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Library Bookwatch

Volume 16, Number 6 June 2021 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Education Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Cookbook Shelf Genealogy Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Civil War Shelf
Military Shelf General Fiction Shelf Historical Fiction Shelf
Literary Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Architecture Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Science Shelf Art Shelf
Biography Shelf Sports Shelf Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf
Environmental Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf Business Shelf
Aviation Shelf Computer Shelf Dance Shelf
Agriculture Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

China's Strategic Arsenal
James M. Smith, editor
Paul J. Bolt, editor
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647120788, $110.95, HC, 280pp

https://www.amazon.com/Chinas-Strategic-Arsenal-Worldview-Doctrine/dp/1647120780

Synopsis: China's strategic capabilities and doctrine have historically differed from those of the United States and Russia. China has continued to modernize and expand its arsenal despite its policy of no first use, while the United States and Russia have decreased deployed weapons stocks.

Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the team of James M. Smith and Paul J. Bolt, "China's Strategic Arsenal: Worldview, Doctrine, and Systems" brings together an international group of distinguished scholars to provide a fresh assessment of China's strategic military capabilities, doctrines, and political perceptions in light of rapidly advancing technologies, an expanding and modernizing nuclear arsenal, and an increased great-power competition with the United States.

Analyzing China's strategic arsenal is critical for a deeper understanding of China's relations with both its neighbors and the world. Without a doubt, China's arsenal is growing in size and sophistication, but key uncertainties also lie ahead. "China's Strategic Arsenal address a number of seminal questions including: Will China's new capabilities and confidence lead it to be more assertive and take more risks? Will China's nuclear traditions change as the strategic balance improves? Will China's approach to military competition be guided by a notion of strategic stability or not? Will there be a strategic arms race with the United States?

China's Strategic Arsenal provides a current understanding of these issues as we strive for a stable strategic future with China.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "China's Strategic Arsenal: Worldview, Doctrine, and Systems" is a seminal collection of nine impressively informative contributions by experts in the field, making it a critically essential and unreservedly recommended addition to community, governmental, college and university library China-Us international relations and security collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "China's Strategic Arsenal: Worldview, Doctrine, and Systems" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781647120795, $36.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).

Wild Days: Outdoor Play for Young Adventurers
Richard Irvine
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784945831, $24.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Days-Outdoor-Young-Adventurers/dp/1784945838

Synopsis: Perfect for inspiring kids to get out in the fresh air, "Wild Days: Outdoor Play for Young Adventurers" by Richard Irvine is brilliant compilation of DIY outdoor and nature activities that are both fun and educational. As well as gaining some simple survival skills, with the activities comprising "Wild Days", children will learn more about the world around them and their place within it. Practical, creative and educational, the tasks concentrate on leaving only a positive trace -- all while fully enjoying the great outdoors.

Critique: The perfect DIY antidote to bored and homebound kids during the current pandemic and its aftermath, "Wild Days: Outdoor Play for Young Adventurers" is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, middle school, and community library Nature Crafts & Recreation collections. It should be noted that "Wild Days: Outdoor Play for Young Adventurers" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Richard Irvine is an educator who shares his love of craft, trees and woodlands with groups of young people and adults outdoors around the campfire as well as through his books. He has been an outdoor instructor, field studies tutor, secondary school teacher and outdoor centre manager and now works as a Forest School trainer and tutor in North Devon. His first book 'Forest Craft' was named as one of the six best woodland books of 2019 by Living Woods Magazine.

NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary
Piers Bizony, author
Roger D. Launiu, essayist
Motorbooks
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9780760370049, $49.50, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/NASA-Space-Shuttle-40th-Anniversary/dp/0760370044

Synopsis: Officially known as the Space Transportation System (STS), the Space Shuttle program operated from 1981 to 2011. During that time, five Shuttle systems took part in 135 missions under the operation of NASA. This approach (namely reusable spacecraft) revolutionized space exploration. NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary traces the STS's 30-year operational history. Essays by former NASA chief historian Roger Launius are accompanied by a collection of incredible Shuttle photography and imagery mined from the depths of NASA's archives by aerospace historian Piers Bizony -- all of it presented in large-format color.

Readers will witness the pre-1981 evolution, the missions, astronauts, ground personnel and infrastructure, and amazing accomplishments of the Shuttle program and its spacecraft: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. From the launch site at Cape Kennedy, Florida, to mission control in Houston, Texas, to the landing site at Edwards Air Force Base, all aspects of Shuttle operation are covered, including key roles in efforts such as the Hubble Telescope and International Space Station, as well as the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia disasters.

Every carefully chosen image in NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary tells an aspect of the Shuttle story. The resulting book is not only a unique view of a key chapter of NASA history, "NASA Space Shuttle" is a compelling collection of stunning NASA photography and illustrations.

Critique: Informationally enhanced with the inclusion of essays by Roger D. Launius (the former NASA Chife History), "NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library American Astronautics & Space Flight history collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that Piers Bizony's "NASA Space Shuttle: 40th Anniversary" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).

1,271 Days a Soldier
H. E. Gardner, author
Dominic J. Caraccilo, editor
University of North Georgia Press
P.O. Box 5032, Dahlonega, GA 30597
9781940771823, $24.99, PB, 366pp

https://www.amazon.com/271-Days-Soldier-Diaries-Gardiner/dp/194077182X

Synopsis: "1,271 Days a Soldier: The Diaries and Letters of Colonel H. E. Gardiner as an Armor Officer in World War II" is one soldier's record of his experiences during active duty in the Second World War.

Deftly edited by Dominic J. Caraccilo, Henry E. Gardiner's collection recalls the first-hand experiences of an operational level ranking officer from the prelude of war to fighting in the African and European theaters, from the shock of the initial volley of violence during the December 7, 1941, Day of Infamy radio broadcast to the final days of the war while operating on the soft underbelly of Hitler's Europe. "1,271 Days a Soldier" is written with all the emotion of someone who endured nearly four years of high-intensity conflict coupled with long periods of boredom and interjected with periods of frivolity.

Of special note is that the detailed footnotes, photographs, and maps throughout this diary provide context for each journal entry so readers and historians gain a better appreciation of the full spectrum of war that was unfolding at any given time in the work.

Critique: A exceptionally welcome, impressively informative, inherently fascinating first person war time account, "1,271 Days a Soldier: The Diaries and Letters of Colonel H. E. Gardiner as an Armor Officer in World War II" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to the growing number of World War II memoirs and histories -- and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, college and university library World War II collections.

Editorial Note #1: Henry Edward (H. E.) Gardiner enlisted in Troop C (popularly known as The Chicago Black Horse Troop) on November 25, 1935, and was serving his second enlistment as a sergeant when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant on June 11, 1940 and was later promoted to a First Lieutenant on August 23, 1940. He was called to active duty on November 25, 1940, when Troop C of the 106th Cavalry was inducted into Federal Service. Gardiner was promoted to major on October 21, 1942, and then lieutenant colonel on January 27, 1943. He served as a battalion commander and regimental executive officer until his discharge at the rank of colonel in October 1945. In February 1943, then-Lieutenant Colonel Gardiner was awarded the nation's second highest combat award, the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), for actions as a Lieutenant Colonel in command of a squadron in North Africa.

Editorial Note #2: Colonel (Retired) Dominic J. Caraccilo served nearly six years in combat in command roles culminating a 27-year career as the Deputy Commander of the 101st Airborne Division. His 65 months of combat during multiple deployments including Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kosovo, and a series of deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq spanning from 2001 to 2010. During that time, Caraccilo produced many other books including Achieving Victory in Iraq: Countering an Insurgency (Stackpole Books, 2008), Beyond Guns and Steel: A War Termination Strategy (PSI, 2011), and Forging a Special Operations Force: The US Army Rangers (Helion & Company, 2015). Like 1,271 Days a Soldier, the latter two were sponsored by the Association of the U.S. Army as part of the AUSA Book Program.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Book Wars
John B. Thompson
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.politybooks.com
9781509546787, $35.00, HC, 450pp

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Wars-Digital-Revolution-Publishing/dp/1509546782

Synopsis: "Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing" by Professor John B. Thompson is the story of the turbulent decades when the book publishing industry collided with the great technological revolution of our time. From the surge of ebooks to the self-publishing explosion and the growing popularity of audiobooks, "Book Wars" provides a comprehensive and fine-grained account of technological disruption in one of our most important and successful creative industries.

Like other sectors, publishing has been thrown into disarray by the digital revolution. The foundation on which this industry had been based for 500 years (the packaging and sale of words and images in the form of printed books) was called into question by a technological revolution that enabled symbolic content to be stored, manipulated and transmitted quickly and cheaply. Publishers and retailers found themselves facing a proliferation of new players who were offering new products and services and challenging some of their most deeply held principles and beliefs. The old industry was suddenly thrust into the limelight as bitter conflicts erupted between publishers and new entrants, including powerful new tech giants who saw the world in very different ways. The book wars had begun!

While ebooks were at the heart of many of these conflicts, Professor Thompson argues that the most fundamental consequences lie elsewhere. The print-on-paper book has proven to be a remarkably resilient cultural form, but the digital revolution has transformed the industry in other ways, spawning new players which now wield unprecedented power and giving rise to an array of new publishing forms. Most important of all, it has transformed the broader information and communication environment, creating new challenges and new opportunities for publishers as they seek to redefine their role in the digital age.

An unrivalled account of the book publishing industry as it faces its greatest challenge since Gutenberg, "Book Wars" will be essential reading for anyone interested in books and their future.

Critique: An inherently fascinating history of the publishing industry over the last three decades, "Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing" is an extraordinary study and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for anyone with an interest in how and why the publishing industry works as it does today. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing" is a very highly recommended addition to community, college and university library Media Studies collections in general, and Book Publishing supplemental studies collections in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of authors, publishers, booksellers, bibliophiles, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.00).

Editorial Note: John B. Thompson is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge and Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. His previous books include "Merchants of Culture: The Publishing Business in the Twenty-First Century" and "Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media".

Merchants of Culture, second edition
John B. Thompson
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.politybooks.com
9780745663616, $67.50, HC, 456pp

https://www.amazon.com/Merchants-Culture-Publishing-Business-Twenty-First-dp-0745663613/dp/0745663613

Synopsis: Exacerbated by the global pandemic, these are turbulent times in the world of book publishing. For nearly five centuries the methods and practices of book publishing remained largely unchanged, but at the dawn of the twenty-first century the industry finds itself faced with perhaps the greatest challenges since Gutenberg. A combination of economic pressures and technological change is forcing publishers to alter their practices and think hard about the future of the books in the digital age.

In this updated second edition of "Merchants of Culture: The Publishing Business in the Twenty-First Century" (which, published in 2012 was the first major study of trade publishing for more than 30 years at the time), Professor John B. Thompson situates the current challenges facing the industry in an historical context, analyzing the transformation of trade publishing in the United States and Britain since the 1960s. He gives a detailed account of how the world of trade publishing really works, dissecting the roles of publishers, agents and booksellers and showing how their practices are shaped by a field that has a distinctive structure and dynamic.

Critique: A new paperback edition of "Merchants of Culture: The Publishing Business in the Twenty-First Century" (Plume, 9780452297722, $20.00, 464pp) has been thoroughly revised and updated to take account of the most recent developments, including the dramatic increase in ebook sales and its implications for the publishing industry and its future. It should be noted for personal, professional, community, college and university library Media, Publishing, and Communications collections and supplemental study lists that "Merchants of Culture: The Publishing Business in the Twenty-First Century" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: John B. Thompson is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge and Emeritus Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. His previous books include "Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing" and "Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media".

Your Story, Well Told
Corey Rosen
Mango Publishing
https://mangopublishinggroup.com
9781642504651, $16.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Your-Story-Well-Told-Strategies/dp/1642504653

Synopsis: Telling stories well is a skill we all aspiring authors and actors need if they are to succeed. We've all got stories to tell -- but how do you make your story the best?

In the pages of "Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience" Emmy-award winning writer, actor, and storytelling teacher Corey Rosen inspires authors and actors tell their story using the best storytelling techniques derived from improvisational theatre.

"Your Story, Well Told" is accessible guide for all ages and skill levels. Crafted to help ordinary people tell extraordinary stories, this laugh out loud handbook covers everything from how to tell a good story to going off script.

"Your Story, Well Told" reveals how to sell yourself through the art of telling stories either in person or on paper. The best story telling uses improvisation to enthrall, entertain, and keep audiences on edge. Laugh along with tales of performance triumphs (and disasters) and explore ways to tell your story with confidence and spontaneity.

From brainstorming and development to performance and memorization techniques, "Your Story, Well Told" shows how to tell a good story with: A variety of structures and editing approaches to bring out your best story; Improv exercises to stimulate creativity without feeling foolish; Quick and easy lessons on building stories; Resources for putting on a showcase to tell your story.

Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary style, organization and presentation, "Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience" is primarily intended for performing entertainers, but also has great relevance for writers as well. While highly recommended for community library Theatre/Cinema/TV and Writing/Publishing DIY instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Education Shelf

How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking
Susan M. Brookhart, author
Alice Oakley, author
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416629887, $28.95, PB, 136pp

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Student-Work-Uncover-Thinking/dp/1416629882

Synopsis: In "How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking ", educational development assessment expert Susan M. Brookhart and instructional coach Alice Oakley walk classroom teachers and tutors through a better and more illuminating way to approach student work across grade levels and content areas. Educators will learn to view students' assignments not as a verdict on right or wrong but as a window into what students "got" and how they are thinking about it.

The insights gained from "How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking " will help to: Infer what students are thinking; Provide effective feedback; Decide on next instructional moves; Grow as a professional.

"How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking " then guides teachers and tutors through the next steps: clarify learning goals, increase the quality of classroom assessments, deepen your content and pedagogical knowledge, study student work with colleagues, and involve students in the formative learning cycle.

"How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking" is replete with many authentic examples of student work and teacher insights, coaching tips, and reflection questions that will help readers move from looking at student work for correctness to looking at student work as evidence of student thinking.

Critique: Expertly written, exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking" is very highly recommended for school district, college and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of teachers, tutors, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "How to Look at Student Work to Uncover Student Thinking" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).

A School Built on Ethos
James Handscombe
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785835339, $19.95, PB, 210pp

https://www.amazon.com/School-Built-Ethos-assemblies-hard-won/dp/1785835335

Synopsis: In the pages of "A School Built on Ethos: Ideas, Assemblies And Hard-Won Wisdom", educator James Handscombe explores how schooling is more than gaining qualifications, how learning is more than exams, and how academic success comes more readily to those who have grasped this idea.

Harris Westminster Sixth Form has had enormous success in providing an academic education for students of all socio-economic backgrounds. This success is grounded in the development of a scholarly ethos that guides students and staff into successful habits - driven by a clear vision for the community and communicated through everything that the school says and does.

In "A School Built on Ethos", founding principal James Handscombe takes readers through the school's development and illustrates its journey by sharing a selection of the assemblies that have underpinned and elucidated its ethos. In doing so he offers guidance on how such a staple of school life can be used to shape a community, and shares transferable lessons on how assemblies can be planned and delivered effectively.

Furthermore, James discusses the challenges the school faced during its creation and offers an improved understanding of how academic and scholarly learning can be delivered and developed in a school -- whether it be newly formed or already established. He also asks the fundamental question of how schools can encourage and enable disadvantaged young people to aspire to and engage in academic enquiry.

Critique: Expertly written, informed and informative, "A School Built on Ethos" is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of both established and aspiring school leaders -- especially those who are thinking about the kind of school they would like to run and how they can shape it. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "A School Built on Ethos" should be considered an essential and core addition to school district, college and university library School Administration collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists.

Editorial Note: James Handscombe studied mathematics at Oxford and Harvard before training to be a teacher. He worked in schools in south Wales, Australia and south-east London before becoming the founding principal of Harris Westminster Sixth Form in 2014. He has written for Schools Week and The Spectator's Coffee House blog.

Assessing with Respect
Starr Sackstein
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416629979, $28.95, PB, 157pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assessing-Respect-Everyday-Practices-Emotional/dp/1416629971

Synopsis: "Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs" by Starr Sackstein addresses the five SEL competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) -- self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making -- and explains how teaching students to develop their abilities in these areas can help them improve their learning and assessment experiences.

Sackstein also raises important considerations for educators, urging them to: Examine their implicit biases to improve their relationships with students; Deepen their understanding of the impact of grades and assessments on students' self-image and their ability to reach their full potential as learners; Develop personalized assessment systems that ensure an accurate, fair, and equitable portrayal of what students know and can do.

In addition to presenting the relevant research, Sackstein draws from personal experience and the reflections of students, teachers, and administrators to present a compelling case for approaching assessment through the SEL lens. Educators at all levels who have witnessed the devasting effects that testing can have on students' beliefs in themselves as learners will find Assessing with Respect to be an invaluable guide to ensuring better outcomes (and better emotional health) for all students.

Critique: Informative insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, impressively 'real world' practical, "Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs" is especially and unreservedly recommended for school district, college and university library Educational Psychology & Counseling collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists. It should be noted for student, classroom teachers, educational administrators, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students' Social and Emotional Needs" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).

Editorial Note: Starr Sackstein is the author of Teaching Mythology Exposed: Helping Teachers Create Visionary Classroom Perspective, Blogging for Educators, Teaching Students to Self Assess: How do I help Students grow as learners?, The Power of Questioning: Opening up the World of Student Inquiry, Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School and Empower Students to Give Feedback: Teaching Students to Provide Effective Peer Feedback Starr also blogs on Education Week Teacher at "Work in Progress" where she discusses all aspects of being a teacher and education reform. Additionally, Starr co-moderates #sunchat as well as contributes to #NYedChat.

Special Education Law and Policy
Jacqueline A. Rodriguez, author
Wendy W. Murawski, author
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635502312, $104.90, PB, 567pp

https://www.amazon.com/Special-Education-Law-Policy-Application/dp/1635502314

Synopsis: Understanding the relationship between law, advocacy, and Special Education is crucial for those who educate and advocate on behalf of students with disabilities. "Special Education Law and Policy: From Foundation to Application" provides a framework for understanding and implementing the law as it applies to students with disabilities and their families.

In this comprehensive single volume, authors and educators Jacquelin Rodriguez and Wendy Murawski draw upon their years of experience and expertise to craft a textbook that distills complex legal concepts into a digestible format to ensure readers understand their roles as teachers, counselors, administrators, and advocates.

Their clear and accessible style of writing is intended for students and practitioners and offers case law and real-world examples to highlight the effective application of both law and policy. With contributions from experienced educators and legal professionals, readers will gather the foundational knowledge they need to support students, families, and schools. This is the text that every administrator, teacher, and advocate will want at their fingertips!

Fully up to date, "Special Education Law and Policy: From Foundation to Application" features: Authentic case studies of challenging issues resolved from different perspectives; Chapter objectives and summaries to improve retention; Boxes throughout the text with key terms, concepts, and checks for understanding; Putting it in Practice and Application in Action boxes with real-world examples from case law; For Further Consideration sections at the end of each chapter with discussion questions, case law, and additional resources; A PluralPlus companion website PowerPoints lecture slide, a test bank, and sample syllabus for instructors.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Special Education Law and Policy: From Foundation to Application" is an ideal textbook that is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of parents, special education advocates, social workers, school counselors and administrators, as well as school district, college and university library Special Education Administration collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Jacqueline A. Rodriguez, PhD is a Vice President at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Dr. Rodriguez served as a special educator in Washington, D.C. and faculty at the College of William & Mary. Dr. Rodriguez's research focuses on equity and access to high-quality education, Special Education law, and bridging policy to practice.

Editorial Note #2: Wendy W. Murawski, PhD is the Executive Director and Eisner Endowed Chair of the Center for Teaching and Learning at California State University, Northridge and a Professor of Special Education. Past president of the Teacher Education Division of CEC and author of 14 books on education, Dr. Murawski is also CEO of 2Teach, an inclusive education consulting company.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Orcapedia
Captain Paul Watson, author
Tiffany Humphrey, author
GroundSwell Books
c/o BPC
www.bookpubco.com
9781570673986, $24.95, PB, 120pp

https://www.amazon.com/Orcapedia-Guide-Victims-International-Slave/dp/1570673985

Synopsis: "Orcapedia: A Guide to the Victims of the International Orca Slave Trade" by Captain Paul Watson and Tiffany Humphrey presents a sobering look at the current imprisonment of the orca -- a highly intelligent, socially complex, non-threatening species by an industry that is out strictly for profit. Many will remember the movement to release Keiko (the orca who appeared in the family drama Free Willy), into the wild. Today, there are dozens of orcas still in captivity.

In the pages of "Orcapedia" readers are introduced to more than 60 orcas by name along with their photos, personal history, and notable incidents that have occurred during their captivity. The text makes it clear that they are imprisoned "inmates" and instills a full understanding of the injustices being perpetrated. Color images capture the beauty of these mammals. Their size, eating and mating habits, and pod dialects and structures work against them in captivity which is graphically illustrated by five pages of headstones.

While many orcas would not survive if they were suddenly released into the wild, the authors recommend the use of sea pens, which present a viable compromise by allowing the orcas greater freedom, providing them with the opportunity to learn how to catch fish, having trainers on hand to assess their health, and offering visitors a view of whales living in more natural surroundings.

"Orcapedia: A Guide to the Victims of the International Orca Slave Trade" mandates change and inspires us to follow through. All proceeds go to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and presented, "Orcapedia: A Guide to the Victims of the International Orca Slave Trade" should be considered as a core and essential addition to community, college and university library Aquatic Wildlife collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of professionals and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Orcapedia: A Guide to the Victims of the International Orca Slave Trade" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Captain Paul Watson is a Canadian/American marine conservation activist, who founded the direct-action group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 1977. Tiffany Humphrey has been working with marine wildlife since 2003. From 2009 until 2013, she worked as Paul's executive assistant at Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A recommended and informative website can be found at www.seashepherd.org

Falcons of North America
Kate Davis, author
Nick Dunlop, photographer
Rob Palmer, photographer
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
www.mountain-press.com
9780878427017, $28.00, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Falcons-North-America-Kate-Davis/dp/0878427015

Synopsis: Bold and beautiful, falcons hold a special place in the hearts of people. In this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Falcons of North America", renowned raptor advocate and environmental educator Kate Davis once again opens a door into the lives of these extraordinary, enigmatic birds of prey.

Since the publication of the first edition 13 years ago, advances in technology have truly revolutionized the study of falcons. This updated and revised second edition contains completely new classifications of the six North American falcon species based on DNA studies. Population trends are explored, with discussions of the mysterious decline of the American Kestrel and the impact of global warming on falcons, particularly the arctic-dwelling Gyrfalcon.

Davis also includes fascinating details on one of the greatest conservation success stories (that of the Peregrine Falcon) from a brush with extinction in North America to greater populations than ever before -- even thriving as city dwellers across the continent.

Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Falcons of North America" is a delight to simply browse through and fully informative for birding enthusiasts and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new edition of "Falcons of North America" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college and university library ornithology and bird field guide collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.


The Cookbook Shelf

The What to Eat When Cookbook
Michael Fr. Roizen, MD, author
Michael Crupain, MD, MPH, author
Jim Perko Sr., CEC, AAC
National Geographic Press
101 West 104th Street, Suite 8, New York, NY 10025
www.nationalgeographic.com
9781426221033, $30.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/What-Eat-When-Cookbook-Deliciously/dp/1426221037

Synopsis: In their acclaimed lifestyle guide "What to Eat When", Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Michael Crupain revealed when to eat foods for healthier living, disease prevention, better performance, and a longer life. The key, they assert, is eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. "The What to Eat When Cookbook" is their sequel and showcases 125 recipes to put these lessons into practice.

With 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that range from a fiber-rich pasta dish loaded with healthy and fresh tomatoes and a creamy lemon dip and homemade crackers, to satisfy your snack cravings to a salmon burger you'll love to eat for breakfast (yes, breakfast!), to a healthier, decadant chocolate mousse (a treat that also offers hormone-boosting ingredients before you hit the gym), each individual dish is paired with practical information about the nutrients and benefits of the ingredients, plus expert cooking tips, what portion size to eat when, and helpful substitutions.

Covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert (and the best times to eat all four) "The What to Eat When Cookbook" is a DIY culinary compendium and eating guide that showcases meals that will get you through the day, and extend your life by years!

Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "The What to Eat When Cookbook" is an ideal reference for planning meals that are as nutritious as they are delicious. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) it "The What to Eat When Cookbook" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library weight control and management cookbook collections.

Editorial Note #1: Dr. Michael Roizen is the Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, Chief Medical Consultant on The Dr. Oz Show, author of four #1 New York Times best-selling books, and originator of the popular RealAge.com. He is board certified in anesthesiology and internal medicine. He's been recognized with an Ellie, an Emmy, and the Paul G. Rogers Award from the National Library of Medicine for Best Medical Communicator. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Editorial Note #2: Dr. Michael Crupain is the Medical Director of The Dr. Oz Show. He is board certified in preventive medicine, a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, and part-time faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to joining The Dr. Oz Show, he directed food safety testing at Consumer Reports. He is an Emmy award-winning producer and sat on an USDA advisory committee.

Editorial Note #3: Jim Perko is the executive chef for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and the Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he has apprenticed for the American Culinary Federation 1976 US Culinary Olympic Team and cooked for scientists on the 1977-78 US Antarctic Expedition. Perko is the founder of the national award-winning program Food Is Knowledge.

Wild Child: Adventure Cooking With Kids
Sarah Glover
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791387208, $25.00, HC, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Child-Adventure-Cooking-Kids/dp/3791387200

Synopsis: Sarah Glover has worked as a chef and pastry chef in Tasmania, Sydney, and New York City. Now in the illustrated pages of "Wild Child: Adventure Cooking With Kids" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to compile a complete course of DIY instructions for use by parents and caregivers with respect to involving children in the preparation of a variety of foods appropriate for a variety of dining occasions indoors and out of doors.

Critique: Beginning with an invaluable 'How to Use This Book' introduction, followed by 'How to Build a Fire', Sarah's 'how to' compendium of advice and recipes fully lives its "Wild Child: Adventure Cooking With Kids" title. A unique and guaranteed to be welcome addition to family and community library cookbook collections, "Wild Child: Adventure Cooking With Kids" will prove to be as an enduringly popular and fun choice that will enable even the most novice of family cooks and the most adventurous of children to know and enjoy the fun and culinary adventure of cooking a meal together!


The Genealogy Shelf

Sharing Your Family History Online
Chris Paton
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526780294, $22.95, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Your-Family-History-Online/dp/1526780291

Synopsis: For many genealogy enthusiasts pursuing their family history research, the online world offers a seemingly endless archive of digitized materials to help us answer the questions posed by our ancestors. In addition to hosting records, however, the internet also offers a unique platform on which we can host our research and lure in prospective cousins from around the world, to help build up a larger shared ancestral story.

In "Sharing Your Family History Online: A Guide for Family Historians", genealogist Chris Paton explores and showcases the many ways in which we can present our research and encourage collaboration online. He details the many organizations and social media applications that can permit cooperation, describes the software platforms on which we can collate our stories, and illustrates the many ways in which we can publish our stories online.

Along the way, Paton will also explore how we can make our research work further for us, by drawing in experts and distant cousins from around the world to help us break our ancestral brick walls, not just through sharing stories, but by accessing uniquely held documentation by family members around the world, including our very own shared DNA.

Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of DIY instruction for aspiring and practicing genealogists, "Sharing Your Family History Online: A Guide for Family Historians" is an extraordinarily 'user friendly' instruction guide and manual that is fully accessible to even the most novice of family historians. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Sharing Your Family History Online: A Guide for Family Historians" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library Genealogy instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sharing Your Family History Online: A Guide for Family Historians" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Chris Paton is a genealogist and writer based in Ayrshire. He runs the Scotland's Greatest Story research service at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk. He is also a regular writer for several British and Irish genealogy magazines, runs the British GENES news and events blog at www.BritishGENES.blogspot.com, and gives regular talks to local and international family history societies and organizations.


The American History Shelf

Women of the White House
Amy Russo
Welbeck Publishing Group
https://www.welbeckpublishing.com
9781787393882, $19.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Women-White-House-illustrated-America/dp/1787393887

Synopsis: "Women of the White House: The Illustrated Story of the First Ladies of the United States of America" by journalist Amy Russo looks at the work, lives and times of the 47 women officially recognized as America's first lady.

Through portraits, photographs, accounts and profiles, "Women of the White House" examines their contributions to the presidencies they supported and to the 230-year history of the role. The women who have held the position have evolved it from White House hostess to campaigner for social causes and a game-changing leadership position. A role model for the world, a powerful political player, a traditional yet modern woman -- the position of first lady of the United States is many-faceted, complex and beyond high profile.

In this fully up-to-date history, "Women of the White House" also explores how the social platforms these women established (ranging from Mary Todd Lincoln's work for slaves and soldiers after the Civil War, to feminist icon Michelle Obama's fight for girls' education) have not only made the role iconic but also shaped America

Critique: A unique, profusely illustrated, and impressively informative study, "Women of the White House: The Illustrated Story of the First Ladies of the United States of America" is exceptionally well written and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community, highschool, college and university library American History collections in general, and Women in Politics supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Women of the White House: The Illustrated Story of the First Ladies of the United States of America" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Editorial Note: Amy Russo is a reporter for the Providence Journal. She previously wrote for the New York Post, HuffPost, and NBC News, where she scripted a daily morning news show. Her work has appeared in USA Today and Foreign Affairs, among others, and her coverage has spanned politics, national news, and the media industry.

Lincoln and Citizenship
Mark E. Steiner
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809338122, $24.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Citizenship-Concise-Library/dp/0809338122

Synopsis: At its most basic level, citizenship is about who belongs to a political community, and for Abraham Lincoln in nineteenth-century America, the answer was in flux. The concept of "fellow citizens", for Lincoln, encompassed different groups at different times. "Lincoln and Citizenship" is first book focused on the topic and as its author, Professor Mark E. Steiner analyzes and contextualizes Lincoln's evolving views about citizenship over the course of his political career.

As an Illinois state legislator, Lincoln subscribed to the by-then-outmoded belief that suffrage must be limited to those who met certain obligations to the state. He rejected the adherence to universal white male suffrage that had existed in Illinois since statehood. In 1836 Lincoln called for voting rights to be limited to white people who had served in the militia or paid taxes. Surprisingly, Lincoln did not exclude women, though later he did not advocate giving women the right to vote and did not take women seriously as citizens. The women at his rallies, he believed, served as decoration.

For years Lincoln presumed that only white men belonged in the political and civic community, and he saw immigration through this lens. Because Lincoln believed that white male European immigrants had a right to be part of the body politic, he opposed measures to lengthen the time they would have to wait to become a citizen or to be able to vote. Unlike many in the antebellum north, Lincoln rejected xenophobia and nativism. He opposed black citizenship, however, as he made clear in his debates with Stephen Douglas. Lincoln supported Illinois's draconian Black Laws, which prohibited free black men from voting and serving on juries or in the militia. Further, Lincoln supported sending free black Americans to Africa -- the ultimate repudiation and an antithesis of citizenship.

Yet, as president, Lincoln came to embrace a broader vision of citizenship for African Americans. Steiner establishes how Lincoln's meetings at the White House with Frederick Douglass and other black leaders influenced his beliefs about colonization, which he ultimately disavowed, and citizenship for African Americans, which he began to consider. Further, the battlefield success of black Union soldiers revealed to Lincoln that black men were worthy of citizenship. Lincoln publicly called for limited suffrage among black men, including military veterans, in his speech about Reconstruction on April 11, 1865. Ahead of most others of his era, Lincoln showed just before his assassination that he supported rights of citizenship for at least some African Americans.

Critique: The newest addition to the Southern Illinois University Press 'Concise Lincoln Library' series, "Lincoln and Citizenship" by Professor Mark E. Steiner is an impressively informative, exceptionally well written, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is especially and unreservedly recommended having immense interest and benefit for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70), "Lincoln and Citizenship" is an essential and core addition to community, college and university library 19th Century American History collections in general, and Lincoln Studies, Civics/Citizenship Studies, and American Civil War supplemental curriculum reading lists in particular.

Editorial Note: Mark E. Steiner is a Professor of Law and the Associate Dean at South Texas College of Law Houston. He is also the author of "An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln".

Surviving the Winters
Steven Elliott
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806168586, $34.95, HC, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Winters-Washingtons-Revolution-Commanders/dp/0806168587

Synopsis: George Washington and his Continental Army braving the frigid winter at Valley Forge form an iconic image in the popular history of the American Revolution. Such winter camps were also a critical factor in the waging and winning of the War of Independence. Exploring the inner workings of the Continental Army through the prism of its encampments, "Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution" by Steven Elliott (who is a Lecturer in the Department of History at Rutgers University - Newark) is the first major study to show how camp construction and administration played a crucial role in Patriot strategy during the war.

As academician and historian Elliott reminds us, Washington's troops spent only a few days a year in combat. The rest of the time, especially in the winter months, they were engaged in a different sort of battle -- against the elements, unfriendly terrain, disease, and hunger. Victory in that more sustained struggle depended on a mastery of camp construction, logistics, and health and hygiene -- the components that Elliott considers in his environmental, administrative, and operational investigation of the winter encampments at Middlebrook, Morristown, West Point, New Windsor, and Valley Forge.

Beyond the encampments' basic function of sheltering soldiers, this historical study reveals their importance as a key component of Washington's Fabian strategy: stationed on secure, mountainous terrain close to New York, the camps allowed the Continental commander-in-chief to monitor the enemy but avoid direct engagement, thus neutralizing a numerically superior opponent while husbanding his own strength.

Documenting the growth of Washington and his subordinates as military administrators, "Surviving the Winters" offers a telling new perspective on the commander's generalship during the Revolutionary War. At the same time, "Surviving the Winters" demonstrates that these winter encampments stand alongside more famous battlefields as sites where American independence was won.

Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of and informative introduction (All the Views and Designs of a General in the Choice of HIs Camps), thirty-eight pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution" is a seminal and informative work of meticulous scholarship and exhaustive research. Especially well written, organized and presented, "Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution" is an essential and core addition to community, college and university library American Revolutionary War collections and supplemental studies curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).


The World History Shelf

Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine
Alan Dowty
Indiana University Press
https://iupress.org
9780253038654, $65.00, HC, 314pp

https://www.amazon.com/Arabs-Jews-Ottoman-Palestine-Perspectives/dp/0253038650

Synopsis: When did the Arab-Israeli conflict begin? Some discussions focus on the 1967 war, some go back to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, and others look to the beginning of the British Mandate in 1922.

In his groundbreaking study, "Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two Worlds Collide" Alan Dowty (Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Notre Dame), traces the earliest roots of the conflict to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, arguing that this historical approach highlights constant clashes between religious and ethnic groups in Palestine.

Professor Dowty demonstrates that existing Arab residents viewed new Jewish settlers as European and shares evidence of overwhelming hostility to foreigners from European lands. He also shows that Jewish settlers had tremendous incentive to minimize all obstacles to settlement, including the inconvenient hostility of the existing population.

Professor Dowty's thorough research reveals how events that occurred over 125 years ago shaped the implacable conflict that dominates the Middle East today.

Critique: A seminal work of impeccable and meticulous scholarship, "Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two Worlds Collide" by Professor Alan Dowty must be considered a core addition to community, college and university library Turkish, Palestinian, and Israeli history collections and supplemental studies curriculums. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of an eighteen page Bibliography and a nine page Index, it should be noted that "Arabs and Jews in Ottoman Palestine: Two Worlds Collide" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780253057259, $25.00) and in digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry
David Musgrove, author
Michael Lewis, author
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500252420, $34.95, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Bayeux-Tapestry-Unraveling-Conquest/dp/0500252424

Synopsis: Most people know that the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the moment when the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold Godwinson, was defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 by his Norman adversary William the Conqueror. However, there is much more to this historic treasure than merely illustrating the outcome of this famous battle. Full of intrigue and violence, the tapestry depicts everything from eleventh-century political and social life -- including the political machinations on both sides of the English Channel in the years leading up to the Norman Conquest as well as the clash of swords and stamp of hooves on the battle field.

Drawing on the latest historical and scientific research, with the publication of "The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unraveling the Norman Conquest", collaborative authors David Musgrove and Michael Lewis have written the definitive book on the Bayeux Tapestry, taking their readers through its narrative, detailing the life of the tapestry in the centuries that followed its creation, explaining how it got its name, and even offering a new possibility that neither Harold nor William were the true intended king of England.

Critique: Impressively organized and presented, and enhanced with the inclusion of 147 stunning, full-color photographs throughout, "The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unraveling the Norman Conquest" informatively explores the complete tale behind this medieval treasure that continues to amaze nearly one thousand years after its creation. An informative, absorbing, ground-breaking study, "The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unraveling the Norman Conquest" is unreservedly recommended as a significant and core addition to personal, community, college and university library French & English Medieval Studies collections in general, and Bayeux Tapestry supplemental studies curriculum lists in particular.

Editorial Note: David Musgrove is content director for BBC History Magazine, BBC World Histories, and BBC History Revealed. Michael Lewis is head of portable antiquities & treasure at the British Museum, visiting professor in archaeology at the University of Reading, and an expert on the Bayeux Tapestry.

Medieval Military Combat
Tom Lewis
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008875, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Military-Combat-Fighting-Techniques-dp-1612008879/dp/1612008879

Synopsis: It is not truly known just how medieval soldiers fought on the battlefield. Did they just walk forward in their armor smashing each other with their maces and poleaxes for hours on end, as depicted on film and in programs such as Game of Thrones? Realistically, they could not have done so. It is impossible to fight in such a physically strenuous manner for more than several minutes before simply exhaustion becomes a preventative factor.

From historical records we actually know more of how the Roman and Greek armies fought than we do of the medieval armies from 1300 to 1550 A.D.

So how did medieval soldiers in the War of the Roses, and in the infantry sections of battles such as Agincourt and Towton, carry out their grim work? For the first time, "Medieval Military Combat: Battle Tactics and Fighting Techniques of the Wars of the Roses" is an historical study by historian, author and public speaker Tom Lewis that reveals the techniques of such battles. It also breaks new ground in establishing medieval battle numbers as highly exaggerated, and that we need to look again at the accounts of actions such as the famous Battle of Towton, which this work uses as a basic for its overall study.

Critique: A seminal work of seminal outstanding and meticulously detailed scholarship, "Medieval Military Combat: Battle Tactics and Fighting Techniques of the Wars of the Roses" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library Medieval History collections in general, and Medieval Military History supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Medieval Military Combat: Battle Tactics and Fighting Techniques of the Wars of the Roses" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

The York Princesses
Sarah J. Hodder
O-Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789045574, $16.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/York-Princesses-Daughters-Elizabeth-Woodville/dp/1789045576

Synopsis: As a collective, the lives of the Princesses of York span across seven decades and the rule of five different Kings. The daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, they were born into an England that had been ruled over by the great Plantagenet Kings for almost three hundred years.

Their young years were blighted by tragedy: the death of their beloved father, followed by the disappearance and possible murder of their two brothers, Edward and Richard of York, forever now known to history as the infamous Princes in the Tower.

With their own futures uncertain during the reign of their uncle, Richard III, and their mother held under house arrest, the Princesses had to navigate their way through the tumultuous years of the 1480s before having to adjust to a new King and a new dynasty in the shape of Henry VII, who would bring about the age of the Tudors.

Through her marriage to Henry, Elizabeth of York rebuilt her life, establishing herself as a popular, if not hugely influential Queen. But she did not forget her younger siblings, and even before her own mother's death, she acted as a surrogate mother to the younger York princesses, supporting them both financially and emotionally.

The stories of the York Princesses are entwined into the fabric of the history of England, as they grew up, survived and even thrived in the new Tudor age. Their lives are played out against a backdrop of coronations and jousts, births and deaths, marriages and divorces and loyalties and broken allegiances.

From the usurpation of Richard III, to the Battle of Bosworth, the brilliance of the court of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, to the rise of Anne Boleyn, the York Princesses were there to witness events unfold. They were the daughters, sisters and aunts of Kings, and this is their story.

Critique: A simply riveting history, "The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" is a natural follow-up to Sarah J. Hodder's first book, "The Queen's Sisters", which told the stories of the lives of the sisters of Elizabeth Woodville. Once again with laudable attention to detail and with a natural talent for bringing history to life, "The York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" will prove to be a welcome, informative, and entertaining addition to community, college and university library British & European Royal Biography 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 York Princesses: The Daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49).

Editorial Note: Sarah J Hodder began her career as production manager for Shire Publications, a unique niche Publisher that introduced her to an eclectic mix of subjects and encouraged her already well-founded love of books. She has developed a passion for history, particularly medieval and Tudor, and reads everything and anything she can get her hands on. Her focus is the role of women and she counts Elizabeth Woodville as one of her heroines. Seeing a gap in the history and lives of the Woodville women is what led her to write her first book on the subject.

Titanic - 'Iceberg Ahead'
James W. Bancroft
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526772060, $32.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Titanic-Iceberg-Ahead-Story-Disaster/dp/152677206X

Synopsis: On 10 April 1912, people from all walks of life began embarking on the British luxury ship Titanic, then the largest ship afloat, for what was to be the trip of a lifetime on the ship's maiden voyage across the north Atlantic. Many were looking forward to starting new lives in the United States.

However, just before midnight on Sunday, 14 April 1912, Titanic's crew began to send out distress signals stating, 'We have struck an iceberg.' The liner had been steaming at speed when it collided with an enormous iceberg which stripped off her bilge under the waterline for more than 100 yards, opened up five of the front compartments and flooded the coal bunker servicing one of the boilers.

The damage was fatal, and some three hours after the disaster began to unfold the last visible part of Titanic slipped beneath the waves. There were only sixteen lifeboats and four collapsible dinghies - which was completely insufficient for the number of passengers making the crossing. As a consequence, more than 1,500 passengers and crew died: two out of every three people onboard perished.

Much has been written about the Titanic disaster, and it has been the subject matter for several films. As an author, James W. Bancroft is well-known for his depth of research and his attention to detail, and in a new style of format in "Titanic - 'Iceberg Ahead': The Story of the Disaster By Some of Those Who Were There", he has selected fifty people involved in the disaster, and by using their specific eyewitness accounts he has managed to make the confusing situation much clearer, making it possible for the reader to experience the dreadful events as they unfolded.

"Titanic - 'Iceberg Ahead'" also includes biographical tributes to the fifty people, who came from all walks of life and geographical regions, telling who they were, their experiences during the disaster, and what happened to those who were fortunate enough to survive.

Critique: A unique and impressively effective approach to an historical study of the Titanic disaster, "Titanic - 'Iceberg Ahead': The Story of the Disaster By Some of Those Who Were There" is an extraordinarily informative and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community, college and university library Maritime History collections.

Editorial Note: In the four decades James W. Bancroft has been writing he has produced more than 100 books and articles, the subjects of which reflect his varied interests. He contributed a number of articles for The New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and his book Rorke's Drift: The Zulu War, 1879 has been re-printed seven times.


The Civil War Shelf

Unlike Anything That Ever Floated
Dwight Sturtevant Hughes
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215250, $14.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unlike-Anything-That-Ever-Floated/dp/1611215250

Synopsis: The American Civil War saw enormous technological advances. Not the least was in the area of Naval warfare in the form of the Monitor and the Merrimack.

The day before, the Rebel ironclad vessel ram had obliterated two powerful Union warships and was poised to destroy more. That night, the revolutionary (not to say bizarre) Monitor slipped into harbor after hurrying down from New York through fierce gales that almost sank her. These metal monstrosities dueled in the morning, pounding away for hours with little damage to either. Who won is still debated.

One Vermont reporter could hardly find words for Monitor: "It is in fact unlike anything that ever floated on Neptune's bosom." The little vessel became an icon of American industrial ingenuity and strength. She redefined the relationship between men and machines in war. But beforehand, many feared she would not float. Captain John L. Worden: "Here was an unknown, untried vessel... an iron coffin-like ship of which the gloomiest predictions were made."

The CSS Virginia was a paradigm of Confederate strategy and execution -- the brainchild of innovative, dedicated, and courageous men, but the victim of hurried design, untested technology, poor planning and coordination, and a dearth of critical resources. Nevertheless, she obsolesced the entire U.S Navy, threatened the strategically vital blockade, and disrupted General McClellan's plans to take Richmond.

From flaming, bloody decks of sinking ships, to the dim confines of the first rotating armored turret, to the smoky depths of a Rebel gundeck (with shells screaming, clanging, booming, and splashing all around) to the office of a worried president with his cabinet peering down the Potomac for a Rebel monster, this dramatic story unfolds through the accounts of men who lived it in "Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862" by American Civil War historian Dwight Sturtevant Hughes.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, informed and informative, "Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862" will prove to be an enduringly welcome and appreciated addition to community, college and university library American Civil War 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 "Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Lieutenant Commander Dwight Sturtevant Hughes writes and speaks on Civil War naval history and created a Civil War website: www.CivilWarNavyHistory.com. Hughes graduated from the Naval Academy in 1967 and served twenty years aboard warships, on navy staffs, and with river forces in Vietnam. He holds an MA in Political Science and an MS in Information Systems Management. He has also authored "A Confederate Biography: The Cruise of the CSS Shenandoah" (Naval Institute Press, 2015) and is a contributing author at the Emerging Civil War blog www.emergingcivilwar.com

John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General
Richard L. Miller
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826362193, $34.95, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/John-P-Slough-Forgotten-General/dp/0826362192

Synopsis: John Potts Slough (February 1, 1829 - December 17, 1867), the Union commander at the Battle of Glorieta Pass, lived a life of relentless pursuit for success that entangled him in the turbulent events of mid-nineteenth-century America. As a politician, Slough fought abolitionists in the Ohio legislature and during Kansas Territory's fourth and final constitutional convention.

He organized the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry after the Civil War broke out, eventually leading his men against Confederate forces at the pivotal engagement at Glorieta Pass. After the war, as chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court, he struggled to reform corrupt courts amid the territory's corrosive Reconstruction politics.

Slough was known to possess a volcanic temper and an easily wounded pride. These traits not only undermined a promising career but ultimately led to his death at the hands of an aggrieved political enemy who gunned him down in a Santa Fe saloon.

Critique: A definitive biography, "John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General" by Civil War historian and author Richard L. Miller deftly recounts Slough's dramatic story of one man's rise and fall during America's most tumultuous decades. A unique and appreciated contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories and biographies, "John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General" is unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library American Civil War and 19th Century American Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of civil war buffs that "John P. Slough: The Forgotten Civil War General" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.27).

Editorial Note: Richard L. Miller is a frequent presenter to Civil War roundtables and other history groups. He is the past president of the Puget Sound Civil War Roundtable. Miller lives in Seattle, Washington.

A Fire in the Wilderness
John Reeves
Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781643137001, $28.95, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Wilderness-Battle-Between-Ulysses/dp/164313700X

Synopsis: In the spring of 1864, President Lincoln feared that he might not be able to save the Union. The Army of the Potomac had performed poorly over the previous two years, and many Northerners were understandably critical of the war effort. Lincoln assumed he'd lose the November election, and he firmly believed a Democratic successor would seek peace immediately, spelling an end to the Union. "A Fire in the Wilderness: The First Battle Between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee" by John Reeves tells the story of that perilous time when the future of the United States depended on the Union Army's success in a desolate forest roughly sixty-five miles from the nation's capital.

At the outset of the Battle of the Wilderness, General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia remained capable of defeating the Army of the Potomac. But two days of relentless fighting in dense Virginia woods, Robert E. Lee was never again able to launch offensive operations against Grant's army. Lee, who faced tremendous difficulties replacing fallen soldiers, lost 11,125 men -- or 17% of his entire force. On the opposing side, the Union suffered 17,666 casualties.

The alarming casualties do not begin to convey the horror of this battle, one of the most gruesome in American history. The impenetrable forest and gunfire smoke made it impossible to view the enemy. Officers couldn't even see their own men during the fighting. The incessant gunfire caused the woods to catch fire, resulting in hundreds of men burning to death. "It was as though Christian men had turned to fiends, and hell itself had usurped the place of the earth," wrote one officer. When the fighting finally subsided during the late evening of the second day, the usually stoical Grant threw himself down on his cot and cried.

Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of twenty-six pages of End Notes and a seven page Index, "A Fire in the Wilderness: The First Battle Between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee" is an extraordinarily informative study and a welcome contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99), This exceptionally well written, organized and presented study is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college and university library American Civil War collections and supplemental studies curriculums.

Editorial Note: John Reeves received an MA in European History from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has taught European and American history at Lehman College, Bronx Community College, and Southbank University in London. Also the author of "The Lost Indictment of Robert E. Lee", John maintains an informative website at www.john-reeves.com.

The Bonds of War
Diana L. Dretske
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
www.siupress.com
9780809338207, $26.50, PB, 276pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bonds-War-Immigrants-Illinois-Volunteer/dp/0809338203

Synopsis: When curator Diana L. Dretske discovered that the five long-gone Union soldiers in a treasured photograph in the Bess Bower Dunn Museum were not fully identified, it compelled her into a project of recovery and reinterpretation. Utilizing an impressive array of local and national archives, as well as private papers, Diana's microhistorical approach records events that often go unnoticed, such as a farmer enlisting in the middle of a crop field, a sister searching her brother's face for signs of war, and an immigrant dying in an effort to become a good American citizen.

"The Bonds of War: A Story of Immigrants and Esprit de Corps in Company C, 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry" is the most intensive examination of the 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry since the regiment's history was published in 1887 and centers on immigrants from the British Isles who wished to be citizens of a country at war with itself. Far removed from their native homelands, they found new promise in rural Illinois. These men, neighbors along the quiet Stateline Road in Lake County, decide to join the fighting at its most dangerous hour. The bonds of war become then the bonds of their new national identity.

"The Bonds of War" also uncovers the common soldier from the cataclysm that is the American Civil War by offering a collective biography of five soldiers of the 96th in the Western Theater. The human drama of their lives unfolds before the reader on battlefields such as Chickamauga and within the high pine stockades of Andersonville. Their lives argue that those who seem to matter least in military history are the very ones who can tell us the most about the experience of war and the reasons for remembering.

Critique: An welcome and original contribution to the growing body of American Civil War histories and biographies, "The Bonds of War: A Story of Immigrants and Esprit de Corps in Company C, 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry" is a meticulous and informative study that features black-and-white illustrations, and Appendix (Company C. Roster), thirty- two pages of Notes, a sixteen page Bibliography, and a thirteen-page Index. Simply stated, "The Bonds of War: A Story of Immigrants and Esprit de Corps in Company C, 96th Illinois Volunteer Infantry" will have immense appeal and value for both scholars and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the American Civil War.

Editorial Note: Diana L. Dretske, is the curator and Lake County historian at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County. She has explored and provided commentary for more than thirty years the history of northeastern Illinois through her research, presentations, and blog. Her books include Lake County, Illinois: An Illustrated History and Views of America: Fort Sheridan. In 2012 the Illinois State Historical Society recognized her with a lifetime achievement award for outstanding contributions in promoting, preserving, and commemorating Illinois history.

A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy
Mark F. Bielski
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214895, $14.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Blow-Confederacy-Orleans-Emerging/dp/1611214890

Synopsis: Abraham Lincoln knew if the Union could cut off shipping to and from New Orleans, the largest exporting port in the world, and control the Mississippi River, it would be a mortal blow to the Confederate economy. Union military leaders devised a secret plan to attack the city from the Gulf of Mexico with a formidable naval flotilla under one commander, David G. Farragut, a native New Orleanian.

Jefferson Davis also understood the city's importance -- but he and his military leaders remained steadfastly undecided about where the threat to the city lay, sending troops to Tennessee rather than addressing the Union forces amassing in the Gulf. In the city, Confederate General Mansfield Lovell, a new commander, was thrust into the middle and poised to become a scapegoat. He was hamstrung by conflicting orders from Richmond and lacked both proper seagoing reconnaissance and the unity of command.

In the spring of 1862, when a furious naval battle began downriver from the city at Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the joyous celebrations of Mardi Gras turned into the Easter season of dread as the sound of the distant bombardment reached New Orleans, portending an ominous outcome.

History has not devoted a great deal of attention to the fall of New Orleans, a Civil War drama that was an early harbinger of the dark days to come for the Confederacy. In "A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy: The Fall of New Orleans, 1862", historian Mark F. Bielski tells of the leaders and men who fought for control of New Orleans, the largest city in the South, the key to the Mississippi, and the commercial gateway for the Confederacy.

Critique: Rescuing a major event of the American Civil War, "A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy: The Fall of New Orleans, 1862" by historian and Civil War expert Mark Bielski is an exceptionally well written, impressively informative, expertly presented, and inherently fascinating addition to the growing library of American Civil War histories and commentaries. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library American Civil War collections and supplemental studies curriculums, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and civil war buffs that "A Mortal Blow to the Confederacy: The Fall of New Orleans, 1862" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.97).

Editorial Note: Mark F. Bielski is an historian, an author, and the Director at Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours. He also hosts the History with Mark Bielski Podcast, where he and his guests, experts in their field, delve into the characters, backstories, and intrigues that drove events throughout history. Bielski's first book, Sons of the White Eagle in the American Civil War: Divided Poles in a Divided Nation, describes the fascinating story of nine transplanted Poles who participated in the American Civil War.


The Military Shelf

After the Wall Came Down
Andrew Richards
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612008301, $39.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/After-Wall-Came-Down-Soldiers/dp/1612008305

Synopsis: The generation of young men and women who joined the British Army during the mid to late 1980s would serve their country during an unprecedented period of history. Unlike the two world war generations, they would never face total war -- there was never any declaration of war and there was no one single country to defeat. In fact, it was supposed to have been the end of war, a time of peace and stability. Politicians started to use the term, Peace Dividend, with government officials even planning on how and where it should be spent.

But for those in the military, the two decades following the end of the Cold War would not be a time of peace. Government spending and the size of the military was reduced but the Army's commitments increased exponentially. Those serving not only faced continuous deployment in overseas operations, they would also be involved in immense upheavals that took place within the army. When the Berlin Wall came down, the British Army had not changed for decades.

The ending of the Cold War, combined with a technological revolution, a changing society at home, and new global threats mean that the Army of the second decade of the twentieth-first century - the army this generation of soldiers is now retiring from - is unrecognizable from the one they joined in the late 1980s. "After the Wall Came Down: Soldiering through the Transformation of the British Army, 1990 - 2020" by Andrew Richards is the story of the soldiers who served in the British Army in those tumultuous decades.

Critique: An impressively informative and exceptionally well written study, "After the Wall Came Down: Soldiering through the Transformation of the British Army, 1990 - 2020" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library British Military History & Geo-Political Studies collections and supplemental studies curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of military history buffs that "After the Wall Came Down: Soldiering through the Transformation of the British Army, 1990 - 2020" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Editorial Note: Andrew Richards served 22 years with the Household Cavalry. During his last years of service, he graduated from the Open University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Humanities with History and Classical Studies

Forgotten Wars
Wlodzimierz Borodziej, author
Maciej Gorny, author
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108837156, $99.99, HC, 345pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Wars-Central-1912-1916-Cultural/dp/1108837158

Synopsis: In the pages of "Forgotten Wars: Central and Eastern Europe, 1912 - 1916", authors Wlodzimierz Borodziej and Maciej Gorny salvage the historical memory of the experience of war in the lands between Riga and Skopje, beginning with the two Balkan conflicts of 1912 - 1913 and ending with the death of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1916.

The First World War in the East and South-East of Europe was fought by people from a multitude of different nationalities, most of them dressed in the uniforms of three imperial armies: Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian."Forgotten Wars" charts the origins and outbreak of the First World War, the early battles, and the war's impact on ordinary soldiers and civilians through to the end of the Romanian campaign in December 1916, by which point the Central Powers controlled all of the Balkans except for the Peloponnese.

Combining military and social history, "Forgotten Wars" make extensive use of eyewitness accounts to describe the traumatic experience that established a region stretching between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.

Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Jasper Tilbury, "Forgotten Wars: Central and Eastern Europe, 1912 - 1916" by Wlodzimierz Borodziej (University of Warsaw) and Maciej Gorny (Tadeusz Manteuffel History Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw) is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of figures, maps, a thirteen page Select Bibliography, and a ten page Index.

A seminal work of meticulous historical research that is as impressively informative as it is exceptionally well organized and presented, "Forgotten Wars: Central and Eastern Europe, 1912 - 1916" is unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library 20th Century Military History collections and supplemental studies curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military history buffs and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Forgotten Wars: Central and Eastern Europe, 1912 - 1916" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $60.49).

War at the Speed of Light
Louis A. Del Monte
Potomac Books, Inc.
c/o University of Nebraska Press
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166-2012
www.potomacbooksinc.com
9781640123304, $29.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/War-Speed-Light-Directed-Energy-Twenty-First-Century/dp/164012330X

Synopsis: "War at the Speed of Light: Directed-Energy Weapons and the Future of Twenty-First-Century Warfare" by Louis A. Del Monte describes the revolutionary and ever-increasing role of directed-energy weapons (such as laser, microwave, electromagnetic pulse, and cyberspace weapons) in warfare. Del Monte clearly delineates the threat that such weapons pose to disrupting the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction, which has kept the major powers of the world from engaging in nuclear warfare.

Potential U.S. adversaries, such as China and Russia, are developing hypersonic missiles and using swarming tactics as a means to defeat the U.S. military. In response, the U.S. Department of Defense established the 2018 National Security Strategy, emphasizing directed-energy weapons, which project devastation at the speed of light and are capable of destroying hypersonic missiles and enemy drones and missile swarms.

"War at the Speed of Light" also analyzes how modern warfare is changing in three fundamental ways: the pace of war is quickening, the rate at which weapons project devastation is reaching the speed of light, and cyberspace is now officially a battlefield. In this acceleration of combat called "hyperwar", "War at the Speed of Light" shows how disturbingly close the world is to losing any deterrence to nuclear warfare.

Critique: Enhanced for academia and the non-specialist general reader with the inclusion of illustrations, tables, an informative introduction, four appendices, twenty-eight pages of notes, and a ten page index, "War at the Speed of Light: Directed-Energy Weapons and the Future of Twenty-First-Century Warfare" is a seminal work on Modern Warfare and a critically important addition to community, college and university library National & International Security and Military Policy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental and military policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "War at the Speed of Light: Directed-Energy Weapons and the Future of Twenty-First-Century Warfare" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Louis A. Del Monte is the CEO of Del Monte and Associates and has more than thirty years of experience in physics, technology, and engineering. His technological developments are used by Honeywell, IBM, Samsung, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He is also the author of "Nanoweapons: A Growing Threat to Humanity" (Potomac, 2017).

American Artillery
Michael Green
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526776662, $34.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Artillery-1775-Present-Day/dp/1526776669

Synopsis: The first regiment of artillery in the American Continental Army was formed in 1775. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) artillery evolved from the employment of individual batteries to massed fire of grouped batteries.

In 1907, the US Army Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery and the Coast Artillery Corps. During the First World War (1914-1918), a lack of American-made weapons saw the adoption of foreign artillery pieces. The Second World War demanded the introduction of many new field artillery pieces by the US Army. General Patton later commented, "I don't have to tell you who won the war, you know our artillery did."

American artillery firepower also took a heavy toll of the enemy during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

During the Cold War American artillery continued to develop, embracing new weapons systems including tactical nuclear missiles which thankfully never had to be used. Conventional artillery proved highly effective during both Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

"American Artillery: From 1775 to the Present Day" by military historian Michael Green is superbly illustrated and authoritative work covers the full range of artillery weaponry which has been in service with US armed forces.

Critique: A unique and impressively informative history of American military artillery from the founding of our nation down to the present day, "American Artillery: From 1775 to the Present Day" is profusely illustrated in black-and-white throughout, and must be considered a core and essential addition to personal, community, college and university library American Military History collections and supplemental studies curriculums.

War in the Villages
Ted N. Easterling
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle, #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574418262, $29.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/War-Villages-Combined-Platoons-American/dp/1574418262

Synopsis: Much of the history written about the Vietnam War overlooks the U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons. These CAPs lived in the Vietnamese villages, with the difficult and dangerous mission of defending the villages from both the National Liberation Front guerrillas and the soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army. The CAPs also worked to improve living conditions by helping the people with projects, such as building schools, bridges, and irrigation systems for their fields.

In "War in the Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War", Ted Easterling (who served as a U.S. Marine in the Vietnam War) examines how well the CAPs performed as a counterinsurgency method, how the Marines adjusted to life in the Vietnamese villages, and how they worked to accomplish their mission. The CAPs generally performed their counterinsurgency role well, but they were hampered by factors beyond their control. Most important was the conflict between the Army and the Marine Corps over an appropriate strategy for the Vietnam War, along with weakness of the government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the strategic and the tactical ability of the North Vietnamese Army.

"War in the Villages" helps to explain how and why this potential was realized and squandered. Marines who served in the CAPs served honorably in difficult circumstances. Most of these Marines believed they were helping the people of South Vietnam, and they served superbly. The failure to end the war more favorably was no fault of theirs.

Critique: An exceptionally well written, organized and presented study that is a critically important and core addition to community, college and university library American Military History collections in general, and Vietnam War supplemental studies lists in particular, "War in the Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War" is the fifth volume in the 'American Military Studies' series from the University of North Texas Press. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "War in the Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).


The General Fiction Shelf

Splinter on the Tide
Phillip Parotti
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612009582, $22.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Splinter-Casemate-Fiction-Phillip-Parotti/dp/1612009581

Synopsis: Having survived the sinking of his first ship, Ensign Ash Miller USNR is promoted and assigned to command one of the sleek new additions to "the splinter fleet", a 110-foot wooden submarine chaser armed with only understrength guns and depth charges. His task is to bring the ship swiftly into commission, weld his untried crew into an efficient fighting unit, and take his vessel to sea in order to protect the defenseless Allied merchant vessels which are being maliciously and increasingly sunk by German U-Boats, often within sight of the coast.

Ash rises to the deadly challenge he faces, brings his crew of three officers and 27 men to peak performance, and meets the threats he faces with understated courage and determination, rescuing stricken seamen, destroying Nazi mines, fighting U-Boats, and developing both the tactical sense and command authority that will be the foundation upon which America's citizen sailors eventually win the war. During rare breaks in operations, Ash cherishes a developing relationship with the spirited Claire Morris who embodies the peaceful ideal for which he has been fighting.

Critique: A deftly craft novel of naval combat in World War II, "Splinter on the Tide" effectively showcases author Phillip Parotti's genuine flair for originality, attention to historical detail, the creation of memorable characters, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully engages the reader from first page to last. While highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all military history and fiction fans that "Splinter on the Tide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95).

Commandos: Set Europe Ablaze
Richard Camp
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636240084, $22.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Commandos-Europe-Ablaze-Casemate-Fiction/dp/1636240089

Synopsis: U.S. Marine Captain Jim Cain and his Gunnery Sergeant Leland Montgomery are surprised to receive orders to the British Commando training center in the Scottish Highlands. There they are put through the brutal specialized training that will hone their fighting skills. Pitiless forced marches, dangerous live fire exercises and hazardous assault courses building their physical endurance, and a strong sense of brotherhood develops between the British soldiers and the two Marines.

Lucky to be quartered in the spacious home of the Commandos' commanding officer, Cain has the pleasure of meeting his daughter, Loreena. Bright and stunning, Loreena is secretive about her work in London. Before Cain can learn more about her, the training course is interrupted and the commando squad is sent on a special mission to destroy a German radar station on Nazi-held Alderney, off the coast of France.

While the site is defended by a squad of second-rate garrison soldiers who are no match for the highly trained and motivated commandos, a reaction force of infantry, led by a German combat veteran, joins the fight. The action is fierce and bloody and there are heavy losses on both sides. The surviving raiders withdraw to Royal Navy motor torpedo boats, but a marauding squadron of Schnellboots (E-Boats) lies in wait.

Critique: It is clear that as an author of the World War II action/adventure novel, "Commandos: Set Europe Ablaze", Richard Camp has drawn upon his years of experience and expertise of 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps (and being a Purple Heart recipient) to produce an outstanding war story that will hold the reader's rapt attention from cover to cover. Certain to be an immediately popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library WWII Military Fiction collections, it should be noted that "Commandos: Set Europe Ablaze" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95).

All Sorrows Can Be Borne
Loren Stephens
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
https://rarebirdlit.com
9781644281987, $26.00, HC, 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/All-Sorrows-Can-Be-Borne/dp/1644281988

Synopsis: Inspired by true events, "All Sorrows Can Be Borne" by novelist Loren Stephens is the story of Noriko Ito, a Japanese woman faced with unimaginable circumstances that force her to give up her son to save her husband. Set in Hiroshima, Osaka, and the badlands of eastern Montana and spanning the start of World War II to 1982.

Told primarily in the voice of Noriko, a feisty aspiring actress who fails her audition to enter the Takarazuka Theater Academy. Instead, she takes the "part" of a waitress at a European-style tearoom in Osaka where she meets the mysterious and handsome manager, Ichiro Uchida. They fall in love over music and marry. Soon after Noriko becomes pregnant during their seaside honeymoon, Ichiro is diagnosed with tuberculosis destroying their dreams.

Noriko gives birth to a healthy baby boy, but to give the child a better life, Ichiro convinces her to give the toddler to his older sister and her Japanese-American husband, who live in Montana. Noriko holds on to the belief that this inconceivable sacrifice will lead to her husband's recovery. What happens next is unexpected and shocking and will affect Noriko for the rest of her life.

Eighteen years later, her son enlists in the U.S. Navy and is sent to Japan. Finally, he is set to meet his birth mother, but their reunion cracks open the pain and suffering Noriko has endured.

Critique: An eloquent and engaging novel that was inspired by true events and deftly written with a compelling sensitivity, "All Sorrows Can Be Borne", explores how families are shaped by political and economic circumstances, tremendous loss and ultimately forgiveness. One of those masterpiece works of literary fiction, "All Sorrows Can Be Borne" is especially and unreservedly recommended, especially for community, college and university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "All Sorrows Can Be Borne" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: Loren Stephens is a two-time nominee of the Pushcart Prize and the book Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge, by Cliff Simon with Loren Stephens was named one of the best titles from an independent press by Kirkus. She is president and founder of the ghostwriting companies, Write Wisdom and Bright Star Memoirs.


The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Widow Queen
Elzbieta Cherezinska
Forge
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250218001, $25.99, HC, 512pp

https://www.amazon.com/Widow-Queen-Bold-1/dp/1250218004

Synopsis: To her father, the great duke of Poland, Swietoslawa and her two sisters represent three chances for an alliance. Three marriages on which to build his empire. But Swietoslawa refuses to be simply a pawn in her father's schemes; she seeks a throne of her own, with no husband by her side. The gods may grant her wish, but crowns sit heavy, and power is a sword that cuts both ways.

Critique: A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "The Widow Queen" clearly establishes author Elzbieta Cherezinska as a consummate master of the historical novel genre with a compellingly entertaining narrative storytelling style and the ability create memorable characters and intriguing plot twists. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Widow Queen" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250789808, $78.99, CD).


The Literary Fiction Shelf

Public Reading Followed by Discussion
Danielle Memoire, author
K. E. Gormley, translator
Dalkey Archive Press
www.dalkeyarchive.com
9781943150601, $15.95, PB, 150pp

https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Followed-Discussion-Danielle-M%C3%A9moire/dp/1943150605

Synopsis: Who's really telling this story? That's the mystery at the heart of Danielle Memoire's novel, which opens with a writer on stage at a public reading -- a public reading that isn't one, because she never reads a word, much to the audience's annoyance. When an audience member finally heckles her, the writer's response sets off a chain reaction of nested stories that tumble one after another like a row of dominoes.

Each storyteller in the series (most are writers at public readings) builds on what's come before while often radically changing its meaning. Along the way, we encounter fatal stepladders, a painter obsessed with a transom window, a lovestruck dog-walker, and a lost cat restored to its owners through divine intervention. Playful, thought-provoking, and utterly unique, "Public Reading Followed by Discussion" defies classification and invites every reader to join the game.

Critique: Ably translated from French into English for the benefit of an American readership by academic librarian K. E. Gormley, "Public Reading Followed by Discussion" by Danielle Memoire is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university 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 French Literature that "Public Reading Followed by Discussion" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Danielle Memoire is a contemporary French writer and the author of more than a dozen novels notable for bending the rules of storytelling in unique and surprising ways. This is the first of her books to appear in English.

Love Like Water, Love Like Fire
Mikhail Iossel
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o NYU School of Medicine
550 First Ave., OBV A612, New York, NY 10016
9781942658566, $16.99, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Like-Water-Fire/dp/1942658567

Synopsis: From the moment of its founding, the USSR was reviled and admired, demonized and idealized. Many Jews saw the new society ushered in by the Russian Revolution as their salvation from shtetl life with its deprivations and deadly pogroms. But Soviet Russia was rife with antisemitism, and a Jewish boy growing up in Leningrad learned early, harsh, and enduring lessons.

Unsparing and poignant, Mikhail Iossel's "Love Like Water, Love Like Fire" is comprised of twenty stories of Soviet childhood and adulthood, dissidence and subsequent immigration that are, individually and collectively, filled with wit and humor even as they describe the daily absurdities of a fickle and often perilous reality.

Critique: Replete with an erudite wit and eloquent wisdom, human expectations and unexpected consequences, "Love Like Water, Love Like Fire" is an extraordinary, thoughtful and thought-provoking read. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Love Like Water, Love Like Fire" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Mikhail Iossel immigrated to the United States in 1986 from the former USSR and is an Associate Professor of English at Concordia University in Montreal. His stories and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere.


The Western Fiction Shelf

Six-Guns At Solace
John Davage
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846621, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 248pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846621

https://www.amazon.com/Six-guns-at-Solace-John-Davage/dp/1444846620

Synopsis: When Meg Thornton becomes caught up in a bank raid, she is horrified to discover that one of the perpetrators is her brother Clay, who has been on the run since killing a barman in her home town. He has fallen in with the notorious Pike gang, and Eli Pike will kill his sister if he finds out she was a witness to their crime. Can Clay extricate himself and a girl that Eli kidnaped and routinely abuses from the gang in time?

Critique: As the author of western action/adventure novels, John Davage ranks among the very best. A large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library, "Six-Guns At Solace" packs surprise after surprise right down to a final and desperate confrontation in the final couple of cliff-hanger pages! "Six-Guns At Solace" is highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

The Legend of Link Bonner
Shorty Gunn
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846683, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846683

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Link-Bonner-Shorty-Gunn/dp/144484668X

Synopsis: Link Bonner never wanted to gain a reputation as a fast hand with a six-gun, plus the will to use it. But sometimes natural talent combined with unavoidable, unpredicted circumstances drive the lives of men beyond their own desires. And Bonner was such a man, always in the middle of trouble he wasn't looking for. It took a woman to change him - but losing her made life and death of little consequence to him.

Critique: As an author of action/adventure western novels, Shorty Gunn is an immensely talented and imaginative author. One of his best is "The Legend of Link Bonner" with an unusual set up to launch the story and an equally unusual ending. The result is a compelling read from cover to cover and a novel that will prove to be an immensely and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Red Pardee
Phillip Ketchum
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785418716, $32.00, PB, Large Print, 234pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785418716

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Pardee-Philip-Ketchum/dp/1785418718

Synopsis: Tom and Myrt Gallard were good people, even though they were white. They were old-timers so maybe they knew a little bit more than most about Indians, and somehow they had never gotten around to thinking of them as any different to themselves. So it was as natural as breathing to them to want a half-breed Indian boy when they elected to adopt a child and bring him home from the army outpost where he had been kept since being 'liberated' from his tribe. Like any conscientious father, Tom Gallard figured to teach young Red Pardee how to take care of himself. With gun, knife, fists, or anything else that was handy. Tom just didn't know how well he could teach - or how apt a pupil he had. Which was lucky because Red after Gallard was assassinated at the order of a land-grabbing and ruthless Ben Justine, he ended up taking care of a lot more than just himself -- including stopping Justine by any means necessary.

Critique: Once again Phillip Ketchum demonstrates his complete master of the western action/adventure novel with "Red Pardee". A fully engaging and entertaining storyline with a harrowing and unexpected finale, this large print edition of "Red Pardee" is very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans, and as a permanent addition to community library Western Fiction collections.

The Trail to Devil's Canyon
Cole Matthews
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846768, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 232pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846768

https://www.amazon.com/Trail-Devils-Canyon-Cole-Matthews/dp/1444846760

Synopsis: Anton Kozlov has escaped Russia and made a new life for himself on Battle Mountain in Nevada. When he's asked to do a favor for a US Cavalry officer (who is also his stepson) and retrieve the man's a mail-order bride from a stage station it sounds easy enough. -- until he learns that the stage has broken down near a notorious nest of outlaws who now hold the woman with evil intent. Though he succeeds in rescuing Lucy, the way back to Devil's Canyon is fraught with danger -- and upon their arrival, there's further trouble in store in the form of an Indian uprising and base betrayal.

Critique: As an author, Cole Matthews is a master of the western action/adventure genre and now, with the publication of a large print edition of "The Trail to Devil's Canyon" he once agains demonstrates his narrative driven storytelling skills with deftly crafted and unexpected plot twists right up until the very last cliff-hanger of an ending -- making this thoroughly entering read with the highest recommendations possible for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

A Short Ride to Hell
Paul Green
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845921, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 285pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444845921

https://www.amazon.com/Short-Ride-Hell-Paul-Green/dp/1444845926

Synopsis: When a Wells Fargo stage is robbed and all the passengers murdered, Sheriff Luke Callaghan is suspicious of Jackson Tate's claim that this was the work of Apaches. He sets off in pursuit of Tate and his gang, only to find himself battling the gun running Mexican bandit, Hector Salinas. Things go from bad to worse, and Callaghan is forced to defend his beloved town of Maxwell against attack from Apaches seeking revenge for the death of their chief. Then there is the necessity of proving the innocence of his friend Matt Carver who is suspected of involvement in the stage coach robbery -- plus the rescue his sweetheart Christina from first her bandit brother and the secondly from the murderous Apaches.

Critique: From one cliff-hanger of a fix to another, and then another, and then still another, "A Short Ride to Hell" is one seemingly endless action packed showdown after showdown and a gun blazing thrill of a read from cover to cover -- making it a perfect addition to both the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Where No Ravens Fly
Harry Jay Thorn
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846706, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Ravens-Fly-Harry-Thorn/dp/1444846701

Synopsis: After a long hiatus following the murder of his wife, Annie Blue, sometime Pinkerton Agent, Deputy US Marshal and freelance detective Lucas Santana is once again called to serve.

The smooth-talking, well-read Wyoming private eye is ordered south to Riverton County Texas, to investigate the rumored growing unrest there. Washington is worried that the ambitions of one man could destroy the peace on that lonely stretch of borderline. The ambitious Frank Vagg controls the local law on both the Mexican side and the Texas side of the Rio Grande, straddled as it is by his headquarters, the township of San Pedro.

Santana's attractive contact, female Pinkerton operative Henri Larsson, is wary of his reputation for action, but she proves to be more of a match than he would like. As usual, Santana attracts trouble like horse manure attracts dung beetles and it isn't too long before he is compelled to use his big Colt. When the lead begins to fly he is joined by fellow Pinkerton agents Joshua Beaufort and Jacob Benbow and the body count grows in the grim, grey borderline county where no ravens fly.

Critique: As a western novelist, Harry Jay Thorn has a positive flair for creating interesting and unique characters, heart- stopping plot twists, and fully engaging gun battles. In "Where No Ravens Fly" he once again employs all of his storytelling talents to provide a memorably entertaining read from first page to last -- making this large print edition from the Linford Western Library collection a highly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Quigley's Way
P. McCormac
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846676, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 304pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444846676

https://www.amazon.com/Quigleys-Way-P-Mccormac/dp/1444846671

Synopsis: Shot by two druken gunnies, a dying man named Peter Barker asks Sheriff Quigley to deliver a message to his family. Quigley does so -- only to find himself the target of a ruthless range baron Huston McRae, a man who controls everything in Gila County, including the law. McRae doesn't want an outsider nosing around in his affairs, and especially not helping Peter's widow. When McRae's attempts at intimidation fail, he orders Quigley killed. But Quigley sends for his deputy, Murray Fishbourne, and together they'll take on McRae and his gunslingers.

Critique: Faced with one lethal disaster after another, "Quigley's Way" by western author P. McCormac is one of those cliff-hanger action adventure novels reminiscent of a Saturday Matinee movie serial. A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Quigley's Way" is an intensely entertaining and compulsive page turner that will be a welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

The Hi Lo Country
Max Evans
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826362537, $19.95, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Lo-Country-60th-Anniversary/dp/0826362532

Synopsis: At its heart, "The Hi Lo Country" by Max Evans is the story of the friendship between two men, their mutual love of a woman, and their allegiance to the harsh, dry, achingly beautiful New Mexico high-desert grassland. The story is told by Pete, a young ranch hand, whose best friend is Big Boy Matson. Together they drink, gamble, fight, work, and rodeo. They both fall hard for a married woman -- the attractive, bored, and dangerous Mona.

When it was first published in 1961, the novel was both a celebration and an elegy. It captured something jagged and authentic in the West, and it caught the attention of Hollywood--notably Sam Peckinpah, who spent twenty years trying to make a movie of this multilayered and plainspoken novel. It would take another twenty years for Martin Scorsese and Stephen Frears to finally do it. Now in a special 60th anniversary edition, The Hi Lo Country continues to tell a quintessential story of the people and the land found in the American West.

Critique: Max Evans (August 29, 1924 - August 26, 2020) was the author of over thirty works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Rounders and The King of Taos: A Novel. He was the recipient of the Spur, Wrangler, and Owen Wister awards, and the subject of the biography "Ol' Max Evans: The First Thousand Years" and a documentary film of the same title. Evans made his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for over fifty years.

Now published as a 60th Anniversary edition by the University of New Mexico Press and bringing one of the late Max Evans most acclaimed novels to the attention of a new general of appreciative readers, "The Hi Lo Country" is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community, college and university library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted that this special edition of "The Hi Lo Country" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

On Skein of Death
Allie Pleiter
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593201787, $7.99, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Skein-Death-Riverbank-Knitting-Mystery/dp/0593201787

Synopsis: Libby has come home to Collinstown, Maryland to live her dream and open her own yarn shop, aptly named Y.A.R.N., along the Chester River. To Libby, Y.A.R.N. stands for "You're Absolutely Ready Now". But the acronym changes whenever inspiration strikes, and customers add to the list of suggestions that fill the blackboard wall in a shop stuffed with color, fiber, and comfort.

Libby is thrilled when she lands famous Norwegian knitting celebrity Perle Langager for a series of events at Y.A.R.N. Libby's English bulldog, Hank, has been modeling one of Perle's doggie sweaters, and customers just can't wait to see Perle in action. The mayor of Collinstown even decrees a Collinstown Yarn Day to celebrate. But once Perle arrives in town, she seems distracted and on edge. And when she's found strangled with a skein of red yarn, Libby knows she has to solve a knotty mystery before her new life unravels.

Critique: Original, entertaining, and fully engaging from first page to last, as a novelist, Allie Pleiter reveals herself as a total master of the mystery genre with "On Skein of Death". While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "On Skein of Death" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Dance with Death
Will Thomas
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250624772, $27.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Death-Barker-Llewelyn-Novel/dp/1250624770

Synopsis: In June of 1893, the future Nicholas II travels to London for a royal wedding, bringing with him his private security force and his ballerina mistress, Mathilde Kchessinska. Rumored to be the target of a professional assassin known only as La Sylphide, and the subject of conspiracies against his life by his own family who covet his future throne, Nicholas is protected by not only private security, but the professional forces of both England and Russia.

All of these measures prove inadequate when Prince George of England is attacked by an armed anarchist who mistakes him for Nicholas. As a result, Barker and Llewelyn are brought in to help track down the assassin and others who might conspire against the life of the tsesarevich . The investigations lead them down several paths, including Llewelyn's old nemesis, the assassin Sofia Ilyanova.

With Barker and Llewelyn both surviving separate attempts on their lives, the race is on to find both the culprit and the assassin they hired. Taking them through high society (including a masked ball at Kensington Palace) and low, chasing down motives both personal and political, Barker and Llewelyn must solve the case of their life before the crime of the century is committed.

Critique: A modern classic-in-the-making mystery, "Dance With Death" by author Will Thomas is an inherently fascinating and relentlessly compelling read from cover to cover. Replete with unexpected plot twists and turnings, "Dance With Death" is a mystery lover's delight and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated historical mystery fans that "Dance With Death" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Promised Queen
Jeffe Kennedy
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250194350, $7.99, PB, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Promised-Queen-Forgotten-Empires/dp/1250194350

Synopsis: Conri, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn't the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other (and in love) to fend off ultimate disaster.

Critique: An expertly crafted novel of romance, fantasy and adventure, "The Promised Queen" showcases author Jeffe Kennedy's natural flair for imaginative and narrative driven storytelling. The memorable conclusion to fantasy novelist Jeffe Kennedy's 'Forgotten Empires' series, "The Promised Queen" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated fantasy fans that "The Promised Queen" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781977369437, $29.99, CD).

The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales
Emily Brewes
Dundurn Press
c/o The Dundurn Group
www.dundurn.com
9781459747005, $17.99, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Doomsday-Book-Fairy-Tales/dp/1459747003

Synopsis: A long time ago, the Vanderchuck family fled the growing climate disaster and followed their neighbours into the Underground. Jesse Vanderchuck thought it was the end. Of the world. Of life.

Eventually, Jesse's little sister, Olivia, ran away and Jesse started picking through trash heaps in Toronto's abandoned subway tunnels. Day in, day out. Then, years later, Jesse meets a talking dog.

Fighting illness and the hostile world aboveground, Jesse and Doggo embark on a fool's errand to find Olivia -- or die trying. Along the way, Jesse spins a series of fairy tales from threads of memories, weaving together the past, present, and future into stories of brave girls, of cunning lads, of love in the face of wickedness, and of hope in the midst of despair.

Critique: An impressively original and inherently fascinating novel that interweaves elements of dystopian fantasy, mythology and folk tales, while showcasing author Emily Brewes genuinely entertaining and narrative driven storytelling style, "The Doomsday Book of Fairy Tales" is a deftly sculpted work of literary fiction that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.


The Architecture Shelf

The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef
Conchita Anorve-Tschirgi, author
Ehsan Abushadi, author
Nour El Refai, photographer
American University in Cairo Press
200 Park Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10166
www.aucpress.com
9789774169243, $59.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Architecture-Ramses-Wissa-Wassef/dp/9774169247

Synopsis: The pioneering Egyptian architect and teacher Ramses Wissa Wassef (1911 - 1974) is best known for his founding in 1951 of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Harraniya, a small village near the Giza Pyramids in Greater Cairo. The center, internationally acclaimed for its tapestries and sculptures, began partly as an art school for young villagers, reflecting Wissa Wassef's aim of reviving traditional Egyptian architecture and crafts, and his belief in the innate creative power and potential of children.

Less well known are Wissa Wassef's prolific architectural output and his efforts and influence beyond the confines of the Harraniya center to promote artistic expression among Egyptian youth. "The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef" is a generously illustrated volume that is also the first comprehensive survey of Wissa Wassef's architectural works, both extant and non-extant, shedding light on his legacy and significant engagement with vernacular and contemporary Egyptian architecture.

Wissa Wassef renounced self-promotion and monetary reward in his work, placing human physical and psychological well-being at the center of his architectural philosophy. An astute observer and modest personality, he saw himself as part of the people and began experimenting with participatory design and people-centered architecture before they became popular.

"The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef" reveals Wissa Wassef's profuse architectural oeuvre, which spanned private villas and rural houses, as well as public buildings, such as churches, schools, and museums, highlighting his rich contribution to Egypt's architectural heritage at a moment when that heritage is at risk of being lost.

Critique: An impressive and profusely illustrated volume dedicated to the architectural creations of Ramses Wissa Wassef by the team of architects Concita Anorve-Tschirgi, Ehsan Abushadi and Nour El Refai, "The Architecture of Ramses Wissa Wassef" is an extraordinary and meticulously informative study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college and university library Architectural Studies collections and supplemental studies curriculum lists.

Editorial Note #1: Conchita Anorve-Tschirgi is a licensed architect based in Mexico. She holds one MA in Islamic art and architecture and another in comparative and international education. She was formerly founder and curator of the Regional Architecture Collection at the Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo, which houses Ramses Wissa Wassef's archive.

Editorial Note #2: Ehsan Abushadi is an architect specializing in heritage. She earned her BSc in architectural engineering from the American University in Cairo with minors in anthropology and Arab and Islamic civilizations. During her studies, she worked at the Regional Architecture Collection of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo, which houses Ramses Wissa Wassef's archive.

Editorial Note #3: With a degree in architecture from Cairo University Nour El Refai has worked as an architectural photographer in the Middle East and North Africa region since 2005. His work has been published in the Financial Times, the Huffington Post, and more. He has taught architectural photography at universities in Egypt and continues to lead workshops at art and culture centers.

Building the Empire State
Carol Willis, editor
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393732313, $25.00, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Empire-State-Carol-Willis/dp/0393732312

Synopsis: Compiled and edited by Carol Willis (an architectural historian and founder of The Skyscraper Museum), "Building the Empire State" is a rediscovered 1930s architectural notebook that charts the construction of the Empire State Building.

The construction of the Empire State Building was orchestrated by general contractors Starrett Brothers and Eken, premier "skyline builders" of the 1920s. They scheduled the delivery of materials and the construction and recorded daily the number of workers by trade. Compiled from these records, an in-house notebook documented the construction process.

Meticulously typed on graph paper and illustrated with construction photographs, this unique document combines a professional specificity of detail with a charming rhapsody to the firm's crowning achievement. Constructed in eleven months, the 1250-foot Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper from 1931 to 1971, was a marvel of modern engineering. The frame rose more than a story a day; no comparable building since has matched that rate of ascent.

Critique: Expertly reproduced, "Building the Empire State" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, college and university library American Architectural History and Structural Engineering collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.


The Literary Studies Shelf

North by Shakespeare
Michael Blanding
Hachette Books
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780316493246, $30.00, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/North-Shakespeare-Rogue-Scholars-Behind/dp/0316493244

Synopsis: In "North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work", author and journalist Michael Blanding presents the twinning narratives of renegade scholar Dennis McCarthy, called "the Steve Jobs of the Shakespeare community" and Sir Thomas North, an Elizabethan courtier whom McCarthy believes to be the undiscovered source for Shakespeare's plays. For the last fifteen years, McCarthy has obsessively pursued the true origins of Shakespeare's works. Using plagiarism software, he has found direct links between Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and other plays and North's published and unpublished writings -- as well as Shakespearean plot lines seemingly lifted straight from North's colorful life.

Unlike those who believe someone else secretly wrote Shakespeare, McCarthy's wholly original conclusion is this: Shakespeare wrote the plays, but he adapted them from source plays written by North decades before. Many of them, he believes, were penned on behalf of North's patron Robert Dudley, in his efforts to woo Queen Elizabeth. That bold theory addresses many lingering mysteries about the Bard with compelling new evidence, including a newly discovered journal of North's travels through France and Italy, filled with locations and details appearing in Shakespeare's plays.

"North by Shakespeare" alternates between the enigmatic life of Thomas North, the intrigues of the Tudor court, the rivalries of English Renaissance theater, and academic outsider Dennis McCarthy's attempts to air his provocative ideas in the clubby world of Shakespearean scholarship. Through it all, Blanding employs his keen journalistic eye to craft a captivating drama, upending our understanding of the beloved playwright and his "singular genius."

Critique: An inherently fascinating and wonderfully iconoclastic study of meticulously detailed and original scholarship, "North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library Shakespearean Literary Studies collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781549110122, $40.00, CD).

Editorial Note: Michael Blanding is a Boston-based investigative journalist, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Slate, The Boston Globe Magazine, Boston magazine, and other publications. He is also the author of The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps (2014), and The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World's Favorite Soft Drink (2010). A former writing fellow at Brandeis University and The Harvard Kennedy School, he has taught feature writing at Tufts University, Emerson College, and GrubStreet Writers.

The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien
Jyrki Korpua
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476672885, $39.95, PB, 202pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mythopoeic-Code-Tolkien-Legendarium-Explorations/dp/1476672881

Synopsis: J. R. R. Tolkien (3 January 1892 - 2 September 1973) is arguably the most influential fantasy writer of all time -- his world building and epic mythology have changed Western audiences' imaginations and the entire fantasy genre.

A part of the Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy' series from McFarland & Company, "The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien: A Christian Platonic Reading of the Legendarium" by academician and Tolkien scholar Jyrki Korpua is the first wide-ranging Christian Platonic reading on Tolkien's fiction. This analysis, written for scholars and general Tolkien enthusiasts alike, discusses how his fiction is constructed on levels of language, myth and textuality that have a background in the Greek philosopher Plato's texts and early Christian philosophy influenced by Plato.

"The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien" also discusses the concepts of ideal and real, creation and existence, and fall and struggle as central elements of Tolkien's fiction, focusing on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-Earth. Reading Tolkien's fiction as a depiction of ideal and real, from the vision of creation to the process of realization, illuminates a part of Tolkien's aesthetics and mythology that previous studies have overlooked.

Critique: A seminal work of meticulous and detailed scholarship,"The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien: A Christian Platonic Reading of the Legendarium" must be considered essential reading for Tolkien scholars and a core addition to community, college and university library Literary Fantasy, Folklore & Mythology collections in general, and J. R. R. Tolkien supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).

Editorial Note: Jyrki Korpua is a teacher and researcher at the University of Turku and the University of Oulu, Finland. He has edited 20+ special issues of journals and published more than 20 articles on literature, video games, graphic novels, and film studies.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Othello
William Shakespeare, author
Adapted by Crystal S. Chan
Illustrated by Julien Choy
Manga Classics
www.mangaclassics.com
9781947808140 $19.99

https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Classics-Othello-William-Shakespeare/dp/1947808141

Synopsis: A brilliant general in the service of Venice, Othello is also the new husband of the adoring - and young - Desdemona, whose innocent hero worship has blossomed into love. But can a beautiful girl, so much younger than her husband, truly be faithful? Othello's trusted ensign Iago seems to think not. Can Othello trust him? Can Othello trust anyone? Manga Classics presents Shakespeare's classic story of love, hate, vengeance, and betrayal, in its full, original glory! (This volume features the complete, unabridged text from the Shakespeare Play.)

Critique: Part of the "Manga Classics" series of graphic novels that adapt of timeless works into black-and-white graphic novel format drawn in the style of Japanese manga, Othello is a striking new way to experience Shakespeare's classic tragedy that remains completely faithful to the original theatrical performance. The expressive art beautifully clarifies nuances that are easy to overlook when reading only the written script of Shakespeare's play. The text of the original play is complete and unabridged. A tale of intrigue, jealousy, murder, and heartbreak, Othello is as profound and powerful today as it was centuries ago, and worthy of the highest recommendation for both personal and public library graphic novel collections. Othello is recommended for readers ages 13 and up, due to violence.

Caravaggio: A Light Before the Darkness
Ken Mora, author
Cyrus Mesarcia, illustrator
Markosia Enterprises Ltd.
www.bellafemedia.com
9781913359560, $24.99, PB, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/Caravaggio-Before-Darkness-Ken-Mora/dp/1913359565

Synopsis: "Caravaggio: A Light Before the Darkness" is the story of the renaissance artist, Caravaggio who escapes oppression in his provincial hometown to become the most successful painter in Rome. However, in defense of his secret sexual identity, he must duel with a nemesis that intends to denounce him and his male lover to The Inquisition. As a result, he is forced to flee Rome at the height of his success.

He seeks the lofty road to penitence, and the power bestowed by Nobility, as his means to return to Rome. He is accepted as an aspirant to the legendary order of The Knights of Malta. There, he becomes the victim of an old enemy who embroils him in a conspiracy to overthrow the leadership of the Knights. As a result, he must flee for his life even as he attains his dream of Knighthood.

After a harrowing escape from Malta, Caravaggio vows to settle in Naples with his lover, choosing happiness over the ruinous pursuit of ambition. However, jealous and vengeful forces in Rome anticipate his return. They send assassins. In the disastrous wake of attempted assassination, Caravaggio returns to Rome with a frightful vengeance.

Critique: A deftly crafted, inherently entertaining, and impressively original story by Ken Mora that is expertly and visually brought to life in a graphic novel format by artist/illustrator Cyrus Mesarica, "Caravaggio: A Light Before the Darkness" will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, community, college and university library Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Caravaggio: A Light Before the Darkness" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $9.99).


The Library CD Shelf

Putumayo World Cafe
Putumayo
www.putumayo.com
$14.98 CD / $10.00 digital

https://www.putumayo.com/putumayo-world-cafe

Putumayo World Cafe is an anthology of songs by a diversity of international performers. Lovingly selected to evoke the relaxing ambience of a cafe, the songs are a superb complement to mealtime, or simply for unwinding from a high-stress day. Putumayo World Cafe is highly recommended for both personal and public library multicultural music collections. The tracks are "E Ta Gia Mi", "Mund Amor", "La Ligne Bleue", "Profumo di Caffe", "Resonances", "Tchen Doro", "Achshav Nish'amu Shney'nu", "Miks Sa Murrad Mind", "Choukoun", and "Juste une Chanson".


The Library DVD Shelf

Unmarked
A film by Chris Haley & Brad J. Bennett
First Run Features
$19.95 firstrunfeatures.com

http://firstrunfeatures.com/unmarkedvod.html

Unmarked is a documentary about African-American gravesites and burial grounds, especially those that were used to bury slaves. Many of these locations are untended; their history, and their connection to a dark chapter in America's past, is at risk for being entirely forgotten. Unmarked tells of those with personal connections to these sites, and efforts to preserve their history and legacy. Profound and powerful, Unmarked is highly recommended especially for school and public library DVD collections. 40 min.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Hollywood Game Plan
Carole M. Kirschner
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615930869, $26.95, PB, 284pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Game-Plan-Digital-Entertainment/dp/1615930868

Synopsis: In "Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment", Carol M. Kirschner draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create an in-depth, how-to guide for aspiring Hollywood hopefuls. The Hollywood Game Plan" provides a concrete, step-by-step strategy to land a job in the entertainment industry.

"The Hollywood Game Plan" is the DIY job-hunting instructional guide of its kind to provide insights and advice from both sides of the spectrum: seasoned professionals with decades-long success and wisdom, and up-and-coming professionals who were pounding the pavement just a few years ago and share the up-to-the minute strategies that helped them land their first jobs.

Critique: Expertly written, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment" is a unique, insightful, informative, effective, and highly recommended resource for anyone aspiring to work in the theatre, cinema, or television industries. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.24).

Editorial Note: Sixteen years as a successful senior-level Hollywood executive including stints at CBS and Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television have honed Carole Kirschner's ability to translate the unwritten rules of show business into plain English. She was involved in developing Murphy Brown, Designing Women, Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, Reboot, and the original La Femme Nikita series, and now develops and runs innovative entertainment industry training programs for the WGA Showrunner Training Program, CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program, and the Hollywood Assistant Training Program.

The Silent Movies of W. C. Fields
Arthur Frank Wertheim
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629335926, $34.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Movies-W-C-Fields/dp/1629335924

Synopsis: An American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer, William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946) was better known to his admiring public as W. C. Fields. His comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathetic character despite his supposed contempt for children and dogs.

"The Silent Movies of W. C. Fields: How They Created The Basis for His Fame in Sound Films" by academician and film historian Arthur Frank Wertheim is the first study to examine W.C. Fields' twelve silent movies and how they influenced his later career in sound films. The author concludes that Fields might never have become one of the premier comedians during the Golden Age of Sound Films without first embarking on a career in silent movies. In this exploration, readers will discover new insights and surprises concerning Fields' experiences in this medium.

"The Silent Movies of W.C. Fields" details Fields' early failed screen attempts, which resulted in his decision not to abandon his successful Ziegfeld Follies career, a choice that would prevent him from joining the pantheon of great silent film stars: Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd -- each of whom, by 1925, had achieved worldwide recognition and success. Also related is how Fields would have to struggle against all types of roadblocks to reach the second pantheon tier -- and how legendary filmmaker D. W. Griffith came to his rescue by directing two of his silent pictures.

The Silent Movies of W.C. Fields is a comprehensive depiction of Fields' early years in New York and Holly-wood, his personal and professional trials and accomplishments, his triumphs and disillusionments, each of which would lead to his ultimate screen legacy.

Critique: Enhanced with black-and-white illustrations (including many new and rare photos), "The Silent Movies of W. C. Fields: How They Created The Basis for His Fame in Sound Films" is an essential study that will have a very special appeal fans of both the comic genius of W.C. Fields and his pristine time of early industry movie making. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college and university library Cinematic Film History collections in general, and W. C. Fields supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and W. C. Fields fans that "The Silent Movies of W. C. Fields: How They Created The Basis for His Fame in Sound Films" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781629335919, $24.95) and in a digital book form (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Arthur Frank Wertheim has written numerous books on Twentieth Century American Culture including The New York Little Renaissance and Radio Comedy. He has also co-edited with Barbara Bair three volumes on The Papers of Will Rogers and edited Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies and American Popular Culture. An American history professor at several universities, his awards include a Fulbright grant to teach at the University of Indonesia. He has recently published a three-volume biography on W. C. Fields.

Directing Actors
Judith Weston
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615933211, $29.95, PB, 380pp

https://www.amazon.com/Directing-Actors-Anniversary-Performances-Television/dp/1615933212

Synopsis: Collaborating with actors is, for many filmmakers, the scariest part of the job -- and as the human part, knowing it for the place where connection happens. A classic in the field, "Directing Actors: 25th Anniversary Edition" is an instructive compendium by Judith Weston (who has been a teacher of directors, actors, and writers since 1985) and draws upon her years of experience and expertise to cover all the challenges of the actor-director relationship.

This new edition of "Directing Actors" covers all the pitfalls of "result direction"; breaking down a script; how to prepare for casting sessions; when, how and whether to rehearse -- including updated references, expanded ideas, more detailed chapters on rehearsal and script analysis (using a scene from The Matrix). Of special note is a whole new chapter on directing children.

For twenty-five years the industry standard for instilling confidence in filmmakers, Directing Actors perseveres in its mission -- to bring directors, actors and writers deeper into the exhilarating task of creating characters the world will not forget.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this 25th anniversary edition of Judith Weston's "Directing Actors" is a standard and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Theatre/Cinema/TV instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all aspiring and practicing film and theatre production directors that "Directing Actors" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.45).


The Science Shelf

Plasma Science
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309677608, $115.00, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Plasma-Science-Technology-Sustainability-Exploration/dp/0309677602

Synopsis: Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter, first systematically studied by Irving Langmuir in the 1920s. It consists of a gas of ions - atoms or molecules which have one or more orbital electrons stripped (or, rarely, an extra electron attached), and free electrons. Plasma can be artificially generated by heating a neutral gas or subjecting it to a strong electromagnetic field. The presence of free charged particles makes plasma electrically conductive, with the dynamics of individual particles and macroscopic plasma motion governed by collective electromagnetic fields and very sensitive to externally applied fields. The response of plasma to electromagnetic fields is used in many modern technological devices, such as plasma televisions or plasma etching. (Wikipedia)

"Plasma Science: Enabling Technology, Sustainability, Security, and Exploration" a Consensus Study Report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, transforms fundamental scientific research into powerful societal applications, from materials processing and healthcare to forecasting space weather. "Plasma Science: Enabling Technology, Sustainability, Security and Exploration" also discusses the importance of plasma research, identifies important grand challenges for the next decade, and makes recommendations on funding and workforce.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Plasma Science: Enabling Technology, Sustainability, Security, and Exploration" will help federal agency personnel, governmental policymakers, and academic leadership understand the importance of plasma research and make informed decisions about plasma science funding, workforce, and research directions. While especially and unreservedly recommended for college, university, and governmental library Physics collections in general, and Plasma Technology supplemental studies curriculums in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Plasma Science: Enabling Technology, Sustainability, Security, and Exploration" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $85.50).

The Secret Life of Stars
Lisa Harvey-Smith
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760761585, $19.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Stars-Astrophysics-Everyone/dp/1760761583

Synopsis: It is common knowledge that the Sun is the powerhouse of our solar system. But what about Luyten's Flare, the Rosino-Zwicky Object, or Chanal's variable star? For those whose curiosity about the cosmos takes out into the vastness a universe populated with billions of galaxies, "The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone" by astronomer Lisa Harvey-Smith offers a personal and readily understood introduction to some of the Galaxy's most remarkable stars.

Each individual chapter comprising "The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone" explains various different and unusual stars and their amazing characteristics and attributes, ranging from pulsars, blue stragglers, and white dwarfs, to cannibal stars and explosive supernovae. With beautiful chapter illustrations by Eirian Chapman, "The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone" brings to life the remarkable personalities of these stars, reminding readers what a diverse and unpredictable universe we live in and how fortunate we are to live around a stable star, our Sun.

Critique: Impressively informative and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to school, community, college and university library Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Science collections and supplemental studies curriculums. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject that "The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.69).

Editorial Note: Lisa Harvey-Smith is an award-winning astronomer and professor at the University of New South Wales. In 2018, she was appointed the Australian government's ambassador for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She is also the author of When Galaxies Collide and the best-selling children's book Under the Stars. Harvey-Smith has appeared in several TV series and documentaries as a guest scientist and is a host alongside Professor Brian Cox on ABC TV's Stargazing Live.

Locked in Time
Dean R. Lomax, author
Bob Nicholls, illustrator
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231197281, $29.95, HC, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Time-Behavior-Unearthed-Extraordinary/dp/0231197284

Synopsis: Fossils allow us to picture the forms of life that inhabited the earth eons ago. But we long to know more: how did these animals actually behave? We are fascinated by the daily lives of our fellow creatures -- how they reproduce and raise their young, how they hunt their prey or elude their predators, and more. What would it be like to see prehistoric animals as they lived and breathed?

From dinosaurs fighting to their deaths to elephant-sized burrowing ground sloths, the collaborative work of author/palaeontologist Dean R. Lomax and artist/illustrator Bob Nicholls takes readers on a global journey deep into the earth's past in "Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils". This informative study showcases fifty of the most astonishing fossils ever found, brought together in five fascinating chapters that offer an unprecedented glimpse at the real-life behaviors of prehistoric animals.

"Locked in Time" examines the extraordinary direct evidence of fossils captured in the midst of everyday action, such as dinosaurs sitting on their eggs like birds, Jurassic flies preserved while mating, a T. rex infected by parasites. Each fossil, he reveals, tells a unique story about prehistoric life. Many recall behaviors typical of animals familiar to us today, evoking the chain of evolution that links all living things to their distant ancestors.

"Locked in Time" also allows us to see that fossils are not just inanimate objects: they can record the life stories of creatures as fully alive as any today.

Critique: A strikingly illustrated study that will have immense value and appeal for both paleontology students and non- specialist general readers alike, "Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils" is impressively well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. Exceptionally well informed and informative, "Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library Paleontology collections and supplemental studies curriculums. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.65).

Editorial Note #1: Dean R. Lomax is a paleontologist, an author, a television presenter, and a science communicator. He is currently a visiting scientist at the University of Manchester and is a leading authority on ichthyosaurs. His books include Dinosaurs of the British Isles (2014) and Prehistoric Pets (2020).

Editorial Note #2: Bob Nicholls is a natural history artist who specializes in the reconstruction of prehistoric animals, plants, and environments. His illustrations and models have been published in more than forty books and exhibited in over forty museums, universities, and visitor attractions around the world.

Control Theory for Physicists
John Bechhoefer
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781107001183, $79.99, HC, 658pp

https://www.amazon.com/Control-Theory-Physicists-John-Bechhoefer/dp/1107001188

Synopsis: Control theory, an interdisciplinary concept dealing with the behavior of dynamical systems, and is an important but often overlooked aspect of physics. "Control Theory for Physicists" by Professor John Bechhoefer is the first broad and complete treatment of the topic specifically tailored for students and practicing physicists, going from the basics right through to the most recent advances.

Simple examples develop a deep understanding and intuition for the systematic principles of control theory, beyond the recipes given in standard engineering-focused texts. Up-to-date coverage of control of networks and complex systems, and a thorough discussion of the fundamental limits of control, including the limitations placed by causality, information theory, and thermodynamics are included.

In addition "Control Theory for Physicists" explores important recent advances in stochastic thermodynamics on the thermodynamic costs of information processing and control. For all students of physics interested in control theory, this classroom-tested, comprehensive approach to the topic with online solutions and further materials delivers both fundamental principles and current developments.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Control Theory for Physicists" is an ideal and comprehensive volume that is unreservedly recommended as a curriculum textbook. While a core addition to college and university library Mathematical Physics & Calculus collections, it should be noted for students, academia, physicists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Control Theory for Physicists" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $64.00).

Editorial Note: John Bechhoefer is Professor of Physics at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia and Fellow of the American Physical Society. His research is at the intersection of thermodynamics, statistical physics, control theory, and information theory.


The Art Shelf

Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910-1940
Martina Weinhart, et al.
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791359946, $60.00, HC, 280pp

https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-North-Imagining-Painting-1910_1940/dp/3791359940

Synopsis: The early decades of the 20th century were marked by artistic, economic, and social transformation in Canada and around the world. Starting in Toronto, a group of young modern artists, including Tom Thomson and Lawren S. Harris, and Emily Carr in British Columbia, desired to create a new painting vocabulary for the young nation coming into its own cultural identity. They turned away from city life and explored Canada's landscape, painting sublime vistas, monumental rivers, ancient forests around the great lakes, the mighty Rocky Mountains, and the arctic tundra, determined to break away from European stylistic traditions. Together their paintings collectively imagined a mythical Canada, expansive and rugged, that added to their country's growing sense of national pride.

Collaboratively compiled and expertly edited by Martina Weinhart (Curator at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt), "Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910-1940" is a coffee-table style volume (9.56 x 0.97 x 11.06 inches) that features paintings, sketches, photographs, film stills, and documentary material in a catalog format that examines the language of Canadian modernism. It also includes essays and interviews from a number of contributors that offer contemporary indigenous perspectives on the impact of industry on nature, issues surrounding national identity, and modern Canadian landscape painting.

Critique: A generously illustrated and extensive study that critically reviews Canada's modernism in art history, "Magnetic North: Imagining Canada in Painting 1910-1940" is a critically important and impressively informative contribution to 20th Century Canadian Art History and an essential, welcome addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library collections and supplemental studies curriculum reading lists for art students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Jewels of the Nile
Peter Lacova, et al.
D Giles Limited
www.gilesltd.com
9781911282792, $49.95, HC, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Jewels-Nile-Egyptian-Treasures-Worcester/dp/1911282794

Synopsis: "Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum" celebrates the very first time that the Worcester Art Museum's internationally important collection of Egyptian jewelry (which has undergone conservation and cleaning) has been shown together.

This strikingly illustrated coffee-table sized volume (9.5 x 1 x 11.5 inches) introduces the reader to the collection of an early 20th century Boston couple with a passion for ancient Egypt. The collectors, Laura and Kingsmill Marrs, were guided in their acquisitions by Howard Carter, the archaeologist who would later achieve world-wide recognition for his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (1922). Under his guidance, the Marrs's purchased an outstanding selection of scarabs, amulets, jewellery and cosmetic-related articles, including rare blue-toned stone vessels.

They also acquired a group of Carter's watercolor renditions of important Egyptian sites and royal figures. These artifacts, as well as objects from Worcester's stellar collection of Egyptian antiquities, are included in the publication.

Critique: A magnificent showcase for ancient Egyptian art, artifacts, and culture, "Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum" is an absolute pleasure to simply browse through one beautifully illustrated page after another. Enhanced with informative captions and commentaries, "Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library Egyptology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: The Worcester Art Museum, also known by its acronym WAM, houses over 38,000 works of art dating from antiquity to the present day and representing cultures from all over the world. WAM opened in 1898 in Worcester, Massachusetts, and ranks among the more important art museums of its kind in the nation. Its holdings include some of the finest Roman mosaics in the United States, outstanding European and American art, and a major collection of Japanese prints. Since acquiring the John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection in 2013, WAM is also home to the second largest collection of arms and armor in the Americas. In many areas, it was at the forefront in the US, notably as it collected architecture (the Chapter House, 1932), acquired paintings by Monet (1910) and Gauguin (1921), presented photography as an art form (1904) The Worcester Art Museum also has a conservation lab and year-round studio art program for adults and youth. (Wikipedia)


The Biography Shelf

Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens
Jeffrey A. Smith
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526790453, $34.95, HC, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Themistocles-Powerbroker-Athens-Jeffrey-Smith/dp/1526790459

Synopsis: "Themistocles of Athens (524 - 459 BC) was the military architect of the Greek victory over the Persian invasions of 490 BC and 480 to 479 BC. While his role in the Persian wars is naturally a major theme, Themistocles' career before and after those conflicts is also considered in detail in the pages of "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" -- a new biography by Jeffrey A. Smith.

Themistocles was a leading exponent of a new kind of populist politics in the young democracy of Athens, manipulating the practice of ostracism (exile) to get rid of his political rivals. Jeffrey Smith explains Themistocles' rise to a position of virtual hegemony which allowed him to institute his far-sighted policy of preparation against the growing Persian threat. In particular he strengthened Athens' fleet and thereby secured the support of the poor thetes, who found employment as rowers.

During the first invasion, Themistocles fought, and possibly held joint command, at the decisive battle of Marathon. When the Persians struck again in 480, he commanded the fleet at Artemisium and Salamis. The latter battle he won by subterfuge and secured Athens' liberation and survival. Ironically he was himself eventually ostracized by his fellow citizens and ultimately entered Persian service, ending his days as governor of Magnesia in Asia Minor.

Critique: An impressively informative and extraordinarily detailed biography, "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" is an inherently fascinating study of a major figure in Greek history. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a note on sources, a chronology, a glossary, a list of characters, notes, references, and an index, "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" will prove a welcome and much appreciated addition to community, college and university library Ancient Greek History & Biography 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 "Themistocles: The Powerbroker of Athens" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Jeffrey A. Smith has an undergraduate degree in religion, with a focus on the ancient world, from Dartmouth College (USA) and a master's degree in history from the University of Birmingham (UK). He has taught humanities and ancient history at The Stony Brook School, a boarding school on the North Shore of Long Island, for the past decade.

Lucrezia Borgia
Ferdinand Gregorovius
Vita Histria
www.HistriaBooks.com
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781592110391, $49.99, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lucrezia-Borgia-Daughter-Pope-Alexander/dp/1592110398

Synopsis: Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 - 24 June 1519) is among the most fascinating and controversial female personalities of the Renaissance. The daughter of Pope Alexander VI, she was intensely involved in the political life of Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. While her marriage alliances helped advance the political objectives of the papacy, she also held the office of Governor of Spoleto, a role normally reserved for Cardinals, making her one of the most powerful and dynamic female figures of the Renaissance.

"Lucrezia Borgia: Daughter of Pope Alexander VI" by the German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) is among the first biographies to employ historical method to move beyond myth and romance that had previously obscured the fascinating story of the real Lucrezia Borgia.

Critique: Enriched with occasional illustrations, "Lucrezia Borgia: Daughter of Pope Alexander VI" is an extraordinarily informative and inherently fascinating biography of the now legendary Lucrezia Borgia. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Italian Renaissance Biography collections and supplemental studies curriculums, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Lucrezia Borgia: Daughter of Pope Alexander VI" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781592110407, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: This new edition of Gregorovius's classic work is enhanced with an informative introduction by Samantha Morris, a noted expert on the history of the Borgias. She is also the author of Cesare Borgia: In a Nutshell and Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher, and runs the website www.theborgiabull.com


The Sports Shelf

Baseball and America
Jim Halloran
www.BaseballAndAmerica.com
Trimark Press
www.trimarkpress.com
9781943401499, $22.95, PB, 137pp

https://www.amazon.com/Baseball-America-Jim-Halloran/dp/1943401497

Synopsis: Baseball has been a part of America's history for 150 years; it is embedded in the country's toughest times and helped the nation heal when not much else would do. It's also responsible for uniting people of all ages, races, and religions across the nation to support a favorite team.

"Baseball and America" by Jim Halloran is a celebration of those times. A celebration of the nostalgia certain players and teams evoke for older fans, while also teaching a newer generation about the different hardships baseball and America have faced together.

Full of history, photographs, and trivia, "Baseball and America" is the perfect teaching tool for those curious about America's pastime and includes an 8 page portfolio of 17 player portrait art by Mike Schacht.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative sports history, "Baseball and America" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college and university library collections. Of special note for baseball fans is the dedicated website: www.BaseballAndAmerica.com

Racing for America
James C. Nicholson
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813180649, $26.00, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Racing-America-Horserace-Century-Redemption/dp/0813180643

Synopsis: On October 20, 1923, at Belmont Park in New York, Kentucky Derby champion Zev toed the starting line alongside Epsom Derby winner Papyrus, the top colt from England, to compete for a $100,000 purse. Years of progressive reform efforts had nearly eliminated horse racing in the United States only a decade earlier. But for weeks leading up to the match race that would be officially dubbed the "International", unprecedented levels of newspaper coverage helped accelerate American horse racing's return from the brink of extinction.

In "Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport", James C. Nicholson (who received his PhD and JD from the University of Kentucky, and now practices law and teaches US history in Lexington) explores the convergent professional lives of the major players involved in the Horse Race of the Century, including Zev's oil-tycoon owner Harry Sinclair, and exposes the central role of politics, money, and ballyhoo in the Jazz Age resurgence of the sport of kings.

Zev was an apt national mascot in an era marked by a humming industrial economy, great coziness between government and business interests, and reliance on national mythology as a bulwark against what seemed to be rapid social, cultural, and economic changes. Reflecting some of the contradiction and incongruity of the Roaring Twenties, Americans rallied around the horse that was, in the words of his owner, "racing for America", even as that owner was reported to have been engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States of millions of barrels of publicly owned oil.

"Racing for America provides" is a parabolic account of a nation struggling to reconcile its traditional values with the complexity of a new era in which the US had become a global superpower trending toward oligarchy, and the world's greatest consumer of commercialized spectacle.

Critique: Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of thirty-two pages of Notes, and eight page Selected Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport" is a seminal work of original and meticulous scholarship that will have a special appeal to horse racing enthusiasts. This remarkably and impressively detailed, documented and informative history is particularly recommended for community, college and university library American Sports History and 20th Century American Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading that "Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).


The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf

The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Tom Stevenson
National Geographic Press
101 West 104th Street, Suite 8, New York, NY 10025
www.nationalgeographic.com
9781426221415, $75.00, HC, 800pp

https://www.amazon.com/New-Sothebys-Wine-Encyclopedia/dp/142622141X

Synopsis: Fully updated and revised for the first time since 2011, this newly updated and expanded 800-page edition of "The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" by Tom Stevenson reflects the most recent trends in the dynamic world of wine, written by experts around the globe.

Beautifully illustrated with more than 400 images and 100 brand-new National Geographic maps, "The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" is the definitive guide and is arranged geographically to highlight the regions and climates that produce the best vintages. From the countries of Southeast Europe to the Eastern Mediterranean, each individual page is packed with information on flavor notes, vineyard profiles, tasting room guides, grape know-how, and special information on unique varietals.

"The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" also features top wines organized by maker and year; a troubleshooter's guide to potential wine faults; a taste chart to help identify flavors; up-and-coming producers; unusual wines, food pairings, and more. Of special note are the time lines depicting the chronology of wine from 500 million B.C., expert sommelier tips, and thousands of recommendations for the latest and greatest reds, whites, and ros s.

Critique: The most up-to-date and comprehensive wine reference in the world, this coffee-table style (9.5 x 1.88 x 12.25 inches" weighs in at 7.35 pounds and is an impressively comprehensive informational resource for dedicated wine connoisseurs and non-specialist general readers wanting to become more knowledgeably with respect to wine. Expertly organized and presented, "The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia" is especially and unreservedly recommended as an essential and core addition to personal, professional, community, college and university library wine pairing, tasting, and appreciation reference collections.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Climate: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas
Christina Limpert
Spruce Books
c/o Sasquatch Books
1904 Third Ave, Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98101
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632173782, $16.95, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Climate-Words-Change-Powerful-Inspiring/dp/1632173786

Synopsis: Compiled by social scientist and researcher Tina Limpert, "Climate: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas" is collection of stirring words is intended to enlighten, to prompt change, to provide encouragement, and to deepen readers' conviction. Celebrating activism, focusing on solutions, and avoiding apathy and pessimism, "Climate: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas" is essential a call to action in view of the crises of climate change that is already being felt around the world. Of special note is the back matter that includes a brief bio for each person quoted to provide context for their life and work.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, exceptionally memorable, and inspiringly thought-provoking compilation, "Climate: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas" is an especially an unreservedly recommended addition to personal and professional reading lists, as well as a welcome, timely, and enduringly appreciated selection for community, college and university library Climate Change and Environmental Issues collections.

Editorial Note: Dr. Christina Limpert is a multidisciplinary social scientist and qualitative researcher at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry who favors working across disciplines in the social and biophysical sciences. Her scholarly work investigates sites of informal education and examines the role of culture and society in shaping human thought and action, especially where environmental behaviors, attitudes, and practices are concerned. Dr. Limpert teaches and writes about EcoCinema and popular culture, gender, identity, and power, sociology, critical pedagogy, and qualitative research. She began her appointment as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, General Education Division, in the Fall of 2018. Additionally, she is the Director of the Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications Program.


The Psychology Shelf

Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer's
Han Yu
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
www.brillianceaudio.com
9780231198707, $30.00, HC, 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Thief-Alzheimers-Han-Yu/dp/0231198701

Synopsis: Alzheimer's disease is a haunting and harrowing ailment, and one of the world's most common causes of death. Alzheimer's lingers for years, with patients' outward appearance unaffected while their cognitive functions fade away. Patients lose the ability to work and live independently, to remember and recognize. There is still no proven way to treat Alzheimer's because its causes remain unknown.

"Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer's" by Professor Han Yu is a comprehensive and engaging history of Alzheimer's that demystifies efforts to understand the disease. Beginning with the discovery of "presenile dementia" in the early twentieth century, Professor Yu examines over a century of research and controversy and presents the leading hypotheses for what causes Alzheimer's; discusses each hypothesis's tangled origins, merits, and gaps; and details their successes and failures.

Professor Yu also synthesizes a vast amount of medical literature, historical studies, and media interviews, telling the gripping stories of researchers' struggles while situating science in its historical, social, and cultural contexts. Her chronicling of the trajectory of Alzheimer's research deftly balances rich scientific detail with attention to the wider implications. In narrating the attempts to find a treatment, Yu also offers a critical account of research and drug development and a consideration of the philosophy of aging.

Critique: Of immense value for both the medical community and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject, "Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer's" is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of fifty-six pages of Notes, a fifty-four page Bibliography, and a fourteen page Index, "Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer's" is an essential and core addition to community, college and university library Health/Medicine/Psychology collections in general, and Alzheimer's supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted that "Mind Thief: The Story of Alzheimer's" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.83) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781713624141, $24.99, CD).

Generation Panic
Agi Herale
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789045154, $18.95, PB, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Panic-Empowering-Techniques-Anxiety/dp/1789045150

Synopsis: Feeling anxious and on the back foot? No idea where or how to start getting relief? Anxiety making you feel overwhelmed and alone? Presented in bite-sized chapters, "Generation Panic: Simple & Empowering Techniques to Combat Anxiety" by Agi Herale is a simple, easy-to-follow DIY guide that teaches you to take back control and combat your anxiety. With its dip-in-and-out format, "Generation Panic" is ideal for busy professionals in their twenties and thirties who are not feeling themselves, are out of control and are struggling to manage their anxiety. From setting boundaries to using the 7-7-7 breathing method, "Generation Panic" sets out over 100 quick techniques. Readers will be able to start learning all the tools and techniques needed to get them back on track and start living a fulfilled, happy and panic-free life again.

Critique: Exceptionally and thoroughly 'user friendly' and effective in organization and presentation, "Generation Panic: Simple & Empowering Techniques to Combat Anxiety" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists of any one having to deal with anxiety attacks (especially in the era of pandemic), as well as community, college and university library General Psychology and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted that "Generation Panic: Simple & Empowering Techniques to Combat Anxiety" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49).

Editorial Note: Agi Heale, CPCC, PCC is a professional certified coach and a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner. She has coaching practices in London and Singapore, where she helps clients who are feeling overwhelmed to feel calm and confident. Agi has suffered from anxiety on and off throughout her life, and had a bout of panic attacks in 2014. Using the simple techniques she showcases in "Generation Panic", she learnt how to manage her anxiety and has not had a panic attack since that time.


The Business Shelf

The Beginner's Guide to Managing
Mikil Taylor
O Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781789045833, $19.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Managing-Toughest-Journey/dp/1789045835

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Beginner's Guide to Managing: A Guide to the Toughest Journey You'll Ever Take", author, entrepreneur and corporate executive Mikil Taylor presents first-time managers with a how-to guide for adjusting to their new leadership roles so they can become successful managers without learning exclusively from mistakes. Few managers are adequately prepared and trained, which has a severely negative effect on the newly-promoted manager, their team, and the quality of the team's work. After reading "The Beginner's Guide to Managing", even the most novice and inexperience of new managers will be able to successfully run their new teams successfully.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Beginner's Guide to Managing: A Guide to the Toughest Journey You'll Ever Take" is an ideal DIY instructional guide and manual that is especially recommended for community, corporate, college and university library Business Management instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, entrepreneurs, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Beginner's Guide to Managing: A Guide to the Toughest Journey You'll Ever Take" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Mikil Taylor is the VP of Analytics at Healthcare Bluebook. Like most new managers, he was thrown into the flames to learn how to manage a team. After years of struggle, and by combining his own positive and negative experiences with the advice that actually works in the real world, he has built a thriving team that recently won the Nashville Technology Council's "Team of the Year" award. Mikil has a passion for helping other new managers avoid the most common pitfalls in their new role, giving them the tools they need to also build a successful team.


The Aviation Shelf

Boeing 737
Graham M. Simons
Air World
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526787231, $42.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Boeing-737-Controversial-Commercial-Jetliner/dp/1526787237

Synopsis: The Boeing 737 is an American short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a division of the Boeing Company. Originally designed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from the 707 and 727, the 737 has grown into a family of passenger models with capacities from 85 to 215 passengers, the most recent version of which, the 737 MAX, has become embroiled in a worldwide controversy.

Initially envisioned in 1964, the first 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered airline service in February 1968 with Lufthansa. The 737 series went on to become one of the highest-selling commercial jetliners in history and has been in production in its core form since 1967; the 10,000th example was rolled out on 13 March 2018.

There is, however, a very different side to the convoluted story of the 737's development, one that demonstrates a transition of power from a primarily engineering structure to one of accountancy, number-driven powerbase that saw corners cut, and the previous extremely high safety methodology compromised. The result was the 737 MAX. Having entered service in 2017, this model was grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two devastating crashes.

"Boeing 737: The World's Most Controversial Commercial Jetliner" is a revealing and insightful study in which renowned aviation historian Graham M. Simons deftly examines its design, development and service over the decades since 1967. He also explores the darker side of the 737's history, laying bare the politics, power-struggles, changes of management ideology and battles with Airbus that culminated in the 737 MAX debacle that has threatened Boeing's very survival.

Critique: An exceptionally detailed, impressively informative, expertly written, organized and presented study, "Boeing 737: The World's Most Controversial Commercial Jetliner" is an especially timely and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library Contemporary Aviation collections. A critically important study for anyone with concerns over the safety of the 737 MAX, "Boeing 737: The World's Most Controversial Commercial Jetliner" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Graham M. Simons is a highly regarded Aviation historian with extensive contacts within the field. He is also the author of Mosquito: The Original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (2011), B-17 The Fifteen Ton Flying Fortress (2011), and Valkyrie: The North American XB-70 (also 2011), all published by Pen and Sword Books.


The Computer Shelf

Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory
W. Cary Huffman, editor
Jon-Lark Kim, editor
Patrick Sole, editor
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138551992, $250.00, HC, 998pp

https://www.amazon.com/Concise-Encyclopedia-Coding-Theory-Huffman/dp/1138551996

Synopsis: Most coding theory experts date the origin of the subject with the 1948 publication of "A Mathematical Theory of Communication" by Claude Shannon. Since then, coding theory has grown into a discipline with many practical applications (antennas, networks, memories), requiring various mathematical techniques, from commutative algebra, to semi-definite programming, to algebraic geometry.

Knowledgeably compiled and expertly edited by the team of Cary Huffman, Jon-Lark Kim and Patrick Sole, the topics covered in the "Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory" are presented in short sections at an introductory level and progress from basic to advanced level, with definitions, examples, and many references.

The "Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory" is divided into three parts:

Part I fundamentals: cyclic codes, skew cyclic codes, quasi-cyclic codes, self-dual codes, codes and designs, codes over rings, convolutional codes, performance bounds

Part II families: AG codes, group algebra codes, few-weight codes, Boolean function codes, codes over graphs

Part III applications: alternative metrics, algorithmic techniques, interpolation decoding, pseudo-random sequences, lattices, quantum coding, space-time codes, network coding, distributed storage, secret-sharing, and code-based-cryptography.

Critique: Featuring a wealth of examples and references, and addressing topics on the cutting edge of research and practice, "Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory" is especially useful for students and researchers in a wide range of mathematical disciplines, as well as is an ideal textbook for coding theory curriculums. While especially and unreservedly recommended for college and university library Combinatorics, Information Theory, and Web Encryption collections and supplemental studies curriculums, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of professional coders, coding students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the "Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory" is also readily available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $237.50).


The Dance Shelf

Being a Ballerina
Gavin Larsen
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://upf.com
9780813066899, $26.95, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Being-Ballerina-Power-Perfection-Dancing/dp/0813066891

Synopsis: Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise, "Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life" by Gavin Larsen is a firsthand look at the realities of life as a professional ballet dancer. Through episodes drawn from her own career, Gavin Larsen describes the forces that drive a person to study dance; the daily balance that dancers navigate between hardship and joy; and the dancer's continual quest to discover who they are as a person and as an artist.

Starting with her arrival as a young beginner at a class too advanced for her, Larsen tells how the embarrassing mistake ended up helping her learn quickly and advance rapidly. In other stories of her early teachers, training, and auditions, she explains how she gradually came to understand and achieve what she and her body were capable of.

Larsen then re-creates scenes from her experiences in dance companies, from unglamorous roles to exhilarating performances. Working as a ballerina was shocking and scary at first, she says, recalling unexpected injuries, leaps of faith, and her constant struggle to operate at the level she wanted but full of enormously rewarding moments. Larsen also reflects candidly on her difficult decision to retire at age 35.

Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life" is essential reading for anyone considering or contemplating a career as a professional dance. An welcome memoir revealing just what it takes to live a life dedicated to the perfection of the art form called dance, "Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, college and university library Contemporary American Biography collections in general, and Contemporary Dance supplemental studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted that "Being a Ballerina: The Power and Perfection of a Dancing Life" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).

Editorial Note: Gavin Larsen received her professional dance training at the School of American Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the New York School of Ballet. In 1992, Ms. Larsen joined Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, leaving the company in 1999 to join the Alberta Ballet, directed by Mikko Nissinen. In 2003 Ms. Larsen was invited to join Oregon Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer by then artistic director Christopher Stowell. She retired from full-time performing in 2010 to focus on teaching, coaching and writing about dance, while continuing to pursue unique artistic opportunities. She was a founding member of Incoroporamento, a collaborative trio combining dance, poetry, and music, in 2010, producing several performances to critical acclaim. Since 2010, she has been a regular contributor for Pointe, Dance Teacher, and Dance Spirit magazines. Her writing has appeared in The Dancing Times, Dance/USA's online journal In the Green Room, Oregon ArtsWatch, and Artslandia as well as the literary journals the Threepenny Review, Maine Review, Sunlight Press, Page & Spine, and KYSO Flash.


The Agriculture Shelf

Emerging Plant Diseases and Global Food Security
Jean Beagle Ristaino, editor
Angela Records, editor
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546376, $249.00, HC, 305pp

https://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Plant-Diseases-Global-Security/dp/0890546371

Synopsis: Knowledgeably compiled and deftly co-edited by the team of Jean Beagle Ristaino and Angela Records, "Emerging Plant Diseases and Global Food Security" synthesizes developments in emerging plant disease biology and discusses innovative technologies and knowledge about the ecology, evolution, and management of emerging infectious diseases.

Critique: The thirteen informative contributions by experts in the field are expertly organized into three major sections (A Global Context; The Ecology, Epidemiology, and Population Biology of Emerging Plant Diseases; Detection, Modeling, and Evolution). Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a twelve page Index, "Emerging Plant Diseases and Global Food Security" is an ideal curriculum textbook, as well as an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, governmental, college and university library Agricultural Studies collections in general, and Plant Pathology supplemental reading lists in particular.

Editorial Note: Jean Beagle Ristaino is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University. Angela Records is with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Food Security, Washington, D.C.

Soybean Rust
Jose Tadashi Orinori
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
www.shopapspress.org
9780890546635, $139.00, HC, 137pp

https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?WebsiteKey=2661527A-8D44-496C-A730-8CFEB6239BE7&iProdu ctCode=46635

Synopsis: "Soybean Rust: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic in Brazil" highlights critical advances from the research of the late Dr. Jose Tadashi Yorinori, who developed educational and control methods for this devastating disease. An international team of editors have updated and extended Dr. Yorinori's writings to help realize his dream of publishing a instructive study that fully documents his years of work with soybean rust in Brazil.

Dr. Yorinori's documentation of this story provides comprehensive details about soybean rust, beginning with the discovery of the pathogen on soybeans in Brazil in 2001 and the events that followed as he and others worked to understand and control the disease. Events covered include the differentiation of the two known pathogens, the history and economic impact of the disease in Brazil, and the management techniques that were studied and introduced as the result of the coordinated work of many professionals. These management techniques successfully curbed the spread of soybean rust in Brazil and provided a foundation for effectively managing the disease when it spread to the United States only 3 years later.

In addition to telling an engaging story, "Soybean Rust" will be useful as a textbook and in supporting the learning of young professionals. The details of this adventure in plant pathology highlight the importance of plant pathology in managing disease worldwide.

Critique: Profusely illustrated in full color throughout, and enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a four page listing of Literature Cited and an eight page Index, "Soybean Rust: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic in Brazil" is a unique, detailed, informative and invaluable study that must be considered an essential and core addition to college and university library Agriculture/Horticulture collections in general, and Soy Bean supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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