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Reviewer's Choice
Herbert Corey's Great War
Herbert Corey, author
Peter Finn, editor
John Maxell Hamilton, editor
Louisiana State University Press
338 Johnston Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
https://lsupress.org
9780807177945, $40.00, HC, 246pp
https://www.amazon.com/Herbert-Coreys-Great-War-American/dp/0807177946
Synopsis: In 1914, the Associated Newspapers sent correspondent Herbert Corey to Europe on the day Great Britain
declared war on Germany. During the Great War that followed, Corey reported from France, Britain, and Germany, visiting
the German lines on both the western and eastern fronts. He also reported from Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Holland,
Belgium, and Serbia. When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, Corey defied the rules of the American
Expeditionary Forces and crossed into Germany. He covered the Paris Peace Conference the following year. No other
foreign correspondent matched the longevity of his reporting during World War I. Until recently, however, his unpublished
memoir lay largely unnoticed among his papers in the Library of Congress.
With publication of "Herbert Corey's Great War: A Memoir of World War I by the American Reporter Who Saw It All", co-
editors Peter Finn and John Maxwell Hamilton reestablish Corey's name in the annals of American war reporting.
As a correspondent, he defies easy comparison. He approximates Ernie Pyle in his sympathetic interest in the American foot
soldier, but he also told stories about troops on the other side and about noncombatants. He is especially illuminating on the
obstacles reporters faced in conveying the story of the Great War to Americans.
As his memoir makes clear, Corey didn't believe he was in Europe to serve the Allies. He viewed himself as an outsider, one
who was deeply ambivalent about the entry of the United States into the war. His idiosyncratic, opinionated, and very
American voice makes for compelling reading.
Critique: Rescued from the obscurity of the Library of Congress back-shelf storage and enhanced for the reader with the
inclusion of a section of black/white historical photographs, "Herbert Corey's Great War: A Memoir of World War I by the
American Reporter Who Saw It All" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative memoir of a World War I
front line journalist that will be a welcome contribution to both World War I and 20th Century American Journalism
histories & memoirs collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for student, academic, and
military historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Herbert Corey's Great War: A
Memoir of World War I by the American Reporter Who Saw It All" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780807177952, $25.00) and in a digital book format ($18.99).
Editorial Note #1: Peter Finn has worked at the Washington Post since 1995, serving as Warsaw bureau chief, Berlin bureau
chief, Moscow bureau chief, and currently as national security editor. Twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for International
Reporting, Finn was honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Grand Prize and International Print award for his coverage of the
war in Kosovo. He is the coauthor of The Zhivago Affair, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award
for general nonfiction, and the author of A Guest of the Reich.
Editorial Note #2: John Maxwell Hamilton, a former journalist and government official, is the Hopkins P. Breazeale LSU
Foundation Professor of Journalism in the Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU and a global fellow at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. He has authored or edited many books, including
Journalism's Roving Eye and Manipulating the Masses, both of which won the Goldsmith Book Prize.
The Education Shelf
Research Handbook on Academic Careers and Managing Academics
Claudia S. Sarrico, editor
Maria J. Rosa, editor
Teresa Carvaltho, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781839102622, $290.00, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Research-Handbook-Academics-Handbooks-Education/dp/1839102624
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Claudia S. Sarrico (Professor of Management, School of Economics
and Management, University of Minho, and Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies), Maria J. Rosa (Assistant
Professor, Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, and Centre
for Research in Higher Education Policies) and Teresa Carvalho (Associate Professor, Department of Social, Political and
Territorial Sciences, University of Aveiro, and Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies, Portugal), the contributors
to "Research Handbook on Academic Careers and Managing Academics" address that as academia is increasingly
questioned as an elite profession, a narrative of casualisation, precarity, inequality, long hours, surveillance, austerity,
erosion of pay, exacerbated competition, and harmful power relations has come to dominate.
The expert contributors provide multiple perspectives on how academics are managed and how the management of
academics influences their roles and careers. Individually and collectively the chapters comprising "Research Handbook on
Academic Careers and Managing Academics" informatively consider how academics' characteristics, such as gender, age,
and position in their academic career, influence or are influenced by the way in which academics are managed.
Drawing together a range of theoretical approaches as well as a broad geographical coverage, "Research Handbook on
Academic Careers and Managing Academics" offers an important contribution to the debates surrounding the shifting
frontiers of managing academics and the questions raised for individuals, higher education institutions, and higher education
systems.
Critique: A compendium of 29 erudite, insightful, informative, and thought-provoking essays by experts in the field of
academia, "Research Handbook on Academic Careers and Managing Academics" is organized into seven major sections:
Changing Context for Managing Academics; The Role of Academics and Other Higher Education Professionals; Gendered
Academic Careers; The Performance of Academic Staff; Mobility and Internationalization of Academics; Age and
Generational Gaps in Academic Careers. A seminal work of original and meticulous scholarship, "Research Handbook on
Academic Careers and Managing Academics" is an unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional,
college and university Contemporary Education & Academia collections and supplemental curriculum Education/Academia
studies lists.
The World History Shelf
The Battles of King Arthur
Tony Sullivan
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399015301, $42.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battles-King-Arthur-Tony-Sullivan/dp/1399015303
Synopsis: The ninth century Historia Brittonum is the first source that mentions Arthur and lists twelve battles, including the
famous Badon Hill. Much ink has been spilt debating the identity and location of Arthur. With the publication of "The
Battles of King Arthur", historian Tony Sullivan demonstrates that some of the battles can indeed be located with some
confidence.
Rather than fit a specific theory as to his identity the battles are placed in the fragmenting provincial, political and military
context of the late fifth and early sixth century Britain. At a time of rapid changes in cultural identity and a significant
increase in Germanic material culture and migration.
These battles might be expected to be found along borders and in zones of potential conflict. Yet this is not what is
discovered. In addition the simplistic idea of Romano-Britons holding back invading Anglo-Saxons is found wanting.
Instead we discover a far more nuanced political and cultural situation. One with increasing evidence of continuation of land
use and the indigenous population.
The most Romanised and urbanized regions of the south and east are the very areas that experienced the arrival of Germanic
settlement. The conclusion gives the reader a new insight into what sort of man Arthur was and the nature of the battles he
fought.
Critique: As an historian and writer, Tony Sullivan has a genuine flair for the kind of narrative storytelling style that is
accessibly informative for both academia and the non-specialist general reader. Informatively enhanced for the reader with
the inclusion of Maps, Illustration, Tables, nine pages of Notes, a five page Reference and Bibliography, and a three page
Index, "The Battles of King Arthur" is a unique and seminal study that is unreservedly recommended for community and
academic library British Medieval History & Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, historians, and anyone else with an interest in the life, legend, lore and history of King Arthur that "The
Battles of King Arthur" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: His first book by Tony Sullivan, "King Arthur Man or Myth", was published in 2020. He then went on to
write "The Real Gladiator: The True Story of Maximus Decimus Meridius"; "The Battles of King Arthur"; and "The Roman
King Arthur?: Lucius Artorius Castus". Two further books titled "The Early Anglo-Saxon Kings" and "The History of the
Sixth Legion" are forthcoming publications from Pen & Sword Books.
The Roman King Arthur?: Lucius Artorius Castus
Tony Sullivan
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399084024, $34.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-King-Arthur-Lucius-Artorius/dp/139908402X
Synopsis: The 2004 film, "King Arthur", starring Clive Owen and Keira Knightley, introduced the audience to Lucius
Artorius Castus as the basis to the much later legend of King Arthur. With the publication of "The Roman King Arthur?:
Lucius Artorius Castus Hardcover", historian Tony Sullivan analyses the theories behind the film which link this second to
third century Roman officer with the medieval Arthurian legends and a possible historical figure in post-Roman
Britain.
This first full academic study of Artorius Castus offers a number of potential time frames and details his career through a
turbulent and bloody period of Roman history, serving as primus pilus of V Macedonia and praefectus of the Sixth Legion
in northern Britain.
Turning to the historical narrative of the film this historical study covers the archaeological and literary evidence for the
break down of Roman Britain, arrival of Germanic peoples and emergence of petty kingdoms and new cultural identities.
The penultimate chapter lays out the evidence for and against a historical Arthur, offering suggestions as to his identity,
location of his battles and the possible political, military, social and cultural situation he lived and fought in.
"The Roman King Arthur?: Lucius Artorius Castus" is an entertaining and informative picture of two fascinating figures,
one firmly historical, the other shrouded in myth and legend. Sullivan leaves the reader with a clear picture of the lives of a
Roman career officer and later dark-age warrior and the different worlds in which they lived.
Critique: A fun, fascinating, informative and thought-provoking read from cover to cover, "The Roman King Arthur?:
Lucius Artorius Castus" by Tony Sullivan will have a particular appeal to readers with an interest in the Roman period,
post-Roman Britain and the possibilities for an identified historical Arthur whose deeds would lay the groundwork for later
legends and embellishments. While certain to be an immediate and welcome addition to community, college, and university
library Roman Britain history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students,
academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in King Arthur lore, legends and history that "The
Roman King Arthur?: Lucius Artorius Castus" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: His first book by Tony Sullivan, "King Arthur Man or Myth", was published in 2020. He then went on to
write "The Real Gladiator: The True Story of Maximus Decimus Meridius"; "The Battles of King Arthur"; and "The Roman
King Arthur?: Lucius Artorius Castus". Two further books titled "The Early Anglo-Saxon Kings" and "The History of the
Sixth Legion" are forthcoming publications from Pen & Sword Books.
The Templars at War
Zvonimir Grbasic
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473898400, $42.95, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Templars-at-War-Zvonimir-Grbasic/dp/1473898404
Synopsis: The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, better known as the Knights Templar or simply
the Templars, are the most famous of the Crusading knightly orders.
Formed in 1119 to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land, this curious hybrid of military unit and monastic
brotherhood were the staunchest defenders of the Crusader States of Outremer for nearly two centuries. Knights joining the
Templars renounced their worldly possessions and vowed to follow a strict code, which included the command to fight the
infidel enemy bravely regardless of the odds. They provided Christian armies with a lethal cutting edge in open battle,
launching fanatical charges to break the enemy formations, as well as garrisoning a network of forts as a stubborn bulwark
against reconquest.
With the publication of "The Templars at War", artist and historian Zvonimir Grbasic outlines Templar history, narrating
many of their greatest victories and defeats in detail (such as Montgisard and the Horns of Hattin), describes their
organization and hierarchy, training and daily life.
Critique: "The Templars at War" features both the knights and the lowlier ranks, and are illustrated with Zvonimir Grbasic's
beautiful, original, museum quality paintings and drawings. An informative and simply fascinating read from cover to cover,
"The Templars at War" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and
university library Crusade History collections in general, and Templar History supplemental curriculum studies lists in
particular. It should be noted that "The Templars at War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: As an illustrator, Zvonimir Grbasic worked for the magazine 'Hrvatski vojnik' (Croatian soldier) of the
Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Croatia, and then for military history magazines in Germany, France, Spain and The
Netherlands. He has co-authored three books: 'The History of Cavalry' and 'Cavalry', both with V. Vuksic; and 'Hrvati, slike
iz ratnicke proslosti' (Croats, the pictures from the warriors' history) with Mazuran, Radilovic, Trnski, Vuksic. He has a
dedicated Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/zvonimir.grbasic
Roman Britain's Pirate King
Simon Elliott
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399094368, $36.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Britains-Pirate-King-Constantius/dp/139909436X
Synopsis: In the mid-3rd century AD Roman Britain's regional fleet, the Classis Britannica, disappeared. It was never to
return. Soon the North Sea and English Channel were over-run by Germanic pirates preying upon the east and south coast of
Britain, and the continental coast up to the Rhine Delta.
The western augustus (senior emperor) Maximian turned to a seasoned naval leader called Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus
Valerius Carausius to restore order. He was so successful that Maximian accused him of pocketing the plunder he'd
recaptured, ordering his execution. The canny Carausius moved first and in 286 usurped imperial authority, creating a North
Sea empire in northern Gaul and Britain which lasted until 296.
Dubbed the pirate king, he initially thrived, seeing off early attempts by Maximian to defeat him. However, in the early 290s
Maximian appointed his new caesar (junior emperor), Constantius Chlorus (the father of Constantine the Great), to defeat
Carausius. A seasoned commander, Constantius Chlorus soon brought northern Gaul back into the imperial fold, leaving
Carausius controlling only Britain.
Carausius was then assassinated and replaced by Allectus, his treasurer. Allectus was in turn defeated by Constantius
Chlorus in AD 296 in the fourth Roman invasion of Britain, the caesar arriving just in time to prevent London being sacked
by Allectus' Frankish mercenaries. Once more Britain was part of the Roman Empire.
Critique: With the publication of "Roman Britain's Pirate King: Carausius, Constantius Chlorus and the Fourth Roman
Invasion of Britain", historian Simon Elliot draws out of obscurity one of the truly colorful characters in Roman dominated
British history. In addition to an informative Introduction and Conclusion, "Roman Britain's Pirate King" is informatively
enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a five page listing of References & Bibilography, as well as a three page Index.
A truly seminal and extraordinary contribution to Roman & British history, "Roman Britain's Pirate King" is an inherently
fascinating and engaging study. While a valued and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and
academic library Roman & British History collections and Roman Britain supplemental curriculum lists, it should be noted
for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Roman Britain's
Pirate King" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Simon Elliott is an historian, archaeologist and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent where
he studied for his PhD in Archaeology on the subject of the Roman military in Britain. He also has an MA in War Studies
from KCL and an MA in Archaeology from UCL. He frequently gives talks on Roman themes and is co-Director at a
Roman villa excavation. There is an informative interview with him on the University of Kent website at:
https://www.kent.ac.uk/classics-archaeology/news/13758/graduate-profile-dr-simon-elliott-school-of-classical-and-archaeol
ogical-studies
Persia Triumphant in Greece: Xerxes' Invasion
Manousos E. Kambouris
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399097758, $42.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Persia-Triumphant-Greece-Thermopylae-Destruction/dp/139909775X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Persia Triumphant in Greece: Xerxes' Invasion: Thermopylae, Artemisium and the
Destruction of Athens", historian Manousos E. Kambouris presents the epic story of the Great Persian War of 481-479 BC,
the major land and sea Persian invasion of Greece under Xerxes.
Starting from the Persian decision to avenge the outrage caused to imperial prestige by the battle of Marathon, "Persia
Triumphant in Greece" details the policy, diplomacy and religion as they intermingle with matters of strategy and tactics. It
also includes detailed coverage of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae, immortalized in literature and film as the ultimate
defiant last stand.
There is similarly in-depth coverage, in terms of events, tactics, methods and intentions, afforded to the relatively unknown
sea battles off Cape Artemisium, only recently dramatized for the Big Screen; a naval engagement that primed the Battle of
Salamis.
Special attention has been paid to the events following these two battles, leading to the bloody conquest of Athens and the
implementation of vengeance by the Persian Empire, which for a brief time stood triumphant, victorious and awesome as
never before, but also sowed the seeds of eventual defeat.
Critique: Deftly organized into three major sections (Preparation and Invasion; Thermopylae: The Most Famous Battle; The
Naval Standoff at Artemisium), "Persia Triumphant in Greece: Xerxes' Invasion: Thermopylae, Artemisium and the
Destruction of Athens" is further informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Introduction,
Epilogue or Act Two?, a seven page Bibliography, and a three page Index. An exceptionally well written, organized and
presented study that is highly recommended for community, college, and university library Greek History & Warfare
collections, "Persia Triumphant in Greece: Xerxes' Invasion: Thermopylae, Artemisium and the Destruction of Athens" is
also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.00).
Editorial Note: Manousos E. Kambouris has a background in scientific writing, contributing chapters on a wide range of
disciplines to various edited volumes and journals. He has been researching Ancient Greek warfare for many years and has
published numerous articles in Archeologija Prirodne Na (Archaeology and Science), Ancient Warfare, Military History,
War & History, Nuova Antologia Militare, Third Eye and Hellenic Nexus. He has written three previous books on
Marathon, Salamis and Xenophon's Ten Thousand. For the past 8 years he has been a historical consultant to the
experimental archaeology group Koryvantes, the Association of Historical Studies. He is currently writing The Trojan War
as Military History (forthcoming from Pen & Sword).
The Macedonian Army of Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359-323 BC
Gabriele Esposito
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526787354, $34.95, HC, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Macedonian-Philip-Alexander-Great-359-323/dp/1526787350
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Macedonian Army of Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359-323 BC", historian
Gabriele Esposito provides a complete and detailed analysis of the organization and equipment of the Macedonian army
built by Philip II and later employed to world-changing effect by his son, Alexander III (the Great).
This profusely illustrated historical study explains how Philip took the traditional forces of Macedon and reformed them
into the most modern and sophisticated combined-arms force in the Mediterranean world. Not only the formidable pike
phalanx and the hard-charging Companion cavalry, but also the less famous components, such as light and cavalry types, are
described in detail. The tactics employed in the great battles that won the largest empire the world had seen are
analyzed.
With its numerous color photos showing replica weapons and equipment in use, "The Macedonian Army of Philip II and
Alexander the Great, 359-323 BC" is a vivid, detailed and accessible study of the army that made Alexander one of the
world's greatest conquerors.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover, "The Macedonian Army of
Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359-323 BC" is a valued and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college,
and university library Greek History & Warfare collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Macedonian Army of Philip II and
Alexander the Great, 359-323 BC" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and
expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular
contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies
of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713, published by Pen & Sword in 2018.
Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction
Jack L. Schwartzwald
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476683409, $95.00, PB, 515pp
https://www.amazon.com/Europe-Path-Self-Destruction-Nationalism-1815-1945/dp/1476683409
Synopsis: Between the years 1815 and 1945, Europe achieved unrivaled global dominance, only to see it shattered by two
world wars. This frenetic rise and fall was attended by immense societal change.
In 1815, Europe remained largely agricultural and dependent upon horsepower. By 1945, the power of the atom had been
unleashed. Two industrial revolutions occurred in the interim -- the first founded upon coal, iron and steam, the second upon
oil, steel, electricity and internal combustion. The implications for humanity were profound.
"Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction: Nationalism and the Struggle for Hegemony, 1815-1945" by academician and
historian Jack L. Schwartzwald is a concise yet comprehensive study that is divided into three sections.
In section one, the map of Europe emerges in its modern visage as unrestrained nationalist fervor gives rise to an
assemblage of new nation-states. In section two, the continent attains global hegemony as massive industrialization fuels a
mad scramble for colonial markets and raw materials. In section three, a cauldron of national, ethnic and class hatreds
spawn the rise of totalitarianism and the overthrow of European hegemony in two calamitous world wars.
By tracing the events and undercurrents of this vital period in European history, "Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction:
Nationalism and the Struggle for Hegemony, 1815-1945" offers trenchant insights for the non-specialist general reader,
history students, and academia alike.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography, thirty-eight pages of Notes,
and an eighteen page Index, "Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction: Nationalism and the Struggle for Hegemony,
1815-1945" is occasionally illustrated with black-and-white images. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and
presented, "Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction: Nationalism and the Struggle for Hegemony, 1815-1945" is an
impressive work of exhaustive scholarship and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library
European History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, historians,
academia, and general readers with an interest in the subject that "Europe on the Path to Self-Destruction: Nationalism and
the Struggle for Hegemony, 1815-1945" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $59.99).
Editorial Note: Jack L. Schwartzwald is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University's Warren Alpert
School of Medicine with thirty years' experience in clinical teaching. He currently practices Hospitalist Medicine in Rhode
Island. Before obtaining his medical degree from UMDNJ/New Jersey Medical School (now Rutgers) in 1989, he earned a
BA in History from North Texas State University. His lifelong passion has been the study of history. The original draft of
his first book, "Nine Lives of Israel," won third prize at the 2009 Mayborn Literary Non-Fiction Competition in Dallas,
Texas. The book itself was published in 2012 by McFarland. Since that time, he has written four volumes covering
European History from ancient times through 1945. All four are published by McFarland.
History of the Adriatic
Egidio Ivetic
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o John Wiley and Sons (dist.)
www.wiley.com
9781509552528, $35.00, HC, 380pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-Adriatic-Sea-Its-Civilization/dp/1509552529
Synopsis: The Adriatic is 'the small Mediterranean' -- a sea within a sea, part of the Mediterranean and at the same time
detached from it, a largely enclosed sea with stunning coastlines and a long history of commercial, political and cultural
exchange.
Silent witness to the flow of civilizations, the Adriatic is the meeting point of East and West where many empires had their
frontiers and some overlapped. With Italy on one side and the Balkans on the other, the Adriatic is the area where the Latin
West became intertwined with the Greek and Ottoman East.
"History of the Adriatic: A Sea and Its Civilization" by Egidio Ivetic (Professor of Early Modern History at the University of
Padua) is a definitive history of this ancient body of water and the people who lived around it and sailed upon it.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Introduction (The Historical Sense of a Sea), an
Appendix (Place Names According to Language), twenty-five pages of Notes, a four page listing of Maps & Place Names,
and a twenty-six page Index, "History of the Adriatic: A Sea and Its Civilization" is an exceptionally well researched,
written, organized and presented work of meticulous scholarship and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
community, and academic library Antiquarian Marine History collections in general, and Adriatic history supplemental
studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "History of the Adriatic: A Sea and Its Civilization" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$28.00).
India: A History in Objects
T. Richard Blurton
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500480649, $45.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/India-History-Objects-Richard-Blurton/dp/0500480648
Synopsis: India: With the publication of "India: A History in Objects", author and historian T. Richard Blurton presents a
beautiful collection of material culture from South Asia and traces its history through a huge variety of art and artifacts, both
religious and secular.
Arranged chronologically, and abundantly illustrated with expertly selected objects, "India: A History in Objects" offers an
impressively new overview that connects today's South Asia with its past. Early chapters describe prehistoric objects from
1.5 million years ago, examine artifacts from the Indus Civilization, and follow the emergence of Buddhism, Jainism,
Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity.
The collection goes on to outline the rise of the Mughals, the greatest Muslim dynasty of India, who made India a leading
economic power. The distinct Mughal style is traced through paintings, architecture, hardstone carving, metalwork, and
jewelry. This volume also explores the early trade industry to Europe via examples of spice pots, textiles, and other luxury
goods.
Finally, modernism and political independence in the 20th century are examined through Indian culture such as popular
prints, contemporary photography, and the performing arts.
"India: A History in Objects" presents a vast panoply, from the urban splendor of dynastic empires to the rural life of the
subcontinent. A compelling visual history of rich and diverse cultures, "India: A History in Objects" will inspire and inform
anyone interested in India and material culture.
Critique: Featuring some 500 beautifully reproduced illustrations and an extraordinarily informative accompanying
commentary, "India: A History in Objects" is especially impressive in its organization and presentation. Simply stated,
"India: A History in Objects" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, college,
and university library India History, Art & Culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: T. Richard Blurton was the Head of the South and Southeast Asia section at the British Museum. Trained as
an archaeologist, he has worked all over South Asia. His publications include Krishnain the Garden of Assam, Bengali
Myths, and Hindu Art. He has a page on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blurton
The Shortest History of the Soviet Union
Sheila Fitzpatrick
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231207164, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shortest-History-Soviet-Union/dp/0231207166
Synopsis: In 1917, Bolshevik revolutionaries came to power in the war-torn Russian Empire in a way that defied all
predictions, including their own. Scarcely a lifespan later, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed as accidentally as it arose.
The decades between witnessed drama on an epic scale -- the chaos and hope of revolution, famines and purges, hard-won
victory in history's most destructive war, and worldwide geopolitical conflict, all entwined around the dream of building a
better society.
"The Shortest History of the Soviet Union" is a lively and authoritative distillation of this complex history, told with vivid
details, a grand sweep, and wry wit. With its publication the acclaimed historian Sheila Fitzpatrick chronicles the Soviet
Age -- its rise, reign, and unexpected fall, as well as its afterlife in today's Russia.
Professor Fitapatric also underscores the many ironies of the Soviet experience: An ideology that claimed to offer humanity
the reins of history wrangled with contingency. An avowedly internationalist and anti-imperialist state birthed an array of
nationalisms. And a vision of transcending economic and social inequality and injustice gave rise to a country that was, in
its way, surprisingly normal.
Moving seamlessly from Lenin to Stalin to Gorbachev to Putin, "The Shortest History of the Soviet Union" provides an
indispensable guide to one of the twentieth century's great powers and the enduring fascination it still exerts.
Critique: Impressively informative, eloquent, detailed, exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The
Shortest History of the Soviet Union" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the rise and fall of the
Soviet Union -- especially with respect to how it has devolved into a Russian state ruled over by Vladimer Putin and the
Russian oligarches. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a four page bibliography of Further Reading,
a one page List of Images, and a ten page Index, "The Shortest History of the Soviet Union" is unreservedly recommended
for community, college, and university library Soviet Union History & Russian 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 Shortest History of the Soviet Union" is also available in a trade paperback edition (9780231207171,
$25.00), a mass market paperback edition (9781760643072, $20.35), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Sheila Fitzpatrick is a Distinguished Service Professor Emerita of Russian History at the University of
Chicago, honorary professor at the University of Sydney, and a professor in the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences
at the Australian Catholic University. Her many books include Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times:
Soviet Russia in the 1930s (1999), The Russian Revolution (third edition, 2007), and On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living
Dangerously in Soviet Politics (2015). She is a regular contributor to the London Review of Books and is on a Wikipedia
page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Fitzpatrick
The Chinese in the Caribbean
Andrew Wilson, editor
Markus Wiener Publishers
231 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
www.markuswiener.com
9781558763142, $68.95 ($26.00 Amazon), HC, 230pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Caribbean-Andrew-R-Wilson/dp/1558763147
Synopsis: The history of the Caribbean is a history of migrations. From all parts of the globe the peoples of the Caribbean
came as conquerors and planters, slaves and indentured laborers. Each group contributed to the social fabric, culture, and
commerce of the region.
The Chinese diaspora has spread Chinese people and culture around the world, including to the Caribbean, where Chinese
exist both as distinct ethnic groups within Caribbean societies and as shapers of unique Caribbean cultures.
Compiled and edited by Andrew Wilson, "Chinese in the Caribbean" describes not merely the arrival and experience of
Chinese in the Caribbean but also the ways in which Chinese have adapted to and altered the region.
Included are the histories of Chinese people in Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, and the British West Indies, and overcame, their
slow rise to economic independence and success, their contribution to art, theater, cuisine, and literature, their roles in the
region's national revolutions, their place in post-colonial politics, and the subsequent remigrations of individuals, families,
and entire communities to North America.
Critique: Deftly organized into three major sections (The British West Indies; Cuba; Re-Migration and Re-Imagining
Identity), the eight erudite and informative essays by experts in the subject are further enhanced for the reader with the
inclusion of Chapter Notes, Bibliographies, and a listing of the contributors and their credentials. While also available in a
paperback edition (9781558763159, $24.95) for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject, "Chinese in the Caribbean" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and academic library Caribbean History and Chinese Diaspora collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Andrew Wilson, United States Naval War College, is also the author of Ambition and Identity: Chinese
Merchant Elites in Colonial Manila, 1880-1916.
The Civil War Shelf
Lost Causes
Bradley R. Clampitt
Louisiana State University Press
338 Johnston Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
http://lsupress.org
9780807177167, $50.00, HC, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Causes-Confederate-Demobilization-Identity/dp/0807177164
Synopsis: "Lost Causes: Confederate Demobilization and the Making of Veteran Identity" by Professor Bradley Clampitt
offers a groundbreaking analysis of Confederate demobilization and examines the state of mind of Confederate soldiers in
the immediate aftermath of war. Having survived severe psychological as well as physical trauma, those Confederate
veterans and survivors now faced the unknown as they headed back home in defeat.
"Lost Causes" analyzes the interlude between soldier and veteran, suggesting that defeat and demobilization actually
reinforced Confederate identity as well as public memory of the war and southern resistance to African American civil
rights.
Intense material shortages and images of the war's devastation confronted the defeated soldiers-turned-veterans as they
returned home to a revolutionized society. Their thoughts upon homecoming turned to immediate economic survival, a
radically altered relationship with freedpeople, and life under Yankee rule -- all against the backdrop of fearful
uncertainty.
Professor Bradley Clampitt argues that the experiences of returning soldiers helped establish the ideological underpinnings
of the Lost Cause and create an identity based upon shared suffering and sacrifice, a pervasive commitment to white
supremacy, and an aversion to Federal rule and all things northern.
As "Lost Causes" reveals, most Confederate veterans remained diehard Rebels despite demobilization and the demise of the
Confederate States of America.
Critique: A seminal and original work of definitive scholarship, "Lost Causes: Confederate Demobilization and the Making
of Veteran Identity" is a unique and impressively informative contribution to the growing library of American Civil War
History collections with its focus on how the conclusion of conflict and the return to civilian life would set up the legend
and mythologisation of a devastating defeat experienced by the Confederate military. While a critically important addition to
personal, professional, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lost
Causes: Confederate Demobilization and the Making of Veteran Identity" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$45.29).
Editorial Note: Bradley R. Clampitt is professor of history at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and the author of
Occupied Vicksburg and The Confederate Heartland: Military and Civilian Morale in the Western Confederacy.
James Montgomery: Abolitionist Warrior
Robert C. Conner
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781636241425, $34.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/James-Montgomery-Abolitionist-Robert-Conner/dp/1636241425
Synopsis: James Montgomery (December 22, 1814 - December 6, 1871) was a leader of the free-state movement in
pre-Civil War Kansas and Missouri, associated with its direct-action military wing, the Jayhawkers. He then joined the
Union Army with the rank of Colonel and fought through most of the war.
A close associate and ally of other abolitionists including John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Colonels Thomas Wentworth
Higginson and Robert G. Shaw, Montgomery led his African-American regiment along with Tubman and other civilians in
the 1863 Combahee River raid, which freed almost 800 slaves from South Carolina plantations. He then commanded a
brigade in the siege of Fort Wagner, near Charleston.
In 1864, still in brigade command, he fought at the Battle of Olustee in Florida, helping prevent the collapse and
disintegration of Union General Truman Seymour's army. Later that year he returned home and played a significant role in
defeating Confederate General Sterling Price's great raid, especially at the Battle of Westport.
"James Montgomery: Abolitionist Warrior" by Robert C. Conner is the first published biography of Montgomery, who was
and remains a controversial figure. It uncovers and deals honestly with his serious flaws, while debunking some wilder
charges, and also bringing to light his considerable attributes and achievements. Montgomery's life, from birth to death, is
seen in the necessary perspective and clear delineation of the complex racial, political and military history of the Civil War
era.
Critique: With a special appeal and relevance to readers with an interest in the abolitionist movement to end slavery in
Kansas and Missouri, the American Civil War in general, and the role of Union Colonel James Montgomery and his
African-American troops in particular, "James Montgomery: Abolitionist Warrior" is as informatively detailed and it is
inherently fascinating. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.95), "James Montgomery: Abolitionist
Warrior" is an extraordinary and welcome contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories and
biographies.
Editorial Note: Robert C. Conner is also the author of General Gordon Granger: The Savior of Chickamauga and the Man
Behind "Juneteenth" (Casemate 2013). He also wrote the 2018 historical novel, "The Last Circle of Ulysses Grant",
published by Square Circle Press. A former journalist and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of New York University, Conner won
two first-place writing awards from the New York Associated Press Association for newspapers with circulation between
50,000 and 200,000.
The Mobile & Ohio Railroad in the Civil War
Dan Lee
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476689722, $39.95, PB, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Ohio-Railroad-Civil-War/dp/1476689725
Synopsis: The Mobile & Ohio Railroad was the longest line in the nation when it was completed in spring of 1861 -- the
final spike driven a few weeks after Confederate artillery shelled Fort Sumter. Within days, the M&O was swept up in the
Civil War as a prime conveyor of troops and supplies, a strategic and tactical asset to both Confederate and Union armies,
who fought to control it.
Its northern terminus at Columbus, Kentucky saw some of the earliest fighting in the war. The southern terminus in Mobile,
Alabama was the scene of some of the last. U. S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Newton Knight of
the "Free State of Jones" and others battled over the M&O, the Federals taking it mile-by-mile.
With the publication of "The Mobile & Ohio Railroad in the Civil War: The Struggle for Control of the Nation's Longest
Railway", American civil war historian Dan Lee chronicles the campaigns and battles for the railroad and the calamity
endured by the civilians who lived along it.
Critique: Also featuring an informative Epilogue, fourteen pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a seven page
Index, "The Mobile & Ohio Railroad in the Civil War: The Struggle for Control of the Nation's Longest Railway" is an
exceptionally well written account that will be a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, college, and
university library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, historians, and American civil war buffs that "The Mobile & Ohio Railroad in the Civil War: The Struggle for
Control of the Nation's Longest Railway" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Dan Lee has degrees in history from Murray State University and Western Kentucky University. There is a
complete listing of his Civil War titles at https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Lee/e/B0039Z433I
The Military Shelf
A Machine Gunner's War
Ernest Albert 'Andy' Andrews Jr.
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241043, $34.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Gunners-War-Normandy-Infantry/dp/1636241042
Synopsis: Ernest "Andy" Andrews began his training as a machine gunner at Fort McClellan in Alabama in July 1943. In
early 1944, he arrived in the UK for further training before D-Day. Andy's company, part of the 1st Infantry Division,
departed England on the evening of June 5 on the USS Henrico.
Due to a problem with his landing craft, Andy only reached Omaha Beach on the early evening of June 6, but still had a
harrowing experience. Fighting in Normandy, Andy was nicked by a bullet and evacuated to England in late July when the
wound became infected, before returning to participate in the Normandy breakout.
Following the race across France in late August, Andy participated in the rout of several retreating German units near Mons,
Belgium, and his outfit approached Aachen in mid-September. For a month, Andy's squad defended a bunker position in the
Siegfried Line against repeated German attacks, then after Aachen surrendered, the unit fought its way through the Hurtgen
Forest to take Hill 232. Early on the morning of November 19, Andy engaged in his toughest battle of the war as the
Germans attempted to retake Hill 232. Andy was wounded in the shoulder.
After surgery and a month convalescence he rejoined H Company in time to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. His unit then
participated in the fast-moving Roer to the Rhine campaign, then the battle to expand the Remagen bridgehead. Breaking
out from the Remagen bridgehead, Andy's squad stumbled on a German tank unit and Andy narrowly escaped getting killed.
Following a rapid advance up to the Paderborn area, Andy's unit races to Germany's Harz Mountains, where the Wehrmacht
was trying to organize a last stand.
Andy's outfit ends the war fighting in Czechoslovakia, where Andy witnesses the German surrender in early May. Following
occupation duty, Andy returned to the States in October 1945. The war shaped Andy's postwar life in countless ways, and in
1994, Andy made the first of three return visits to the European battlefields where he had fought.
"A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the 1st Infantry Division in World War II" is a vivid firsthand
account that takes the reader along from Normandy to victory with Andy and his machine-gun crew.
Critique: Written with the assistance of David B. Hurt, "A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the 1st
Infantry Division in World War II" by Ernest 'Andy' Andrews is one more highly valued and informative 'eye-witness'
memoir set in the European theatre of World War II. Now that the generation of American military soldiers that fought to
defeat Hitler and his Nazi empire are beginning to fade away, it's personal stories like this that are such precious and
unreservedly recommended additions to personal, community, college, and university library World War II History &
Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated WWII scholars, students, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject tht "A Machine Gunner's War: From Normandy to Victory with the
1st Infantry Division in World War II" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: David B. Hurt received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida and a M.A. in International
Affairs from Florida State University. He worked with William Lubbeck as the co-author of At Leningrad's Gates: The
Story of a Soldier with Army Group North (Casemate, 2006). He currently serves as an academic advisor at a college in
Knoxville, Tennessee.
Maritime Strike
Rear Admiral John Kingwell
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636241135, $37.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Maritime-Strike-Untold-Story-Royal/dp/1636241131
Synopsis: In April 2011, the newly created Royal Navy Response Force Task Group deployed to the Mediterranean to
provide a range of military options in response to the Arab Spring. For the next six months the group planned and prepared
for a range of potential operations including noncombatant evacuations from Libya, Yemen and Syria, maritime interdiction
operations off the Libyan coast, and amphibious landings.
On 3 June the group began launching attack helicopter strikes into Libya and in the nights that followed planned 47 and
executed 22 strikes destroying a range of targets including: 54 vehicles, 2 rigid hull boats, 2 BM 21 rocket launchers, 4 main
battle tanks, 1 zsu antiaircraft vehicle and 3 command and control nodes. The operation saw the first operational use of
Apaches from the sea and the first embarkation of US Army combat search and rescue teams and Blackhawk helicopters in
an RN warship.
With the publication of "Maritime Strike: The Untold Story of the Royal Navy Task Group off Libya in 2011", Rear
Admiral John Kingwell (the Group's Commander) provides a personal eye-witness account, which brings to life the
challenges of command (including authorizing strikes and mitigating risk to UK aircrew) in a complex and challenging
environment. Rear Admiral Kingwell also reveals how closely the RN Group worked with its French counterpart, the
support provided by the United States, together with the complexity of working alongside NATO and of simultaneously
dealing with a range of UK authorities.
"Maritime Strike: The Untold Story of the Royal Navy Task Group off Libya in 2011" is a story of leadership under pressure
and the remarkable professionalism of all involved and the bravery of Army aircrew. It was modern defense and joinery at
its best, with British Army and USAF helicopters operating from RN ships, supported by Fleet Air Arm aircraft and fixed
wing jets as part of a largely air campaign.
Critique: A definitive and detailed account, "Maritime Strike: The Untold Story of the Royal Navy Task Group off Libya in
2011" is informatively enhanced for the reader with a Foreword by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB, OBE; a two page
Epilogue; a four page Glossary; an Appendix (Royal Navy Units Involved in Cougar 11/Operation Ellamy); two pages of
Notes, a two page Select Bibliography; and a seven page Index. Impressively well written, organized and presented,
"Maritime Strike: The Untold Story of the Royal Navy Task Group off Libya in 2011" is a welcome and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic 21st Century Naval Military History collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Maritime Strike: The Untold Story of the Royal Navy
Task Group off Libya in 2011" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: John Kingwell joined the Royal Navy in 1984. He had four sea commands: the patrol vessel Pursuer, the
frigate Argyll, the Assault Ship Albion and the RN Task Group off Libya in 2011. He also served in the Ministry of Defence
on four occasions. Promoted to Rear Admiral in 2013 he became the Director of the Development, Concepts and Doctrine
Centre (DCDC) - the MOD's independent strategic think tank. In 2016 he became the Deputy Commandant of the Royal
College of Defence Studies and his final role before leaving the service in 2020 was as Commandant. He has a Wikipedia
page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kingwell
Panzer Leader
Otto Henning
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
9781848326910, $34.95, HC, 224pp.
https://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Leader-Armoured-Commander-1944-1945/dp/1848326912
Synopsis: The armored reconnaissance units were the spearheads of the German Panzer divisions of World War II -- moving
stealthily ahead of the tanks to locate the enemy. Otto Henning's armored car unit of the elite Panzer-Lehr-Division fought
throughout the campaigns in the West in 1944 and 1945, arriving in Normandy a few weeks before D-Day and finally
surrendering in the Ruhr pocket in mid-April 1945.
With the publication of "Panzer Leader: Memoirs of an Armoured Car Commander, 1944 - 1945", Henning describes the
difficulties reconnaissance forces faced in the close terrain of the Normandy bocage and the threat posed by the Allies'
complete control of the air. He saw the devastation wrought by Michael Wittmann's lone Tiger tank against the British 7th
Armored Division at Villers Bocage, and experienced the chaos and demoralization of the Germans' retreat across France.
After the Battle of the Bulge and the final fighting in western Germany, Henning surrendered and endured terrible
conditions in a prisoner-of-war camp until he escaped in 1947.
"Panzer Leader: Memoirs of an Armoured Car Commander, 1944 - 1945" is a fascinating and often harrowing account of
the final campaigns in Western Europe from a German perspective, and exposes the little-known scandal of the treatment of
German prisoners-of-war even after the war had ended by the victorious Allies.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with an insert of black-and-white historical photographs, and a seminal and unreservedly
recommended addition to the growing library of World War II histories and memoirs, it should be noted for community and
academic library collections, as well as personal reading lists that "Panzer Leader: Memoirs of an Armoured Car
Commander, 1944 - 1945" is also readily available in a digital book format ($22.13).
Pan Am Ferry Tales: A World War II Aviation Memoir
W. Gordon Schmitt, author
Peter Schmitt, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476686820, $29.95, PB, 199pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pan-Am-Ferry-Tales-Aviation/dp/1476686823
Synopsis: The late W. Gordon Schmitt served as a navigator for the Pan American Air Ferries and later the U.S. Air Force
from 1942 to 1945. During World War II, he was one of an eccentric band of barnstormers, stunt flyers and commercial
pilots who joined military recruits to form the Pan American Air Ferries. These civilian pilots helped develop a strategically
crucial and highly efficient system for shuttling aircraft to Allied forces around the world that contributed significantly to
key campaigns throughout the war. W. Gordon Schmitt's engaging, often amusing memoir recounts the close calls and
indelible characters he encountered as navigator in the PAAF, from Brazil to Africa to the Middle East and beyond.
Critique: Featuring an extensive and contextually informative Introduction by Peter Schmitt, "Pan Am Ferry Tales: A World
War II Aviation Memoir" is enhanced with the inclusion of some black/white historical photos and a three page Index. An
impressively informative and inherently interesting personal account, "Pan Am Ferry Tales: A World War II Aviation
Memoir" is an extraordinary and recommended addition to the growing library of World War II Histories & Memoirs. It
should be noted for personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Pan Am Ferry
Tales: A World War II Aviation Memoir" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
The Cookbook Shelf
The Weekend Cook: Good Food for Real Life
Angela Hartnett
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472975010, $35.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Cook-Good-Food-Real/dp/1472975014
Synopsis: An invitation to dine at Angela Hartnett's house is a real treat. Nestled in London's vibrant East End, her home is a
place to experience delicious food, great company and a relaxed atmosphere that is as far removed from the high-octane
stress of a professional kitchen as it is from the social anxiety that many of us face when hosting a dinner. Angela knows the
secrets to throwing the most relaxed and enjoyable dinners for friends and family-magical evenings that people talk about
for months afterward -- and with the publication of "The Weekend Cook: Good Food for Real Life" she now shares them
with aspiring and professional meal makers and planners.
A culinary compendium of recipes featuring entres ranging from satisfying one-pot dishes and comforting risottos, to perfect
party food and baked goods to feed a hungry crowd -- with each one of them a joy to cook and a pleasure eat.
With 100 recipes as well as time-saving tips and cheats, "The Weekend Cook" takes the stress out of hosting, allowing
kitchen cooks to enjoy their dinner parties along with family and friends.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography, "The Weekend Cook: Good Food for
Real Life" is a mouth-watering, hunger-inducing browse from first page to last. Each recipe is introduced with a succinct
commentary followed by serving numbers, ingredients, and preparation instructions. A perfect resource for planning
memorable meals for all dining occasions, as well as also being available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.46), "The
Weekend Cook: Good Food for Real Life" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and
community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in London, England, Angela Hartnett is one of the UK's well known chefs and
restaurateurs, with a culinary reputation for sophisticated yet simple, Italian-inspired cooking. Working with Gordon
Ramsay for many years, she launched Amaryllis in Scotland, Verre in Dubai, and Menu and The Grill Room at the
Connaught. In 2008, she opened her own restaurant, Murano, in Mayfair. In 2013 Angela launched the critically acclaimed
Merchants Tavern and Cafe Murano. In 2021, she was awarded an OBE for her services to the hospitality industry and to the
NHS throughout the pandemic. Angela is a regular on television, often appearing on Great British Menu, MasterChef and
Saturday Kitchen, as well as being one of the judges for BBC's Best Home Cook. She can be followed @AngelaHartnett
and has an entry on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Hartnett
Whole Food For Your Family
Autumn Michaelis
Mariner Books
www.marinerbooks.com
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780358615309, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Food-Your-Family-Budget-Friendly/dp/0358615305
Synopsis: Changing the way your family eats can feel intimidating, but once Autumn Michaelis experienced the incredible
benefits of the Whole30 and cut gluten, dairy, and refined sugar out of her life, she knew she had to bring her family on
board. As a busy mother of 5 growing boys, she needed recipes that were tasty and easy. So she started the website Whole
Food for 7, where she shares no-fuss, gluten- and dairy-free family meals that are delicious and nutritious.
Comprised of more than 100 simple, budget-friendly meals for all occasions,"Whole Food For Your Family" is her first
cookbook in which she serves up recipes for winning breakfasts like Crispy Waffles, lunch box essentials like Paleo Vanilla
Wafers and Granola Bars, healthy remakes of kid favorites like Plantain Pizza Pockets and Our Favorite Chicken Strips,
along with plenty of desserts like Churro Bites and Oreo Brownie Cheesecake.
Kid-friendly, but not just for kids,"Whole Food For Your Family" is packed from cover to cover with comfort food favorites
as well as time-saving hacks, and budget-friendly tips. "Whole Food for Your Family" is destined to become a go-to
cookbook every day of the week.
Critique: With palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes that range from Loaded Breakfast Potatoes,
Breakfast Taquitos, Taco Chicken Strips, and Chicken Cordon Bleu, to Protein Cookie Dough Bites, Roasted Snack Mix,
Carrot Fries with Date Chipotle Sauce, and Cassava Flour Tortillas, "Whole Food For Your Family" is a delightful and
beautifully illustrated culinary compendium that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, and
community library Contemporary Cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Whole Food For Your Family" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Autumn Michaelis is the Whole30 Coaching Manager and Certified Coach, an ACSM Certified Exercise
Physiologist, and holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University. Exercise was her first love, but
nutrition has become her passion. She has a dedicated website at https://whole30.com/authors/autumn-michaelis
Mediterranean
Susie Theodorou
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781914239717, $27.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Naturally-nutritious-recipes-healthiest/dp/1914239717
Synopsis: Eating healthily and inexpensively has never been easier than with menus planned with the help of Susie
Theodorou's culinary compendium of naturally nutritious recipes comprising "Mediterranean".
With the publication of "Mediterranean", Susie explores how the Mediterranean diet is a lifestyle choice and a pattern of
eating based on rural life where people used to eat what they grew and enjoy it communally. Her approach embraces
seasonal and nutritious foods, without the strict regime of a diet book. She does not focus on weight loss or weight gain but
instead promotes a healthier and happier way of life.
Raised by Greek-Cypriot parents on a diet of freshly picked, plucked and cooked food, Susie knows first-hand the benefits
of eating traditional Mediterranean dishes. And because you are focusing on simple combinations of exceptional
ingredients, this is cooking on a budget.
A self-confessed 'lazy cook', Susie has multiple ideas for using olives, tomatoes, tinned fish, white cheese, home-made
hummus, and simple dressings for meat and fish. There are also tips on how to feed more friends with less food, how to
stock a Mediterranean larder to be proud of and how to eat seasonally.
And with recipes like Pan-seared Figs with Pecorino and Rocket, Charred Mixed Greens with Fennel and Lemons,
Courgette and Dill Fritters, and Fish En Papillotte with Capers & Tomatoes, even the most novice of kitchen cooks will be
able to serve up a Mediterranean feast any day of the week.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Mediterranean" will prove to be an
enduringly welcome and appreciated addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It
should be noted that "Mediterranean" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780857834799, $19.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Susie Theodorou is a world-renowned food stylist and trained home economist. Born and raised in London
to Greek Cypriot parents, Susie is keen to share the Mediterranean diet she grew up with. She has a dedicated website at
http://susietheodorou.com
The Literary Studies Shelf
Ideal Minds
Michael Trask
Cornell University Press
512 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.cornellpress.cornell.edu
9781501752438, $35.95, HC, 258pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-Minds-Consciousness-Antisocial-Seventies/dp/150175243X
Synopsis: Following the 1960s, that decade's focus on consciousness-raising transformed into an array of intellectual
projects far afield from that of movement politics. The mind's powers came to preoccupy a range of thinkers and writers:
ethicists pursuing contractual theories of justice, radical ecologists interested in the paleolithic brain, seventies cultists, and
the devout of both evangelical and New Age persuasions.
With the publication of "Ideal Minds: Raising Consciousness in the Antisocial Seventies", Professor Michael Trask presents
a boldly revisionist argument about the revival of subjectivity in postmodern American culture, connecting familiar figures
within the seventies intellectual landscape who share a commitment to what he calls "neo-idealism" as a weapon in the
struggle against discredited materialist and behaviorist worldviews.
In a heterodox intellectual and literary history of the 1970s, "Ideal Minds" mixes ideas from cognitive science, philosophy of
mind, moral philosophy, deep ecology, political theory, science fiction, neoclassical economics, and the sociology of
religion. Professor Trask also delves into the decade's more esoteric branches of learning, including Scientology, anarchist
theory, rapture prophesies, psychic channeling, and neo-Malthusianism.
Through this investigation, Professor Trask argues that a dramatic inflation in the value of consciousness and autonomy
beginning in the 1970s accompanied a growing argument about the state's inability to safeguard such values. Ultimately, the
thinkers Professor Trask analyzes (John Rawls, Arne Naess, L. Ron Hubbard, Hal Lindsey, Philip Dick, Ursula Le Guin,
Edward Abbey, William Burroughs, John Irving, and James Merrill) found alternatives to statism in conditions that would
lend intellectual support to the consolidation of these concepts in the radical free market ideologies of the 1980s.
Critique: With a special and singular appeal to readers with an interest in American Postmodernism Literary Criticism and
American Fiction Anthologies, "Ideal Minds: Raising Consciousness in the Antisocial Seventies" is informatively enhanced
with the inclusion of a thirty page Introduction (From Consciousness Raising to Neo-Idealism), forty-four pages of Notes,
and a seven page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, college, and community library
Contemporary Literary Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Ideal Minds: Raising Consciousness in the Antisocial
Seventies" is also available in a paperback edition (9781501764639, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$16.99).
Editorial Note: Michael Trask is the Guy M. Davenport Professor in English at the University of Kentucky. He is also the
author of "Cruising Modernism: Class and Sexuality in American Literature and Social Thought" and "Camp Sites: Sex,
Politics, and Academic Style in Postwar America". He has a page on the University of Kentucky College & Sciences
website at https://english.as.uky.edu/users/matras2
The Political Science Shelf
Breaking The Impasse
Kim Moody
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
www.haymarketbooks.org
9781642597479, $45.00, HC, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Impasse-Electoral-Politics-Socialist/dp/1642597473
Synopsis: With the publication of "Breaking the Impasse: Electoral Politics, Mass Action, and the New Socialist Movement
in the United States", veteran socialist writer Kim Moody provides a masterful analysis of the political impasse which has
shaped the rise of a new socialist movement in the United States: recurring economic and political crises, sharp inequality,
state violence, and climate catastrophe proceed apace as the right ascends across the world, while the US political scene
remains defined and dominated by two capitalist political parties.
Moody situates the historic electoral campaigns of Democratic Socialists such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, as well as the growth of organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America, in this bi-polar political
context, and incisively assesses the revived movement's focus on electoral strategies.
Offering an important account of left attempts to intervene in the American two-party electoral system, Moody provides
both a sobering historical corrective and an alternative orientation for the future, arguing that the socialist movement should
turn its attention toward a politics of mass action, anti-racism, and independent, working-class organizing.
Critique: An significant and timely contribution to the growing library of contemporary socialist political literature
addressing the economic and cultural conflicts that presently define the incredibly polarization of American politics today,
"Breaking the Impasse: Electoral Politics, Mass Action, and the New Socialist Movement in the United States" with its
emphasis on labor relations and elections is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students, political science students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Breaking the Impasse: Electoral Politics, Mass Action, and the New Socialist Movement in
the United States" is also available in a paperback edition (9781642597011, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99).
Editorial Note: Kim Moody is a founder of Labor Notes in the US and is the author of several books on labor and politics,
including Tramps and Trade Union Travelers: Internal Migration and Organized Labor in Gilded Age America, 1870-1900
and On New Terrain: How Capital Is Reshaping The Battleground Of Class War. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the
University of Westminster in London, and a member of the University and College Union and the National Union of
Journalists. He has a page on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Moody
The Autism Shelf
Autism: Parent to Parent
Shannon Penrod
Future Horizons, Inc.
107 W. Randol Mill Road, Suite 100, Arlington, TX 76011
www.fhautism.com
9781949177855, $19.95, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Parent-Sanity-Saving-Spectrum/dp/1949177858
Synopsis: Your child has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and you are feeling overwhelmed and alone.
Suddenly you need to become an expert in treatment, diet, language development, social skills, special education law,
insurance and a million other things! What you would really like to know is how to deal with Aunt Martha's questions at the
family reunion!
With the publication of "Autism: Parent to Parent: Sanity Saving Advice for Every Parent with a Child on the Autism
Spectrum" by Shannon Penrod (who is herself the parent of an autistic son), is your guide to all of this and more.
Shannon Penrod hosts Autism Live, the #1 rated Autism Podcast worldwide, and with "Autism: Parent to Parent: Sanity
Saving Advice for Every Parent with a Child on the Autism Spectrum" she is sharing all of her best resources, strategies,
tips and information to help parents and their autistic child survive and thrive.
"Autism: Parent to Parent" covers such issues as: What do you say to pushy relatives?; How do you get the best treatment
options?; How do you deal with school?; Most importantly, how do you deal with all the emotions that come with
day-to-day life?
In the pages of "Autism: Parent to Parent", Shannon Penrod aptly covers all a parent of an individual with ASD needs to
know, and does so with honesty, humor and humility while empowering parents of autistic children to rise to meet all the
challenges and triumphs on their journey.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'parent friendly' in presentation, it is no exaggeration to state that
"Autism: Parent to Parent: Sanity Saving Advice for Every Parent with a Child on the Autism Spectrum" must be
considered mandatory reading by all parents, grandparents, and caregivers having responsibility for raising an autistic child.
While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Autism & Asperger's Syndrome collections and supplemental Special Education Communication Disorder studies lists. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Autism: Parent to Parent: Sanity Saving Advice for Every Parent with a
Child on the Autism Spectrum" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Shannon Penrod was a teacher, actress, and award-winning stand-up comedienne when her life took a sharp
left. Her world changed forever when her son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2 1/2. Like many parents Shannon
and her husband began a mission of helping their son reach his highest potential. Their son is now a successful college
student, studying screenwriting! Committed to helping other families find their paths, Shannon is the President of The
Autism Network, where she hosts the #1 rated Autism Podcast, "Autism Live." She also hosts "Ask Dr. Doreen" and serves
as Executive Producer for "Stories from the Spectrum." Shannon frequently performs her award-winning comedy show,
"The Autism Mamalogues," and enjoys speaking to parents and professionals around the world. Her greatest privilege and
joy in life is being her son's mother.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Understanding and Teaching Native American History
Kristofer Ray, editor
Brady Desanti, editor
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299338503, $39.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Teaching-American-History-Goldberg/dp/0299338509
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Kristofer Ray and Brady Desanti, "Understanding and Teaching Native
American History" is a timely and urgently needed response to a long-standing gap in Native American history instruction.
While the past three decades have seen burgeoning scholarship in Indigenous studies, comparatively little of that has
trickled into classrooms. This volume is specifically designed to help teachers effectively integrate Indigenous history and
culture into their lessons, providing richly researched content and resources across the chronological and geographical
landscape of what is now known as North America.
Despite the availability of new scholarship, many teachers struggle with contextualizing Indigenous history and experience.
Native peoples frequently find themselves relegated to historical descriptions, merely a foil to the European settlers who are
the protagonists in the dominant North American narrative. "Understanding and Teaching Native American History" offers
a way forward, an alternative framing of the story that highlights the ongoing integral role of Native peoples via broad
coverage in a variety of topics including the historical, political, and cultural.
With its scope and clarity of vision, suggestions for navigating sensitive topics, and a multitude of innovative approaches
authored by contributors from multidisciplinary backgrounds, "Understanding and Teaching Native American History" will
also find use in methods and other graduate courses. Nearly a decade in the conception and making, this is a groundbreaking
source for both beginning and veteran instructors.
Critique: Comprised of 21 erudite and informative contributions by experts in the Native American History that are deftly
organized into three major sections (Existential Topics in Native American History; Reflections on Identity and Cultural
Appropriation; Reflections on Teaching Native American History), "Understanding and Teaching Native American History"
is a seminal, unique, and unreservedly recommended core addition to personal, professional, college and university library
Native American Studies collections and supplemental and developemental studies curriculum studies lists. Of special note
is a listing of the contributors and their credentials and a 20 page Index.
Editorial Note #1: Kristofer Ray is an Honorary Fellow at the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and
Emancipation, University of Hull. His areas of expertise include early modern American Indian experience broadly,
Native-European interaction in trans-Appalachia specifically, and the European construction of Indigenous slave law. In
addition to several book chapters, edited volumes, and journal articles, he is the author of Middle Tennessee, 1775 - 1825
and the forthcoming Cherokees, Europeans, and Empire in the Trans-Appalachian West, 1670 - 1774.
Editorial Note #2: Brady DeSanti (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) is the director of Native American studies and an associate
professor of religious studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research focuses on Native American history and
religious traditions.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Marsh Queen
Virginia Hartman
www.VirginiaHartman.com
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982171605, $27.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marsh-Queen-Virginia-Hartman/dp/198217160X
Synopsis: Loni Murrow is an accomplished bird artist at the Smithsonian who loves her job. But when she receives a call
from her younger brother summoning her back home to help their obstinate mother recover after an accident, Loni's neat,
contained life in Washington, DC, is thrown into chaos, and she finds herself exactly where she does not want to be.
Going through her mother's things, Loni uncovers scraps and snippets of a time in her life she would prefer to forget -- a
childhood marked by her father Boyd's death by drowning and her mother Ruth's persistent bad mood.
When Loni comes across a single, cryptic note from a stranger ("There are some things I have to tell you about Boyd's
death") she begins a dangerous quest to discover the truth, all the while struggling to reconnect with her mother and
reconcile with her brother and his wife, who seem to thwart her at every turn.
To make matters worse, she meets a man in Florida whose attractive simple charm threatens everything she's worked
toward.
Pulled between worlds (her professional accomplishments in Washington, and the small town of her childhood) Loni must
decide whether to delve beneath the surface into murky half-truths and either avenge the past or bury it, once and for
all.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Marsh Queen" is author Virginia Hartman's debut as a
novelist, this original and deftly crafted story of crime and family that is an inherently fascinating read -- the kind of book
that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially
and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Marsh Queen" is also available in a paperback edition (9781982171612, $17.99), in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797141046, $39.99,
CD).
Editorial Note: Virginia Hartman has an MFA in creative writing from American University and is on the faculty at George
Washington University. Her stories have been short listed for the New Letters Awards and the Dana Awards. She has a
website at www.VirginiaHartman.com
The Wrong Kind of Woman
Sarah McCraw Crow
Mira Books
www.mirabooks.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780778312314, $16.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Kind-Woman-Novel/dp/0778312313
Synopsis: In late 1970, Oliver Desmarais drops dead in his front yard while hanging Christmas lights. In the year that
follows, his widow, Virginia, struggles to find her place on the campus of the elite New Hampshire men's college where
Oliver was a professor. While Virginia had always shared her husband's prejudices against the four outspoken,
never-married women on the faculty (dubbed the Gang of Four by their male counterparts) she now finds herself depending
on them, even joining their work to bring the women's movement to Clarendon College.
Soon, though, reports of violent protests across the country reach this sleepy New England town, stirring tensions between
the fraternal establishment of Clarendon and those calling for change. As authorities attempt to tamp down "radical
elements", Virginia must decide whether she's willing to put herself and her family at risk for a cause that had never felt like
her own.
Critique: Told through alternating perspectives, "The Wrong Kind of Woman" is a novel about finding the strength to forge
new paths, and beautifully woven against the rapid social and cultural changes of the early '70s. Vibrant, eloquent, fun,
thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Wrong Kind of Woman" showcases novelist Sarah Crow's impressive literary and
storytelling skills. Now in a new paperback edition, it should be noted for personal reading lists and community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections that "The Wrong Kind of Woman" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781799920014, $34.99, CD).
The Historical Fiction Shelf
'Til All These Things Be Done
Suzanne Moyers
https://suzannemoyers.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647422356, $17.95, PB, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Til-All-These-Things-Done/dp/1647422353
Synopsis: Even as dementia clouds other memories, eighty-three-year-old Leola can't forget her father's disappearance when
she was sixteen. Now, as Papa appears in haunting visions, Leola relives the circumstances of that loss: the terrible accident
that steals Papa's livelihood, sending the family deeper into poverty; a scandal from Mama's past that still wounds; and
Leola's growing unease with her brutally bigoted society.
When Papa vanishes while seeking work in Houston and Mama dies in the "boomerang" Influenza outbreak of 1919, Leola
and her young sisters are sent to an orphanage, where her exposure of a dark injustice means sacrificing a vital clue to Papa's
whereabouts. That decision echoes into the future, as new details about his disappearance suggest betrayal too painful to
contemplate. Only in old age, as her visions of Papa grow more realistic, does Leola confront her long-buried grief, leading
to a remarkable family discovery that could offer peace, at last.
"'Til All These Things Be Done" by Suzanne Moyers is a novel that is set against the rich but often troubled history of
Blacklands, Texas, during an era of pandemic, scientific discovery, and social upheaval, offering a unique (yet eerily
familiar) backdrop to a universal tale of triumphing over loss.
Critique: A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "'Til All These Things Be Done" is compelling and memorable -- and one of those stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf -- which is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Suzanne Moyer's debut as a novelist. While highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "'Til All These Things Be Done" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Editorial Note: Suzanne Moyers, a former teacher, spent more than 20 years as an editor and writer for the education press.
Suzanne is an avid history buff who, when she isn't writing, enjoys metal detecting, mudlarking, and volunteering for
archeological digs. She has a dedicated website at https://suzannemoyers.com
The Western Fiction Shelf
The Call of McCall
Gregory J. Lalire
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432892722, $25.95, HC, 445pp
https://www.amazon.com/Call-McCall-Gregory-J-Lalire/dp/143289272X
Synopsis: Born and raised in the Daniel's Den, a bordello in Boonesborough, Kentucky, "bastard" Zach McCall never knew
his mother and only sees his whiskey-drummer father, Fat Jack McCall, occasionally.
Reluctantly, Zach serves the South during the Civil War and meets younger half brother Little Jack in Louisville. After the
war the illegitimate McCall befriends Jasper Washington, an educated, former bear-wrestling black man intent on reuniting
with his pal Wild Bill Hickok in Springfield, Missouri.
Zach heads west with Jasper, joined by hero-worshipping, deceitful Little Jack, who is looking for adventure and to get
away from his father after a dispute ending in a punch that broke the younger McCall's nose. The McCall boys and Jasper,
Wild Bill's self-proclaimed protector, witness Hickok's shootout with cardsharp Dave Tutt and are on hand for the
lawman-gambler's further adventures in the Kansas cow towns of Hays City and Abilene.
In the end, they all arrive in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, where one of the Wild West's most famous murders takes
place-during a poker game at the No. 10 Saloon".
Critique: A well crafted and absorbing read from cover to cover, "The Call of McCall" by Gregory J. Lalire is a thoroughly
interesting and unreservedly recommended addition to both the personal reading lists of western action/adventure fans and
the Western Fiction collections of community libraries. It should be noted for western fans that Gregory J. Lalire is also the
author of "Wild West. February 1996. Vol 8, No 5.", a western magazine that chronicles the American frontier.
Justice Warrior
Rusty Davis
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
www.cengageptr.com
9781432892746, $25.95, HC, 311pp
https://www.amazon.com/Justice-Warrior-Adventures-Running-Dooley/dp/1432892746
Synopsis: Montana's Tongue River Valley is a cauldron of animosity between the Northern Cheyenne who are trying to
endure, and land-hungry settlers and others who want them wiped out once and for all. Two men become the focal point for
keeping peace -- John Dooley and his Cheyenne co-worker Fox Running.
The friends must solve two murders that could ignite the powder keg of emotions. They face the gravest test of their
friendship yet as Dooley, new to the West, seeks moderation while Fox Running (who lost his family and home in an 1876
army raid) can see only fighting.
Fox Running turns to Cut Sky, the sharpshooting daughter of an Indian known as the Bandit King, as he tries to become the
Justice Warrior of the Cheyenne. The enemy have money and guns; the Cheyenne have their spirit friends and a will to
resist. From a showdown on the streets of a cowboy town to a daring last-ditch fight, Fox Running fights for justice as his
friends fight to keep him alive.
Critique: Another carefully crafted and great read from cover to cover, "Justice Warrior" (the second title in author Rusty
Davis' western series 'The Adventures of Fox Running and John Dooley') combines mystery with western gun-play action,
suspenseful intrigue with western cow town politics. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to
community library Western Fiction collections, "Justice Warrior" is very highly recommended for all western fiction
fans.
Cimarron
Andrew McBride
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
https://www.gale.com/five-star
9781432894016, $25.52, HC, 307pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cimarr%C3%B3n-Andrew-McBride/dp/1432894013
Synopsis: Cimarron meant wild and untamed. That's just how Calvin Taylor, the young man they called 'Choctaw' saw
himself as well. As free of restraint as the raw new land he wandered, where the only law was lynch law. Someone who
couldn't be broken to the plow.
Choctaw's stamping ground was the Arizona Territory of 1873. He worked as a mustanger, catching and breaking wild
horses; for the army scouting against Apaches; as a cowboy trailing horse thieves. Each adventure added to his growing
reputation as a man skilled and deadly in the use of guns.
But when he came up against a desperate band of kidnappers, Choctaw faced some hard choices. Which side of the law was
he really on? And where did his true loyalties lie? Because the man leading the kidnappers had been (and maybe still was)
his best friend!
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover for all dedicated western novel fans, and especially recommended for community
library Western Fiction collections, "Cimarron" showcases author Andre McBride's enviable master of the genre.
Editorial Note: Andrew McBride is the author of 8 critically-acclaimed western novels. They are all set in Arizona and New
Mexico in the 1870s and 1880s with the same central character - Calvin Taylor who is sometimes Indian scout, sheriff, stage
agent and wagon train guide. Historical figures such as the Apache chief Chochise, Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp in are
feature characters. Andrew McBride has a blog at http://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot and an Authors Page at Author page
on the Sundown Press website at: http://prairierosepublications.com/authors_2/andrew-mcbride
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
Agatha Christie et al.
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063136052, $28.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Untitled-Marple-Collection-Agatha-Christie/dp/0063136058
Synopsis: One doesn't stop at solving just one murder. Not when there is Jane Marple, an elderly lady from St Mary Mead
who possesses an uncanny knack for solving even the most perplexing puzzles. Now for the first time in 45 years with the
publication of "Marple: Twelve New Mysteries", Agatha Christie's beloved character returns to the page for a globe-trotting
tour of crime and detection.
Readers will fully enjoy going along with Miss Marple as she travels through her sleepy English village and around the
world. In St Mary Mead, a Christmas dinner is interrupted by unexpected guests; the Broadway stage in New York City is
set for a dangerous improvisation; bad omens surround an untimely death aboard a cruise ship to Hong Kong; and a
bestselling writer on holiday in Italy is caught in a nefarious plot. These and other crimes committed in the name of love,
jealousy, blackmail, and revenge are ones that only the indomitable Jane Marple can solve.
Bringing a fresh twist to the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, twelve esteemed and impressively talented
writers have been able to fully capture the sharp wit, unique voice, and droll ingenuity of the deceptively demure detective.
A triumphant celebration of Christie's legacy and essential reading for crime lovers, Marple is a timely reminder why Jane
Marple remains one of the most famous detectives of all time.
Critique: Agatha Christie's Miss Jane Marple stories were 'Cozy Mysteries" long before that name was invented to describe
a genre of mysteries that she as an author was so successfully writing. An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Agatha
Christie fans, "Marple: Twelve New Mysteries" is an impressively entertaining compendium of twelve new Marple stories
that pay homage to one of Agatha Christies' most beloved amateur detectives. While unreservedly and enthusiastically
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all
dedicated 'whodunnit' crime story buffs that "Marple: Twelve New Mysteries" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should also note that there is a large print paperback edition available (HarperLux,
9780063266056, $29.99, 480pp).
A Dreadful Splendor
B. R. Myers
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063209831, $16.99, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dreadful-Splendor-Novel-B-R-Myers/dp/0063209837
Synopsis: In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners -- until one misstep
lands her in a jail cell awaiting the noose. Then a stranger arrives to make her a peculiar offer. The lord he serves, Mr.
Pemberton, has been inconsolable since the tragic death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If Genevieve can perform a seance
persuasive enough to bring the young lord peace, she will win her freedom.
Soothing a grieving nobleman should be easy for someone of Genevieve's skill, but when she arrives at the grand Somerset
Park estate, Mr. Pemberton is not the heartbroken lover she expected. The surly (yet exceedingly handsome) gentleman is
certain that his fiancee was murdered, even though there is no evidence. Only a confession can bring justice now, and Mr.
Pemberton decides Genevieve will help him get it.
With his knowledge of the household and her talent for illusion, they can stage a haunting so convincing it will coax the
killer into the light. However, when frightful incidents befall the manor, Genevieve realizes her tricks aren't required after
all. She may be a fake, but Somerset's ghost could be all too real!
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, in her novel "A Dreadful Splendor" author B. R. Myers serves up an impressively
delightful novel of mystery, spooky thrills, and intoxicating romance. Reader be warned, "A Dreadful Splendor" is an
addictive read from first page to last! While especially recommended for community library Gothic Romance & Mystery
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Dreadful Splendor" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212006309, $41.99, CD).
The Art Shelf
American Made
Elizabeth B. Heuer, author
Jonathan Stuhlman, editor
GILES
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875237, $74.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-Made-Paintings-Sculpture-Collection/dp/1913875237
Synopsis: A fascinating survey of exceptional American painting and sculpture from the late 18th century to the present day
by the team of author Elizabeth B. Heuer Ph.D (Associate Professor of Art History at the University of North Florida) and
editor Jonathan Stuhlman (Senior Curator of American Art, The Mint Museum), "American Made: Paintings & Sculpture
from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection" is an impressive compendium of art that is rich in American cultural heritage -- and
parallels the development of art in the United States.
"American Made" features some of the country's most recognized artists including: Thomas Cole, John Kensett, Asher B.
Durand, and William Trost Richards, while works by Theodore Robinson, Childe Hassam, Willard Leroy Metcalf, and
William Merritt Chase represent the Grand Tour and concepts gained abroad.
Wonderful still lifes appear throughout the collection, including paintings by Severin Roesen, William Harnett, and a late
work by William Bailey. Portraiture is represented in stellar examples by members of the Peale family, Thomas Sully, Mary
Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, and Edmund Charles Tarbell.
Classically-inspired marble works from Hiram Powers and Randolph Rogers, bronze pieces from Paul Manship and
Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and a modern copper and bronze example from Harry Bertoia are highlights of the sculpture
collection.
Early modernist and interwar works by Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Emil Bisttram, Paul Cadmus, and Joseph Stella
explore colour, form, and abstraction. Highlights of contemporary art include Frank Stella's 1988 The Try-Works (Moby
Dick Series), Louise Nevelson's 1977-79 Maquette for Sky Landscape, and a recently acquired painting by Alexis Rockman
that delves into the theme of climate change.
Fully illustrated (with several paintings including profiles of their appropriate period frames) each individual work of art
features an extended entry with full specifications, information on style and stylistic influences, significance and social
context, as well as notes.
Critique: With each beautifully reproduce image being supported by an informative commentary, "American Made:
Paintings & Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection" is a hefty coffee-table style volume (9.7 x 1.4 x 11.2 inches,
5.2 pounds) that is a pure pleasure to browse through one page at a time. An outstanding Memorial Fund choice for any
public or private library acquisition, "American Made" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community,
college, and university library American Art History, Photography & Sculpture collections.
If These Apples Should Fall: Cezanne and the Present
T. J. Clark
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025284, $39.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/If-These-Apples-Should-Fall/dp/0500025282
Synopsis: For many artists and writers, the art of Paul Cezanne (19 January 1839 - 22 October 1906) represents the key to
modernity. His paintings were a touchstone for writers such as Samuel Beckett as much as for artists such as Henri Matisse.
Rainer Maria Rilke revered him deeply, as did Pablo Picasso. They thought if they lost touch with his sense of life, they lost
an essential element of their own self-understanding.
With the publication of "If These Apples Should Fall: Cezanne and the Present", art historian and academician T. J. Clark
looks back on Cezanne from our current moment when such judgments need justifying. What was it, he asks, that held
Cezanne's viewers spellbound?
At the heart of Cezanne's work lies a sense of disquiet: a hopelessness haunting the vividness, an anxiety beneath the
splendid colors. Professor Clark addresses this strangeness head-on, examining the art of Camille Pissarro, Matisse, and
others in relation to Cezanne's. Above all, Professor Clark speaks to the uncanniness and beauty of Cezanne's
achievement.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of 104 beautifully reproduced color illustrations, "If These Apples Should Fall:
Cezanne and the Present" also includes eight pages of Notes and a three page Index. Exceptionally well researched,
organized and presented, "If These Apples Should Fall: Cezanne and the Present" will prove to be essential reading for
students of the life and work of Paul Cezanne. Simply stated, "If These Apples Should Fall: Cezanne and the Present" is an
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Art History collections in
general, and Paul Cezanne supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
Editorial Note: T. J. Clark is Professor Emeritus of the History of Art at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the
author of many books including the seminal The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and His Followers and
Farewell to an Idea: Episodes from a History of Modernism. He has an informatively detailed page on the Wikipedia
website at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._J._Clark_(art_historian)
The Business Shelf
Handbook of Research on Customer Equity in Marketing
V. Kumar, editor
Denish Shah, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781781004975, $250.00, HC, 520pp
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Marketing-Reference-Handbooks-Management/dp/1781004978
Synopsis: Customer equity has emerged as the most important metric to manage firm performance and value. The newest
addition to Edward Elgar Publishing's simply outstanding Research Handbooks in Business and Management series is "The
Handbook of Research on Customer Equity in Marketing". Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of V. Kumar
(who is the Lenny Distinguished Chair and Regents Professor of Marketing) and Denish Shah (Assistant Professor of
Marketing and Assistant Director, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University, this volume of
experienced and expert contributors explores the tactical and strategic issues related to understanding, measuring, managing
and implementing consumer based marketing equity.
Customer equity is the total combined customer lifetime values of all of a company's customers and includes Value Equity,
Brand Equity and Relationship Equity. It determines the true value of a company in that it considers the future revenue of
the customer base relative to other companies. Through a combination of perspectives, this Handbook analyzes the topic and
considers risk alongside strategy and offers state-of-the-art research on the field. Covering all bases, it begins with exploring
the evolution of customer equity and concludes with implications of customer equity implication for the future.
Drawing upon the wisdom of a global pool of leading scholars, "Handbook of Research on Customer Equity in Marketing"
serves as a comprehensive and authoritative guide on customer equity for marketing scholars, practitioners, and
students.
Critique: Comprised of an informative introduction (The Evolution of Customer Equity) by the editors, and a total of
21erudite and informative essay deftly organized into five major sections (Understanding and Measuring Customer Equity;
Identifying Key Drivers to Auigment Customer Equity; Applying the Customer Equity Concept to Enhance Firm
Performance; Strategic Management of Customer Equity; Implementing Customer Equity in Firms), and a twelve page
Index, "Handbook of Research on Customer Equity in Marketing" is an ideal textbook on the subject and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, corporate, college, and university library Business Management collections and
MBA supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The contributors include: L. Aksoy, E.T.Anderson, R.N. Bolton, A. Christodoulopoulou, Y. Dong, M.
Eisenbeiss, P.S. Fader, M. Haenlein, D.M. Hanssens, B.G.S. Hardie, T.L. Keiningham, J. Kim, T.J. Kim, G. Knox,
Y.A.Komarova, M. Krafft, N. Krishnamoorthy, V. Kumar, S. Lee, D.R. Lehmann, R.P. Leone, M. Lewis, A. Luo, M. Nejad,
S.A. Neslin, A. Pansari, K. Peters, J.A. Petersen, G. Ramani, W. Reinartz, R.T. Rust, D.E. Sexton, D.E. Shah, G. Shukla, B.
Skiera, R. Srinivasan, S. Srinivasan, C.O. Tarasi, R. Venkatesan, P.C. Verhoef, J. Villanueva, T. Wiesel, S. Yoo
The Journalism Shelf
Scoops
Sam McAlister
Oneworld Publications
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780861544400, $26.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scoops-Behind-Scenes-Shocking-Interviews/dp/0861544404
Synopsis: As a professional journalist, Sam McAlister is the woman who clinched the 2019 interview with Prince Andrew,
described as 'a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion'.
She is many other things beside: the first in her family to go to university; a trained barrister; a single mum; a master of
persuasion. In her former BBC colleagues' words, she was the 'booker extraordinaire', responsible for many of Newsnight's
exclusives over the past decade, including Stormy Daniels, Sean Spicer, Brigitte H”ss, Steven Seagal, Mel Greig and Julian
Assange.
After 12 years producing content for Newsnight, with the publication of "Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most
Shocking Interviews" McAlister reflects with impressive candor on her experience, sharing not just the secrets of how the
best news gets made, but also the changes to the BBC, the future of 'mainstream media' in the age of clickbait and the role of
power and privilege in shaping our media landscape.
"Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews" is a kind of backstage pass to some of the most
unforgettable journalism of our times.
Critique: Holding a special and particular relevance to readers with an interest in Journalism, Media, and Communication
Skills, "Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews" is as informative and informative as it is
thoughtful and thought-provoking. Fun, fascinating, and an inherently interesting read from cover to cover, "Scoops: Behind
the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews" is unreservedly recommended as an addition to personal, professional,
community, college, and university library Journalism collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Journalism,
Media & Communications studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Sam McAlister has a page on the United Agents Literary & Talent Agency website at
https://www.unitedagents.co.uk/sam-mcalister
The Architecture Shelf
Climax Change!
Pedro Gadanho
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781948765671, $44.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Climax-Change-Architectures-Paradigm-Ecological/dp/1948765675
Synopsis: With the publication of "Climax Change!: How Architecture Must Transform in the Age of Ecological
Emergency", academician and professional architect Pedro Gadanho offers an informative overview of how the current
environmental emergency will impact the practice of architecture. At a crossroads in which the construction sector and built
environment produce nearly 40% of greenhouse gases accountable for global warming, architects are just starting to
acknowledge their complicity in an impending disaster.
In need of a paradigm shift similar to that of the Modern Movement, architecture desperately requires clear guidelines and
targets so as to operate its inevitable transformation towards an ecologically-friendly design logic. From historical analyses
of ecocide or the environmental avant-gardes, to topics such as decarbonization, degrowth, the Great Transition and the
aspirations of Green New Deals, "Climax Change!: How Architecture Must Transform in the Age of Ecological
Emergency" is comprised of ten erudite essays around today's climate change debates, bringing them home to architectural
thinking.
Critique: How climate change and the current environmental emergency will affect the practice of architecture, both in
terms of its design philosophy and rising opportunities to innovate and radically transform, "Climax Change!: How
Architecture Must Transform in the Age of Ecological Emergency" is a clarion call for rethinking the role of architecture in
an era of increasing climate change. While a highly recommended and unique contribution to professional and academic
library Contemporary Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for architectural
students, academia, practicing architects, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of climate change
and architecture that "Climax Change!: How Architecture Must Transform in the Age of Ecological Emergency" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.00).
Editorial Note: Pedro Gadanho is an architect, curator, and writer. He is also a Loeb Fellow from Harvard University and
led a recognized architecture renovation practice until 2012, when he became the curator of contemporary architecture at the
Museum of Modern Art, New York. There, he curated the Young Architects Program and exhibitions such as 9+1 Ways of
Being Political, Uneven Growth, and A Japanese Constellation. He was the founding Director of MAAT, Lisbon's Museum
of Art, Architecture and Technology, where he initiated more than 50 projects, including publications such as Utopia /
Dystopia, Tension & Conflict, and Eco-Visionaries. He has a bilingual website at
http://casademateus.com/pedro-gadanho
Out of the Ordinary
John Ronan, author
Sean Keller, contributor
Carlos Jiminez, contributor
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
440 Park Avenue S, 17th FL, New York, NY 10016
http://actar.com
9781638409786, $52.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Out-Ordinary-Work-Ronan-Architects/dp/1638409781
Synopsis: "Out of the Ordinary: The Work of John Ronan Architects" by John Ronan introduces a different approach to
architecture which is based on spatial narrative rather than form and influenced by literature rather than appropriations from
the world of art world. It advocates for architecture which privileges space over form, experience over image, and narrative
over authorship. In previous decades, architectural production was constrained by the limits of technology; architects pushed
on the boundaries imposed by technology and it gave them common purpose. Those limits are gone.
Over the preceding two decades it has been demonstrated that with enough technology (and money) anything is possible.
What does an architect do when anything is possible? This is the question which confronts architects today, who now
operate within a professional landscape where all is possible, but little has meaning. The "anything goes" mentality which
currently prevails has resulted in innumerable self-referential "object" buildings which engage only with their architect's
ego, often resulting in an urban fabric of autonomous formal objects comprised of arbitrarily-applied design tropes which
celebrate formal invention for its own sake. But what do architects leave society once the novelty of form has worn off?
In this architectural age of arbitrary shape-making, devoid of context or meaning, "Out of the Ordinary" proposes an
architecture of innovation rising from ordinary concerns, about relationships not form, which exposes new spatial
relationships with diagrammatic clarity in a process of distillation what seeks to lay bare meaningful relationships between
essential building elements.
Critique: With the publication of "Out of the Ordinary: The Work of John Ronan Architects", the work of John Ronan
Architects explores the firm's spatial-material approach to architecture and the underlying themes of its typologically diverse
output. Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a four page Chronology, two pages of Biography, two
pages of Project Credits, and a one page listing of Book Credits, "Out of the Ordinary: The Work of John Ronan Architects"
is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic library Contemporary
Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted that "Out of the Ordinary: The Work
of John Ronan Architects" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.95).
Editorial Note #1: John Ronan FAIA is founding principal of John Ronan Architects in Chicago, founded in 1999. John
holds a Master of Architecture degree with distinction from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan. His firm has been the recipient of three AIA Institute National
Honor Awards for the IIT Innovation Center, the Poetry Foundation and The Gary Comer Youth Center, all in Chicago,
and in 2016 was one of seven international finalist firms for the Obama Presidential Center. In 2017, John was named an
Architecture Award winner by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. John is currently the John and Jeanne Rowe
Endowed Chair Professor of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture. He has a dedicated
website at http://www.jrarch.com
Editorial Note #2: Sean Keller is a historian and critic of modern and contemporary architecture. He is the author of
Automatic Architecture: Motivating Form After Modernism (University of Chicago Press, 2018) and has written for
numerous anthologies and journals. He is also an Associate Professor and Associate Dean at the IIT College of Architecture.
He has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, and at the University of Chicago, where he has been a fellow of both
the Neubauer Collegium and the Franke Institute for the Humanities. He has a webpage on the Illinois Tech website at
https://www.iit.edu/directory/people/sean-keller
Editorial Note #3: Carlos Jiminez established his own office in Houston in 1983 after graduating from the University of
Houston School of Architecture in 1981 receiving awards for best thesis project and best portfolio. He is currently a tenured
Professor at the Rice University School of Architecture and has served as visiting professor at numerous institutions,
including the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the University of Texas, and UCLA. He has a dedicated website at
https://carlosjimenezstudio.com
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Loons: Treasured Symbols of the North
Wayne Lynch
https://waynelynch.ca
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
www.fitzhenry.ca
9781554555734, $45.00, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Loons-Treasured-Symbols-Wayne-Lynch/dp/1554555736
Synopsis: With the publication of "Loons: Treasured Symbols of the North", professional wildlife photographer, Wayne
Lynch focuses on the five species of loons: The red-throated loon, the look-alike Pacific and Arctic loons, the familiar
neck-laced common loon and the yellow-billed loon -- the largest and rarest member of the family. While the common loon
has been studied more than the other four species combined, "Loons: Treasured Symbols of the North" will give a wider
scope and reach for all five species.
A perfect visual resource for those who live in loon country and want a better understanding of the birds with which they
live, as well as for those who visit loon country and are eager to interpret their wilderness experience, "Loons: Treasured
Symbols of the North" is also an ideal choice for those who may never see a loon but who nonetheless want these birds to
survive because they unfailingly fuel the human imagination and spirit.
Critique: This coffee-table style (318 x 229 mm) trade paperback volume deftly combines an informative commentary with
impressive full color photography. The result is an inherently fascinating compendium for browsing through one page at a
time. Currently scheduled for release in October 2022, "Loons: Treasured Symbols of the North" is a magnificent and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Avian Wildlife
Photography collections.
Editorial Note: Wayne Lynch has spent the last forty-two years capturing images of wildlife in wild places the world over.
His impressive photo credits include hundreds of magazine covers, thousands of calendar shots, and tens of thousands of
images published in over sixty countries. With an exceptional ability to write for both adults and children, Lynch has
authored more than fifty highly acclaimed natural history books, including The Great Northern Kingdom: Life in the Boreal
Forest, Wild Birds Across the Prairies, Penguins of the World, Mountain Bears, Bear: Monarchs of the Northern
Wilderness, A is for Arctic: Natural Wonders of a Polar World, The Nature Babies Series and the wildly popular children's
book The Scoop on Poop: The Fascinating Science of How Animals Use Poop. Lynch is a Fellow of the internationally
recognized Explorers Club and Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America. He has a dedicated website at
https://waynelynch.ca
The Ecological Buffalo
Wes Olson, author
Johane Janelle, photographer
University of Regina Press
www.uofrpress.ca
9780889778719, $34.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ecological-Buffalo-Trail-Keystone-Species/dp/088977871X
Synopsis: The mere mention of the buffalo instantly brings to mind the vast herds that once roamed the North American
continent, and few wild animals have captivated our imaginations as much as the buffalo did and do. Once numbering in the
tens of millions, these magnificent creatures played a significant role in structuring the varied ecosystems they occupied. For
at least 24,000 years, North American Indigenous Peoples depended upon them, and it was the abundance of buffalo that
initially facilitated the dispersal of humankind across the continent.
With the arrival of Europeans and their rapacious capacity for wildlife destruction, the buffalo was all but exterminated. In a
span of just thirty years during the mid-1800s, buffalo populations plummeted from more than 30 million to just
twenty-three. And with them went all of the intricate food webs, the trophic cascades, and the inter-species relationships that
had evolved over thousands of years.
Despite this brush with extinction, the buffalo survived, and isolated populations are slowly recovering. As this recovery
proceeds, the relationships the animals once had with thousands of species are being re-established in a remarkable process
of ecological healing. The intricacy of those restored relationships is the subject of "The Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail of
a Keystone Species".
Based on author Wes Olson's thirty-five years of working intimately with bison and featuring Johane Janelle's stunning
photography, "The Ecological Buffalo" is a story that takes the reader on a journey to understand the myriad connections
this keystone species has with the Great Plains.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "The Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail
of a Keystone Species" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative history of ecological role of the buffalo and
the slow recovery of the species from being on the precipice of extinction. Superbly organized and a treasure to simply
browse through, "The Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail of a Keystone Species" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Wildlife collections. It should be noted that "The
Ecological Buffalo: On the Trail of a Keystone Species" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20).
Editorial Note #1: Wes Olson was raised in the foothills of western Alberta, and it was there that he developed a passion for
wild places and wild species. Following a thirty-two-year career as a Canadian National Park warden, Wes now lives an 80
acre patch of forest and beaver ponds beside Elk Island National Park in central Alberta. He is the author of also the author
of "A Field Guide to Plains Bison" and "Portraits of the Bison". He has a dedicated website at https://www.wesolson.ca
Editorial Note #2: Johane Janelle's photography has been featured on many magazine covers, such as Horse-Sport,
Horse-Canada, Horse & Country, and Western Horse Review, as well as A Field Guide to Plains Bison and Portraits of the
Bison. Johane has a dedicated website at https://www.johanejanelle.com
The Money/Finance Shelf
Money Matters for Nonprofits
Melisa F. Galasso, CPA
River Grove Books
c/o Greenleaf Book Group Press
PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781632995919, $22.95, PB, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Money-Matters-Nonprofits-Statements-Understanding/dp/1632995913
Synopsis: You serve on a nonprofit board to make a big impact. You know that a nonprofit must be financially well to do
the most good. If you're not a numbers person, or it's been a while since you've worked with numbers, you may find
financial statements hard to decipher. With the publication of "Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can
Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting", certified public accountant Melisa F.
Galasso draws upon her years of professional experience and expertise to demystify financial statements and basic
accounting to empower you in your role as nonprofit board member.
Critique: Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of an Appendix (Questions for the Independent Accountant) and eight
pages of Notes, "Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can Harness the Power of Financial Statements by
Understanding Basic Accounting" is a comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' instructional that must be considered
essential reading for anyone having the responsibility of being a board member of a non-profit organization. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Nonprofit
Financial Management & Fundraising Management and Accounting collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of board members and executives of non-profits that "Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can
Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: A CPA with nearly twenty years of experience in the accounting profession, Melisa Galasso is the founder
and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A natural teacher, Melisa designs and facilitates accounting and auditing
courses, including not-for-profit accounting. She has a website at https://www.becker.com/staff/melisa-galasso-cpa
The Biography Shelf
Trajan: Rome's Last Conqueror
Nicholas Jackson
Greenhill Books
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781784387075, $37.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trajan-Romes-Conqueror-Nicholas-Jackson/dp/178438707X
Synopsis: Trajan rose from fairly obscure beginnings to become the emperor of Rome. He was born in Italica, an Italic
settlement close to modern Seville in present-day Spain, and is the first Roman Emperor to be born outside of Rome. His
remarkable rise from officer to general and then to emperor in just over 20 years reveals a shrewd politician who adeptly
maintained his absolute power. Trajan's success in taking the Roman Empire to its greatest expanse is highlighted in this
Nicholas Jackson's gripping biography, "Trajan: Rome's Last Conqueror".
Trajan's military campaigns allowed the Roman Empire to attain its greatest military, political and cultural achievements.
The fascinating study draws on novel theories, recent evidence and meticulous research, including field visits to Italy, Spain,
Germany and Romania to ensure accurate, vivid writing that transports the reader to Trajan's territory.
Critique: Until the publication of this informative and captivating biography, no such volume on the life of the Roman
Emperor Trajan (18 September 53 - 9/11 August 117) has been shaped to be of value to both academia and the non-
specialist general reader alike. This is a unique and impressively informative study by Nicholas Jackson as he illuminates an
often neglected period of ancient Roman history, and features a comprehensive array of maps, illustrations, and photographs
to help orientate and bring the text to life. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), "Trajan: Rome's
Last Conqueror" will prove to be a welcome addition to community, college, and university library Roman Empire History
& Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Nicholas Jackson is a life-long student of Roman history, he has now uniquely combined his passion for
Imperial Rome with his research acumen and writing expertise for the pharma industry to bring to life the gripping stories of
ancient Rome.
Constantius III: Rome's Lost Hope
Ian Hughes
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526700247, $34.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Constantius-III-Romes-Lost-Hope/dp/1526700247
Synopsis: Constantius III is an important but now an almost forgotten figure in Roman history. He came to the fore in or
around 410 when he was appointed Magister Militum (Master of Troops) to Honorius, the young Emperor of the Western
Roman Empire. His predecessor, Stilicho, had been murdered by his own troops and much of Gaul and Hispania had been
overrun by barbarians or usurpers.
One by one Constantius eliminated the usurpers and defeated or came to terms with the various invading groups. Most
notoriously, he allowed the Visigoths to settle in Gaul in return for their help in defeating the Vandals and Alans who had
seized parts of Hispania, a decision with far-reaching consequences.
Constantius married Honorius' sister and was eventually proclaimed his co-emperor. However, the Eastern Roman Emperor,
Honorius' nephew, refused to accept his appointment and Constantius was preparing a military expedition to enforce this
recognition when he died suddenly on 2 September, 421 A.D., having been emperor for just seven months.
Critique: With the publication of "Constantius III: Rome's Lost Hope", historian Ian Hughes considers this short lived
Roman Emperor's career, assessing his actions in the context of the difficult situation he inherited. Informatively enhanced
for the reader with the inclusion of Maps, Plates, and informative Introduction, seventeen pages of Notes, an eight page
Bibliography, and a four page Index, "Constantius III: Rome's Lost Hope" rescues from an undeserved obscurity one of
Rome's emperors who, while he briefly ruled, had a manor and seemingly inevitable impact upon the ultimate survival of
the largest empire the world had ever seen up to that point in human history. A simply fascinating and extraordinary
historical study, no personal, professional, community, or academic library's Roman History & Biography collection can be
considered comprehensive without the inclusion of Ian Hughes' brilliant study, "Constantius III: Rome's Lost Hope". It
should be noted that "Constantius III: Rome's Lost Hope" is currently available in a digital book format ($0.99) on
Amazon.
Editorial Note: Ian Hughes specializes in Late Roman history and is the author of Belisarius, the Last Roman General
(2009); Stilicho, the Vandal who Saved Rome (2010); Aetius: Attila's Nemesis (2012); Imperial Brothers: Valentinian,
Valens and the Disaster at Adrianople (2013); Patricians and Emperors (2015); and Gaiseric, the Vandal Who Destroyed
Rome (2017). There is a web page devoted to the work of historian Ian Hughes at the WorldCat Identities website:
https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nb2010000656
The Viking Saint: Olaf II of Norway
John Carr
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399087810, $32.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Viking-Saint-Olaf-II-Norway/dp/1399087819
Synopsis: The Vikings and sainthood are not concepts normally found side by side. But medieval Norway's King Olaf II
Haraldsson (c. 995-1030) embodied both to an extraordinary degree.
As a battle-eager teenager he almost single-handedly pulled down London Bridge (as in the nursery rhyme) and took part in
many other Viking raids. Olaf lacked none of the traditional Viking qualities of toughness and audacity, yet his routine
baptism grew into a burning missionary faith that was all the more remarkable for being combined with his typically Viking
determination and energy -- and sometimes ruthlessness as well.
As a convert, his overriding mission was to Christianize Norway and extirpate heathenism. His unstinting efforts, often at
great peril to his life, earned him the Norwegian throne in 1015, when he had barely reached his twenties. For the next
fifteen years he labored against immense odds to subdue the rebellious heathen nobles of Norway while fending off Swedish
hostility.
Both finally combined against Olaf in 1030, when he fell bravely in battle not far from Trondheim, still only in his
mid-thirties. After his body was found to possess healing powers, and reports of them spread from Scandinavia to Spain and
Byzantium, Olaf II was canonized a saint 134 years later.
He remains Norway's patron saint as well as a legendary warrior. Yet more remarkably, he remains a saint not only of the
Protestant church but also of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches -- perhaps the only European fighting saint
to achieve such acceptance.
Critique: Enhanced with an insert of photographs, an Epilogue (Where is he now?), a two page Bibliographical Note, and a
four page Index, "The Viking Saint: Olaf II of Norway" is a seminal and scholarly study that reads with all the inherent
narrative storytelling flair of an historical novel. While also available for the personal reading lists of students, academia,
historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "The Viking Saint: Olaf II of Norway" is a
welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Medieval History &
Biography collections.
Editorial Note: John Carr has enjoyed a career as a journalist, correspondent and broadcaster (The Times, Wall Street
Journal Europe, Vatican Radio), mainly in the Mediterranean and particularly Greece, where he now resides. He is also the
author of 'On Spartan Wings: The Royal Hellenic Air Force in World War II'; 'Spartas Kings'; 'The Defence and Fall of
Greece 1940-41'; 'RHNS Averof' and 'Fighting Emperors of Byzantium' -- all of which are published by Pen & Sword.
Fixer and Fighter
Brian Harwood
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399074803, $29.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fixer-Fighter-Life-Hubert-Burgh/dp/1399074806
Synopsis: Hubert de Burgh (c.1170 - 5 May 1243) rose from obscure beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in
England. He loyally served first King John and then the young Henry III and played a crucial role in saving the Plantagenet
dynasty when it was at its most vulnerable.
During King John's disastrous wars in France, Hubert held Chinon castle against the besieging French for a whole year. He
remained loyal when the Barons rebelled against John and, when they invited French invaders to intervene, Hubert
successfully held Dover Castle for the king against a siege led by the French Prince Louis. After John's death, he held it for
the new king, 9-year old Henry, against a renewed siege.
In August 1217, he struck the final blow against the French invasion, which still held London, when he defeated a powerful
fleet carrying French reinforcements at the naval Battle of Sandwich. Hubert continued to serve Henry III, making important
reforms as Justiciar of England and leading military campaigns against the Welsh Prince Lewellyn.
He eventually lost favor due to the machinations of his rivals and narrowly avoided execution but was eventually reconciled
with his king and able to die a peaceful death.
Critique: With the publication of "Fixer and Fighter: The Life of Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, 1170 - 1243" by Brian
Harwood is the first full-length biography of this remarkable English nobleman who served as Chief Justiciar of England
and Ireland during the reigns of King John and of his infant son and successor King Henry III and, as a consequence, was
one of the most influential and powerful men in English politics of his time. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the
inclusion of a four page Select Bibliography, four pages of Notes, and a three page Index, "Fixer and Fighter" is a seminal
and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Medieval British History &
Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Fixer and Fighter" is also now available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$2.99).
Editorial Note: Brian Harwood spent his 15 years as a soldier in a Guards regiment researching and writing the first history
of the Horse Guards building in Whitehall. Now in his eighties he lives in East Sussex where he continues to write and
research. He is featured on the Osprey Publishing website at https://ospreypublishing.com/brian-harwood
The Audiobook Shelf
War and Me: A Memoir
Faleeha Hassan, author
Christine Tawfik, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713673613, $24.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/War-Me-Memoir-Faleeha-Hassan/dp/1713673614
Synopsis: Faleeha Hassan became intimately acquainted with loss and fear while growing up in Najaf, Iraq. "War and Me"
is a deeply personal account of her life, and one in which she remembers those she has loved and lost.
As a young woman, Faleeha hated seeing her father and brother go off to fight, and when she needed to reach them, she
broke all the rules by traveling alone to the war's front lines -- just one of many shocking and moving examples of her
resilient spirit.
Later, after building a life in the US, she realizes that she will coexist with war for most of the years of her life and chooses
to focus on education for herself and her children. In a world on fire, she finds courage, compassion, and a voice.
A testament to endurance and a window into unique aspects of life in the Middle East, Faleeha's memoir offers an intimate
perspective on something wars can't touch -- the loving bonds of family.
Critique: Highly recommended for personal and community library Biography & Memoir audio book collections, and
impressively enhanced in presentation by the narrative skills of Christine Tawfik, "War and Me: A Memoir" by Faleeha
Hassan is an extraordinary listening event and one which will have special appeal and interest to listeners with an interest in
women's biographies and memoirs. (1 Disc, 12 Hours, 47 Minutes)
Spellbound
Daniel Z. Lieberman MD, author
Tom Parks, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781978694491, $29.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Spellbound-Science-Ancient-Potential-Unconscious/dp/1978694490
Synopsis: The conscious mind, the part of your mental life you experience directly, is responsible for only a tiny sliver of
what science says is going on inside your brain. Most of what you experience, your moods, and the things you like or dislike
(most of who you are) comes from a much more mysterious part of your mind: the unconscious.
And to really understand the influences of the unconscious, says psychiatrist Daniel Z. Liberman, coauthor of "The
Molecule of More", we need to look to something often considered science's alter ego: magic. Drawing on the work of
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, and with deep dives into what we can learn from ancient mystical traditions from alchemy to
numerology to meditation, "Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious
Mind" weaves together ancient magical traditions, psychological research, and the latest neuroscientific discoveries, in order
to bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious mind.
Like it or not, your unconscious is currently the source of most of your choices. It's the source of your passions, your energy,
and your "gut instinct". It can help you solve seemingly impossible problems with the gift of inspiration. But it's not always
working in your favor: The unconscious is wild and untamed, often leading us down self-destructive paths that leave us
baffled by our own decisions. "Spellbound" helps you take a new path: one where you learn how to recognize the influences
of the unconscious, and make it an ally in helping you become the person you were meant to be.
The human mind is perhaps the most mysterious thing in the universe. Science is only beginning to uncover its secrets, and
some believe that we may never fully plumb its depths. But the ancient traditions of magic, traditions of understanding that
have been built up over centuries, give us another window into the hidden facets of our humanity. After all, as the visionary
Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Critique: "Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind" by Dr. Daniel
Z. Lieberman is an inherently fascinating, informative, and thought-provoking study that is expertly performed by the
narrative talents of Tom Parks. This complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient
Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind" is absolutely recommended for personal, community, and
academic library audio book collections. (1 Disc, 11 Hours, 6 Minutes)
The Library CD Shelf
Cha-Ran
Robert Lee
robertleebass.com
Three Pines Records
https://tprrecords.ca
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0B6D9Q961
Composed by bassist Robert Lee, Cha-Ran is an album of jazz and improvised music, with contributions from a multitude
of other musicians including vocals, violin, guitar, piano, drums and more. A fluid, vibrant expression of creativity and
emotional transformation, Cha-Ran invites the listener to embark on a conceptual and spiritual journey. Cha-Ran is a
multifaceted treasure for personal and public library collections, and also makes a unique gift for music connoisseurs.
Highly recommended! The tracks are Cha-Ran, The King and the Mountain, Peaks and Spires of the Summer Clouds, Jade,
Seun-Sul, Sun Petals, and Kaelo.
Small Bridges
Robert Diack
www.robertdiack.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0B6219B5M
Drummer, producer, and composer Robert Diack presents Small Bridges, an original music album drawing upon modern
and traditional jazz, post-rock, fusion, and country music. Robert Diack plays drums and synthesizers; Patrick O'Reilly plays
guitar; Jacob Thompson plays piano; and Brandon Davis plays bass in this eclectic, instrumental showcase of brilliant
creativity. Small Bridges is a unique and welcome addition to both personal and public library music collections. The tracks
are Hollow, Plex, Depth, Quicken, Houndstooth, Indigent, Sassafras, Aler, Vodemi, Secede, Loam, Dissolver, Laund, and
Loesother.
StringSongs
Laura Crema and Bill Coon
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BBP9SFST
https://lauracrema.bandcamp.com/album/stringsongs-laura-crema-bill-coon
StringSongs is a genre-spanning original album by vocalist Laura Crema, Bill Coon on archtop and nylon string guitars,
Peggy Lee on cello, and John Bentley on tenor saxophone. Together they have created an fusion of intertwining instruments
that evokes emotions ranging from exuberant joy to wistful longing, in celebration of kindness, love, and treasured friends
who have passed on. StringSongs is a treasure to experience, share, or give as a gift, highly recommended. The tracks are
Arrow and the Song, Blue Mist, StringSong, Heart Flame, Frolic, August Blue, Sweet Embrace/Empty Space, Happy Place,
and Whisper Me.
The Library DVD Shelf
Volcanos & Waterfalls
Bennett-Watt Entertainment, Inc.
www.Bennett-Watt.com
9781604903041 $24.95
Part of the "Discoveries Costa Rica" series of video essays on DVD, "Volcanos & Waterfalls" showcases the imposing
volcanos and resplendent waterfalls of Costa Rica. Over a dozen waterfalls and all five of Costa Rica's active volcanos are
covered, with stunning footage and enlightening commentary. "Volcanos & Waterfalls" is the next best thing to
experiencing Costa Rica's natural beauty in person, and is highly recommended for both personal and public library DVD
collections. 54 min.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971
Doris Berger, editor
Rhea L. Combs, editor
DelMonico Books
https://delmonicobooks.com
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (distributor)
155 Sixth Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10013-1507
www.artbook.com
9781636810515, $49.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Regeneration-Cinema-1898-1971-Doris-Berger/dp/1636810519
Synopsis: From the dawn of movie making onward, Black filmmakers have helped define American cinema. Black
performers, producers and directors, including Bert Williams, Oscar Micheaux, Herb Jeffries, Lena Horne, Dorothy
Dandridge, Ruby Dee and William Greaves, to name just a few, had a vast and resounding impact. Black film artists not
only developed an enduring independent tradition but also transformed mainstream Hollywood, fueled and reflected
sociopolitical movements, captured Black experience in all its robust complexity, and influenced generations to come. As
harrowing as it is beautiful, the history of Black cinema and its legacy is often overlooked and underappreciated.
Collectively compiled and co-edited by Rhea L. Combs and Doris Berger, "Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971"
accompanies a first-of-its-kind exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exploring seven decades of Black
participation in American cinema. Amplifying this under-represented history in colorful and striking detail, "Doris Berger,
editor
Rhea L. Combs, editor" features an in-depth curatorial essay and scholarly case-study texts on topics such as early Black
independent filmmaking, Black spectatorship during the Jim Crow era and home movies as an essential form of Black
self-representation.
The impressively informative volume also makes meaningful connections to the present through interviews with
award-winning contemporary Black filmmakers Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins and Dawn
Porter. The inclusion of an extensive filmography and chronology offer an essential resource for anyone interested in Black
cinema, while images of contemporary visual artworks further illustrate the volume throughout.
Critique: Profusely and informatively illustrated throughout, "Doris Berger, editor
Rhea L. Combs, editor" is exception in its organization and presentation. Comprised of erudite essays, illustrative case
studies, and providing two page listing of the contributors and their credentials, This simply outstanding coffee-table style
edition of "Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898-1971" is a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Cinematic History & Criticism collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Flirting with Fame
Dan Harary
BearManor Media
PO Box 71426, Albany, GA 31708
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629339603, $38.00, HC, 286pp
https://www.amazon.com/Flirting-Fame-hardback-Hollywood-Encounters/dp/1629339601
Synopsis: Born and raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dan Harary has been working as an entertainment industry publicist
in Hollywood for over 40 years. As the founder of The Asbury PR Agency in Beverly Hills, CA, Dan often found himself
standing side-by-side with dozens of the 20th Century's most famous movie, TV, pop and rock music stars. As a teenager
between 1972-74, Dan was the stage manager and lighting director for The Sunshine Inn, where Bruce Springsteen began
his career.
After graduating from Boston University's School of Communications, Dan's career path included in-house positions with
Columbia Pictures, the American Film Institute, the Playboy Channel, Columbia Pictures Television, and two of
Hollywood's most prominent entertainment PR agencies. Dan launched his own Asbury PR Agency in 1996.
Critique: With the publication of "Flirting with Fame: A Hollywood Publicist Recalls 50 Years of Celebrity Close
Encounter", Hollywood insider Dan Harary gives his readers absolutely fascinating anecdotes drawn from the five decades
of his professional and personal experiences as a publicist in the film industry. In the pages of this extraordinary memoir are
is encounters with well known celebrities of film, television, music, culture, politics, porn stars -- and two Apollo astronauts
who walked on the Moon. Fun, fascinating and informative, "Flirting with Fame: A Hollywood Publicist Recalls 50 Years
of Celebrity Close Encounter" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library
American Biography & Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in a
paperback edition (9781629339597, $28.00).
The Photography Shelf
Flora Photographica
William A Ewing, author
Danae Panchard, author
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500024584, $65.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Flora-Photographica-Masterworks-Contemporary-Photography/dp/0500024588
Synopsis: Flowers have been a source of inspiration for photographers since the medium's inception; immortalized by
luminaries such as Man Ray, Robert Mapplethorpe, Irving Penn, and Julia Margaret Cameron. Today, flower photography
has come into full bloom once again, with photographers capturing flowers in inspiring new ways.
Featuring two hundred works, "Flora Photographica" links the very best of flower photography from the past twenty years
with its predecessors -- canonical floral images from the realms of photography, illustration, and painting that have marked
the collective imagination.
Works by contemporary photographers such as David LaChapelle, Valerie Belin, Viviane Sassen, and Martin Schoeller
appear across ten thematic chapters, among them "Origins," "Arrangements," "Essence," "Persona," and "Reverie," which
also include a brief introduction to the particular topic. These are complemented by two in-depth essays by authors William
Ewing and Danae Panchaud, which explore the relationship between contemporary works and the rich traditions of floral art
and photography.
Vibrant and abundant with various species of flora, "Flora Photographica: The Flower in Contemporary Photography" is
stunning volume that is both a celebration of beauty and a study of form.
Critique: Comprised of gallery and museum quality photographic images, "Flora Photographica: The Flower in
Contemporary Photography" is a seminal publication the will have a special and particular appeal for flower and
photography fans alike. This coffee-table style volume (10 x 1.1 x 12 inches, 4.15 pounds) is an ideal Memorial Acquisition
Fund choice, and is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and
university library Contemporary Photography & Flower/Botany collections.
Editorial Note #1: William A. Ewing is an author, lecturer, and curator of photography and former director of the Musee de
l'Elysee in Lausanne. His many publications on photography include Edward Burtynsky: Essential Elements and
Civilization.
Editorial Note #2: Danae Panchaud is a curator and lecturer specializing in photography and the director of the Photoforum
Pasquart in Biel, Switzerland. Danae a dedicated website at https://danaepanchaud.net
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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