en-US Wed, 09 Apr 2025 06:00:34 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg ReadStatus9289184149 Wed, 09 Apr 2025 06:00:34 -0700 /review/show/7475013234 Nate is currently reading The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides
]]> Review7450148563 Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:46:08 -0700 /review/show/7450148563 Nate has read Almost A Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence (Paperback) by John Ferling
bookshelves: history, nonfiction, war
An excellent companion to Ferling's A Leap in the Dark. Where that book was a political history of the entire revolutionary era, this one is a military history of the war. Ferling is such a good writer. His writing strikes a near-perfect balance between detail and fluidity. This is narrative-driven history that also contains the author's valuable insights seamlessly woven into the story. I really appreciated the "Choices" chapters, where Ferling takes a step back from the fighting and details the larger political goings-on at the start of each year. He's also very fair towards both sides, criticizing and praising both when necessary. This is not hagiography at all, it's fair and balanced historical writing, which I wholly welcome. Elsewhere, I learned about lesser-known aspects of the war, specifically the Quebec campaign; the role of Joseph Brant, a Mohawk mover and shaker for the British; the Iroquois campaign; the entire war at sea, including the amazing exploits of John Paul Jones (not Led Zeppelin's bassist); and the war in the South, especially the guerilla fighting and Nathanael Greene's pivotal actions for the Americans.

In terms of drawbacks, the main one for me is that the concluding chapter was unnecessary. It's twelve pages of analysis and what ifs about the war, repeating several points that Ferling already made throughout the preceding 560 pages. It stands out like a sore thumb. The book should have ended after the previous chapter, with the poignant scene of Washington returning to Mount Vernon in late 1783. Ferling is telling a story, and that's where the story ended. No need for a tacked-on academic analysis. I also noticed a few typos, which in the grand scheme of things is not a big deal, but they did jump out at me.

Negatives aside, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learned a great deal. I've been reading lots of books about the revolutionary era and already had a pretty good sense of the war, but things really solidified for me here. ]]> Review7442043524 Sun, 30 Mar 2025 16:02:44 -0700 /review/show/7442043524 Nate has read The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder (Hardcover) by David Grann
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
Checked this out from the library because I enjoyed Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon (the movie was good too). As with Killers, I liked but didn’t love this. Grann has a knack for finding interesting, lesser-known stories nestled in the cracks of history, which is the case here. It’s about a British ship, The Wager, that departed England in 1740 on a secret mission to loot a particular Spanish galleon during a several-years conflict between the two nations. This trip required the crew to go around Cape Horn, where storms and cold temperatures plagued many a ship in the past. The ship ended up crashing on an island off the coast of Chile (the island is now called Wager Island). Mutiny, death, madness, and other horribleness preluded the return of a fraction of the original crew to England. Grann then details, in the ensuing years, conflicting accounts that arose from various members of the crew, including the captain who shot a crew member point blank on the island. Cool details about the Royal Navy and seafaring during the 18th century are peppered throughout.

My issue with the book is that Grann’s writing doesn’t make the story as exciting or propulsive as it should be. He’s a good writer, with some vivid turns of phrase, but his prose overall doesn’t have enough life in it. I had the same issue with Killers of the Flower Moon. I don’t quite feel immersed in the story, and for narrative history that’s something I expect. In this case, it partially has to do with the fact that few first-hand accounts of the expedition exist, and only then most were written after the crew members came home.

Still, I knew nothing about this dark piece of nautical history before cracking open the book, and came away intrigued more than not. Plus I learned that many everyday phrases - “toe the line,� “pipe down,� “piping hot,� “scuttlebutt,� “three sheets to the wind,� “turn a blind eye� - first emerged on vessels from this era. Also that Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Robinson Crusoe were influenced by similar expeditions in the southern reaches of South America. Cool! ]]> Review7410635564 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:15:10 -0700 /review/show/7410635564 Nate has read Washington: A Life (Paperback) by Ron Chernow
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
A spectacular companion to Chernow's Alexander Hamilton, this is also a wonderful biography on its own. George Washington lived 250 years ago, but after reading this book I feel like I really know him as a person. Chernow’s vivid, propulsive writing and astute, generous selection of quotes place you right in the fray of Washington's multi-faceted life. Part adventure story, part military saga, part political drama, the story of America's first president is triumphant, inspiring, and revealing. Chernow shows you that, despite Washington's god-like status to his contemporaries and subsequent generations, he was a flesh and blood human being like the rest of us. Washington had flaws - slave owning being one among several; the chapters on slavery at Mount Vernon are among the best and most revealing in the book - as well as strengths. Ultimately, his leadership, ability to unite, humility, and belief in American independence and American republic were fundamental in shaping the tone of the country and the presidency. Washington was no genius like Hamilton or Jefferson; rather, he was a man of integrity and grace who, despite continued reluctance, was a natural leader. Chernow is certainly a fan of Washington, and while his appreciation is apparent throughout the book, I feel he is balanced in assessing Washington's character and achievements. I actually think his fanboyism is on display more in his Hamilton biography than this. But again, what Chernow does that is so remarkable here is making Washington feel human, as human as we can make him all these decades later. That's the mark of a great biography. I just loved reading this. ]]> Review7401165425 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:44:05 -0700 /review/show/7401165425 Nate has read Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig (Paperback) by Jonathan Eig
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
Before reading this book, I knew three things about Lou Gehrig: 1) he played for the Yankees; 2) he gave a good speech one time; and 3) he died of the disease that bears his name (also known as ALS). Needless to say I learned so much from this book. And I came away really admiring Gehrig, both as a ballplayer and a person. His story is incredibly inspiring and, of course, incredibly sad.

Gehrig was a shy, awkward, soft-spoken mama's boy who shunned his teammates' rowdy extracurricular activities and disliked attention. His quiet determination and hard-working attitude ensured an outstanding career; he’s widely considered to be the best first basemen ever, while his batting stats speak for themselves (seven seasons with 150+ RBIs, for one). His determination (some would say stubbornness) also resulted in his most famous record, 2,130 consecutive games played over thirteen seasons, which stood for decades until Cal Ripken, Jr. surpassed it in 1995. Gehrig was a big guy, a natural athlete, even though it took him some time to get into his routine, after playing baseball in college and on-and-off with the Yankees for two seasons. Once he did though, he was unstoppable. Which makes his illness and death all the more devastating.

Eig’s writing didn’t knock my socks off, but it’s very good overall. His writing comes alive at appropriate times, like when recounting pivotal games. And the final chapters are sensitive and emotional without pulling any punches. The last third of the book is, frankly, devastating. I’m not ashamed to say I was in tears at multiple points, often for a page or more at a time. In fact, I can’t remember crying this much reading a book. Witnessing a good guy and brilliant athlete slowly deteriorate physically is beyond sad. The fact that Gehrig handled it with dignity, or as much dignity as anyone could manage in the situation, makes him all the more affecting. And how his teammates, fans, and the world at large supported and celebrated Gehrig is enough to create a lump in the throat of any person with a heart. I do find it interesting though that the doctors at Mayo Clinic downplayed the severity of the disease, at least at first. Gehrig seemed to be hopeful for a while but later told his doctors to give it to him straight, accepting his fate.

So yeah, really good book. The one negative for me is that, in going through every season Gehrig played, Eig’s descriptions of games become monotonous. It’s kind of the same thing over and over, with several significant games described in greater detail standing out from the pack. I guess that’s a consequence of covering a baseball player’s entire life, on and off the field, in only 364 pages. That aside, Gehrig has become one of my favorite athletes after reading this. I found myself relating a lot to him as a person, and found him an inspiring figure. This book is very sad, yes, but the humanity, dignity, and strength exemplified by its subject leave a huge impression decades later. ]]> Review7391371066 Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:41:47 -0700 /review/show/7391371066 Nate has read Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787 (Paperback) by Catherine Drinker Bowen
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
This book kept getting cited in the American revolution books I've been reading lately. Ron Chernow called it a classic. So I figured it was worth a read. And I'm glad I sought this out, because it's a narratively compelling and informative chronicle of the Constitutional (or Federal) Convention of 1787. Bowen takes you day by day through the arguments, speeches, compromises, and eventual signing and ratification by the states. She paints portraits of the delegates, many lesser known about whom I knew little. Reading this, I got a better sense of why our constitution is the way it is, and gained a better appreciation for its careful construction. Flaws that we see in the original constitution today should not be immediately dismissed when considering the circumstances in 1787.

But my favorite part of the book were the middle chapters where Bowen takes a break from the convention proceedings to give a bird's eye view of America, specifically from the point of view of Europeans. She explains why America was culturally and socially different from European countries, and why the French were curious toward and often baffled by American life. It's a fascinating break in the narrative that lends credence to the unprecedented nature of American government in the scope of history.

Originally published in 1966, the book is dated stylistically in some ways. There are no source notes, and illustrations made for the book are used instead of existing portraits (the illustrations are kind of adorable though). Bowen also uses exclamation points more than a modern historian would. Still, I'd say the book holds up well. ]]> Review7380945990 Sun, 09 Mar 2025 07:19:47 -0700 /review/show/7380945990 Nate has read Cash: The Autobiography (Mass Market Paperback) by Johnny Cash
bookshelves: music, nonfiction
Usually wary of autobiographies, I make an exception for Johnny Cash (and Willie Nelson).

I've always been a fan of Johnny Cash. Like most rock fans not from the South, I didn’t grow up on country music and actively avoided the genre. That is, except for Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, because they were cool and badass, and there was a darkness in their music that appealed to my teenage self. When I started actually getting into country (I love it now), I appreciated Cash even more. I also loved his liner notes, especially for the American albums with Rick Rubin. So this is a book I've been eyeing for some time.

It's a really good read. Cash's voice is no-nonsense and conversational but also evocative. Long stretches of the book feel like you’re sitting down in front of him and he’s telling you a story. I like his writing voice a lot.

Cash basically takes you through his life and career in chronological order, with plenty of non-chronological side stories and remembrances. He doesn't let telling his life story in order get in the way of a good aside. Cash also talks about the various places he lives and owns property. I appreciated his discussions of people like Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Mother Maybelle Carter. Cash comes off proud but also humble and appreciative of life and those around him. He takes ownership of his many mistakes, first and foremost his years of amphetamine abuse, seeming genuinely regretful for the hurt it caused the people in his life. I know there are things he glosses over, however. All in all, Cash's words throughout read like those of a wise man who’s been through a lot, which of course he had when the book was published (1997, age sixty-five). The afterward, where he discusses being diagnosed with Shy-Drager syndrome, is a heartbreaking coda knowing what happened.

Now, this is one of those autobiographies with a co-author. I'm willing to give Cash the benefit of the doubt that he largely wrote this and that Patrick Carr merely edited for clarification and such. The book reads like it's from Cash's pen, and I have little reason to believe this is not the case. Though I enjoyed this book, I want to read a biography of Cash by a different writer, for two reasons. One, this book does not cover the final years of his life; and two, I think it's good to have a more objective overview of a person's life story, especially a major American artist like Cash. Robert Hilburn's Johnny Cash: The Life looks like the best bet. ]]> Review7374595774 Thu, 06 Mar 2025 10:08:30 -0800 /review/show/7374595774 Nate has read The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 (Paperback) by Joseph J. Ellis
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
Pretty good book covering the lead-up to the Constitutional Convention and subsequent period before Washington's presidency when states ratified the constitution. Ellis's thesis is that, after the war for independence ended, it was far from obvious to everyone that the states should be united. It took the efforts and vision of four primary men - George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay - to lead the charge towards a unified national government, as opposed to a loose confederation of states which the Articles of Confederation supported.

This book is short, with the main text just over 200 pages. It almost feels like an extended term paper rather than a book. Ellis repeats himself about the change to a national government, as if he feels he has to remind readers about his main point. Coming off of John Ferling's incredibly detailed (and just plain incredible A Leap in Dark), I didn't think this book had the oomph I was looking for. I'm realizing that I prefer history books to be long, detailed, and narratively sweeping rather than short and thesis-driven like this.

Still, it's well-written, and Ellis is convincing in his arguments that the nation did not emerge fully formed after the war ended, that a lot of work was still to be done. I liked getting more background on John Jay too, who I'm learning was an underappreciated founding father. ]]> Review7372137778 Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:43:12 -0800 /review/show/7372137778 Nate has read "First, the 'Saturday People', and then the ..." (Kindle Edition) by Bruce Portnoy
bookshelves: novels-short-stories
Part of me hates to bash a self-published book (and one where the author’s relative wrote a five-star review of it on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ), but I have to be honest, this was bad. Most of all, this book is in dire need of an editor. There are many scenes, even single paragraphs, that inexplicably shift from first person to third person, like the author forgot what narration he was using. One scene even shifts multiple times between third person, and first person for two different characters. What’s more, there are incorrect uses of quotations throughout the book. The author does not seem to understand how to construct multi-paragraph quotes. Even if some interesting observations about the Israel-Palestine conflict surface in the story, I could not get past this poor writing and grammar.

About the relative's review� I get it, she’s proud of the work and wants to promote it. I don’t doubt that she genuinely likes the book. But the tone of her review is so patronizing that I feel compelled to combat what she wrote. She should understand that “credible readers� (to use her snobby term) can have different opinions than her and not like the book. This is a creative work that readers react subjectively to. There’s no correct opinion. So, using a positive quote from an "excellent" and "professional" review source to support her belief that the book is objectively good is not evidence, she’s just quoting what a different reviewer happened to think. Also, I hate when people review a book and say something like “this would make a great movie,� as if the primary goal of writing a book is to get it adapted into another medium. ]]> Review7344537795 Sat, 01 Mar 2025 04:36:37 -0800 /review/show/7344537795 Nate has read A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic (Paperback) by John Ferling
bookshelves: history, nonfiction
Historian John Ferling delivers a comprehensive political history of revolutionary America, a period he defines as existing from roughly 1750 to 1801. I thought this book was a superior example of historical writing. Ferling packs an amazing amount of detail into the nearly 500 pages of small-font text, giving a clear timeline of events and painting vivid pictures of the major players. His insights are valuable, too, and like any good historian he's fair and balanced. I never found him sycophantic towards the founding fathers. He discusses them as real people who made decisions and interacted with one another as any people with their own ideas and prejudices would. Only in this case, they were forming a nation.

The book is readable and clear, if dense. Though Ferling occasionally uses obscure words when a more common one would do, and some paragraphs are so packed with information that I had to read them twice, I came away from this in awe more than anything else. In awe at Ferling's skills, yes, but also at the history itself. It was such a transformative, fascinating time. Competing ideas and factions battled throughout these fifty years, with the American experiment emerging as something of a miracle. Things were ugly and messy. Ferling shows not just how the country was created, but why it was created in the way it was. One aspect he’s especially convincing on is why the Federalists ultimately fell out of favor. There are many parallels to this in subsequent American history.

Because of its political focus and limited space in capturing fifty years of history, some aspects aren’t given as much attention as others. Slavery, alas, is minimally discussed, while parts of the war (such as Lafayette’s role and the Battle of Yorktown) are given only brief mentions. Still, Ferling is able to contextualize and clearly explain a large amount of events given the constraints; I can hardly imagine a better overview of this era. Even in the limited space, the (many) leaders and politicians are fleshed out, feeling like three-dimensional figures.

There's so much else to discuss, but I'll just say that if you're at all interested in the American revolution and the government’s early years, I highly, highly recommend this book. ]]>