
Carmen Fong, MD
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781538186190, $32.00, HC, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/Constipation-Nation-What-Know-When/dp/1538186195

Synopsis: Most Americans have had constipation symptoms at some point in their lives. Statistics show up to 30% of Americans are affected with chronic constipation. This number reaches 60% as we age. At any given time up to 100 million people in the United States experience constipation. During the pandemic, constipation and its related anorectal issues worsened because everyone was sitting at home.

Constipation has affected humans throughout history. Some called it "civilization's curse". Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes, of Kellogg's cereal fame) promoted cold cereal as a constipation cure. Today, we have more probiotics and diets than you can shake your tushy at, and social media has popularized the Blue Poop Challenge to diagnose gut health. But what does it all mean?

After seeing thousands of patients in her practice as a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Fong realized that she was repeating the same information, sometimes twenty times a day. Yet, this information was not common knowledge. What was found on the Internet was confusing and conflicting, leaving people who Googled their symptoms with more questions than answers. As an academic clinician who has written peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Fong sought information beyond even what the medical textbooks taught her.

With the publication of "Constipation Nation: What to Know When You Can't Go" Dr. Fong seeks to help readers who would rather research information themselves before seeing a healthcare professional to troubleshoot their poop chute. Drawing from 200 evidence-based sources as well as historical texts, Dr. Fong addresses all aspects of constipation, combining medicine, physiology, anatomy, microbiology, nutrition, history, and social sciences to get to the bottom of it all to explain why we doo... and why we don't.

Critique: Ideal for the non-specialist general reader, "Constipation Nation: What to Know When You Can't Go" is a deftly crafted and complete course of instructive information on the subject of the digestive system and gastroenterology that will be especially appreciated by anyone who has problems with chronic constipation. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Constipation Nation: What to Know When You Can't Go" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, medical professional, community, and college/university library Health/Medicine collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Carmen Fong (https://carmenfong.com) is a Chinese American writer and colorectal surgeon. Fong is co-director of the Hemorrhoid Centers of America and specializes in office-based proctology, and most recently was an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She sees patients with constipation every single day. During her training, Fong won multiple awards and presented at national meetings. She's a member of the Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, where she sits on the Ethics and Health Advocacy Committees, and she's a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, where she's active on the Young Surgeons Committee. She has been an ambassador for Fight Colorectal Cancer!, a national advocacy group.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Into the Thaw
Jon Waterman
Patagonia
www.patagoniaworks.com
9781952338236, $35.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thaw-Witnessing-Wonder-Climate/dp/1952338239

Synopsis: Forty years ago, park ranger Jon Waterman took his first journey into the Alaskan Arctic, to the Noatak headwaters. He was astonished by the abundant wildlife, the strange landscape, and its otherworldly light -- how the "frequent rain showers glow like lemonade poured out of the sky." Taken with a new sense of wonder, he began to explore the North on several trips in the 1980s.

After a 30-year absence from the Noatak, he returned with his son in 2021. Amid a now-flooded river missing the once-plentiful caribou, he was shocked and heartbroken by the changes. The following year, in 2022, he took one final journey "into the thaw" to document (for this lushly illustrated and scholarly book) the environmental and cultural changes wrought by the climate crisis.

A widely published author and photographer, Waterman's narrative alternates between adventure and wilderness memoir and plainly stated natural history of the area. Chased by bears, sometimes alone for weeks on end amid hordes of mosquitoes, he notes the extraordinary changes from 1983 until the present day: brush grown over the tundra in a phenomenon called Greening of the Arctic, tear-drop-shaped landslide thaw slumps (a.k.a. thermokarsts) caused by thawing permafrost, and an increasing loss of sea ice as he travels along the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

Waterman also records spending time with the kindhearted, welcoming Inuit or Inupiat most affected by the Arctic crisis, who share how their age-old culture has attempted to cope with "the thaw."

Stricken by the change, Waterman paints an intimate portrait of both the villages and the little-visited landscape, because "it's high time that we truly understand the Arctic." He writes, "Lest we forget what it once was."

Through his quest for wonder (and with a prose illuminated by humility and humor) Waterman shows how the Arctic can confer grace on those who pass through. Despite the unfolding crisis, as a narrative of hope, he ends with suggested actions we can all take to slow the thaw and preserve what is left of this remarkable, vast frontier.

Critique: This large format (8.6 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches, 2.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis" is a compelling eye-witness account of how rapidly and dramatically climate change is affecting the Arctic, its wildlife, and its people. Profusely, beautifully, and effectively enhanced with full color photography throughout, "Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis" is an exceptionally well written and informative account of environmental impact that is a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Arctic Environmental Studies collections and supplemental Climate Change curriculum reading lists.

Editorial Note: Jon Waterman (www.jonwaterman.com) has sought out an unconventional adventurer's path since he was a teenager. As a lifelong environmentalist and writer, he has specialized in immersive journeys (often to the North) to develop a sense of place and then share the beauties, cultures, and fragilities of imperiled parts of the world. He has worked as a director of a small press, an editor, a naturalist, a park ranger, a wilderness guide, a photographer, and a filmmaker. Among his many publications, Jon's work has appeared in The New York Times, Wild Bird, Outside, Men's Journal, Adventure, and Sailing World. His sixteen books include In the Shadow of Denali, Kayaking the Vermilion Sea, and the National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks. He has garnered numerous awards, including a Literary Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, three Best Adventure Book Awards from the Banff Book Festival, an Emmy, a National Park Service Special Achievement Award, and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award.


The Science Shelf

Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309715089, $52.00, PB, 354pp

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Linkages-Between-Health-Human/dp/0309715083

Synopsis: The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land -- all of which have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health.

It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The result is "Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health ".

This Consensus Study Report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space.

Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes.

Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.

Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health" is a core and unreservedly recommended addition to professional and college/university library Soil Science and Agriculture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of agriculture students, academia, governmental agriculture policy makers, farmers, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $41.99).

Editorial Note: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide independent, objective advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of society.


The International Studies Shelf

Visualizing Palestine
Aline Batarseh, Jessica Anderson, & Yosra El Gazzar, editors
Haymarket Books
www.haymarketbooks.org
9798888902509, $50.00, HC, 392pp

https://www.amazon.com/Visualizing-Palestine-Chronicle-Colonialism-Liberation/dp/B0CT8C7SMB

Synopsis: As a new generation of movement-builders seek to understand Israel's brutal, illegal occupation of Palestine, "Visualizing Palestine: A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation" provides its readers with vivid and informative graphics revealing deep truths about the decades-long Palestinian struggle for freedom.

The infographics comprising "Visualizing Palestine" present more than just data: colorful, accessible, and thoughtfully arranged, the oppression they document in stark detail dovetails with stories of perseverance and strength. From the history of Zionist settlement to the depopulation of Palestinian villages; from the construction of an apartheid wall to the destruction of olive trees; from hunger strikes to mass protests to boycotts, "Visualizing Palestine" graphics are powerful, comprehensive, and demand our attention.

Critique: Providing an historical context that gave rise to the Hamas attack on Israel, October 7, 2023, which in turn has left a year of massive destruction and death of Palestinian civilians in Gaza that still continues, along with a wider conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and their primary supporter, Iran, this large format (7.9 x 1.2 x 11 inches, 3.4 pounds) edition of "Visualizing Palestine: A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation" from Haymarket Press is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Palestinian/Israeli History collections and supplemental Contemporary International Conflict curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Visualizing Palestine: A Chronicle of Colonialism and the Struggle for Liberation" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.05) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Jessica Anderson is a human rights researcher based in Michigan. She was a first-year undergraduate during the 2008/2009 Israeli assault on Gaza, and a graduate student in refugee studies during Israel's 2012 bombardment. In 2013, she joined the Visualizing Palestine team, where she serves as deputy director.

Editorial Note #2: Aline Batarseh is Palestinian from Jerusalem. She has more than 20 years of experience working with several Palestinian and international nonprofits focused on advancing gender equality, reproductive justice, children's rights, mental health, social justice and collective liberation. Aline joined the Visualizing Palestine team as executive director in 2021.

Editorial Note #3: Yosra El Gazzar is a visual artist and graphic designer based in Cairo, Egypt. She has been a core part of Visualizing Palestine since 2016. Yosra was a 2021 Moutheqat/Women in Dox Fellow in Tunisia and a 2022 CEC ArtsLink Fellow in the United States. Her work has been showcased in various international venues.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India
Nandini Deo
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839985966, $110.00, HC, 154pp

https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Responsibility-Society-Contemporary-Studies/dp/1839985968

Synopsis: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or billionaire philanthropy is like a Rorschach test -- the same act can look very different depending on how we understand its intentions and its consequences. With the publication of "Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India " from Anthem Press, NGO expert Nandini Deo examines the politics of CSR in India to assess its ability to advance inclusive and sustainable development. The focus is on how CSR is remaking the practices and agendas of civic organizations that are being encouraged to collaborate with business to advance equality and prosperity.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) and corporations have a history of hostility to each other. According to CSO workers, businesses selfishly exploit workers, despoil natural resources, and distort democracy to serve their own profit-making ends. According to business executives, CSOs are hopelessly naive, inefficient, and interfere in the market in ways that reduce economic growth. And yet, in the past decade more and more CSOs and businesses are collaborating in new ways.

Individuals from both sectors are setting up social impact enterprises, and social investing funds are increasing. The more traditional forms of corporate-CSO collaboration have expanded as more funds are flowing from business to the social sector. The divide between the corporate sector and civil society seems to be narrowing. Why is this happening and what are its consequences? "Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India" examines these trends in India, where since 2013 the state has mandated co-operation between the largest firms and NGOs in pursuit of inclusive and sustainable development.

"Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India" also offers evidence that CSR is unlikely to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development. By claiming to be "helpers" corporations are able to silence their critics and thus avoid making the deeper shifts in business models needed in order to create a more just and sustainable society.

Critique: An eloquent, erudite, informative, deftly organized and presented work of original, seminal, and ground-breaking research, "Corporate Social Responsibility and Civil Society in India" by Nandini Deo will prove a welcome and high value addition to personal, professional, governmental, and college/university International Civil Society & Corporate Social Responsibility collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Nandini Deo is an expert on civil society activism and teaches political science at Lehigh University. She is a researcher and intellectual leader in the study of NGO activists in the Global South, with focus on how they navigate partnerships with other NGOs, funding agencies, and states and work to alleviate global poverty and improve global health. Highly skilled at applying research to address real world problems through critical and theoretical analysis of empirical evidence. She is also a seasoned communicator to scholars, development practitioners, NGO and social movement activists and the general public.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Inequality and Globalization
Archawa Paweenawat & Robert M. Townsend
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691211022, $45.00, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Inequality-Globalization-Improving-Measurement-Integrated/dp/0691211027

Synopsis: Increasing inequality, the impact of globalization, and the disparate effects of financial regulation and innovation are extraordinarily important topics that fuel spirited international economic policy debates. And yet the facts underlying these debates are of doubtful accuracy.

In reality, as co-authors Archawa Paweenawat and Robert Townsend show in their study, "Inequality and Globalization: Improving Measurement through Integrated Financial Accounts", there is a large gap between micro household surveys, which measure key outcomes such as inequality, and aggregated financial accounts, which measure macroeconomic totals and growth.

Paweenawat and Townsend propose a remedy: integrated financial accounts, in which the flows in income statements, including saving and investment, are consistent with the changes in financial assets and liabilities in the balance sheet at micro and macro levels. None of the leading US micro household surveys or macro accounts meets this criterion.

Drawing on extensive data from fieldwork in Thailand, Paweenawat and Townsend show how consistent integrated financial accounts at the individual household and small enterprise level can be created using household and firm survey data. Aggregated to the village level, these accounts can link anecdotal stories of individual households to their financial accounts, document the real impact on them from growth, and assess what would have happened to them if trade and financial liberalization had not been allowed.

Paweenawat and Townsend then describe the next logical step: creating integrated financial accounts for the United States, working from the ground up and the top down. Only with these integrated accounts will policy debates on inequality and globalization have a solid factual basis.

Critique: Featuring an informative Introduction to the subject, and enhanced with the inclusion of an eight page Appendix, a six page listing of References, and an eight page Index, "Inequality and Globalization: Improving Measurement through Integrated Financial Accounts" (a part of the Princeton University Press 'Gorman Lectures in Economics' series), is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an ideal and high value pick for professional, governmental, and college/university library Contemporary International Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, economists, and governmental policy makers that "Inequality and Globalization" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.75).

Editorial Note #1: Archawa Paweenawat, a development economist, is Head of Business Research of the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research at the Bank of Thailand.

Editorial Note #2: Robert M. Townsend is the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the author of Distributed Ledgers: Design and Regulation of Financial Infrastructure and Payment Systems, Chronicles from the Field: The Townsend Thai Project, Households as Corporate Firms: An Analysis of Household Finance Using Integrated Household Surveys and Corporate Financial Accounting.

Financial Macroeconomics
Jan Kregel
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839990335, $110.00, HC, 318pp

https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Macroeconomics-Anthem-Other-Economics/dp/1839990333

Synopsis: The title of this book, "Financial Macroeconomics" may seem to confuse two separate disciplines - finance and macroeconomics. However, it is based on the fact that finance and macroeconomics were integrated, at least in their formative years. It is a natural extension of a line of research that dominated monetary theory in the early part of the 20th century.

Economists such as Keynes, Robertson, Hawtrey, Fisher, Hayek, and Schumpeter sought to blend the analysis of business cycles with their (often first-hand) experience of money and financial markets. The result was a monetary theory that provided the fertile background to what came to be called macroeconomics.

However, in the post-war period, the monetary aspects of this theory dropped out of sight in the neo-classical synthesis and hydraulic Keynesianism. Post-Keynesians such as Davidson and Minsky have done much to try to restore the monetary aspects of the theory, but the other - more technical - aspects of financial analysis have been ignored.

Deftly organized and expertly presented by economics professor Jan Kregal, "Financial Macroeconomics" aims to show how technical aspects of financial were initially part of the early investigations of macroeconomics and how they may be used to provide a realistic analysis of the behavior of modern financial economies.

Critique: A seminal, ground-breaking, meticulous study comprised of twenty-one erudite, insightful, thought-provoking study hallmarked by meticulous and documented scholarship, "Financial Macroeconomics" is a significant contribution to the field of Economic Theory and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university liberary Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental/corporate economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Financial Macroeconomics" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49) as well.

Editorial Note: Jan Kregel teaches Financial Macroeconomics and Development Finance at the Tallinn Technological University and at the New School for Social Research in New York.k (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Kregel)


The American History Shelf

Democracy, Aristocracy, Theocracy and the Rule of Law in the New England Colonies, 1620-1686
Lievin Kambamba Mboma
Lievin K. Mboma Press
9781737338420, $38.99, HC, 236pp

https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Aristocracy-Theocracy-Colonies-1620-1686/dp/1737338424

Synopsis: "Democracy, Aristocracy, Theocracy and the Rule of Law in the New England Colonies, 1620-1686" explores the emergence of various governmental formations in early New England. Namely, pertinent data on the variations of government in the Massachusetts Bay and New Haven colonies are examined for democratic, theocratic, and aristocratic topography.

In this seminal study, Lievin Kambamba Mboma particularly tackles the instaurations of democratic forms of government in Plymouth, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the settlements of New Hampshire and Maine while under Massachusetts Bay colonial governance.

Principal actors like Governors John Winthrop, Thomas Dudley, Richard Bellingham, Harry Vane, Theophilus Eaton, Roger Williams, and John Haynes are discussed given the influence of their personal political thoughts and religious convictions. Mboma similarly notes the contributions of John Cotton, John Davenport, and Thomas Hooker as religious ministers and government actors.

With keen analysis, Mboma simultaneously records the democratic principles advocated by "freemen" in their respective towns, plantations, and villages. When all is considered, clear principles of rule of law in the colonies are revealed as creating the bedrock of Western government, including those of freemen, freedom of conscience and religion, equal justice, personal security, and civil liberties.

The Massachusetts Body of Liberties, The English Magna Charta, the Connecticut Fundamental Orders of 1639, The Connecticut Code of 1650, The Mayflower Compact signed in 1620, the Rhode Island Code of 1647 and the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 serve as important primary sources for the laws and orders enacted to secure the liberties of the freemen, servants, and strangers which continue to shape contemporary governance in the United States.

Readers will thus understand Mboma's insertion of the Constitution of the United States and his juxtaposing it with law in the New England colonies to connect the continuation of liberties in our current era.

For deeper understanding, towns liberties enjoyed by the freemen along with milestones in the evolution of the representative system of the New England colonies during the period under analysis are presented, and the expansions of self-governing forms of government in New Jersey, New York, and the Puritan settlements in South Carolina and Georgia are analyzed.

This work offers scholars, professors, students, and the public vital information on the forms of government instituted in the New England colonies and allows for historical mapping of the legal principles and rule of law that subsequently shaped government in the free nations and United States generally.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Democracy, Aristocracy, Theocracy and the Rule of Law in the New England Colonies, 1620-1686" is a solid work of specific and meticulous scholarship. Informative, definitively documented, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) from Lievin K. Mboma Press, "Democracy, Aristocracy, Theocracy and the Rule of Law in the New England Colonies, 1620-1686" is a high value and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library 17th Century American Political History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Lievin Kambamba Mboma is also the author of "African American Lawmen: Volumes 1 & 2" (Lievin K. Mboma Press)

African American Lawmen 1877-1900
Lievin Kambamba Mboma
Lievin K. Mboma Press
9781737338451, $38.99, HC, 206pp

https://www.amazon.com/AFRICAN-AMERICAN-LAWMEN-1877-1900-vol-2/dp/1737338459

Synopsis: "African American Lawmen 1877-1900" discusses the understudied topic of African Americans holding civic and professional positions in the criminal justice system following Reconstruction.

For a better understanding of this topic, with the publication of "African American Lawmen 1877-1900", Lievin Kambamba Mboma tackles the early unofficial lapse of Reconstruction Era policies resulting from rebellion by underprivileged Southern Whites. Namely, regarding the unofficial end of Reconstruction, Mboma briefly explores the lapse of this period as contextualized by rebellions in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas along with the peaceful end of Reconstruction policies in North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.

"African American Lawmen 1877-1900" also examines the position of the federal government on the premature lapse of Reconstruction Era policies, and with expert precision, offers critique of the non-interference of Federal authorities in Southern rebellion as indicated through the policies of President Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes. Mboma further finds that Presidential successors, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley also observed the same non-interference policies as their predecessors.

From Reconstruction failure and federal government responses, Mboma's study progresses to documentary evidence of the emergence of Black union members, their associations with the Republican Party and Lily Whites, and the Black and Tans political phenomenon. Moreover, he analyzes legally restrictive franchise methods utilized by Southern officials, such as the Constitutional Amendment and political party's restrictive election measure, which he describes as tools used to disenfranchise African Americans and circumvent their inclusion in criminal justice.

The specific areas of inclusion in the criminal justice system explored by Mboma include African American retentions, exclusion, and re-inclusions in the police force, prisons, judiciary system, and regulatory agencies at the county, state, and federal levels.

The totality of historical documentation analyzed reveals that many African Americans executed political strategies to maintain their presence as political actors at the local and state levels. They furthermore joined the fusion government or switched political parties on the federal level.

Additionally, the strategic exodus of African Americans heading North, West, or even East to Liberia to overcome civil and political injustices in the South cannot be discounted. Thus, the works of such leaders as Henry Adams of Louisiana and Benjamin 'Pap' Singleton of Tennessee during the African American exodus from the South are highlighted in the context of connections with the emergence of African Americans in the pollical sphere of the North.

"African American Lawmen 1877-1900" is an essential addition to the literature on African Americans in the aftermath of Reconstruction for students, professors, scholars and anyone interested in U.S. history and law.

Critique: "African American Lawmen 1877-1900" is the second volume in author/historian Lievin Kambamba Mboma seminal and groundbreaking study that began with "African American Lawmen 1867-1877, Volume 1". A meticulous work of original scholarship and a unique contribution to community and college/university library African American 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 "African American Lawmen 1877-1900" is also readily available from Lievin K. Mboma Press in a paperback edition (9781737338468, $20.00) as well.

Editorial Note: Lievin Kambamba Mboma is also the author of "Pilgrims and Puritans in Colonial America" (Lievin K. Mboma Press)


The World History Shelf

Liquid Empire
Corey Ross
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691211442, $39.95, HC, 464pp

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Empire-Water-Power-Colonial/dp/0691211442

Synopsis: In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a handful of powerful European states controlled more than a third of the land surface of the planet. These sprawling empires encompassed not only rainforests, deserts, and savannahs but also some of the world's most magnificent rivers, lakes, marshes, and seas. With the publication of "Liquid Empire: Water and Power in the Colonial World" by the Princeton University Press, author Corey Ross tells the story of how the waters of the colonial world shaped the history of imperialism, and how this imperial past still haunts us today.

Spanning the major European empires of the period, Ross describes how new ideas, technologies, and institutions transformed human engagements with water and how the natural world was reshaped in the process. Water was a realm of imperial power whose control and distribution were closely bound up with colonial hierarchies and inequalities - but this vital natural resource could never be fully tamed. Ross vividly portrays the efforts of officials, engineers, fisherfolk, and farmers to exploit water, and highlights its crucial role in the making and unmaking of the colonial order.

Revealing how the legacies of empire have persisted long after colonialism ebbed away, Liquid Empire provides needed historical perspective on the crises engulfing the world's waters, particularly in the Global South, where billions of people are faced with mounting water shortages, rising flood risks, and the relentless depletion of sea life.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous illustrations, a forty-six page Bibliography, and an eight page Index, "Liquid Empire: Water and Power in the Colonial World" is a seminal and ground- breaking study that will be of particular interest to students of European colonial and post-colonial history, environmental policy, and European/International politics. A meticulous and deftly crafted work of original scholarship, "Liquid Empire: Water and Power in the Colonial World" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this edition of "Liquid Empire: Water and Power in the Colonial World" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Corey Ross is director of the Institute for European Global Studies at the University of Basel in Switzerland. His books include "Ecology and Power in the Age of Empire". (https://europa.unibas.ch/en/about-us/people/directorate/corey-ross)

A Short History of Albania and the Albanian People
Nicolae Iorga
Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592114214, $29.99, HC, 120pp

https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Albania-Albanian-People/dp/1592114210

Synopsis: With the publication of "A Short History of Albania and the Albanian People", author and historian Nicolae Iorga revealed the fascinating story of the Albanian people, whose rich heritage dates back to the ancient Illyrians, inhabitants of the Balkan peninsula since pre-Homeric times.

"A Short History of Albania and the Albanian People" takes you on an enlightening expedition through the pivotal moments that shaped this unique and resilient culture, leading up to the establishment of Albania as a sovereign nation in 1912. At the heart of Albania's distinctiveness lies its language, derived from ancient Illyrian, setting it apart from neighboring Slavic and Greek communities. This linguistic connection with their ancestors has played a significant role in preserving their ethnic identity throughout history despite political and religious divisions.

Now available for the first time in English from Histria Press, "A Short History of Albania and the Albanian People" is essential reading for Albanian history enthusiasts and anyone seeking to grasp the complexity and resilience of a people whose roots date back to ancient times. Embark on this captivating voyage, delving into the rich tapestry of Albania's past and the indomitable spirit of the Albanian people that endures to this day.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, a two page Author's Preface, a two page Appendix (Extracts from Ottoman Official Statistics), and a one page bibliographic listing of Suggested Reading, this hardcover edition of "A Short History of Albania and the Albanian People" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an ideal pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Albanian History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Nicolae Iorga (17 January 1871 - 27 November 1940), was one of Romania's greatest historians. During his long and distinguished academic career, Iorga authored more than 1,000 books and 12,000 articles. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Iorga)

The History and Chronology of Ancient India
Anil J. Mehta
Satyam Press
https://www.satyam-books.com
9798987436905, $65.00, HC, 386pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-history-and-chronology-of-ancient-india-anil-j-mehta/1146338028

Synopsis: It is not common knowledge, even within India, let alone the world, that the current and widely presented history and chronology of ancient India is not the one recorded by Indians, but rather a distorted version created during the colonial rule of India.

With the publication of "The History and Chronology of Ancient India: Undoing Distortions from Colonial Rule", author Anil J. Mehta explains the reasons and the glaring errors in the prevalent chronology and history of India.

Mehta approaches these errors with evidence based on years of extensive research supported by hundreds of references that are cited in his study. He discusses numerous specific examples of distortions of the chronology to provide a correct, continuous, and connected chronology and history of India from 3100+ BC to AD 1192.

Critique: Informed and informative, "The History and Chronology of Ancient India: Undoing Distortions from Colonial Rule" is a seminal, groundbreaking, iconoclastic, and meticulous work of original scholarship. Exceptionally well written, documented, organized and presented, "The History and Chronology of Ancient India: Undoing Distortions from Colonial Rule" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library History of India collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Anil Mehta has a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur and a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has over 30 years of experience in research, development, and design in the chemical industry with 12 United States patents.He has been keenly interested in history since his childhood. After first encountering theories regarding the potentially severe distortions in ancient Indian chronology and history, he could not wait to find the truth. He retired early in 2018 from a very satisfying career to commit his research skills full time to better understand and share the true history of India.


The Military History Shelf

The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943
James Holland
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802163851, $22.00, PB, 624pp

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Storm-Battle-Italy-1943/dp/0802163858

Synopsis: Following victory in Sicily, while the central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troops crossed into southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forces north and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but German divisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into one of the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war.

"The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" by James Holland chronicles the dramatic opening months of the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail, is unlike any campaign history yet written. Holland has always narrated war at ground level, but here goes further by chronicling events almost entirely through the contemporary eyes of those who were there on all sides and at all levels -- Allied, Axis, civilians alike.

Weaving together a wealth of letters, diaries, and other documents from the likes of American General Mark Clark, German battalion commander Georg Zellner, New Zealand lance-corporal Roger Smith, legendary war reporter Ernie Pyle, and Italian politician Filippo Caracciolo, Holland traces the battles as they were experienced across plains, over mountains, through shattered villages and cities, in intense heat and, towards the end of December 1943, frigid cold and relentless rain.

Such close-up views persuade Holland to recast important aspects of the campaign, reappraising the reputation of Mark Clark himself and other senior commanders of the U.S. Fifth and British Eighth armies. Given the shortage of Allied shipping and materiel allocated to Italy because of the build-up for D-Day, more was expected of Allied troops in Italy than anywhere else, and, as accounts at the time attest, a huge price was paid by everyone for each bloodily contested mile.

Putting readers vividly in the moment as events unfolded, with characters made unforgettable by their own words, "The Savage Storm" is a defining account of the pivotal months leading to Monte Cassino, and a landmark in the writing about war.

Critique: Originally published in hardcover by the Atlantic Monthly Press (December, 2023), this new paperback edition of "The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" is an exceptionally well written, organized and presented chronology and description of the Allied invasion of Italy. While also now available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.75) as well, "The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Arguably one of WWII's finest historians, James Holland is the author of Brothers in Arms, Sicily '43, Normandy '44, Big Week, The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike Back in the War in the West trilogy, and Dam Busters. He has written and presented the documentaries Battle of Britain and Dam Busters for the BBC, and a WWII podcast, We Have Ways of Making You Talk. -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holland_(author)

Arming the Warship
Iver P. Cooper
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476694993, $49.95, PB, 305pp

https://www.amazon.com/Arming-Warship-Weapons-Technology-Gunnery/dp/1476694990

Synopsis: In the 16th century, warships engaged at close range, sometimes with yards with small arms fire and hand-to-hand combat being at least as important as the "great guns" or ship's cannons. As time went on, the big guns became more decisive and increased in destructive power, range and accuracy.

With the publication of "Arming the Warship: Naval Weapons Technology and Gunnery from the Spanish Armada to the Cold War", Iver P. Cooper explores how naval armament, armor, ballistics and gunnery evolved from the 16th to 20th centuries from a scientific and technological perspective. Cooper also examines the functional aspects (the guns and their distribution on warships, the propellants, the projectiles and so forth) as well as examining the development of each.

Critique: This large format (7 x 0.62 x 10 inches, 1.24 pounds) paperback edition of "Arming the Warship: Naval Weapons Technology and Gunnery from the Spanish Armada to the Cold War" from McFarland & Company is a seminal and groundbreaking study that is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Maritime Naval & Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Iver P. Cooper is an independent researcher in the history of science and technology. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18410143.Iver_P_Cooper)


The Civil War Shelf

"Digging All Night and Fighting All Day"
Paul Brueske
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217100, $32.95, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Digging-All-Night-Fighting-Day/dp/1611217105

Synopsis: The bloody two-week siege of Spanish Fort, Alabama (March 26 - April 8, 1865) was one of the final battles of the Civil War. Despite its importance and fascinating history, surprisingly little has been written about it. Many considered the fort as the key to holding the important seaport of Mobile, which surrendered to Maj. Gen. Edward R. S. Canby on April 12, 1865. Paul Brueske's "Digging All Night and Fighting All Day": The Civil War Siege of Spanish Fort and the Mobile Campaign, 1865 is the first full-length study of this subject.

General U. S. Grant had long set his eyes on capturing Mobile. Its fall would eliminate the vital logistical center and put one of the final nails in the coffin of the Confederacy. On January 18, 1865, Grant ordered General Canby to move against Mobile, Montgomery, and Selma and destroy anything useful to the enemy's war effort. The reduction of Spanish Fort, along with Fort Blakeley (the primary obstacles to taking Mobile) was a prerequisite to capturing the city.

After the devastating Tennessee battles of Franklin and Nashville in late 1864, many Federals believed Mobile's garrison (which included a few battered brigades and most of the artillery units from the Army of Tennessee) did not have much fight left and would evacuate the city rather than fight. They did not. Despite being outnumbered about 10 to 1, 33-year-old Brig. Gen. Randall Lee Gibson mounted a skillful and spirited defense that "considerably astonished" his Union opponents. The siege and battle that unfolded on the rough and uneven bluffs of Mobile Bay's eastern shore, fought mainly by veterans of the principal battles of the Western Theater, witnessed every offensive and defensive art known to war.

Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study by author/historian Paul Brueske draws upon primary source materials, including letters, diaries, reports, and newspaper accounts to produce an meticulously documented history of an overlooked but impressively important event of the Civil War that saw acts of heroism rivaling any that had come before in this long and brutal war. A fascinating and informative read from start to finish, "Digging All Night and Fighting All Day": The Civil War Siege of Spanish Fort and the Mobile Campaign, 1865" is an essential and core contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition from Savas Beatie is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Paul Brueske has been studying the Civil War history of northwest Florida and south Alabama for the past 20 years. He is the president and founder of the Mobile Area Civil War Round Table and the head track and field coach at the University of South Alabama. Brueske is a regular speaker on Gulf Coast-related Civil War topics and a member of the Friends of Historic Blakeley State Park, the Historic Mobile Preservation Society, and Friends of the History Museum of Mobile.


The Nautical Shelf

The Charles W. Morgan
Andrew W. German
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493084432, $24.95, PB, 184pp

https://www.amazon.com/Charles-W-Morgan-Worlds-Whaleship/dp/1493084437

Synopsis: As America's oldest merchant ship still afloat and the only wooden survivor of the once-vital whaling industry, the Charles W. Morgan has a complex story to tell.

Elaborating on earlier volumes on the ship's history at Mystic Seaport Museum, "The Charles W. Morgan: The World's Last Wooden Whaleship" is new study by Andrew W. German that offers an expanded account, chronicling the ship's construction and launch in 1841 through its Thirty-Eighth Voyage in 2014 (the first time the Morgan had been sailed in more than ninety years) and its continuing role today as an historic icon and the Museum's flagship vessel.

Individual chapters paint an informed and informative picture of how whaling developed in Europe and the ways New England colonists adopted it as a profitable venture, and then, through the ship's own story, proceed to sketch the evolution of America's relationship with nature (and the whale, specifically) as well as the many peoples of the world who were encountered by, or served aboard, a whaleship.

This is also the story of a National Historic Landmark -- one that reflects our changing relationship with the natural world and with the diverse populations of the globe through two centuries of American history.

Critique: An especially recommended read for the legions of maritime history fans, "The Charles W. Morgan: The World's Last Wooden Whaleship" is profusely illustrated throughout with both contemporary color and B/W historical photos, A seminal and erudite study, "The Charles W. Morgan: The World's Last Wooden Whaleship" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Maritime History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Charles W. Morgan: The World's Last Wooden Whaleship" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.50) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Andrew W. German is former director of Mystic Seaport Museum's Publications Department and coauthor of multiple Mystic/whaling-related books, including The Charles W. Morgan: A Picture History of an American Icon, Down on T Wharf: The Boston Fisheries as Seen Through the Photographs of Henry D. Fisher, and Flagships of Mystic Seaport. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1917146.Andrew_W_German)

Editorial Note #2: Mystic Seaport Museum (https://mysticseaport.org) is the nation's leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America's seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to "inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience."


The Parenting Shelf

Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle
Sarah Allen Benton
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781538181898, $32.00, HC, 222pp

https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Recovery-Navigating-Family-Lifestyle/dp/1538181894

Synopsis: "Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle" by Sarah Allen Benton is not a book about "how" to parent. It is also not a book about "how" to get sober. Instead, it is meant to be a guide for parents in recovery (PIRs) from substance use disorders that provides insights and strategies for coping with the many unique and not so unique, challenges they may face.

"Parents in Recovery" is also intended to give the loved ones and families of PIRs an inside look at this world and explain why certain changes and behaviors are necessary to maintain long-term recovery. Each chapter is an integration of research, the voices of parents in recovery, input from addiction treatment experts, parent recovery wisdom suggestions and the author's past journal accounts.

This is a guidebook that can support mothers and fathers in navigating their way through parenting with a sober lifestyle -- which includes physical, emotional, social, spiritual, behavioral, environmental, and vocational wellness. It is written for those who have embraced sobriety before, during or after becoming a parent and can serve as a "job-aid" on this journey.

The key topics covered include love and marriage, family systems, work and life balance, self-care, parenting types, sober socializing, coping with hard times, mental health and recovery pride. "Parents in Recover" also addresses modern-day challenges, including the use of electronics, social media, career identity, social trends, non-traditional parental roles and living in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world.

While many parents feel shame associated with aspects of their addiction, "Parents in Recovery" emphasizes the gifts and accomplishments of being in recovery and how they positively impact the entire family system.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography, fourteen pages of Notes, a two page listing of Resources, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, and a six page Index, "Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle" is a unique and 'real world' practical instructional guide that will prove invaluable for parents in addiction recovery wanting to right by their children (and grandchildren). Exceptionally informative, inspiring, motivating, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition for personal, professional, community, counseling center, college and university library Parenting and Addiction Recovery collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition from Rowman & Littlefield is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.00).

Editorial Note: Sarah Allen Benton (www.bentonbhc.com) is a licensed mental health counselor and advanced alcohol and drug counselor. She is co-owner of Benton Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC specializing in clinical and business support services. Sarah is a co-founder and chief clinical officer for Waterview Behavioral Health in Wallingford, CT and was also the former director of Clinical Services for Aware Recovery Care in North Haven, CT. Sarah has worked as a therapist and clinical consultant for various addiction treatment programs, practices, and start-ups. She also worked at McLean Hospital in their dual diagnosis transitional treatment program, Klarman Center for eating disorder treatment and the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Institute in Belmont, MA.


The Cookbook Shelf

Entertaining with Charm
Eden Passante
Weldon Owen, Inc.
c/o Insight Editions
www.insighteditions.com
9798886741483, $29.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Entertaining-Charm-Modern-Relaxed-Gatherings/dp/B0CTYHD2XP

Synopsis: More than just another collection of recipes, "Entertaining with Charm" by Eden Passante will guide you in hosting beautiful gatherings with delicious dishes and simple style. Organized by category, "Entertaining with Charm" is filled from cover to cover with appealing recipes, refreshing signature cocktails, and mouth-watering desserts and is about bringing people together for unfussy food and drink. It is about enjoying the simple things in life: celebrations made easy with fresh food that's straightforward to prepare, charming details, and memorable gatherings around the table.

With her inspiring blog, Sugar & Charm, (which has won accolades from legions of fans as well as award nods from Saveur, Domino, and more) in the pages of Entertaining with Charm" Eden extols her wisdom for the art of entertaining and becoming a confident home entertainer with easy-to-execute recipes, cocktails, and hosting knowhow.

Adding to a compendium of recipes for elegant dishes, "Entertaining with Charm" also includes expert advice on party planning and simply natural ways to add style and charm, from fresh flowers and table decor to candles and cozy ambiance. Whether it's an intimate movie night, an alfresco dinner party, or a festive bonfire gathering, this DIY guide has all the recipes, tips, and ideas to make your event one that everyone will remember -- and will teach you that the only reason to host a party is to have fun.

Critique: A compendium of 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for magnificent and memorable dining occasions, this large format (8 x 1.1 x 10 inches, 2.87 pounds) hardcover edition of Eden Passante's "Entertaining with Charm" is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page, full color photos of finished dishes. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community/public library cookbook collections, it should be noted that this edition of "Entertaining with Charm" from Weldon Owens is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Eden Passante (https://sugarandcharm.com) started Sugar and Charm in 2010, and it has grown into an influential recipe and entertaining brand where she shares how to host beautiful parties and the art of entertaining. Eden inspire her readers to become confident home entertainers by sharing easy-to-make recipes, cocktails, and desserts and hosting inspiration. Eden believes that entertaining doesn't have to be intimidating or complicated. It's all about bringing people together around something delicious and creating an experience that will make them feel welcome.

The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook
Hari Pulapaka & Jenneffer Pulapaka
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578269518, $20.00, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Healthy-Plant-Based-Cookbook/dp/1578269512

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Lowering Blood Pressure, Reversing Heart Disease & Cardiac Recovery" reveals the secrets to a healthier heart bu showcasing more than 100 easy, oil-free, and salt-free recipes designed not only to prevent and reverse heart disease but also to tantalize your taste buds with delicious flavors.

Co-authored by lifestyle medicine expert Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka and professional chef Hari Pulapaka, "The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook" deftly combines culinary expertise with medical knowledge to create an essential collection of recipes are both impressively flavorful and extraordinarily good for your personal health and physical well-being.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. Research shows that a plant-based, low-sodium, low-fat, oil-free diet, combined with regular exercise, not only reduces the risk of heart disease but is also crucial for recovery. Embrace a healthier lifestyle with recipes that support heart health and overall well-being.

"The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook" features:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert Recipes: Start your day with Blueberry and Oats Pancakes or enjoy a hearty Sweet Potato, Kale, and Mushroom Scramble. Savor a Roasted Vegetable Tikka Masala Curry for dinner or indulge in a Green Chile and Corn Chowder.

Pantry Staples and Special Seasoning Blends: Stock your kitchen with essential ingredients and unique seasoning blends to enhance your meals.

Soups and Sauces: Warm up with Rapini, Garlic, and White Bean Soup or try the Plantain and Lima Bean Mofongo.

Healthy Eating Habits: Learn key habits for a healthier heart with our comprehensive primer.

Featured family cook friendly recipes range: from Blueberry and Oats Pancakes; Sweet Potato, Kale, and Mushroom Scramble; Roasted Vegetable Tikka Masala Curry; and Quinoa, Garbanzo, Corn, and Spinach Pilaf; to Rapini, Garlic, and White Bean Soup; Plantain and Lima Bean Mofongo; Green Chile and Corn Chowder; and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page, full color photographs of finished dishes, this paperback edition of "The Heart Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Lowering Blood Pressure, Reversing Heart Disease & Cardiac Recovery" from Hatherleigh Press is a high value and unreservedly recommended addition to family, personal, professional, and community library Heart Healthy & Vegetarian/Vegan cookbook collections.

Editorial Note #1: Dr. Jenneffer Pulapaka, DPM, is a Board Certified Physician Diplomate in Lifestyle Medicine. A trained podiatric surgeon who specializes in diabetic limb salvage, she is the founder of DeLand Foot and Leg Center. A Certified Sommelier, she also has 15+ years of experience in menu planning and event design in the restaurant industry and has been a featured sommelier at the James Beard Foundation House. Along with her professional chef husband Hari Pulapaka, she founded Cress Restaurant.

Editorial Note #2: Hari Pulapaka is a professional chef and co-founder of Cress Restaurant. In 2017, Hari launched a company, Global Cooking School, LLC. Born and raised in Mumbai, he acquired an Associate of Applied Science in the Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu-Orlando in 2004. Hari is a Worldchefs Certified Master Chef and Certified Executive Chef of the American Culinary Federation with four James Beard Award semifinalist nods as Best Chef-South and multiple Food & Wine People's Best Chef recognitions. He is currently a full-time, tenured Associate Professor of Mathematics at Stetson University.

Welcome Home Quick & Easy Cookbook
Hope Comerford, author
Bonnie Matthews, photographer
Good Books
www.goodbooks.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781680999204, $24.99, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Home-Quick-Easy-Cookbook/dp/1680999206

Synopsis: When you have a busy schedule, preparing balanced and delicious meals day after day can start to feel like a real burden! Then "Welcome Home Quick & Easy Cookbook: Fuss-Free Meals Everyone Will Love!" can take some of the weight off your shoulders. This is a culinary compendium of 127 breakfasts, dinners, and desserts that will please a variety of palates and can be easily whipped up in a short time.

Whether you prefer to use your stovetop, oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, there are plenty of options in this book for you that include 'kitchen cook friendly' DIY recipes for such dishes as:

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Mexican Beef and Barley Soup
Southwestern Cauliflower
Chicken with Feta Cheese
Bistro Steak with Mushrooms
Chicken Alfredo Penne
Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Meatball Tortellini Soup
Guacamole Chicken
Banana Split Snack Cake
Candy Bar Cookies
And so many more!

You can trust these recipes because they are collected from some of America's best home cooks, tested in real-life settings, and carefully selected from thousands of recipes. Finally, a cookbook that makes dinnertime stress-free and fun!

Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full page, full color photos, and a delight to simply browse through one inspiring and instructional page at a time, "Welcome Home Quick & Easy Cookbook: Fuss-Free Meals Everyone Will Love!" is an ideal menu planning resource for the time constrained family cook with an impressive variety of nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare dishes. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this paperback edition of "Welcome Home Quick & Easy Cookbook: Fuss-Free Meals Everyone Will Love!" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note #1: Hope Comerford is the blogger behind A Busy Mom's Slow Cooker Adventures and is the author of The Gluten-Free Slow Cooker and editor or author of several Fix-It and Forget-It books including Fix-It and Forget-It Lazy and Slow Cookbook, Fix-It and Forget-It Cooking for Two, and Welcome Home Cookbook. She is passionate about writing easy, delicious recipes. (www.goodreads.com/author/show/7138428.Hope_Comerford)

Editorial Note #2: Bonnie Matthews is a food photographer, cookbook author, and illustrator. When Bonnie is not creating recipes or photographing food, she's drawing and painting for children's books and magazines. She's illustrated 25 books for children, including the award-winning "What To Do" series. In her spare time, she escapes to tiny islands and snorkels to get inspiration for the characters she draws. She is also the author of The Freekeh Cookbook, Hot & Hip Grilling Secrets, Hot & Hip Healthy Gluten-Free Cooking, and The Eat Your Way Healthy at Trader Joe's Cookbook. (https://app.ckbk.com/authors/bonnie-matthews)


The Music Shelf

Kate Bush's Hounds of Love
Leah Kardos
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9798765106990, $14.95, PB, 152pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Bushs-Hounds-Love-33/dp/B0CYP75PF3

Synopsis: With the publication of "Hounds Of Love", author Leah Kardos invites you to not only listen, but to cross the boundaries of sensory experience into realms of imagination and possibility.

Side A spawned four Top 40 hit singles in the UK, 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)', 'Cloudbusting', 'Hounds of Love' and 'The Big Sky', some of the best-loved and most enduring compositions in Bush's catalogue.

On side B, a hallucinatory seven-part song cycle called The Ninth Wave broke away from the pop conventions of the era by using strange and vivid production techniques that plunge the listener into the psychological centre of a near-death experience. Poised and accessible, yet still experimental and complex, with Hounds Of Love Bush mastered the art of her studio-based songcraft, finally achieving full control of her creative process.

When it came out in 1985, she was only 27 years old.

"Hounds of Love" also charts the emergence of Kate Bush in the early-to-mid-1980s as a courageous experimentalist, a singularly expressive recording artist and a visionary music producer. Track-by-track commentaries focus on the experience of the album from the listener's point of view, drawing attention to the art and craft of Bush's songwriting, production and sound design.

Also considered is the vast impact and influence that Hounds Of Love has had on music cultures and creative practices through the years, underlining the artist's importance as a barrier-smashing, template-defying, business-smart, record-breaking, never-compromising role model for artists everywhere.

Critique: Of immense and special interest to readers concerned with the history of popular music, music criticism, and the musical achievements/impact of Kate Bush. While also available from Bloomsbury Academic in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Hounds of Love" by academician Leah Kardos is recommended as a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections and supplemental English Popular Music History curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Leah Kardos (www.leahkardos.com) is a senior lecturer in music at Kingston University London, UK. She is also the author of Blackstar Theory: The Last Works of David Bowie (Bloomsbury, 2022), which was included as one of The Wire's 'Best Books of 2022'.

Editorial Note #2: 33+1 3 (Thirty-Three and a Third) is a series of books, each about a single music album. The series title refers to the rotation speed of a vinyl LP, 33+1 3 RPM. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33%E2%85%93)


The Art Shelf

Colors in Japanese Art
Nobuyoshi Hamada
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318188, $29.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Colors-Japanese-Art-Japans-Decorative/dp/480531818X

Synopsis: From the vibrant reds of traditional kimonos to the serene blues of tarashikomi riverscapes and woodblock prints, with the publication of "Colors in Japanese Art: The Use of Color in Japan's Fine and Decorative Arts", artist and author Nobuyoshi Hamada invites you to explore the rich tapestry of Japanese visual culture through the lens of color.

Whether you are a collector of Japanese art, a student of art history, or simply captivated by the rich shades, tones and hues that Japanese art presents, "Colors in Japanese Art" is basic to understanding this extraordinary artistic tradition.

"Colors in Japanese Art" showcases more than 120 great works of fine and decorative art and discusses the color schemes used in each work, including:

The vibrant red, gold, multi-hued kimonos from the 18th and 19th century Edo period
The gold, green and deep-blue season-themed screens of Tohaku and Sesshu
The elegant pinks and blues in the landscape prints of Hiroshige and Hokusai
The blues, reds and yellows in the Ko-Kutani & Imari porcelains of the Edo and Meiji periods
Earthy golds in fine lacquerwares dating as far back as the Heian period
And so many more colors in over 120 magnificent examples!

A detailed analysis of each work shows how these color schemes evolved; how their popularity waxed and waned over time; the social and spiritual significance of certain color combinations; and the pigments and dyes used to create them.

Color swatches accompany the featured artworks to show readers how colors were used in subtle combinations, including many hues, tones and tints unique to the Japanese arts. A color chart at the end of the book summarizes the beautiful colors that are most characteristic of this tradition.

Critique: This large format, coffee-table style, hardcover edition of "Colors in Japanese Art: The Use of Color in Japan's Fine and Decorative Arts" by Nobuyoshi Hamada (who served as editorial director of Seijinsha and has edited numerous volumes on such Japanese art and design topics as traditional motifs, family crests, manga, toys, lucky symbols, kimono patterns, and the use of color) from Tuttle Publishing is magnificently illustrated throughout in full color. Exceptional, memorable, comprehensively informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Colors in Japanese Art" is a truly outstanding, elegant, eloquent, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Japanese Art History, Ceramic, Textile, and Prints collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Women Pioneers of the Arts & Crafts Movement
Karen Livingstone
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500480731, $50.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Women-Pioneers-Crafts-Movement-Museum/dp/B0CVQY7YJV

Synopsis: "Women Pioneers of the Arts & Crafts Movement" is a celebration of the work and ambition of the women who were at the heart of the most influential art and design movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It shines a light on the vital contribution of figures such as May Morris, Gertrude Jekyll, Annie Garnett, and many others, and describes the Arts and Crafts Movement from the perspective of these women who worked against the odds as artists, makers, teachers, authors, and entrepreneurs.

Women of the era took part in, and often led, the founding of exhibitions, societies, art schools, and small craft industries. Some were activists and social disruptors while using their skills and talents to make a living.

"Women Pioneers of the Arts & Crafts Movement" highlights the versatility and range of these talented women, who worked across a host of disciplines, including textile design, embroidery, bookbinding, illustration, painting, enameling, stained glass, metalwork, furniture design, and architecture. It is richly illustrated with a wide array of their work, much of it previously unpublished. Featuring objects from the V&A's renowned Arts and Crafts collection, "Women Pioneers of the Arts & Crafts Movement" also includes key pieces from other museums and private collections across the UK.

Critique: Featuring 290 informative captioned and visually magnificent color illustrations, this large format (8.4 x 1.2 x 11 inches, 3.45 pounds) coffee-table style hardcover edition of "Women Pioneers of the Arts & Crafts Movement" by Karen Livingstone is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of four pages of Notes, a five page Selected Bibliographies, a one page list of Further Reading, and a four page Index. Alphabetically organized by artist, this magnificent compendium is an ideal and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art History collections in general, and Women's Art History studies lists in particular.

Editorial Note: Karen Livingstone is deputy director of masterplan, exhibitions and design at the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge. She is a fellow of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, and of the Royal Society of Arts. She has previously held senior and curatorial roles at the Science Museum Group, UK; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums. Her previous publications include International Arts and Crafts (with Linda Parry), Essential Arts and Crafts, C.F.A. Voysey: Arts & Crafts Designer (with Max Donnelly and Linda Parry), and Voysey's Birds and Animals (the last published by Thames & Hudson). (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/295044.Karen_Livingstone)

Adornment and Splendour: Jewels of the Indian Courts
Salam Kaoukji
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500978641, $65.00, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Adornment-Splendour-Jewels-Indian-Courts/dp/0500978646

Synopsis: "Adornment and Splendour: Jewels of the Indian Courts" by Salam Kaoukji is the definitive catalog of an unparalleled collection of Indian jewelry and jeweled luxury objects made at the height of the Mughal empire and Deccan sultanates in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The collection, widely regarded as one of the finest in the world and was assembled by Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussa al-Sabah for The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, revealing the beauty, sophistication and diversity of Indian jeweled arts.

The Indian subcontinent is naturally rich in gems. From ancient times master jewelers developed a wide array of unique techniques and made it home to the most sophisticated jewels on earth. Exotic birds and animals, flowers, trees, and mythological scenes rendered in precious gemstones, gold and enamel demonstrate these artists' prodigious imagination and skill.

They produced not only an unmatched range of jewelry to adorn the body but also ritual and household items of astonishing refinement and luxury, as well as extravagantly large engraved gemstones to serve as symbols of their princely patrons' royal power -- including a spinel of nearly 250 carats demonstrated to be the legendary Timur Ruby.

This unique and very special volume includes not only the finest and most valuable pieces in the collection (some familiar to connoisseurs, others published here for the first time) but also many previously unknown types that extend our understanding of artistic output in the region. With specially commissioned photography giving unprecedented new views of more than 300 jeweled objects, this is a publication of historic importance and beauty, for all lovers of jewelry, the arts of India and of the Islamic world.

Critique: An informative compendium that is enhanced for the reader's benefit with some 405 color illustrations, five pages of Notes, a five page Bibliography, and a three page Index, this large format (9 x 1.7 x 11.2 inches) hardcover edition of "Adornment and Splendour: Jewels of the Indian Courts" from Thames & Hudson is a truly extraordinary and brilliantly presented, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Antique Jewelry collections and supplemental Jewelry Design/Craft and Cultural History of India curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, collectors, dealers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Adornment and Splendour: Jewels of the Indian Courts" is also available in a paperback edition (9780500978658, $50.00).

Editorial Note: Salam Kaoukji is curator and collection manager of The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, and an editor of Thames & Hudson's long-running and acclaimed series of catalogs. Her previous books include Precious Indian Weapons and Other Princely Accoutrements and Treasury of the World: Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals (with Manuel Keene).


The Mathematics Shelf

Electronic String Art
Stephen Erfle
CRC Press
www.crcpress.com
9781032512730, $51.99, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-String-Art-Mathematics-Recreational/dp/1032512733

Synopsis: String art is a well-known and popular activity that uses string, a board, and nails to produce artistic images (although there are variations that use different modalities). This activity is beloved because simple counting rules are used to create beautiful images that can both adorn walls and excite young minds. The downside of this highly tactile activity is that it is quite time-consuming and rigid. By contrast, electronic string art offers much more flexibility to set up or change nail locations and counting rules, and the images created from those changes change instantaneously.

"Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" invites readers to use author Stephen Erfle's digital resources available on the ESA website to play with the parameters inherent in string art models while offering concise, accessible explanations of the underlying mathematical principles regarding how the images were created and how they change. Readers will have the opportunity to create visually beautiful works of art while learning concepts from geometry, number theory, and modular arithmetic from approximately 200 short-interdependent sections.

With "Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" readers are able to drill-down on images in order to understand why they work using short (1 to 2 page) stand-alone sections. Sections are lessons that were created so that they could be digested in a single sitting. These sections are stand-alone in the sense that they need not be read sequentially but can be referred to based on images that the reader finds interesting.

"Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" is an open-ended, inherently flexible teaching resource for elementary, middle, and high school-level mathematics. The most mathematically challenging sections (or portions of a section) are designated MA and may not be accessible to elementary and middle school readers.

"Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" will be appreciated by anyone interested in recreational mathematics or mathematical artworks even if the users are not interested in the underlying mathematics, including exercises, solutions, and many online digital resources.

Plus there are QR codes that take you to these digital resources. One takes you directly to the web version of the string art model (used as a starting point for teaching the parameters of the model in Section 25.5). The other takes you to the ESA web page with additional links to a variety of resources.

Critique: This large format paperback edition of Stephen Erfle's "Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" from CRC Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university library digital art collections. It should be noted for students, academia, mathematicians, artists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Electronic String Art: Rhythmic Mathematics" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $41.08, Amazon.com) as well.

Editorial Note: Stephen Erfle (www.dickinson.edu/news/article/480/steve_erfle) is a professor at Dickinson College. Although he was trained as a microeconomic theorist specializing in industrial organization and regulation, he has spent much of his academic life working at the borders of traditional economics. He has used his economist's toolkit to examine topics in a wide variety of fields including public health, exercise psychology, political geography, mathematics education, and communications theory in addition to economics. He received his BS in Mathematics and BA in Economics from University of California, Davis, and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University.


The Biography Shelf

We Will Be Free
Nancy Koester
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802872470, $29.99, HC, 293pp

https://www.amazon.com/Will-Free-Sojourner-Religious-Biography/dp/0802872476

Synopsis: Though born into slavery, Sojourner Truth (c. 1797 - November 26, 1883) would defy the limits placed upon her as a Black woman to become one of the nineteenth century's most renowned female preachers and civil rights advocates. In We Will Be Free, Nancy Koester chronicles her spiritual journey as an enslaved woman, a working mother, and an itinerant preacher and activist.

On Pentecost in 1827, the course of Sojourner Truth's life was changed forever when she had a vision of Jesus calling her to preach. Though women could not be trained as ministers at the time, her persuasive speaking, powerful singing, and quick wit converted many to her social causes. During the Civil War, Truth campaigned for the Union to abolish slavery throughout the United States, and she personally recruited Black troops for the effort. Her activism carried her to Washington, DC, where she met Abraham Lincoln and ministered to refugees of Southern slavery. Truth's faith-driven action continued throughout Reconstruction, as she aided freed people, campaigned for reparations, advocated for women's rights, and defied segregation on public transportation.

Sojourner Truth's powerful voice once echoed in the streets of Washington and New York. Her passion rings out again in Nancy Koester's vivid writing. As the legacy of slavery and segregation still looms over the United States today, students of American history, Christians, and all interested readers will find inspiration and illumination in Truth's story.

Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and quietly inspiring, this hardcover edition of "We Will Be Free: The Life and Faith of Sojourner Truth" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Biography collections and supplemental Black History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, seminary students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Christian biographies that 'We Will Be Free" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Nancy Koester holds a PhD in church history and has taught at both the college and seminary levels. She is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Her work focuses on nineteenth-century American history, especially the antislavery movement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. She is inspired by women of that era who, though lacking basic rights, found ways to move the nation closer to its own ideals. Koester's 2013 publication with Eerdmans, Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Spiritual Life, won the Minnesota Book Award in 2015 in General Nonfiction.


The General Fiction Shelf

The Measure of Life
Judith Works
Wild Rose Press
https://wildrosepress.com
9781509257799, $19.99, PB, 310pp

https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Life-Judith-Works/dp/1509257799

Synopsis: An emotionally engaging novel of love and loss, "The Measure of Life" by author Judith Works begins in Rome with the unhappy marriage of Nicole to an older widower.

As the city of Rome brings new opportunities, Nicole faces an exploration of who she is and wants to be, new friendships, and immersion into Rome's bountiful food scene. But life abroad also forces Nicole to confront her mistakes, broken relationships, and the consequences of her actions.

In search of forgiveness and healing, she returns home to Seattle. But, then she finds that the only way to truly heal is to go back to Rome and face her past.

Critique: As a novelist, Judith Works has a distinctive and genuine flair for storytelling that keeps her reader's attention riveted from first page to last. Raising a work of fiction to an impressive level of literary excellence, with fully formed characters and unexpected plot developments, "The Measure of Life" is one of those stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Measure of Life" from Wild Rose Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Judith Works (https://judithworks.net) moved to Rome with her husband where she worked for the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization for four years as a legal advisor to the director of human resources. Returning home to the US, she eventually was able to return to Rome with the UN World Food Program. Six more years or food and frolic in the Eternal City passed much too quickly. Her life in Rome with all its food contributed to the settings and events in her novel "The Measure of Life" -- the story of an expat woman who struggles with all the difficulties that come with living abroad including a fraying family and the efforts to build a life of her own.


The Historical Fiction Shelf

Mademoiselle Eiffel
Aimie K. Runyan
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063329287, $18.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mademoiselle-Eiffel-Aimie-K-Runyan/dp/006332928X

Synopsis: Claire Eiffel, the beautiful, brilliant eldest daughter of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel, is doted upon with an education envied by many sons of the upper classes, and entirely out of the reach of most daughters. Claire's idyllic childhood ends abruptly when, at fourteen, her mother passes away. It's soon made clear that Gustave expects Claire to fill her mother's place as caregiver to the younger children and as manager of their home.

As she proves her competence, Claire's importance to her father grows. She accompanies him on his travels and becomes his confidante and private secretary. She learns her father's architectural trade and becomes indispensable to his work. But when his bright young protege, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave's time, Claire resents being pushed aside.

Slowly, the animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship... and then to something more. After their marriage in 1885 preserves the Eiffel legacy, they are privileged by the biggest commission of Eiffel's career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World's Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father's circle, but also the world.

When Gustave Eiffel's involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father's freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.

Critique: An eloquent and elegant work of biographical fiction, "Mademoiselle Eiffel" by novelist Aimie K. Runyan is an emotionally engaging story of love, devotion, and pursuit by a young woman determined to preserve her family's legacy -- and what would become a an icon of France. A fascinating and fun read from start to finish, "Mademoiselle Eiffel" will prove a welcome pick for community library Historical/Biographical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mademoiselle Eiffel" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798874798659, $49.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Aimie K. Runyan (https://aimiekrunyan.com) is a historian and author who writes to celebrate history's unsung heroines. She is the author of several previous historical novels, including Promised to the Crown and Duty to the Crown. She is active as an educator and a speaker in the writing community and beyond.

A Pair of Wings
Carole Hopson
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250347213, $20.00, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pair-Wings-Novel-Carole-Hopson/dp/1250347211

Synopsis: A few years after the Wright brothers' first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie was fearless. She knew there was freedom in those wings.

The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the Great Migration. She moves to Chicago, where she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men -- Robert Abbott, creator and publisher of the Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, the founder of Chicago's first Black bank. Abbott becomes her mentor, while Binga becomes her lover. Her true first love, though, remains flying.

But in 1920, no one in the United States will train a Black woman to fly. So, 28 year old Bessie learns to speak French and sets off for Europe. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie earns her pilot's license, and later she learns death-defying stunts from French and German dogfighting combat pilots.

While she finds no prejudice in the air, Bessie wrestles with other challenges on the ground. A plane crash nearly kills her, her brothers seem to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and, while grappling with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the sky means she must otherwise fly solo.

With tenderness and mastery, author Carole Hopson vividly imagines the breathtaking moxie Bessie Coleman harnessed in order to lift herself out of poverty and become known as "Queen Bess."

Critique: Original, engaging, deftly scripted, "A Pair of Wings" by novelist Carole Hopson is a work of fiction that is raised to an impressive level of literary excellence by it author in terms of crafting memorable characters and unexpected plot twists. A fun and memorable read from start to finish, "A Pair of Wings" will be of special attraction to readers with an interest in African/American historical and biographical fiction. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "A Pair of Wings" from Henry Holt & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Carole Hopson (www.carolehopson.com) is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines, based in Newark, New Jersey. After a twenty-year career as a journalist and executive for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker, and L'Oreal, Carole followed her dream to become a pilot. A century after Bessie Coleman soared over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Black women in the U.S. account for less than one percent of all professional pilots. Inspired by Bessie's spellbinding accomplishments, Carole founded the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to sending one hundred Black women to flight school by the year 2035.


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The American Visitor
Christina Collins
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853957, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-american-visitor-christina-collins/1146204580

Synopsis: Despite having her own problems, Carys gets drawn into helping an American visitor after he visits the library where she works, searching for his grandmother's family. Together, they unearth secrets that lead them to a monastery on a local island, where they discover his family's colourful history. Could past events bring them closer? With questions answered and mysteries solved, the visitor returns to the States - but how does Carys feel about his departure?

Critique: Original and emotionally engaging storytelling at its best, "The American Visitor" by novelist Christina Collins is a prized pick for community/public library Contemporary Romance collections. This large print paperback edition of "The American Visitor" from Linford Romance Library is ideal for the personal reading lists of all dedicated romance fans in searching for memorably happy endings.

Chateau d' Amour
Stephanie Todd
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444854251, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 324pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chateau-damour-stephanie-todd/1146204578

Synopsis: The Second World War brought wounded British pilot Jack McLeod to the crumbling Loire Valley chateau that was home to Colette and her family...and then it took him away once more. Behind him, he left not only tangible reminders, but a love that would burn fiercely in Colette's heart for many decades to come...

Critique: The kind of novel that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, this large print paperback edition of author Stephanie Todd's romance novel, "Chateau d' Amour" will prove to be an enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community/public library collections.

Finding Her Prince
Jill Barry
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444854190, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-her-prince-jill-barry/1146204579

Synopsis: Sophie's life changes after letting an apartment to two European students. Gabriel invites her to an embassy party, and reveals his link to the Primerian throne. Romance blossoms, and the couple fall in love. Then Gabriel disappears, leaving Sophie devastated, yet determined. Following her instincts, she searches for him. Will she ever succeed in finding her prince?

Critique: The stuff of which Hallmark Channel romance movies are made, this large print paperback edition of author Jill Barry's "Finding Her Prince" is a fun read from start to finish and a welcome addition to both personal reading lists and community/library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Jill Barry (www.jillbarry.com) been writing for publication since the year 2000 and became a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association a few years later. Since then, she has been attending workshops, meeting with other writers, and reading and writing as much as possible.

The Circus of Fear
Jacqui Cooper
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444854244, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 330pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-circus-of-fear-jacqui-cooper/1146204581

Synopsis: The circus folk had been Kat's family after her parents died during a dangerous stunt in the ring. Her relationship with trapeze artist Jake had ended over her fear of him taking risks. Now she was back after ten years in the outside world, fleeing her own drama - but why was everyone so unwelcoming? Where was her best friend, Delilah - and who was the sinister new ringmaster?

Critique: A deft blending of romance and suspense, this large print paperback edition of "The Circus of Fear" by talented storytelling author Jacqui Cooper is extraordinarily impressive and authentically original -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Romance collections and personal reading lists.


The Western Fiction Shelf

The Valerons - Double Ante
Terrell L. Bowers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853247, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 258pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-valerons-double-ante-terrell-l-bowers/1132682531

Synopsis: As ramrod over the Valeron cattle, Sketcher Grey takes Reese's place on a trip to the Chicago auction with Shane and Jared. Meanwhile, Wyatt goes to visit a friend in the small town of Solitary. What starts out as a genial outing ends up as a battle with a rancher and his sons that leaves him fighting for his life. Jared and Shane leave Sketcher to deal with the cattle, and set out for Solitary to defend Wyatt against the Strang ranch - all while Sketcher is risking his life dealing with crooked cops and the leader of a Chicago gang.

Critique: A 'must read' novel for the legions of western author Terrell L. Bowers 'Valeron' stories, this large print paperback edition of "The Varons: Double Ante" from Linford Western Library is a fun and exciting read from cover to cover -- and will prove to be a welcome and popular pick for community/public Western Novel collections.

Editorial Note: A complete listing of book by Terrell L. Bowers is available on the GoodReads website at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/102448.Terrell_L_Bowers

Ridgeway's Bride
Will DuRey
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853445, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ridgeways-bride-will-durey/1132682476

Synopsis: Cassie Edmond was puzzled by the odd behaviour of those around her. Curious barking from the family dog; her father Brad lifting down his Winchester to go hunting for meat, when the meal she'd been preparing was ready for the table. But when Brad returned home, carried by Charlie Ute and the stranger Walt Ridgeway, his life slipping away, his back shredded by shotgun pellets, it was the start of a night of unexpected violence for Cassie -- and days of trouble for Walt.

Critique: Original, engaging, and a 'must' for all dedicated western fans, this large print paperback edition of Will DuRey's novel, "Ridgeway's Bride", is a choice and recommended selection for personal reading lists and community/public library Western Novel collections.

Editorial Note: Will DuRey is a life-long student of the history and legends of the Old West. He has been writing western fiction for more than a decade.

The Law According To Merriweather
Lee Lejeune
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853315, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-law-according-to-merriweather-lee-lejeune/1136775912

Synopsis: Jacob Merriweather and his wife Marie have established thriving businesses in a growing town in California - she as the proprietor of The Silversmith Hotel, and he as the owner of a law firm. They have three children, two girls and a boy. Many years before, Jacob was a gunman, but he has put all that behind him... or so he thinks! Then he receives a series of threatening letters, and the past comes back to haunt him. He has to take down his Colt .44 and strap on his gunbelt. But is he as capable as he was?

Critique: With the publication of "The Law According to Merriweather", author Lee Lejeune has revealed a decidedly impressive storytelling style that is eminently suited to an action/adventure western novel. A fun read for western fans from start to finish, this large print paperback edition of "The Law According to Merriweather" from Linford Western Library is a welcome and recommended pick for community/public library Western Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of western novel fans.

Editorial Note: A complete listing of novels by Lee Lejeune is readily available on the GoodReads website at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1836488.Lee_Lejeune

Justice Was A Man
John McNally
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853377, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-was-a-man-john-mcnally/1132682470

Synopsis: Brockie Jack and Big Len Quinn rob a stagecoach and make off with a heap of gold, only to have it stolen from them hours later. Jack scorches a trail across Montana trying to recover his lost gold. Town Marshal Matt Buck goes toe-to-toe with him. In this story of greed and treachery, Buck's world is turned upside down when Jack snatches his son. The marshal must find the gold and return it to the thief in exchange for his son's life.

Critique: A well crafted and original western of robbery, doublecross and gun play, "Justice Was A Man" is a riveting read from start to finish and fully showcases author John McNally's mastery of the western genre. This large print paperback edition of "Justice Was A Man" from the Linford Western Library collection is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction shelves.

Editorial Note: John McNally is the author of three novels (After the Workshop, America's Report Card and The Book of Ralph) and two story collections (Ghosts of Chicago and Troublemakers). He's written two books on writing: Vivid and Continuous: Essays and Exercise for Writing Fiction and The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist He's edited six fiction anthologies, on subjects ranging from superheroes to baseball. He also writes screenplays and held a Chesterfield Writer's Film Project fellowship, sponsored by Paramount Pictures.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Murder at Midwinter Manor
Anita Davison
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785133428, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 400pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-midwinter-manor-anita-davison/1145575924

Synopsis: Its 1916 and the folk at Midwinter Manor are desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London.

Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah's sister and her husband, the Earl of Atherton, in their beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside. Hannah's sister has filled the house with relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone's excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest's body is found in the library (apparently bludgeoned to death) and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realize that once again it's going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever's behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor. . . And if they're not found, who knows what their next 'gift' will be?

Critique: Amateur female murder mystery solving sleuths are at the heart of "Murder at Midwinter Manor", a carefully crafted cozy mystery from first page to last. This large print paperback edition of an epic 'whodunnit' by novelist Anita Davison will prove to be an immediately and enduringly popular pick for both community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of any and all dedicated cozy mystery fans.

Editorial Note: Anita Davison is the author of Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mysteries set in WWI from Boldwood Books. Also available are Anita's five volume Edwardian Flora Maguire Mystery series.

A Christmas Murder
Mary Grand
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804269190, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 480pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-christmas-murder-mary-grand/1145714120

Synopsis: Susan didn't plan on being an amateur sleuth and after two successful investigations, she's looking forward to a quiet Christmas. So, when local businesswoman Meera is in desperate need of help, Susan agrees rather reluctantly.

The task should be easy enough. The infamous press mogul Duncan Fern is coming back to the Isle of Wight, the scene of his family's childhood holidays, to celebrate Christmas with his grown-up children and their partners, his new glamorous wife Kirsten who is forever dripping with diamonds, and the spikey editor of his paper the Morning Flame, Antoine. The newly-refurbished luxurious Bishopstone Manor is the perfect setting for a festive break and all Susan has to do is help Meera host.

But when a snowstorm descends over the island, and the following morning a body is found, Christmas at the Manor takes a darker turn. Can Susan get to the bottom of the mystery before the murderer strikes again?

Critique: Another gem of a cozy mystery from novelist Mary Grand, "A Christmas Murder" is a treat for all dedicated mystery fans from start to finish. A perfect pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated fans of amateur sleuthing and murder mystery solving, this large print paperback edition of "A Christmas Murder" from Boldwood Books is a prized addition to community/public library Mystery/Suspense fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Mary Grand (https://marygrand.net) is a Welsh author who was born in Cardiff and has retained a deep love for her Welsh roots. She has published seven novels, Free to Be Tegan, Hidden Chapters, Behind the Smile, The House Party, The Island, Good Neighbours, and Death At Castle Cove, plus two short books of short stories, Catching the Light and Making Changes.

Poison In Piccadilly
Kelly Oliver
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804832073, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 368pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poison-in-piccadilly-kelly-oliver/1145594287

Synopsis: Fiona is set to tie the knot with her dashing captain, Archie Somersby. But, while Fiona is busy planning her happily ever after, side-kick Kitty Lane and a group of judo-chopping suffragettes are kicking up trouble at the Piccadilly Jujitsu Club.

When Kitty is found unconscious in the locker room during a high-stakes competition, Fiona must forsake her bouquets and bridal gown to investigate. Her sleuthing leads to a posh lady's luncheon where a mysterious death crashes Fiona's wedding plans.

To make matters worse, the arch-nemesis of all things matrimonial Fredrick Fredricks is up to his old tricks, attempting to put the brakes on Fiona's journey down the aisle. Will he succeed in tripping up Fiona's wedding vows? Or will she finally say "I don't" to the charming devil?

Critique: Another simply outstanding 'Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery' by talented novelist Kelly Oliver, this large print paperback edition of "Poison in Piccadilly" from Boldwood Books is a fun read from start to finish. A cast of memorable characters, a 'whodunnit' that plays fair with the mystery solving reader, "Poison in Piccadily" is especially and unreservedly for personal reading lists and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Kelly Oliver (https://kellyoliverbooks.com) is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of thirteen scholarly books, ten anthologies, and over 100 articles, including work on campus rape, reproductive technologies, women and the media, film noir, and Alfred Hitchcock. Her work has been translated into seven languages, and she has published an op-ed on loving our pets in The New York Times. She has been interviewed on ABC television news, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.

The Tule Marsh Murder
Nancy Barr Mavity
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613165829, $25.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tule-Marsh-Murder-Nancy-Mavity/dp/161316582X

Synopsis: James Aloysius Piper, mostly known as Peter, is relentless when pursuing a story for his newspaper, the Herald. So when a woman's body is found burned beyond recognition in the marsh near El Cerrito, he is even more eager than the local authorities to uncover her identity and find out what happened to her. Helping to solve the case is clinical psychologist Dr. Cavanaugh, who uses cutting-edge forensic techniques to glean crucial information from a few strands of the woman's hair that escaped the flames.

After Cavanaugh's discoveries tie the corpse to Sheila O'Shay, the missing wife of millionaire Don Ellsworth, it's up to Peter Piper to use all of his craft and charm as a reporter to coax out any secrets the couple may have been hiding.

Critique: Author Nancy Barr Mavity's mystery novel, "The Tule Marsh Murder" was inspired by a real case that had captivated the San Francisco Bay Area public a few years earlier, and the character of Dr. Cavanaugh is based on the pioneering forensic criminologist Edward Oscar Heinrich who became known as "America's Sherlock Holmes". Though Nancy Barr Mavity may not be remembered as vividly as her contemporaries, such as Mary Roberts Rinehart and Ellery Queen, her mystery novels were groundbreaking in their use of science in the detection of crime, with psychology and forensics frequently providing key clues to the solutions. Now brought back into print for a new generation of appreciative mystery fans, this hardcover edition of "The Tule Marsh Murder" from American Mystery Classics is also readily available for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections in a paperback edition (9781613165836, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.15).

Editorial Note: A legendary newspaper reporter and feature writer for the Oakland Tribune for more than a quarter of a century, Nancy Barr Mavity (October 22, 1890 - April 23, 1959) also served as the literary editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. She wrote numerous newspaper and magazine articles on various subjects in addition to producing fiction and nonfiction books, most notably her series of mystery novels featuring crime reporter James Aloysius "Peter" Piper: The Tule Marsh Murder, The Body on the Floor, The Other Bullet, The Case of the Missing Sandals, The Man Who Didn't Mind Hanging, and The Fate of Jane McKenzie.

The Three Coffins
John Dickson Carr
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613165867, $15.99, PB, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Coffins-John-Dickson-Carr/dp/1613165862

Synopsis: Professor Charles Grimaud is found dead in his study just moments after his housekeeper watched him greet a mysterious visitor and welcome him into the room. Yet no sign of the murderer or murder weapon can be found. The housekeeper saw no one leave through the door and the snow outside the only window remains unblemished.

An equally puzzling murder has occurred outside, in the middle of the street: The illusionist Pierre Fley was walking alone in a snow-covered cul-de-sac when witnesses heard someone shout "The second bullet is for you!" followed by a gunshot. He is found dead, with the revolver that killed both Grimaud and himself by his side and no footprints in the surrounding snow but his own.

It appears that both murders must have been committed by a specter! Someone not only invisible but lighter than air. But if anyone can find a rational explanation, it is brilliant amateur sleuth Dr. Gideon Fell.

Critique: A true time lost classic originally published in 1935 and now brought back into print by American Mystery Classics for the benefit and enjoyment of a whole new generation of mystery buffs, this paperback edition of "The Three Coffins" by mystery novelist John Dickson Carr is a fun read from start to finish and will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Three Coffins" is also readily available in a digital book format ($3.99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: In a 1981 survey of mystery experts, "The Three Coffins" (titles "The Hollow Man" in the UK edition) was voted the best locked room mystery of all time. It is also celebrated for a scene in which Carr's iconic detective Gideon Fell delivers a speech expounding upon the dozens of methods and variations by which apparently impossible murders may be accomplished. Any fan of locked room mysteries and impossible crimes should consider this book required reading.

Editorial Note 2: John Dickson Carr (November 30, 1906 - February 27, 1977) was arguably one of the greatest writers of the American Golden Age mystery, and one of the only American authors to be included in England's legendary Detection Club. Though he was born and died in the United States, Carr began his writing career while living in England, where he remained for nearly twenty years. Under his own name and various pseudonyms, he wrote more than seventy novels and numerous short stories, and is best known today for his locked-room mysteries. His beloved series character, Dr. Gideon Fell, was based on author G. K. Chesterton and appeared in twenty-four novels. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dickson_Carr)

Clive Cussler Desolation Code
Graham Brown
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593719206, $32.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Clive-Cussler-Desolation-Code-Files/dp/0593719204

Synopsis: When Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala investigate a mass stranding of aquatic life in the Indian Ocean, they accidentally uncover a much deeper mystery. A strange figure soon steals NUMA's findings, forcing a high-speed chase -- someone really didn't want them examining those dead whales. But who, and why?

A cryptic text through the NUMA satellite network makes things still stranger: these odd phrases and numbers look like NUMA codes. But who could be tantalizing the crew with such specific knowledge of their tech? Are they being helped by an old friend, or lured into a trap by a traitor who knows a little too much about NUMA's inner workings?

Kurt, Joe, and even Max, the agency's supercomputer, will have to investigate like never before as they decrypt data, infiltrate a cult of cloned men, and prepare for a battle on two very different planes: one physical; one digital. The aquatic stranding was just the beginning of a sinister plan concocted by a mind more brilliant than any they've ever faced -- the mind of a machine. A new, terrifying world order is being plotted. First marine ecosystems will be devastated, then the entire globe's... Unless the NUMA crew can stop this code of desolation.

Critique: Author Graham Brown does full justice to the late Clive Cussler with the publication of "Desolation Code" from G. P. Putnam's Sons. Deftly crafted, action packed, with meticulous attention to detail, and more than just a bit of AI menace, "Desolation Code" is suspense thriller of a read from start to finish. Having great appeal for the legions of Clive Cussler fans and readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Desolation Code" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller and Action/Adventure collections.

Editorial Note #1: Clive Cussler (July 15, 1931 - February 24, 2020) was the author of more than eighty books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt, NUMA Files, Oregon Files, Isaac Bell, and Sam and Remi Fargo. His life nearly paralleled that of his hero Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers discovered and surveyed more than seventy-five lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Civil War submarine Hunley, which was raised in 2000 with much publicity.

Editorial Note #2: Graham Brown is the author of Black Rain, Black Sun, Clive Cussler Condor's Fury, and Clive Cussler's Dark Vector, and the coauthor with Cussler of Devil's Gate, The Storm, Zero Hour, Ghost Ship, The Pharaoh's Secret, Nighthawk, The Rising Sea, Sea of Greed, Journey of the Pharaohs, and Fast Ice. He is a pilot and an attorney.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Wicked: Collector's Edition
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063391086, $40.00, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Collectors-Life-Times-Witch/dp/0063391082

Synopsis: With millions of copies in print around the world, Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" is established not only as a commentary on our time but as a novel to revisit for years to come.

"Wicked" relishes the inspired inventions of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, while playing sleight of hand with our collective memories of the 1939 MGM film starring Margaret Hamilton (and Judy Garland). In this fast-paced, fantastically real, and supremely entertaining novel, Maguire has populated the largely unknown world of Oz with the power of his own imagination.

Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald-green skin -- no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. Still, Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters Shiz University, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz's most promising young citizens.

But Elphaba's Oz is no utopia. The Wizard's secret police are everywhere. Animals - those creatures with voices, souls, and minds - are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals - even if it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Ever wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl from Kansas.

Recognized as an iconoclastic tour de force on its initial publication, the novel "Wicked" has inspired the blockbuster musical of the same name -- one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history. Popular, indeed. But while the novel's distant cousins hail from the traditions of magical realism, mythopoeic fantasy, and sprawling nineteenth-century sagas of moral urgency, Maguire's Wicked is as unique as its green-skinned witch.

Critique: Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" is an immersive and thought-provoking fantasy novel that dares to recontextualize the underlying presumptions of L. Frank Baum's public domain classic, "The Wizard of Oz". This collector's edition of "Wicked" from the publisher William Morrow & Company is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Epic Fantasy and Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Gregory Maguire (https://gregorymaguire.com) is the author of the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. His series Another Day continues the story of Oz with The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor, and his other novels include A Wild Winter Swan, Hiddensee, After Alice, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, and Mirror Mirror. Some of his novels for children include Cress Watercress, Leaping Beauty, and Egg & Spoon, winner of a Boston Globe - Horn Book Award Honor.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

The Incredible Story of Cooking
Benoist Simmat, author
Stephane Douay, illustrator
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123400, $34.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Story-Cooking-Prehistory-Adventure/dp/1681123401

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Incredible Story of Cooking: From Prehistory to Today, 500000 Years of Adventure", author/storyteller Benoist Simmat and artist/illustrator Stephane Douay collaborate to tell the story of humanity through the evolution of cuisine. From the discovery of fire to organic cooking, and a work of historical fact presented in a graphic novel format, "The Incredible Story of Cooking" is aimed at all curious people and foodies.

As soon as humans mastered fire, they invented cooking. Did you know that Sapiens invented steam cooking and freezing? That the Mesopotamians created soups, bread, beer, ovens? That gastronomy and tableware have been symbols of political power? These great discoveries changed the world, but also the way we eat.

From America, the conquistadors brought spices, peppers, potatoes... Portuguese missionaries brought the frying technique to distant samurai who made the first tempuras. These are the beginnings of globalization. In the 19th century with the industrial revolution, "capitalist" cuisine emerged: it was the beginning of the food industry. In the 21st century, the organic and buy local movements are shown as a reaction against the harmful effects of this culinary and gastronomic standardization.

To finish in style, included are twenty-two recipes for dishes mentioned throughout our story that you can make at home!

Critique: This large format (7 x 0.8 x 10 inches, 1.72 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Incredible Story of Cooking: From Prehistory to Today, 500000 Years of Adventure" from NBM Publishing is a unique, informative, and inherently fascinating graphic novel, and will prove to be an enormously popular pick for personal reading lists as well as community and college/university library cultural and gastronomic history collections. It should be noted that "The Incredible Story of Cooking" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Benoist Simmat is a journalist on economics and successful comic book writer. He is most notably the author of Wine, A Graphic History which sold over 100,000 copies in France and has been translated into many languages.

Editorial Note #2: Stephane Douay has been illustrating comics for over twenty years. He has illustrated the series "Matie re fanto me" (published by Dupuis), "Commandant Achab" (Casterman) and "Les Anne es rouge & noir" (Les Are nes). (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/715782.Benoist_Simmat)


The Audiobook Shelf

Murder in Portofino
T. A. Williams, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
2940191520605, $83.95, Unabridged, CD (5 Hours 54 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-portofino-t-a-williams/1145227415

Synopsis: Dan Armstrong hasn't done much retiring since moving to Tuscany, and with his new career as a successful private investigator taking off, it seems murder seems to follow him. He's hoping a much-needed trip to beautiful Portofino will give him the break he needs and quality time with girlfriend Anna.

Portofino is a celebrity paradise, and holidaying on a nearby superyacht is a group of British media stars, all famous for being infamous. Dan isn't impressed by their status or wealth, but when he overhears an argument between two of the group, he suspects something fishy could be going on...

And then a body is washed up on shore and Dan's hopes for a holiday go overboard. Could this simply be a tragic accident or is there a killer amidst the assembled celebrity cast? Dan and Oscar have their work cut out before the tide turns...

Critique: Narrator and vocal actor Simon Mattacks makes novelist T. A. Williams' cozy mystery novel, "Murder in Portofino" come vividly to life in a true theatre of the mind experience. A 'must' for the legions of T. A. Williams fans, this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Boldwood Books will prove to be an enduringly prized addition to community and public library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections. It should be noted that "Murder in Portofino" is also available in a digital download format ($20.99, Barnes & Noble).

Kings of Conflict
M. J. Porter, author
Matt Coles, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
2940192770078, $107.95, Unabridged, CD (10 Hours 57 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kings-of-conflict-mj-porter/1145695541

Synopsis: AD 942 -- In the wake of the agreement reached at Lincoln between Edmund and Anlaf Sihtricson of the Norse, Edmund returns to Wessex to reflect and rebuild, impatient to reverse his losses.

But this is the winter of discontent. In Jorvik and the kingdom of the Scots, those who've waited too long to become kings in their own right grow restless.

As the enemies of the English turn on themselves, Edmund senses the opportunity to reclaim all his brother, the victor of Brunanburh, managed to gain before his untimely death plunged England back into war with her many foes.

With his sights set firmly on York, can he recreate the England his brother built, or will the enemies of England realise the error of their ways and once more unite to drive Edmund back to Wessex, leaving York in the hands of the Norse?

Critique: This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Kings of Conflict, MJ Porter's epic retelling of the consequences of the battle of Brunanburh) is expertly narrated by Matt Coles and concludes the The Brunanburh Series. Providing a true 'theatre of the mind' experience from Boldwood Books, "Kings of Conflict" is especially and unreservedly recommended for all community/public library audio book collections. It should be noted for personal lists that "Kings of Conflict" is also available as a digital download ($20.99, Barnes & Noble).

Valhalla's Fury
Donovan Cook, author
Sean Barett, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804838464, $112.95, CD, 16 Discs (10 Hours 13 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Valhallas-Fury-historical-bestseller-Charlemagnes-ebook/dp/B0CWB4C4W4

Synopsis: Abandoned by his people and destined for Valhalla, do not stand in the way of Sven's fury. Ribe is lost, its hall burnt, and Charles is still missing. Sven must once more sail into dangerous waters to rescue his grandson.

King Louis of East Francia, the man who took Sven's son from him almost twenty years ago, has Charles captive and uses him to force Sven to do his bidding and create chaos raiding his brothers Kingdom of West Frankia.

The long awaited meeting of Charles and his mother, Abbess Hildegard, is not what Charles dreamed it would be and soon it becomes clear that Charles is in even more danger.

Torn between the heathen gods and his Christian god, Charles must decide where his future lies. Sven must fight if he wants to see Charles again and keep the Cross of Charlemagne out of the hands of the Frankish kings.

The only thing that Sven knows is that to save Charles, innocent people must die.

Critique: "Valhalla's Fury" is the conclusion to author Donovan Cook's 'The Charlemagne's Cross' series -- a magnificent written Viking saga laid out in "Loki's Deceit", "Thor's Revenge", and "Odin's Betrayl". Dramatically narrated by the impressive vocal storyteller talents of Sean Barrett, this complete and unabridged historical action/adventure audio book from Boldwood Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections -- and the series itself a 'must' for the legions of Viking enthusiasts!

Editorial Note #1: Donovan Cook (www.donovancook.net) is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne's Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology.

Editorial Note #2: Sean Barrett is an English actor who has worked in film and television, with extensive experience vocal acting and narrating in animation, video games, and audio books. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C3%A1n_Barrett_(actor)

Death In Helmand
Alison Belsham, author
Nick Huggins, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Isis Audio Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781399179591, $107.95, Audio Book, CD (8 Hours, 50 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-in-helmand-a-belsham/1145703785

Synopsis: "Death In Helmand" is set in Afghanistan's most lawless province in 2004, when and where nearly 90 per cent of the world's opium is grown. Gangsters and warlords battle for supremacy in the lucrative trade, territories well-known, and fiercely contested.

Well Diggers, an Anglo-Dutch NGO helping the farming community, comes under attack. One man is dead and another man is missing - suspected kidnapped, so head of security Ginger Jameson calls in his old friend Alasdair 'Mac' MacKenzie to help.

But when the expected ransom demand fails to materialise, rumours blossom, creating a web of deceit and a multitude of false leads.

Embarking on a rescue mission into the no-go reaches of southern Helmand might look like a major scoop to Mac's girlfriend, investigative reporter Baz Khan, but it puts the whole team in danger. And if they don't find him soon, they won't find him at all!

Critique: Talented narrator Simon Mattacks successfully brings co-authors Alison Belsham and Nick Higgins riveting action/adventure novel, "Death In Helmand" vividly to life in the mind's eye of the listener. A superbly crafted military thriller of a read from start to finish, this complete and unabridged CD edition of "Death In Helmand" from Isis Audio will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community/public library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Alison Belsham (www.alisonbelsham.com ) divides her time between London and Edinburgh, where She is a co-founder of the Edinburgh Writers' Forum, providing professional development and networking for writers.

Editorial Note #2: Nick Higgins is the brother part of the brother/sister collaboration, Alison Belsham and Nick Higgins. We're writing what we hope will become a series of books featuring Alasdair "Mac" MacKenzie set (mostly?) in Afghanistan. Nick worked in Afghanistan as a security contractor from late 2003 until 2007 on a variety of projects, mostly for the UN and NGOs. Based in Herat City he was able to travel round Herat, Badghis, Farah and Ghor Provinces. He spent just over 2 months in Kandahar running security and logistics for a Canadian Broadcasting Documentary crew and nearly a year in Helmand Province on an aid project. After finishing in Afghanistan Nick moved to the US and spent nearly 6 years as an anti-terrorism and Force Protection instructor to the United States Marine Corps. Nick is a former member of The Parachute Regiment and served in the 2nd Battalion.

Editorial Note #3: Simon Mattacks (www.simonmattacks.com) is an actor and audio book narrator. I have been a prominent voiceover for over 30 years. He can record, edit and a deliver a voiceover from my professional home studio.


The Library CD Shelf

Soft Winds and Roses
Diana Panton
https://dianapanton.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD / $9.99 download / $13.86 MP3 (Amazon)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHLPMPMB

Two-time JUNO Award winning jazz vocalist Diana Panton presents her eleventh album Soft Winds and Roses, in which she performs modern classic favorites composed in the 1960s and onward. Her dulcet vocals are supported by Don Thompson on piano, vibes, and bass, as well as Reg Schwager on guitar. Panton's stellar performance adds a unique, deeply personal touch to each composition, transforming Soft Winds and Roses into a work that transcends its time. Soft Winds and Roses is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Your Song; Close to You; Secret Heart; Sweet Happy Life; A Wish; How Deep Is Your Love; Pussywillows Cat-Tails; Here, There and Everywhere; You and I; And I Love You So; Until It's Time for You to Go; Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye; Snow; and Both Sides Now.

The Small Hours
Neil Patton
neilpatton.net
Privately Published
$12.00 CD / $9.00 MP3

https://neilpatton.bandcamp.com/album/the-small-hours

The Small Hours is a new age solo piano album of songs written and performed by talented music artist Neil Patton. All songs are Patton's original creations except for Nightwalk, which includes music from the 6th century hymn Be Thou My Vision. Created during the COVID pandemic and its stressful quarantines, Small Hours is a peaceful album that stirs the mind and the spirit to reach beyond immediate confines. Highly recommended. The tracks are Day's End, We Will Tell the Stories, Goodnight Daddy, Good to See You Again, Above the Treetops, A Room with a View, Falling Up, The Moon and Sun Dance, A Prayer in the Darkness, The Small Hours, Trust, Shame and Grace, This Grief Lies Down Beside Me, Nightwalk - Be Thou My Vision, and Daybreak.

Tibet: 20th Anniversary Remaster
Deborah Martin and Cheryl Gallagher
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.99 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Tibet-Anniversary-Remaster-Deborah-Martin/dp/B0DCC2SPCB

Now completely remastered and remixed for Dolby Atmos and Spatial audio, Tibet: 20th Anniversary Remaster features the eight original compositions crafted with electronic and acoustic instruments, as well as traditional Tibetan percussion, instruments, and on-site recordings of sounds and prayers by people indigenous to the region. Now upgraded to the highest quality that modern technology allows, Tibet: 20th Anniversary Remaster is a treasure for world music connoisseurs and highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are Palace; Glacier; Morning in Tibet; Essence; Seeker and Sought; Leaving Shigatse; Eklabati; and Procession.

1Q84
Sahara von Hattenberger
https://saharathecellist.org
Odd Sound
oddsoundmusique.com
$TBA

Inspired by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami's fantasy novel of the same title, 1Q84 is a 2 CD instrumental album showcasing the extraordinary talents of Saraha von Hattenberger on cello, smoothly supported by Joanne Kang on piano, Adrian Vedady on bass, and Jim Doxas on drums. The first CD is a suite for cello and jazz piano trio, while the second CD represents an "alternate reality" 2024 similar to the parallel universe depicted in the 1Q84 novel. Haunting, resonant, and darkly inspirational, 1Q84 is a treasure for both literary and music connoisseurs, highly recommended. The disc 1 tracks are Baroque in Rhythm, Concertante, Galop, Ballade, Romantique, and Cello Fan; and the disc 2 tracks are Night Path (Malcolm Sailor), Air Chrysalis (Remy Le Boeuf), Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush, Remy Le Boeuf), and Rondo Squilibrato (Jeffrey Fong).


The Native American Studies Shelf

Biilaachia-White Swan
Rodney G. Thomas
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476685946, $49.95, PB, 279pp

https://www.amazon.com/Biilaachia-White-Swan-Warrior-Custer-American/dp/1476685940

Synopsis: The story of the Apsaalooke (Crow) men who scouted for the Seventh United States Cavalry in 1876 has been told by historians, with details sometimes distorted or fabricated.

Biilaachia (better known as White Swan) survived the Battle of Little Bighorn despite severe wounds. One soldier recalled him standing beside his horse, firing at the Sioux: "He would not mount up and try to get away but stood and fought." White Swan continued to scout off-and-on for the U.S. Army until 1881 and recorded his 22 combat actions in 37 paintings and drawings.

Done in traditional Plains warrior biographic style, with the publication of "Biilaachia-White Swan: Crow Warrior, Custer Scout, American Artist" his complete body of work is presented here for the first time, along with the history behind each depiction. His life is detailed in photographs, some never before published, and four little-known interviews, as well as extensive research about the Apsaalooke people.

Critique: This large format (7 x 0.56 x 10 inches, 12.8 ounces) paperback edition from McFarland & Company of author Rodney G. Thomas' "Biilaachia-White Swan: Crow Warrior, Custer Scout, American Artist" is impressively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous color and B/W illustrations, twenty-six pages of Chapter Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a one page Index. Fascinating, informative, documented, "Biilaachia-White Swan: Crow Warrior, Custer Scout, American Artist" is a masterpiece of historical scholarship and a welcome contribution to Native American history and biography collections. An essential addition for community and college/university library Native American Studies 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 "Biilaachia-White Swan: Crow Warrior, Custer Scout, American Artist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Colonel (Ret) Rodney G. Thomas is an award-winning author and researcher about North American warfare and military history from before European arrivals to Wounded Knee and Indigenous warrior biographic art. He has been published in several history journals and references. (https://go.authorsguild.org/members/4905)


The Architecture Shelf

Revitalizing Japan
Mohsen Mostafavi & Kayoko Ota, editors
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638401407, $44.95, PB, 324pp

https://www.amazon.com/Revitalizing-Japan-Architecture-Urbanization-Degrowth/dp/1638401403

Synopsis: The shrinking and aging of the population is exacerbating the social decline in the regional cities of Japan. While excluded from the market-driven metropolitan areas, architects of the young generation are beginning to build ways of revitalizing regional cities through innovative design or new ways of practicing.

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Mohsen Mostafavi & Kayoko Ota, "Revitalizing Japan: Architecture, Urbanization, and Degrowth" from Actar D features works by seven named or unnamed younger architects in Japan that preempt architectural responses to the post-growth condition. Plus a gripping essay by community designer Ryo Yamazaki, and a captivating photo documentation by Kenta Hasegawa. Of special note is the keynote essay by Toyo Ito.

Critique: Unique, informative, and a major contribution to Japanese architectural issues, "Revitalizing Japan: Architecture, Urbanization, and Degrowth" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, college and university library Contemporary Architectural Studies collections and supplementary International Architecture curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Mohsen Mostavi is the Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor. He served as the dean of the faculty of design between 2008 and 2019. An architect and educator, his work focuses on modes and processes of urbanization and on the interface between technology and aesthetics. Mostafavi is the author and editor of many books, including Ecological Urbanism (co-edited 2010 and translated into Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish); In the Life of Cities (2012); Architecture is Life (2013); Nicholas Hawksmoor: The London Churches (2015); Portman's America & Other Speculations (2017); Ethics of the Urban: The City and the Spaces of the Political (2017); and Sharing Tokyo: Artifice and the Social World (2023).

Editorial Note #2: Kayoko Ota is an architectural curator and editor. Before joining the Japan Research Initiative at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, she curated a series of the CCA c/o Tokyo programs for the Canadian Centre for Architecture and was commissioner of the Japan Pavilion at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. Her editorial work includes Project Japan: Metabolism Talks... (2011).

Cities of Repetition: Hong Kong's Private Housing Estates
Christian J. Lange & Jason F. Carlow
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781939621658, $50.00, HC, 260pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cities-Repetition-Private-Housing-Estates/dp/1939621658

Synopsis: "Cities of Repetition: Hong Kong's Private Housing Estates" is comprised of the original drawings and diagrams that illustrate and compare the ultra-dense, mass-produced, highly repetitive built environments in which hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents live.

Drawings, diagrams and photographs not only display the immense scale of the housing estates within the city, but also present the hundreds of similarly planned housing units and their subtle differences.

Also included are detailed diagrams that compare statistical information to show how the planning of these massive estates has evolved over the past decades to efficiently conform to building regulations. This publication and larger research projects present a comprehensive analysis of the architectural and spatial realities of some of the most densely populated, urban environments ever built.

Critique: This large format (7.25 x 0.55 x 9.45 inches, 2.7 pounds) hardcover edition of "Cities of Repetition: Hong Kong's Private Housing Estates" is co-authored by academicians Christian J. Lange and Jason F. Carlow. A unique and seminal reference resource "Cities of Repetition: Hong Kong's Private Housing Estates" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Residential/Regional Architecture and Urban Planning/Land Use collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Christian J. Lange is a registered German architect and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. He received his Master's of Science in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and his Diploma in Architecture from the HTWK in Leipzig.

Editorial Note #2: Jason F. Carlow (Associate AIA) is an Assistant Professor at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. He holds a B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University and a Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Houses in Forest Clearings
LCLA Office, author
Luis Callijas, photographer
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638401438, $34.95, HC, 100pp

https://www.amazon.com/Houses-Forest-Clearings-Luis-Callejas/dp/1638401438

Synopsis: One hundred photographs of houses in clearings by Luis Callejas. These photos are accompanied by drawings and three parallel conversations between Luis Callejas and Matteo Ghidoni, Elisa Cattaneo, and Jorgen Tandberg.

The photographs were taken during three trips between Norway and Colombia. Most photos were done using the same 35 mm lens, avoiding wide angles encompassing each small space's totality. The conversations were triggered later by the photographs as opposed to direct experience; these images and conversations address the parallels between the construction of a house, a clearing, and the construction of an image.

The houses were designed by LCLA office in found, edited, and constructed forest clearings.

Critique: This large format (9.6 x 0.6 x 12 inches, 1.7 pounds) hardcover edition of "Houses in Forest Clearings" from Actar Publishers is an extraordinary, thoughtfully inspiring pictorial series with accompanying commentaries that will hold a very special value to readers with an interest in residential/regional architecture and architectural photography. This edition of "Houses in Forest Clearings" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college and university library Architectural Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.

Editorial Note: Luis Callejas founded LCLA office, an architecture and landscape architecture practice based in Oslo, Norway. Callejas is professor at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and visiting professor in landscape architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Previous visiting appointments include the Louis Kahn assistant professorship at Yale in 2020, lecturer in architecture and landscape architecture at Harvard GSD (2012-2016), visiting professor at the Escola da Cidade in Sao Paulo, visiting professor in Urban Design at the University of Toronto, and visiting professor in architecture at the Porto Academy.


The Literary Studies Shelf

From Soldier to Storyteller
Kathleen Broome Williams, editor
Hal M. Friedman, editor
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476694702, $49.95, PB, 226pp

https://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Storyteller-Veterans-Childrens-Authors/dp/1476694702

Synopsis: Many of the best-known and most popular children's stories of the 20th and early 21st century were written by veterans of World War I and World War II. These include works by such writers as A.A. Milne, C.S. Lewis, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming, and J.R.R. Tolkien, among others.

Although they had experienced war, most of the veterans did not overtly write about it. The seeming paradox of warriors who went through searing combat and then wrote books for children has not been addressed collectively before now.

The essays comprising "From Soldier to Storyteller: Essays on World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children's Authors" explore what motivated these veterans to write for children, what they wrote, and how their writing was influenced by the wars they lived through.

Also examined is how their combat experience can be traced in their writing, however subtly, whether it was stories about a bear and his piglet companion, a World War I flying ace, or a flying car. Their reactions to war, as reflected in their writing, yield important lessons about the complicated legacy of the 20th century's two great conflicts and their long-lasting impact (through children) on society at large.

Critique: Unique, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "From Soldier to Storyteller: Essays on World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children's Authors", collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Kathleen Broome Williams and Hal M. Friedman, is an inherently fascinating read throughout. A welcome and truly singular contribution to personal, community, and college/university library Literary Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "From Soldier to Storyteller: Essays on World War Veterans Who Became Famous Children's Authors" is also readily available for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Kathleen Broome Williams is the recipient of the 2021 Commodore Dudley W. Knox medal for Lifetime Achievement in Naval History. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Journal of Military History, the U.S. Naval Institute's Naval History Advisory Board, and Marine Corps History Magazine's Editorial Review Board and is the author of numerous articles and books on naval history.

Editorial Note #2: Hal M. Friedman is the chair of history and professor of modern history at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan, and both the recording secretary and the midwest regional coordinator for the Society for Military History. He has published a trilogy on U.S. national security policy in the immediate postwar Pacific and another trilogy on the transition of the U.S. Naval War College from the Pacific War to the Cold War in the Pacific in the same time period.


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Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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