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Reviewer's Choice
Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy
Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
c/o National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309693370, $50.00, PB, 438pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reducing-Racial-Inequality-Crime-Justice/dp/0309693373
Synopsis: The history of the U.S. criminal justice system is scarred by racial inequality and sustained by present day policy. Large racial and ethnic disparities exist across the several stages of criminal legal processing, including in arrests, pre-trial detention, and sentencing and incarceration, among others, with Black, Latino, and Native Americans experiencing worse outcomes. The historical legacy of racial exclusion and structural inequalities form the social context for racial inequalities in crime and criminal justice. Racial inequality can drive disparities in crime, victimization, and system involvement.
A landmark study, "Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy" synthesizes the evidence on community-based solutions, noncriminal policy interventions, and criminal justice reforms, charting a path toward the reduction of racial inequalities by minimizing harm in ways that also improve community safety. Reversing the effects of structural racism and severing the close connections between racial inequality, criminal harms such as violence, and criminal justice involvement will involve fostering local innovation and evaluation, and coordinating local initiatives with state and federal leadership.
This comprehensive report also highlights the challenge of creating an accurate, national picture of racial inequality in crime and justice: there is a lack of consistent, reliable data, as well as data transparency and accountability. While the available data points toward trends that Black, Latino, and Native American individuals are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and given more severe punishments compared to White individuals, opportunities for improving research should be explored to better inform decision-making.
Critique: A seminal and timely study, "Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice, and Policy" is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and political activists, as well as professional, governmental, college, and university library Social Justice, Social Sciences, Ethnic Studies, and Racial Law Reform collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Bridgebuilders
William D. Eggers, author
Bondal F. Kettl, author
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647825119, $35.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bridgebuilders-Government-Transcend-Boundaries-Problems/dp/1647825113
Synopsis: Pandemics. Climate change. Refugee resettlement. Global supply chains. Corporate executives and entrepreneurs face a new generation of complex problems that stretch across the public and private sectors and flow over organizational boundaries. To meet the moment, we need a fresh, new approach that strengthens institutions and government agencies by breaking free from organizational boxes and rigid, top-down leadership.
With the publication of "Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems", co-authors William D. Eggers (Executive director of Deloitte's Center for Government Insights), and Donald F. Kettl (public management scholar), show that we need a government of bridgebuilders who collaborate with partners (both inside and outside of government) to get the job done. These leaders manage horizontally instead of vertically; they see their role as connectors; and they identify which players have the assets needed to solve the unprecedented problems at hand.
Each chapter examines one of the ten core principles of bridgebuilding and features practical tips and dynamic cases of how effective leaders have put each bridgebuilding principle to work. "Bridgebuilders" also includes a special section that helps government leaders create a hundred-day bridgebuilding plan.
Throughout, Eggers and Kettl tell fascinating and instructive stories about some of today's bridgebuilders -- federal, state, and local government leaders who transcend boundaries, partner across sectors, and get stuff done.
Trusted and effective government has never been more important than today. "Bridgebuilders" provides a new model that current government decision makers (as well as young leaders who aspire to public service) can learn from and apply right now to transform government and restore public trust.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two Appendices (A 100-Day Plan to Bridgebuildng in Your New Government Job & How to Teach This), thirty pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, "Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems" is an impressive and useful study that will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, professional, corporate, community, and academic collections as well as supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subjects of business leadership, motivation, decision making, and problem solving that "Bridgebuilders: How Government Can Transcend Boundaries to Solve Big Problems" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: William D. Eggers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_D._Eggers) is executive director of the Deloitte Center for Government Insights and a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including The Solution Revolution and If We Can Put a Man on the Moon, both from Harvard Business Review Press.
Editorial Note #2: Donald F. Kettl (https://lbj.utexas.edu/kettl-donald-f) is a professor emeritus, former dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He was previously the Sid Richardson Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. His books include, most recently, The Divided States of America and Can Governments Earn Our Trust?
The Defiant Optimist
Durreen Shahnaz
Broadleaf Books
510 Marquette Avenue N, Minneapolis, MN 55402
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506480763, $27.99, HC, 247pp
https://www.amazon.com/Defiant-Optimist-Inequality-Reinvent-Finance/dp/1506480764
Synopsis: When she launched the world's first stock exchange for social enterprises, Durreen Shahnaz started more than a new financial system; she sparked a movement. Defiant optimism (the stubborn belief that systems that enrich the few can be transformed for the good of the many) requires an indomitable spirit. With the publication of "The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women", Shahnaz illuminates what investing in those excluded from networks of power and opportunity requires.
From growing up with constrained life chances, to working as the first Bangladeshi woman on Wall Street, to becoming a global leader in impact investing, Shahnaz takes us on a mesmerizing trek of innovation, compassion, and enterprise. In the pages of this definitive biography we accompany her to villages in Bangladesh where she helps women entrepreneurs learn to proudly sign their names, and on visits to venture capitalists who walk past her to shake her male employees' hands. We go to a garment factory where women labor for low wages, and to a town in India where microfinance offers women enough capital to run grocery stores and tailor shops. Along the way, the birth of her two daughters only fuels her relentless pursuit of a world where girls are valued. Finally, armed with financial backers and a plan, Shahnaz crafts the world's first tradeable financial product geared toward investing in underserved women's livelihoods.
Changing how systems work (and who they work for) isn't for the faint of heart. But "The Defiant Optimist" offers 'real world practical' strategies for placing women, the underserved, and the planet at the heart of systems. Together we can locate the levers of power and pull them defiantly in a new direction.
Critique: A fascinating combination of memoir and economic policy reforms, "The Defiant Optimist: Daring to Fight Global Inequality, Reinvent Finance, and Invest in Women" is an extraordinary, thought-provoking, and inspiring read throughout. Of special particular value to readers with an interest in personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Business Women's Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for that "The Defiant Optimist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.49).
Editorial Note: Durreen Shahnaz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durreen_Shahnaz) has worked both in high finance on Wall Street and in microfinance in the back streets of rural Bangladesh. Following stints as an investment banker, development worker, educator, media executive, and social entrepreneur, Shahnaz founded a pioneering impact investment firm that brings together investors, development agencies, and entrepreneurs to advance sustainable development and empower millions of women. Shahnaz is on the Forbes "50 over 50" list and received the 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for Business. Shahnaz holds degrees from Smith College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Thriving as a Graduate Writer
Rachel Cayley
University of Michigan Press
839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3209
www.press.umich.edu
9780472039128, $29.95, PB, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-Graduate-Writer-Principles-Strategies/dp/0472039121
Synopsis: With the publication of "Thriving as a Graduate Writer: Principles, Strategies, and Habits for Effective Academic Writing", Professor Rachel Cayley offers a comprehensive guide to the multifaceted challenges of writing in graduate school.
Professor Cayley shows readers how to think about academic writing, how to manage an academic text, and how to establish an effective writing practice. Graduate students from all disciplines will find concrete strategies and motivation for the enterprise of academic writing.
Intended for both multilingual writers and those for whom English is a first language, "Thriving as a Graduate Writer: offers essential writing support in quick, easily digestible chunks.
Readers of Thriving as a Graduate Writer will: Learn how to establish an effective writing practice; Discover how to position themselves as competent and engaged writers; Learn how to structure their writing, craft effective sentences, and create movement with a text; Develop processes for draft revisions; Create individual writing strategies that will last throughout their careers.
Critique: In addition to graduate students there is another readership that will greatly benefit from the information, instructions, tips, tricks and techniques that comprise "Thriving as a Graduate Writer: Principles, Strategies, and Habits for Effective Academic Writing". Its authors of academic and non-fiction books involving any and all subjects. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Thriving as a Graduate Writer" will also have an immense value to anyone with an interest in Foreign Language Instruction, English as a Second Language, and Writer/Author Technical Education. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections and supplemental Writer's Workshop curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Thriving as A graduate Writer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Editorial Note: Rachael Cayley (https://explorationsofstyle.com/author-bio) is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream in the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication at the University of Toronto. She also writes Explorations of Style, a blog on academic writing for graduate students.
Writing That Gets Noticed
Estelle Erasmus
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608688364, $19.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364
Synopsis: With the publication of "Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published" by successful essayist, columnist, published author, writing instructor, and magazine editor Estelle Erasmus will show you how to find your voice, how to write stellar pieces, and how to get them published.
In 'real-world practical' and experience based chapters, "Writing That Gets Noticed" covers: Mining your life for ideas and incubating those ideas; Choose the perfect format (essay, op-ed, feature article, and more); Research publications and following editor etiquette; Crafting a perfect pitch; Protecting your psyche from inevitable rejections; Revising your work for maximum impact; Delivering what you promise, protecting your work, and get paid!!
Critique: An ideal and comprehensive DIY instructional guide and manual, "Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published" is informatively enhanced for the aspiring writer with the inclusion of a three page listing of Resources for Writers, a three page Glossary of Publishing Terms, fifteen pages of Notes, and a twenty-two page Index. Throughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be oted that "Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Estelle Erasmus (EstelleSErasmus.com) is an award-winning journalist, a writing coach, and an in-demand speaker who has written for more than 150 publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, HuffPost Personal, Good Housekeeping, and Writer's Digest. She has been the editor-in-chief of five national magazines and hosts the Freelance Writing Direct podcast. She is also an adjunct instructor at NYU and frequent panelist for professional writing organizations.
The Science Shelf
The Manga Guide to Physiology
Etsuro Tanaka, Keiko Koyama, and Becom Co., Ltd.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781593274405 $24.99 pbk / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Physiology-Guides/dp/1593274408
Synopsis: Student nurse Kumiko has just flunked her physiology exam and has one last shot at passing her makeup test. Lucky for her, newbie health science professor Kaisei needs a guinea pig for his physiology lectures.
Join Kumiko in The Manga Guide to Physiology as she examines the inner workings of the body while training hard for the campus marathon. You'll learn all about:
How the digestive system and the Citric Acid Cycle break food down into nutrients and energy
How the body regulates temperature and vital fluids
The body's powerful cell defense system, led by helper T cells and enforced by macrophages
The architecture of the central nervous system
The kidneys' many talents: blood filtration, homeostasis, and energy production
You'll also gain insight into medical procedures like electrocardiograms, blood pressure tests, spirograms, and more.
Whether you're cramming for a test like Kumiko or just want a refresher, The Manga Guide to Physiology is your fun, cartoon guide to the human body.
Critique: Illustrated with a black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) framing story about a student nurse studying for her make-up exam with help from a neophyte health science professor, The Manga Guide to Physiology is a thoroughly accessible and user-friendly guide to physiology, the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living body. Chapters examine how different bodily systems work, including the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the sensory nervous system, the musculoskeletal system, the endocrine system, and much more. The Manga Guide to Physiology is an excellent text for classroom use or self-study, and especially ideal for students with a keen interest in careers related to health care! Highly recommended especially for high school, college, and public library science collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Manga Guide to Physiology is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
Fundamental Research in High Energy Density Science
Consensus Study Report
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309694148, $28.00, PB, 148pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Research-Energy-Density-Science/dp/0309694140
Synopsis: High energy density (HED) science has critical applications for society from fusion energy to sustaining the US nuclear deterrent, while also contributing to broader scientific questions such as understanding planets and their origins.
The next decade of HED science will be instrumental to growing our understanding and in the development of new technologies and processes. "Fundamental Research in High Energy Density Science" identifies key challenges and science questions for the field for the coming decade and proposes ways to address them.
Critique: A Consensus Study Report that is the joint project of the Committee on the assessment of High Energy Density Science, the Board on Physics and Astronomy, and the Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, "Fundamental Research in High Energy Density Science" is enhanced for the reader with a four page Executive Summary, occasional illustrations, and seven Appendices. "Fundamental Research in High Energy Density Science" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college and university library High Energy Density collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world. Our work helps shape sound policies, inform public opinion, and advance the pursuit of science, engineering, and medicine. (https://www.nationalacademies.org)
The Mathematics Shelf
The Manga Guide to Cryptography
Masaaki Mitani, Shinichi Sato, Idero Hinoki, and Verte Corp.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781593277420 $24.95 pbk / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Cryptography-Guides/dp/1593277423
Synopsis: Cryptography is hard, but it's less hard when it's filled with adorable Japanese manga. The latest addition to the Manga Guide series, The Manga Guide to Cryptography, turns the art of encryption and decryption into plain, comic illustrated English.
As you follow Inspector Jun Meguro in his quest to bring a cipher-wielding thief to justice, you'll learn how cryptographic ciphers work. (Ciphers are the algorithms at the heart of cryptography.) Like all books in the Manga Guide series, The Manga Guide to Cryptography is illustrated throughout with memorable Japanese manga as it dives deep into advanced cryptography topics, such as classic substitution, polyalphabetic, and transposition ciphers; symmetric-key algorithms like block and DES (Data Encryption Standard) ciphers; and how to use public key encryption technology. It also explores practical applications of encryption such as digital signatures, password security, and identity fraud countermeasures.
The Manga Guide to Cryptography is the perfect introduction to cryptography for programmers, security professionals, aspiring cryptographers, and anyone who finds cryptography just a little bit hard.
Critique: Illustrated with a black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) framing story The Manga Guide to Cryptography is an in-depth educational tool about the practice of cryptography - that is, making communication secure from spies or adversaries by transforming it into a difficult-to-read encrypted state. (It should be noted that the practice of cryptography is something completely different from digital currencies known as "cryptocurrency", although cryptocurrencies necessarily utilize a form of strong cryptography.) Chapters examine the mathematical foundations of encryption, symmetric-key algorithms, public-key encryption, and practical applications of encryption including hash functions, message authentication codes, digital signatures, public-key infrastructure, and more. The Manga Guide to Cryptography is extremely accessible, ideal for both classroom use or self-study, and highly recommended for high school, college, and public library mathematics collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Manga Guide to Cryptography is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis
Shin Takahashi, Iroha Inoue, and Trend-Pro Co. Ltd.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781593277284 $24.95 pbk / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Regression-Analysis/dp/1593277288
Synopsis: Follow along with Miu and Risa in The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis as they calculate the effect of temperature on iced tea orders, predict bakery revenues, and work out the probability of cake sales with simple, multiple, and logistic regression analysis. You'll get a refresher in basic concepts like matrix equations, inverse functions, logarithms, and differentiation before diving into the hard stuff. Learn how to:
Calculate the regression equation
Check the accuracy of your equation with the correlation coefficient
Perform hypothesis tests and analysis of variance, and calculate confidence intervals
Make predictions using odds ratios and prediction intervals
Verify the validity of your analysis with diagnostic checks
Perform chi-squared tests and F-tests to check the goodness of fit
Whether you're learning regression analysis for the first time or have just never managed to get your head around it, The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis makes mastering this tricky technique straightforward and fun.
Critique: Regression Analysis is a type of statistical modeling used to estimate relationships between variables - for example, calculating the effect of local outdoor temperature on a shop's iced tea orders. The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis uses black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) to make learning regression analysis accessible and fun! Chapter 1 presents a refresher on necessary mathematic fundamentals such as differentiation and matrix operations; Chapter 2 covers simple regression analysis; Chapter 3 explores multiple regression analysis; and Chapter 4 discusses logistic regression analysis. The manga pages tell a delightful framing story about a young maid cafe worker who wants to learn regression analysis, her brilliant co-worker, and the handsome but shy student who frequents their cafe, but make no mistake - The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis is at its core a detailed, in-depth educational tool ideal for classroom use or self-study! Highly recommended, especially for high school, college, and public library Mathematics collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Manga Guide to Regression Analysis is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
The Education Shelf
How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates
Saskia Loer Hansen, editor
Kathy Daniels, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781803926506, $185.00, HC, 392pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/how-to-enable-the-employability-of-university-graduates-9781803926506.html
Synopsis: Students invest significant resources in coming to university and universities play a crucial role in enabling their students to benefit from this investment and to be employable once they have finished their degree. Giving a platform to the debate about graduate employability from the student, university and employer perspectives, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates"is innovative addition to the Edward Elgar Publishing's 'How To Guide' series and explores the challenges associated with ensuring the employability of university graduates.
In defining the nature of employability, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates" discusses how the concept is a shared responsibility dependent on individual capabilities, the labour market and social capital.
Considering what employers want from graduates, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates" examines how universities can provide strong graduate outcomes and inclusive career opportunities irrespective of student background. It also illustrates ways to embed employability across the curriculum, suggesting innovative approaches to careers guidance and specific employability initiatives, while upholding the benefits of entrepreneurial activities and widening participation opportunities.
With insights from around the world, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates" concludes by thinking about the institutional response to the challenges faced by the employability agenda, reflecting on how research has developed over the past 20 years.
Interdisciplinary and comparative in scope, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates" is a compendium of international case studies of employability approaches across a wide range of educational institutions and will prove an engaging resource for students and scholars of business, education management, and teaching methods. Its exploration of regulatory environments will also prove useful for policymakers working in education.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and deftly co-edited by Saskia Loer Hansen and Kathy Daniels, "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates" is comprised of 36 insightfully informative contributions and features figures, tables, a list of abbreviations, a listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seven page index. "How to Enable the Employability of University Graduates", a seminal and timely work, is impressively organized and presented, making it an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, college, and university library Education Counseling collections, and supplemental curriculum Career Development/Vocational Guidance studies lists.
Editorial Note: Saskia Loer Hansenis the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Engagement), RMIT University, Australia.
Editorial Note #2: Kathy Daniels (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/kathy-daniels) is the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Engagement), Aston University, UK.
Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools, third edition
Keith Storey
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094065, $46.95, PB, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Behavior-Supports-Classrooms-Schools/dp/0398094063
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated third edition, "Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools: Effective and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Service Providers" continues to be a unique and instructive guid that provides teachers and other service providers the knowledge and skills for Positive Behavior Supports in school settings, thereby improving the academic and social skills of their students.
As with previous editions, "Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools" is written in an informational format that teachers and other service providers can immediately put to use. The text is generic across K-12 grade levels and focuses on Positive Behavior Supports in school settings.
Each chapter begins with Key Point Questions, followed by two Window to the World Case Studies, information on the Key Point Questions, Discussion Questions, and Suggestions for Classroom and School Activities.
Additionally, an overview of Positive Behavior Supports is provided, which includes Measuring Behavior, Functional Assessment and Analysis, Reinforcement, Punishment, Classroom Structure, Preventative Procedures and Interventions, Cooperative Learning and Peer Tutoring, and Family and Agency Involvement.
The Self-Management Strategies, Social Skills Instruction, and School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports are vital areas of knowledge. This "How To" book is written for teachers and other direct service providers in a non-technical manner with specific real-world examples.
Critique: An ideal textbook for school district in-service training programs and a core addition to college and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Positive Behavior Supports in Classrooms and Schools: Effective and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Service Providers, third edition" is especially informative and effectively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation.
Editorial Note: Keith Storey (https://tu-ca.academia.edu/KeithStorey) is a Professor Emeritus at Touro University California in Vallejo, California. Keith has over forty years' experience working with individuals with disabilities, including six years as a classroom teacher. His professional and research interests include transition from school to adult life, functional analysis and positive behavioral supports, supported employment, inclusion, and curriculum development. Keith is the recipient of the 1988 Alice H. Hayden Award from The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps; the 1996 Hau-Cheng Wang Fellowship from Chapman University, which is presented for exceptional merit in scholarship; and the 2001 Robert Gaylord-Ross Memorial Scholar Award from the California Association for Persons with Severe Disabilities.
The Political Science Shelf
The Age of Insurrection
David Neiwert
Melville House
46 John Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781685890360, $39.99, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Age-Insurrection-Radical-American-Democracy/dp/1685890369
Synopsis: From a smattering of ominous right-wing compounds in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, to the shocking January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, America has seen the culmination of a long-building war on democracy being waged by a fundamentally violent and antidemocratic far-right movement that unironically calls itself the "Patriot" movement.
So how did we get here?
With the publication of "The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy", award-winning journalist David Neiwert (who been following the rise of these extremist groups since the late 1970s, when he was a young reporter in Idaho) explores how the movement was built over decades, how it was set aflame by Donald Trump and his cohorts, and how it will continue to attack American democracy for the foreseeable future.
Neiwert especially studies how the Pacific Northwest has long been a breeding ground of extremist violence, from the time when neo-nazis migrated to the area from southern California in the 1970s, through the great battles in Portland and Seattle and neighboring towns over the last decade.
Laying out how these groups organize their terroristic violence and attacks on democratic institutions at every level (including local, state, and federal targets) Neiwert details what their strategies and plans look like for the foreseeable future.
Critique: A timely and invaluable contribution to our currently on-going national discussions on the rise of an American fascism that is currently identified by governmental authorities in the FBI and other security agencies to be the greatest current threat to American democracy and our political voting systems, "The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy" is a compelling (and chilling) read. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99) for students, academia, government officials and legislators, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy" is a vitally important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library White Nationalism Christian Nationalism, Fascism, and Domestic Terrorism collections and supplemental Contemporary Political Science curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: David Neiwert (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Neiwert) is an award-winning investigative journalist and the author of several books, including Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories that are Killing Us (Prometheus 2020), Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump (Verso 2017), Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us (Overlook 2016), and And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border (Nation Books 2013).
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Five Times Faster
Simon Sharpe
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781009326490, $24.95, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Times-Faster-Rethinking-Economics/dp/100932649X
Synopsis: The premise of "Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change" by Simon Sharpe is that we need to act five times faster than we presently are if we are to avoid dangerous climate change.
As Greenland melts, Australia burns, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, we think we know who the villains are: oil companies, consumerism, weak political leaders. But what if the real blocks to progress are the ideas and institutions that are supposed to be helping us?
"Five Times Faster" is an inside story from Simon Sharpe, who has spent ten years at the forefront of climate change policy and diplomacy. In our fight to avoid dangerous climate change, science is pulling its punches, diplomacy is picking the wrong battles, and economics has been fighting for the other side.
"Five Times Faster" is provocative and engaging study that sets out how we should rethink our strategies and reorganise our efforts in the fields of science, economics, and diplomacy, so that we can act fast enough to stay safe.
Critique: Timely, informative, exceptionally well presented, "Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change" is a significant and documented alarm call that if unheeded will result in a total and global catastrophe for the human race -- and pretty much every other species of life on earth. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university Environmental Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, professional environmentalists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of dealing with Climate Change, "Five Times Faster" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70).
Editorial Note: Simon Sharpe (https://www.wri.org/profile/simon-sharpe) is Director of Economics for the Climate Champions Team and a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. He designed and led flagship international campaigns of the UK's Presidency of the UN climate change talks (COP 26) in 2020-2021; worked as the head of private office to a minister of energy and climate change in the UK Government; and has served on diplomatic postings in China and India. He has published influential academic papers and created groundbreaking international initiatives in climate change risk assessment, economics, policy, and diplomacy.
Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation
Romany M. Webb, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781802208849, $175.00, HC, 344pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/ocean-carbon-dioxide-removal-for-climate-mitigation-9781802208849.html
Synopsis: Examining the existing legal framework for ocean carbon dioxide removal (CDR), "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" provides highlights potential legal challenges and opportunities associated with using the ocean to remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Described are five commonly discussed ocean CDR techniques, including rock-based ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), electrochemical OAE, ocean fertilization, artificial upwelling and downwelling, and seaweed cultivation, and explores the legal issues that different techniques could raise.
"Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" is a timely and comprehensive exploration of the laws governing ocean CDR research and deployment at the international level and domestically in seven countries across Asia, Europe, and North America. The analysis highlights the complexities and uncertainties associated with applying existing international and domestic law to ocean CDR, providing lawyers and policymakers with invaluable insights into areas where legal reforms are needed to facilitate in-ocean research and deployment.
Essential reading for lawyers, policymakers, and others interested in advancing innovative climate change solutions, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" will also appeal to academic and private sector scientists who are conducting research into ocean CDR.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by academicians Romany M. Webb, Korey Silverman-Roati, and Michael B. Gerrard of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" is a ground breaking study consisting of an Introduction, a Conclusion, and eleven erudite and seminal essays by experts in the field of environmental science. Expertly organized and presented, "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" features a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, as well as a number of Tables, Illustrations, and a thirteen page Index -- making "Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal for Climate Mitigation: The Legal Framework" an essential and core addition to personal, professional, college, university, and governmental library Environmental, Ecosystem, and Natural Resources collections and supplemental Environmental Law curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Romany M. Webb (https://climate.law.columbia.edu/directory/romany-m-webb) is Associate Research Scholar and Deputy Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.
Editorial Note #2: Korey Silverman-Roati (https://climate.law.columbia.edu/directory/korey-silverman-roati) is Associate Research Scholar and Climate Law Fellow, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.
Editorial Note #3: Michael B. Gerrard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gerrard) is the Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice and Faculty Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School.
The Social Issues Shelf
Police Unions and the Reform Movement
Ron DeLord, author
Ron York, author
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093983, $44.95, PB, 290pp
https://www.amazon.com/Police-Unions-Reform-Movement-Americas/dp/0398093989
Synopsis: Between the two of them, co-authors Ron DeLord and Ron York have more than 100 years of collective experience in assisting police unions. It all seemed so simple and formulaic. A social movement that had been lingering for decades reached a tipping point, and unions now had their greatest challenge ever. The last 5 years have seen what unions would describe as apocalyptic demands for reforms.
Union leaders ranted about a war on the police, the end of the profession, and increasing hostility towards the police by the liberal media and politicians. Unions must change the way they do business if they want to survive.
"Police Unions and the Reform Movement: The Battle for the Future of America's Police" identifies the who, what and why of the reform movement, how to mount an effective political campaign, the complexities of an effective message, and the reasons police union leaders succeed and fail.
"Police Unions and the Reform Movement" is divided into five primary parts, each of which explores a police profession under attack from reform activists, left leaning media, politically correct chiefs, and weak mayors and councils afraid to push back against unrealistic and overreaching demands for reforms.
Part I focuses on viewing reform as a social movement. Part II examines the battle between unions and reform activists. Part III unravels the mysterious world of police unions. Part IV predicts the future of the reform movement and police unions in light of the struggle taking place nationwide, and finally, Part V are case studies, perspectives and predictions from contributing authors who are on the front lines of the police labor movement in the U.S. and Australia.
By following the superb analysis and creative ideas in this book, police union leaders, police management, law enforcement personnel, criminal justice professors and policymakers will see a path to reaching an accord on reform and advancing the police profession.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, featuring 23 erudite essays, two Appendices (List of Duty Deaths by Gunfire & 100 Largest Cities, Oversight Boards, and Union Contracts), "Police Unions and the Reform Movement: The Battle for the Future of America's Police" is a timely, significant, thought-provoking, and welcome contribution to our on-going national discussion with respect to law enforcement and policing reforms that is unreservedly recommended for community, college, university Criminology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ron DeLord (http://rondelord.com) is recognized as a leading public safety union contract negotiator; an expert on police and fire unions in United States; and an author and lecturer on public safety union leadership, power, organization, media and political action.
Twenty Dollars and Change
Clarence Lusane
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
www.citylights.com
9780872868854, $21.95, PB, 424pp
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Dollars-Change-American-Democracy/dp/0872868850
Synopsis: Today America is in the throes of a historic reckoning with racism, with the battle for control over official narratives at ground zero. Across the country, politicians, city councils, and school boards are engaged in a highly polarized debate about whose accomplishments should be recognized, and whose point of view should be included in the telling of America's history.
With the publication of "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy", political scientist Clarence Lusane (author of the acclaimed The Black History of the White House), writes from a basic premise: Racist historical narratives and pervasive social inequities are inextricably linked -- changing one can transform the other.
Taking up the debate over the future of the twenty-dollar bill, Lusane uses the question of Harriet Tubman vs. Andrew Jackson as a lens through which to view the current state of our nation's ongoing reckoning with the legacies of slavery and foundational white supremacy. He places the struggle to confront unjust social conditions in direct connection with the push to transform our public symbols, making it plain that any choice of whose life deserves to be remembered and honored is a direct reflection of whose basic rights are deemed worthy of protection, and whose are not.
Critique: A timely political and historical study of racism in America, "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of fifty-two pages of Notes and a fourteen page Index. Of particular relevance and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Social Issues, African-American Racial/Political History, and African/American Demographic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Clarence Lusane (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Lusane) is an author, activist, scholar, and journalist. He is a Professor and former Chairman of Howard University's Department of Political Science. Lusane earned his B.A. in Communications from Wayne State University and both his Masters and Ph.D. from Howard University in Political Science. He's been a political consultant to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a former Commissioner for the DC Commission on African American Affairs. He frequently appears on MSNBC and C-SPAN, and was invited by the Obamas to speak at the White House. He is the author of many books, including The Black History of the White House.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic
Emily Monosson
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9781324007012, $28.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blight-Coming-Pandemic-Emily-Monosson/dp/132400701X
Synopsis: A fungus is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from the other eukaryotic kingdoms, which, by one traditional classification, includes Plantae, Animalia, Protozoa, and Chromista. (Wikipedia)
Fungi are everywhere. Most are harmless; some are helpful. A few are killers. Collectively, infectious fungi are the most devastating agents of disease on earth, and a fungus that can persist in the environment without its host is here to stay.
With the publication of "Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic", academician Emily Monosson documents how trade, travel, and a changing climate are making us all more vulnerable to invasion. Populations of bats, frogs, and salamanders face extinction.
In the Northwest, America's beloved national parks are covered with the spindly corpses of whitebark pines. Food crops are under siege, threatening our coffee, bananas, and wheat -- and, more broadly, our global food security.
Candida auris, drug-resistant and resilient, infects hospital patients and those with weakened immune systems. Coccidioides, which lives in drier dusty regions, may cause infection in apparently healthy people. These horrors go on and on.
Yet prevention is not impossible. Tracing the history of fungal spread and the most recent discoveries in the field, Monosson meets with scientists who are working tirelessly to protect species under threat, and whose innovative approaches to fungal invasion have the potential to save human lives. Delving into case studies at once fascinating, sobering, and hopeful, "Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic" serves as a wake-up call, a reminder of the delicate interconnectedness of the natural world, and a lesson in seeing life on our planet with renewed humility and awe.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a two page bibliography of Further Readings, thirty-two pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, "Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic" is exceptionally well written, organized, and presented -- making it ideal for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine collections and supplemental curriculum Parasitology studies lists.
Editorial Note: Emily Monosson is the author of Natural Defense, Unnatural Selection, and Evolution in a Toxic World. She is a member of the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has a an online web page at https://eco.umass.edu/people/adjunct-faculty/monosson-emily
The Economic Studies Shelf
Research Handbook of Financial Markets
Refet S. Gurkaynak, editor
Jonathan H. Wright, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781800375314, $315.00, HC, 532pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/research-handbook-of-financial-markets-9781800375314.html
Synopsis: A part of the 'Research Handbooks in Money and Finance' series from Edward Elgar Publishing, "The Research Handbook of Financial Markets" is collaboratively compiled and co-edited the the team of professors Refet S. Gurkaynak and Jonathan H. Wright. Twenty-two essays comprising this economics textbook carefully discuss the histories and current states of the most important financial markets and institutions, as well as explicitly underscoring open questions that need study. By describing the institutional structure of different markets and highlighting recent changes within them, it accurately highlights their evolving nature.
Taking the perspective that finance and macroeconomics are intertwined, this illuminating Research Handbook brings together prominent experts to investigate key market interactions. Chapters act as self-contained case studies of particular markets, allowing for a thorough individual examination of each. Ultimately, they offer a holistic understanding of financial markets and the current state of research.
Academics and researchers in economics and finance curious about developments within financial regulation and banking will find this comprehensive Handbook to be hugely valuable. Market participants will additionally find it to be a useful reference, along with regulators seeking to mitigate financial instability.
Critique: With the twenty-two contributions deftly organized into five sections (Central Banking; Intermediaries; Money Markets; Capital Markets, Derivative Markets), "Research Handbook of Financial Markets" is unreservedly recommended, especially for personal, professional, college, and university library Contemporary Economics collections and supplemental Economics curriculum studies lists. Of special note is the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials.
Editorial Note #1: Refet S. Gurkaynak (https://bse.eu/people/gurkaynak-refet) is Professor of Economics at Bilkent University, Turkey and CEPR, CESIfo, and CFS.
Editorial Note #2: Jonathan H. Wright (https://econ.jhu.edu/directory/jonathan-wright) is a Professor of Economics, at Johns Hopkins University, US and NBER.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Money for Beginners: An Illustrated Guide
L. Randall Wray, author
Heske van Doornen, illustrator
Polity
www.politybooks.com
c/o John Wiley and Sons (dist.)
www.wiley.com
9781509554607, $59.95, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Money-Beginners-Illustrated-Randall-Wray/dp/1509554602
Synopsis: Money can be (and often is) mysterious. We love it, we hate it, but few people can tell you what the heck it really is. Wouldn't it be good to clarify once and for all what is money?
With the publication of "Money for Beginners: An Illustrated Guide", Professor of Economics L. Randall Wray will help you understand both the way money works and how to leverage its power. "Money for Beginners take you on an illuminating journey from your piggy bank to the Federal Reserve -- and in plain English with no pesky jargon or complex math!
Once you see money clearly, life will never be the same. You'll know what really goes on in banks and what the cash in your wallet represents. You'll know how government really spends and why it can't run out of money. You'll know what money can actually do -- and how we can make it work for us.
Critique: Simply stated, "Money for Beginners: An Illustrated Guide" should be in every community, highschool, college, and university library Economics/Money/Finance instructional reference collections. Exceptionally well written, comprehensively informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Money for Beginners: An Illustrated Guide" is also available in a paperback edition (9781509554614, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.00, 9781509554621).
Editorial Note #1: L. Randall Wray (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Randall_Wray) is a Professor of Economics at Bard College and Senior Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute. His book "Making Money Work for Us" was also published by Polity in 2022.
Editorial Note #2: Heske Van Doornen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/heskevandoornen) is an economist, writer, and artist.
The Biography Shelf
Emperor Septimius Severus: The Roman Hannibal
Ilkka Syvanne
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399066655, $52.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-Septimius-Severus-Roman-Hannibal/dp/139906665X
Synopsis: Lucius Septimius Severus (11 April 145 - 4 February 211) was the Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna (present-day Al-Khums, Libya) in the Roman province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of the emperor Pertinax in 193 during the Year of the Five Emperors. (Wikipedia).
One ancient source called Severus the most warlike of all men who had lived up to that moment in time. The rise of Septimius Severus to power started the dominance of the military in Roman affairs and it was because of this that Septimius's advice for his sons was nothing less than: 'Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, and scorn all other men!'
With the publication of "Emperor Septimius Severus: The Roman Hannibal", historian and biographer Ilkka Syvanne explains in detail how the African Septimius Severus achieved his position, how he won his wars and battles and how he used his newly gained power to secure his family's position. He reveals how he reformed the state and its military, and how he used these remodeled forces in wars of conquest to prove his worth as emperor to both the soldiers and the populace.
This biography offers the first complete overview of the policies, events and military campaigns of Severus' reign in the fullest detail allowed by the sources. It also explains how and why these contributed to the military crisis of the third century and discusses the legacy he left for his son, Caracalla, who followed him in both his good and bad traits.
Critique: Impressively, exhaustively, and expertly researched, organized and presented biography, Professor Ilkka Syvanne's "Emperor Septimius Severus: The Roman Hannibal" brings out of relative obscurity on of Rome's particularly interesting emperors in a particularly violent and politically unstable periods. If there is any message arising from ancient Rome and still relevant today it is that the game of thrones is a blood sport. A fascinating and informative read, "Emperor Septimius Severus: The Roman Hannibal" is enhanced with the inclusion of plates, maps, diagrams, a list of abbreviations, two appendices (Arrian and Roman Battle Tactics; Frontinus and Combat Tactics on Land), thirteen pages of notes, a four page Select Bibliography, and a twelve page index. While highly recommended as an addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Roman Biography/History collections, it should be noted that "Emperor Septimius Severus: The Roman Hannibal" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Ilkka Syvanne (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Ilkka-Syvanne/a/2164) gained his doctorate in history in 2004 from the University of Tampere in his native Finland. Since then he has written extensively about ancient and medieval warfare and his publications include: 'The Age of Hippotoxotai, Art of War in Roman Military Revival and Disaster 491-636' (Tampere UP 2004), 'The Reign of Gallienus' (Pen & Sword, 2019), the multivolume 'Military History of Late Rome' published by Pen & Sword and the critically acclaimed Caracalla. He is the co-author with Professor Katarzyna Maksymiuk of the 'Military History of Third Century Iran' (Siedlce UP, 2018) and the 'Military History of Fifth Century Iran' (Siedlce UP, 2019). He was Vice Chairman of the Finnish Society for Byzantine Studies from 2007 until 2016. He has been an Affiliated Professor of the University of Haifa since 2016. He lives in Kangasala, Finland.
Man of the People
Robert Garcia
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Freeway, Bldg 19, Rm 100, Houston, TX 77204-2004
www.artepublicopress.com
9781558859630, $18.95, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Man-People-Autobiography-Congressman-Robert/dp/1558859632
Synopsis: Robert Garcia (January 9, 1933 - January 25, 2017) was born in the South Bronx of Puerto Rican parents. He became a US Congressman after serving in the New York State Assembly and Senate. "Man of the People" is Robert Garcia's personal memoir and follows his life of struggle and achievement, from the rough streets of the South Bronx to the cold muddy fields of South Korea, the New York Senate and ultimately the US House of Representatives.
Critique: Of special note is the Prologue by Bill Richardson and the Epilogue by Jane Lee Garcia. "Man of the People: The Autobiography of Congressman Robert Garcia" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Hispanic and Latin American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Man of the People" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Robert Garcia was a United States representative who represented New York's 21st district (South Bronx). He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1965 and the New York State Senate in 1967, and then served in Congress from 1978 to 1990 and is listed on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Garcia_(New_York_politician)
Man of Treacherous Charm
Candace Wellman
Washington State University Press
PO Box 645910, Pullman, WA 99164-5910
www.wsupress.wsu.edu
9780874224221, $32.95, HC, 319pp
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Treacherous-Charm-Territorial-Fitzhugh/dp/0874224225
Synopsis: In 1857, coal mine manager Edmund C. Fitzhugh killed a drunken trespasser in his garden. Though Fitzhugh was under indictment for murder and only marginally qualified for the position, U.S. president James Buchanan made the stunning decision to appoint him to Washington Territory's District and Supreme Courts.
The blue blood Virginian lawyer had migrated to the California gold rush in 1849. After Fitzhugh's San Francisco law partner and others invested in a new Bellingham Bay coal mine, he moved north to open it. During the next ten years (including a few as Democratic Party chairman) he built and exploited his political network.
In addition to serving on the federal bench and managing the militarily strategic mine, he was a county auditor, became Governor Isaac Stevens' Treaty War military aide and Indian agent, and helped Stevens run the 1860 Breckinridge for President national campaign.
During the Civil War he returned home and was Confederate General Eppa Hunton's staff officer. After the war, he practiced law in a small Iowa town. Fitzhugh devastated the lives of four wives and six children, and eventually died alone in the fleabag remnant of a once prestigious San Francisco hotel.
Critique: Author and historical researcher Candace Wellman spent more than two decades researching Fitzhugh's life and contributions (both the good and the bad) to Pacific Northwest history. Although the court system played a large part in the region's future, "Man of Treacherous Charm: Territorial Justice Edmund C. Fitzhugh" is the first full biography of an early Washington Territory justice. This detailed and documented biography offers unique insights into the people, personalities, politics, and practices of the territory and the American West in the 19th century. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Fitzhugh genealogy, an Edmund C. Fitzhugh chronology, twenty-six pages of notes, a twelve page bibliography, and a twelve page index, "Man of Treacherous Charm: Territorial Justice Edmund C. Fitzhugh" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library 19th Century American Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Candace Wellman (https://wsupress.wsu.edu/product-author/candace-wellman) won the 2018 WILLA literary award for scholarly nonfiction from Women Writing the West, a national organization, for her book, Peace Weavers. She attributes much of her success to the generous assistance of mentors and over 200 contributors.
The American History Shelf
American Traitor
Howard W. Cox
Georgetown University Press
3240 Prospect Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647123420, $34.95, HC, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-Traitor-Wilkinsons-Betrayal-Republic/dp/1647123429
Synopsis: With the publication of "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice", Howard W. Cox examines the career of the notorious General James Wilkinson, whose corruption and espionage exposed the fledgling United States to grave dangers during the early years of the republic. Wilkinson is largely forgotten today, which is unfortunate because his sordid story is a cautionary tale about unscrupulous actors who would take advantage of gaps in the law, oversight, and accountability for self-dealing.
Wilkinson's military career began during the Revolutionary War and continued through the War of 1812. As he rose to the rank of commanding general of the US Army, Wilkinson betrayed virtually everyone he worked with to advance his career and finances. He was a spy for Spain, plotted to have western territories split from the United States, and accepted kickbacks from contractors. His negligence and greed also caused the largest peacetime disaster in the history of the US Army. Howard W. Cox picks apart Wilkinson's misdeeds with the eye of an experienced investigator.
"American Traitor" offers the most in-depth analysis of Wilkinson's court-martial trials and how he evaded efforts to hold him accountable. This astounding history of villainy in the early republic will fascinate anyone with an interest in the period as well as readers of espionage history.
Critique: Second only to Benedict Arnold, the story of the equally infamous but lapsed into obscurity, General James Wilkinson, is a particularly timely and relevant study given the contemporary and treasonous behavior of President Donald J. Trump as our Commander-in-Chief and his promotion and enablement of General Michael Flynn in their attempt to overthrow a freely elected government headed by President Joe Biden -- which is currently being played out in a DOJ investigation and the Federal court system.
A fascinating, detailed, and well documented biography, "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice" by Howard W. Cox is a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "American Traitor: General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49).
Editorial Note: Howard W. Cox (https://fedsoc.org/contributors/howard-cox/commentary) is a former trial attorney in the US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, former staff counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and former federal prosecutor and assistant inspector general for investigations at the CIA.
Arcadia Publishing
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com
https://www.amazon.com/Famous-People-Queens-Images-America/dp/1467109495
https://www.amazon.com/Oklahoma-Music-Trail-Images-America/dp/1467109274
Synopsis: Arcadia Publishing is a unique and premier publisher of American History with each title showcasing a particular community or city in terms of its people and local history. Two newly published titles in their 'Images of America' series include:
"Famous People of Queens" (9781467109499, $23.99, PB, 128pp) by Rob MacKay presents a diverse group of characters and historical eras: actors, athletes, business people, politicians, religious leaders, scientists, singers, war heroes, writers, and famous people who weren't born in Queens but lived in the borough for a long time. Author Rob MacKay is a longtime, award-winning community journalist who has worked for the Queens Economic Development Corporation and operates various social media channels that promote the borough's restaurants, shops, and tourism attractions. His interest in writing this book grew organically (and intensely) after he became a trustee of the Queens Historical Society.
"The Oklahoma Music Trail" (9781467109277, $23.99, PB, 96pp) by Karl Anderson is a pictorial essay that features the music genres, performers, and songwriters of Oklahoma. There are literally hundreds of artists who have made their home in Oklahoma. The cowboy ballads of Gene Autry, Western swing that originated with the fiddle of Bob Wills, the Tulsa Sound of Leon Russell and gospel songs of Albert E. Brumley have paved the way for generations of Oklahoma musicians and performers. This is a unique history of country music legends who have traveled along the Oklahoma Music Trail.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with historical black/white photos, these two exceptionally informative and impressively presented histories and especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library American History collections.
Editorial Note: In their 'Our Images of America Series', Arcadia Publishing is dedicated to publishing creating an experience for their readers of becoming immersed in the wonder and unique flavor of life in their town (or any town) in America. Penned by local experts, each Images of America book weaves the history of a community in stories and rare photos, from its beginnings to today. Simply stated, every place tells a story. A complete listing of their titles is available at https://www.arcadiapublishing.com
The World History Shelf
Julius Caesar in Egypt
Philip Matyszak
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399097369, $34.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Julius-Caesar-Egypt-Cleopatra-Alexandria/dp/1399097369
Synopsis: In 48 BC the armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great fought a decisive battle at Pharsalus in Greece. Pompey was comprehensively defeated and fled to the last power in the Mediterranean world that was independent of Rome, Ptolemaic Egypt. Caesar pursued Pompey and was presented with his severed head, which the Egyptians hoped would make Caesar leave them in peace.
Instead, Caesar (as if he did not have enough to do already) plunged gleefully into the world of Egyptian palace politics, riven by dynastic dispute. He quickly sided with the beguiling Queen Cleopatra (after her famous carpet trick), despite having little more than a bodyguard with him. Most of his army was still in Greece, leaving him massively outnumbered by the Egyptian forces. The Romans were besieged in Alexandria for seven months before reinforcements could get through to them.
"Julius Caesar in Egypt: Cleopatra and the War in Alexandria" is a true story of double-cross, assassination and intrigue accompanied by lively battles, daring escapes, disastrous fires (the Great Library of Alexandria was largely destroyed in one fracas) and, if not a love story, this is at least a compelling tale of sex and power as Caesar and Cleopatra's relationship shaped these world-changing events.
Critique: A solid work of impressively meticulous and exceptionally informative scholarship, this is a history of Julius Caesar and Ancient Roman that reads with all the narrative style of a finely honed novel. "Julius Caesar in Egypt: Cleopatra and the War in Alexandria" by Professor Philip Matyszak is an extraordinary and invaluable contribution to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Roman & Egyptian History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Julius Caesar in Egypt: Cleopatra and the War in Alexandria" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Philip 'Maty' Matyszak (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Matyszak) holds a doctorate in Ancient History from St John's College, Oxford University, and has been studying, teaching and writing on the subject for over twenty years. He specializes in the history of Classical Greece and of the Late Republic and Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty has personal military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territorial Army in Britain. Currently, he splits his time between writing in his home in Canada's Monashee Mountains and providing e-learning courses for Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education.
Epicurus and His Influence on History
Ben Gazur
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399073523, $36.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Epicurus-His-Influence-History-Gazur/dp/1399073524
Synopsis: Epicurus (341-270 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and sage who founded Epicureanism, a highly influential school of philosophy. In ancient Greece Epicurus came up with a pleasingly simple answer to a question. "How should we live?"
The philosopher Epicurus taught his followers that pleasure and contentment were the aims of the good life. For hundreds of years Epicureanism was one of the dominant schools of philosophy.
But by the 6th century it had all but disappeared. Discovering how and why Epicureanism was driven from philosophy and public discourse reveals much about how Western thought developed. Despite attempts to erase him, the lessons of Epicurus have been recovered from the mists of time and the ashes of Vesuvius. How he was restored to his place in history is a story of brilliant Renaissance scholars, chance discoveries, and a hunger for intellectual freedom.
With the publication of "Epicurus and His Influence on History", Ben Gazur offers a new biography of Epicurus that reveals the life of Epicurus and traces how his teachings have influenced thinkers across time.
Epicurus still has much to teach us about friendship, happiness, and our place in the world.
Critique: Deftly organized into four major sections (Epicurus' Philosophy; The Philosopher; Classical Reception; Recovering Epicurus), "Epicurus and His Influence on History" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of an Introduction and Epilogue, a two page General Bibliography, and a three page Index. A fascinating and eloquently presented biography, "Epicurus and His Influence on History" is a welcome and highly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Ancien Greek history, biography, and philosophy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ben Gazur (https://www.bengazur.com) holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. He became a freelance writer who has written widely on history and science for the likes of the BBC, All About History, and the Guardian newspaper.
Henry VIII's Children
Caroline Angus
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399095860, $42.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Henry-VIIIs-Children-Legitimate-Illegitimate/dp/1399095862
Synopsis: Of the five Tudor monarchs, only one was ever born to rule. While much of King Henry VIII's reign is centered on his reckless marriage choices, it was the foundations laid by Henry and Queen Katherine of Aragon that shaped the future of the crown. Among the suffering of five lost heirs, the royal couple placed all their hopes in the surviving Princess Mary. Her early life weaves a tale of promise, diplomacy, and pageantry never to be seen again in King Henry's life, but a deep-rooted desire for a son, a legacy of his own scattered childhood, pushed Henry VIII to smother Mary's chance to rule.
An affair soon produced an unlikely heir in Henry Fitzroy, and while one child was pure royalty, the other illegitimate, the comparison of their childhoods would show a race to throne closer than many wished to admit.
King Henry's cruelty saw his heirs' fates pivot as wives came and went, and the birth Princess Elizabeth, saw long-term plans upended for short-term desires.
With the death of one heir hidden from view, the birth of Prince Edward finally gave the realm an heir born to rule, but King Henry's personal desires and paranoia left his heirs facing constant uncertainty for another decade until his death.
Behind the narrative of Henry VIII's wives, wars, reformation and ruthlessness, these were children, living lives of education among people who cared for them, surrounded by items in generous locations which symbolized their place in their father's heart. They faced excitement, struggles, and isolation which would shape their own reigns as adults.
From the heights of a surviving princess destined and decreed to influence Europe, to illegitimate children scattered to the winds of fortune, the childhoods of Henry VIII's heirs is one of ambition, destiny, heartache, and triumph.
Critique: An original and seminal study of an often overlooked aspect of the life and rule of King Henry VIII of England, "Henry VIII's Children: Legitimate and Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Tudor King" is a fascinating work of meticulous and exhaustive research the includes a six page Bibliography, illustrations, eighteen pages of Endnotes, and an eight page Index. "Henry VIII' Children" by historian and author Caroline Angus is a welcome and highly commended pick for personal, community, and academic library Royal English Biography and British Royal History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Caroline Angus (https://carolineangus.com) is a New Zealand-based author. Caroline studied history at Universitat de Valencia, Spain, spending ten years dedicated to the Spanish Civil War and the resulting dictatorship. Caroline went on to study with King's College London, specializing in Shakespeare and British royal history.
Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic
Natale Barca
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242323, $39.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Augustus-Collapse-Roman-Republic/dp/1636242324
Synopsis: The political process that culminated in the transition from Republic to Empire in ancient Rome began with the military reform of Caius Marius in the last decades of the 2nd century BC. Following the Civil War and Sulla's dictatorship, it developed further with the First Triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, and two further civil wars. These wars, which saw Caesar pitted against Pompey, and Octavian fighting Anthony, ended in 27 BC with the rise to power of Octavian, the adoptive son of Caesar.
With the publication of "Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic", academician and historian Natale Barca outlines a summary of the last years of the Roman Republic, weaving together the military, political, and social aspects. A scholar and expert on Ancient Rome, Barca sets the protagonists within the complex societal and political system that they operated, analyzing their actions, and the epic battles that ensued.
Critique: "Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic" is a seminal study drawing upon both ancient sources and on contemporary literature. It is an impressively presented, extraordinarily informative, and exceptionally detailed and documented account of the tempestuous last century of the Roman Republic before it became fully transformed into the Roman Empire. Featuring a Glossary, a List of Abbreviations, an Epilogue (Octavian Becomes Princeps, the Augustus), a four page Further Reading bibliography, and a six page Index, "Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic" is strongly recommended for community and academic library Ancient Roman History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Before Augustus: The Collapse of the Roman Republic" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49).
Editorial Note: Natale Barca (https://www.natalebarca.it/Author) was a visiting scholar researcher at University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, and an academic visitor at the University of London's Institute of Classical Studies. He is also a member of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies (Roman Society), London and the author of thirteen monographs, many of which are focused on the political and military history of the Roman Late Republic.
Nanjing: The Story of a Chinese City
Zhaoyan Ye
China Books & Periodicals, Inc.
360 Swift Avenue, Suite #48, South San Francisco, CA 94080
www.chinabooks.com
9781592652532, $24.95, PB, 588pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nanjing-Story-Chinese-Zhaoyan-Ye/dp/1592652530
Synopsis: Nanjing (also known as Nanking) is a quintessential Chinese city with a history reaching back thousands of years. It has served as the capital of Chinese regimes and dynasties, and witnessed the grand spectacle of history, triumph, and tragedy, which altogether paint a brilliant picture of Chinese civilization.
"Nanjing: The Story of a Chinese City" is an accessible and readable history in which author and historian Ye Zhaoyan provides a unique perspective of Nanjing. It is a comprehensive and detailed story of a Chinese city -- as well as the story of China, which has undergone a constant cycle of rise, decline, and rebirth.
Ye provides an intimate and revealing look into the ancient origins of Nanjing, including its role as the strategic capital of the Kingdom of Wu in 221 CE to the liberation of New China in 1949, after a century of conflict. With great patience and a grand vision, Ye's portrait of Nanjing is not only a place frozen in time, but also a place to gain a solid framework on the Chinese experience writ large.
Critique: An exceptionally impressive work of meticulous and informative scholarship, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Nanjing: The Story of a Chinese City" must be considered essential reading for students of Chinese history. This English language edition form China Books & Periodicals" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections and supplemental Chinese History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Ye Zhaoyan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Zhaoyan) is a prolific, award-winning Chinese author who has produced hundreds of short stories and novels since 1980. He obtained his MA from the Department of Chinese Language, Nanking University in 1986. He is now a member of the China Writers' Association and a vice-president of Jiangsu Writers' Association.
The Civil War Shelf
The Men of the 16th Massachuseets
Alden C. Ellis, Jr.
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476689937, $49.95, PB, 331pp
https://www.amazon.com/Men-16th-Massachusetts-Roster-History/dp/1476689938
Synopsis: The 16th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was one of a few Massachusetts regiments whose history was not recorded. From 1861-1864, it was deeply embroiled in the operations of the Army of the Potomac. Suffering from a lack of skilled leadership and later from horrific living conditions, the 16th saw heavy casualties. Of more than 1300 men, 112 were killed in battle, 360 were wounded and 52 died from their wounds. Disease claimed 115 and 65 were taken as prisoners of war, 32 of them dying in Confederate prisons. Another 344 went home afflicted with wounds or disease as disability discharges.
"The Men of the 16th Massachusetts: A Civil War Roster and History" by Alden C. Ellis, Jr. is comprehensive biographical study that chronicles for the first time the story of the 16th Massachusetts and the lives of most of its men, with all available genealogical details provided.
Critique: A masterpiece of historical research, "The Men of the 16th Massachusetts: A Civil War Roster and History" is features a number of historical images, and is informatively enhanced for the reader with an impressive Introduction, the history of the regiment laid out in five detailed chapters, a 242 page Roster and Biographical Sketches, a two page Bibliography, and an eighteen page Index. Bringing this Union regiment out of an undeserved obscurity, "The Men of the 16th Massachusetts: A Civil War Roster and History" must be considered an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library American Civil War history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "The Men of the 16th Massachusetts: A Civil War Roster and History" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Alden C. Ellis, Jr., is the author of one other book about Massachusetts's role in the Civil War (The Massachusetts Andrew Sharpshooters, McFarland & Co.) and served as a consultant and advisor for the Civil War movie Lady in Black.
Northern Duty, Southern Heart
H. Leon Greene
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476689616, $45.00, PB, 307pp
https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Duty-Southern-Heart-Proctor/dp/147668961X
Synopsis: Before the Civil War, George Proctor Kane had been a businessman, thespian, political appointee, philanthropist and militiaman. During the war, as Baltimore's chief of police, he harbored the divided loyalties familiar to the border states -- Southern in his sentiments yet Northern in his allegiances.
As the city's top lawman, he sought to reform Baltimore's "Mobtown" image. He ensured that President-elect Lincoln, passing through on the way to his inauguration, was not assassinated. He protected Union troops marching to defend Washington, D.C.
But he was eventually imprisoned as a Southern sympathizer, denied habeas corpus as his captors transferred him from prison to prison.
With the publication of "Northern Duty, Southern Heart: George Proctor Kane's Civil War", Professor H. Leon Greene recounts Kane's enigmatic public life before and during the Civil War, his Confederate activities after prison and his return to serve as mayor of Baltimore.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of illustrations, and informative Introduction, an Epilogue, a ten page Appendix, twenty-four pages of Chapter Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a sixteen page Index, "Northern Duty, Southern Heart: George Proctor Kane's Civil War" is an impressive and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, community, and academic library American Civil War History & Biography collections and American Civil War curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and Civil War enthusiasts that "Northern Duty, Southern Heart: George Proctor Kane's Civil War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).
Editorial Note: H. Leon Greene (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001KJ3GW4/about (is a cardiologist living in Bellingham, Washington. As emeritus professor of medicine, he has published two books, authored or co-authored more than 30 book chapters and sections and more than 250 medical scientific articles.
Colonel Hans Christian Heg and the Norwegian American Experience
Odd S. Lovoll
Minnesota Historical Society Press
345 Kellogg Boulevard, West, St. Paul, MN 55102-1906
www.mnhs.org/mhspress
9781681342504, $24.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Colonel-Christian-Norwegian-American-Experience/dp/1681342502
Synopsis: Hans Christian Heg (December 21, 1829 - September 20, 1863) was a Norwegian American abolitionist, journalist, antislavery activist, prison reformer, politician, and soldier. Best known for leading the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment on the Union side during the Civil War, Heg died of wounds received at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863.
While Heg's achievements earned him a statue on the Wisconsin state capitol grounds, behind his public persona was a life emblematic of his generation. Heg's family hailed from Lier, Norway; economic as well as religious challenges led them, like so many others, to leave their homeland for the promise of a better life. Heg himself trod multiple paths: joining in the California Gold Rush, pursuing a political career in support of the Free Soil Party and then the newly formed Republican Party, and taking up the role of Wisconsin state prison commissioner. Like his fellow immigrants, he made a living and nurtured a family at the same time that he was defining what it meant to be both Norwegian and American.
Heg's remarkable leadership of the Fifteenth Wisconsin, the "Norwegian regiment," is the stuff of legends. But "Colonel Hans Christian Heg and the Norwegian American Experience" by Odd S. Loveoll is more than a biography of one man: it is the story of a generation of immigrant citizens who contributed politically, economically, and socially to the American Midwest and beyond.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Preface, sixteen pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index, with the publication of "Colonel Hans Christian Heg and the Norwegian American Experience", author and historian Odd S. Lovoll rescues from an undeserved obscurity a significant American Civil War battlefield figure with this impressive biography of a Union General who died in service. Nicely illustrated with historic black/white photos, "Colonel Hans Christian Heg and the Norwegian American Experience" is a fascinating and welcome pick for personal, professional, community, and academic library American Civil War History/Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academia, Civil War
historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Colonel Hans
Christian Heg and the Norwegian American Experience" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Odd S. Lovoll (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_S._Lovoll) is the author of several books on the Norwegian American immigrant experience, including Norwegians on the Prairie, Norwegian Newspapers in America, and Across the Deep Blue Sea. He was born in Sande, in More og Romsdal, Norway, and immigrated to the United States in 1946. Lovoll was educated at the University of Bergen and the University of Oslo before receiving an M.A. from the University of North Dakota and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He taught for three years at Minnesota and then spent 30 years as a professor of history at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he is professor emeritus. Lovoll also served for 20 years as publication editor for the Norwegian-American Historical Association.
Heavy Marching
Lucius S. Moseley, author
Sara DeLuca, editor
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299342708, $29.95, HC, 306pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Marching-Letters-Moseley-Wisconsin/dp/0299342700
Synopsis: Lucius "Lute" Moseley was a nineteen-year-old student at Beloit Academy when he enlisted in the Union Army. Moseley grew up on a family farm outside Beloit, Wisconsin, where his father operated the first dray service before opening a blacksmith shop and lumber yard. His father lost most of his modest assets through litigation of a building contract he had received, which likely influenced his son's decision to enlist in the army.
From 1862 to 1865, Moseley fought in the Civil War as an infantry soldier in Wisconsin's 22nd Volunteers. Briefly captured and interred in a Confederate POW Camp, he returned to action and participated in Sherman's Atlanta campaign. He marched in the Washington, D.C., Grand Review before returning to the Beloit area, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Mosely wrote detailed missives to his family in Beloit about his wartime experiences, demonstrating a flair for describing both camp life and battles. Frank and forthright, he was remarkably articulate, insightful, and thoughtful, whether describing mundane activities or the nearly unfathomable death of President Lincoln. These 125 letters, never before made available to scholars or students of the war, became touchstones and sources of pride for the Moseley family-and provide a uniquely candid and vivid view of this tumultuous period in US history.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, unique, memorable, "Heavy Marching: The Civil War Letters of Lute Moseley, 22nd Wisconsin" is deftly compiled and edited by Sara DeLuca. This compilation of personal letters from the battlefields of the American Civil War is a welcome, seminal, and highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, community, college, and university library American Civil War History/Biography collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lucius "Lute" Moseley (1843-1923) fought in the Civil War as a soldier in the Union Army from 1862 to 1865. After the war, Moseley became a farmer, and would remain in Beloit for the rest of his life.
Editorial Note #2: Sara DeLuca (https://www.wpr.org/people/sara-deluca) is the author of the memoir Dancing the Cows Home, the family biography The Crops Look Good, and three chapbooks of poetry. Her work appears in Atlanta Review, Lullwater Review, North Coast Review, and elsewhere.
Such a Clash of Arms
Kevin R. Pawlak
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242668, $24.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Such-Clash-Arms-September-Illustrated/dp/1636242669
Synopsis: By the late summer of 1862, it appeared as though the United States would be permanently split in two, and by the beginning of September, General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was on the doorstep of Washington, D.C. Panicked and defeated Federal soldiers huddled behind the capital's defenses. Rather than attacking the city, Lee turned his attention north into Maryland, seeking a decisive battlefield victory to influence public opinion at home and diplomatic opinion overseas. Major General George B. McClellan led the reorganized Army of the Potomac into the state to meet Lee.
Over a span of 18 days, the two armies fought four significant battles, including the climactic engagement along Antietam Creek outside Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862. The battle there still holds the distinction as the bloodiest single day in American military history. Forced from Maryland, Lee withdrew into Virginia, leaving President Abraham Lincoln free to follow up this strategic victory with the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, a measure that changed the nature of the American Civil War.
Critique: With the publication of "Such a Clash of Arms: The Maryland Campaign, September 1862", civil war historian Kevin R. Pawlak provides a compendium of illustrations and maps paired with a detailed text. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95), "Such a Clash of Arms" is a particularly recommended pick for community, college, and university library American Civil War history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kevin Pawlak (https://emergingcivilwar.com/contributor/kevin-pawlak) is the Director of Education for the Mosby Heritage Area Association and works as a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Shepherdstown Battlefield Preservation Association and the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Kevin also serves on the advisory board at Shenandoah University's McCormick Civil War Institute and Shepherd University's George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War.
In the Shadow of the Round Tops
Allen R. Thompson
Knox Press
c/o Permuted Press
https://permutedpress.com/knox-press
c/o Simon & Schuster (distribution)
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781637585238, $24.00, PB, 528pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Round-Tops-Countermarch-Reconnaissance/dp/1637585233
Synopsis: James Longstreet's countermarch and Samuel Johnston's morning reconnaissance are two of the most enigmatic events of the Battle of Gettysburg. Both have been viewed as major factors in the Confederacy's loss of the battle and, in turn, the war. Yet much of it lies shrouded in mystery.
Though the battle of Gettysburg is one of the most well-documented events in the history of the American Civil War, the vast majority of our knowledge comes from the words of the veterans and civilians who experienced it. Without action photography, video, or audio recordings, our primary window into what happened is the memory of those who were there. The story of the Battle of Gettysburg is simply the compilation of the memories of those who fought it. But memory is anything but objective.
Recognizing the multitude of factors that affect human memory, with the publication of "In the Shadow of the Round Tops: Longstreet's Countermarch, Johnston's Reconnaissance, and the Enduring Battles for the Memory of July 2, 1863", Allen R. Thompson explores how the individual soldiers experienced, remembered, and wrote about the battle, and how those memories have created a cloud over James Longstreet's bewildering countermarch and Samuel Johnston's infamous reconnaissance.
Each soldier had a particular view of these historic events. Because many people saw part of the story, but no one saw all of it, each memory is a critical piece to the puzzle. By comparing the veterans' memories and sifting through the factors that affected each memory, the picture of the countermarch, reconnaissance, and the entire battle, comes into sharper focus.
Critique: A seminal work of ground-breaking American Civil War history and scholarship, "In the Shadow of the Round Tops: Longstreet's Countermarch, Johnston's Reconnaissance, and the Enduring Battles for the Memory of July 2, 1863" by Allen R. Thompson is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a thirty-four page Bibliography, twelve pages of Notes, eight pages of Maps, and an eighteen-page Index. A brilliant and dedicated study, "In the Shadow of the Round Tops" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library American Civil War history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, civil war historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "In the Shadow of the Round Tops" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Allen R. Thompson (https://www.allenrthompson.com) is a practicing attorney in New Jersey. His writing focuses on reevaluating primary source materials to examine the standard interpretations of historical subjects, from legal doctrines to historical events. His articles have appeared in the St. Thomas Law Review and Gettysburg Magazine.
"The Bullets Flew Like Hail"
James L. McLean Jr.
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216677, $32.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bullets-Flew-Like-Hail-Gettysburg/dp/1611216672
Synopsis: On the morning of July 1, 1863, Confederate forces pressed east toward the important crossroads town of Gettysburg. The only Union soldiers standing in their way were stalwart cavalrymen under Brig. Gen. John Buford. Luckily for the Federals, Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler arrived with his 1st Corps brigade of infantry just in time to relieve Buford's hard-pressed cavalry. The fighting spread quickly. Cutler's stubborn defense, together with the arrival of the famous Iron Brigade, stopped the Confederate advance long enough for other Union troops to reach the field. The desperate fighting that morning helped save the important high ground upon which the battle would be fought - and won - over the next two days.
"The Bullets Flew Like Hail": Cutler's Brigade at Gettysburg, from McPherson's Ridge to Culp's Hill by civil war historian James L. McLean Jr. is the only complete account of this brigade's critical contribution to the grand victory in Pennsylvania.
This completely revised and updated edition describes the brigade's origins, its march to the field, and how it went into action, piecemeal and vulnerable. Two of Cutler's regiments, the 14th Brooklyn and the 95th New York, along with the Iron Brigade's 6th Wisconsin, participated in one of the most famous assaults of the war. The trio of regiments simultaneously charged across open ground, repulsed the attack of Brig. Gen. Joseph Davis's Rebel brigade, and captured a large number of Mississippi and North Carolina troops in an unfinished railroad cut.
By the end of July 1, Cutler's command had faced off against Confederate brigades led by James Archer, Joseph Davis, Alfred Iverson, Junius Daniels, and Alfred Scales. The brigade was one of the last to leave the field of battle and successfully reformed on Cemetery Hill. The brigade was sent to Culp's Hill on July 2, where that evening and during the early morning hours of July 3, Cutler's men assisted Brig. Gen. George Greene's 12th Corps brigade in repulsing spirited Southern attacks against the Union right flank. In doing so, Cutler's veterans held the distinction of being among the few Union troops who fought all three days of the battle. The performance of the brigade came at a great cost. Only five Union and Confederate brigades sustained 1,000 or more casualties at Gettysburg, and Cutler's was one of them.
McLean's study is grounded in primary research and a thorough understanding of the complex terrain across which Cutler's men fought and died. The more than two dozen maps that accompany the text, which depict troop movements throughout each phase of the battle, complement the photos of the battlefield and key personalities who had a hand in the bloody action. The re-release of this outstanding book by Savas Beatie fills an important gap in the Gettysburg literature.
Critique: Significantly enhanced for the reader, this new edition of "The Bullets Flew Like Hail": Cutler's Brigade at Gettysburg, from McPherson's Ridge to Culp's Hill includes three informative Prefaces, an Epilogue (The Cost of Valor), a postscript (The Aftermath), nine Appendices, a ten page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95), "The Bullets Flew Like Hail": Cutler's Brigade at Gettysburg, from McPherson's Ridge to Culp's Hill" must be considered a core and essential addition to community, college, and university library American Civil War collections.
Editorial Note: James L. McLean Jr. taught mathematics for 30 years. Along with his wife, Judy, he co-owned Butternut and Blue, a Civil War book business, from 1983-2016. Jim and Judy sold new, used, and rare books, and also published nearly 100 titles. McLean has been fascinated with Gettysburg since childhood and has been visiting the battlefield and studying the battle for decades. Jim's articles have appeared in The Lincoln Herald, The General, and The Gettysburg Magazine.
The Civil War on the Water
Dwight Sturtevant Hughes, editor
Chris Mackowski, editor
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216295, $32.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Water-Perspectives-Anniversary/dp/161121629X
Synopsis: Nothing in the history and traditions of the U.S. Navy from 1776 to 1860 prepared it for civil war. The sea service expanded tenfold from a third-rate force to, at least temporarily, one of the most powerful and advanced navies in the world. Former shipmates now serving in the Confederacy, meanwhile, struggled to construct some semblance of a navy from practically nothing, applying innovative technologies and underdog strategies that would achieve more than anyone thought possible.
The resulting civil war battles on the water stretched from the Arctic Circle to the Caribbean in a stunning display of machine-age technologies that included ironclads, torpedoes, submarines, steam propulsion, and improved heavy artillery. Swift Rebel raiders like the CSS Shenandoah decimated Union commerce while hundreds of storm-tossed blockaders patrolled the meandering southern coastline from Hatteras to Galveston to interdict enemy commerce.
Titanic clashes erupted between seacoast fortifications and President Lincoln's warships at Port Royal, New Orleans, Charleston, Wilmington, and Mobile. Massive amphibious operations on the Virginia Peninsula, in the North Carolina Sounds, and at Fort Fisher presaged 20th-century conflicts. Farther inland, the two services invented various riverine warfare tactics that played decisive roles at Memphis, Forts Henry and Donelson, Vicksburg, Island No. 10, and elsewhere.
"The Civil War on the Water: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War" continues the celebration of Emerging Civil War's 10th anniversary with a compilation of favorite navy tales and obscure narratives by the group's distinguished public historians. This eclectic collection of more than three dozen essays offers fresh accounts on unfamiliar topics as well as second looks at familiar battles, ships, leaders, and events. There is something here for everyone, neophyte and veteran reader alike.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and deftly co-edited by American Civil War historians Dwight Sturtevant Hughes and Chris Mackowski, "The Civil War on the Water: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War" is comprised of forty-five succinct articles that American Civil War buffs and scholars alike will find fascinating, informative, and insightful. A seminal work that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library American Civil War history collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academicians, civil war history fans and historians that "The Civil War on the Water" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.95).
Editorial Note #1: Dwight Hughes is a public historian, author, and speaker in Civil War naval history. Lt. Cmdr. Hughes graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967 and served 20 years aboard warships, on navy staffs, and with river forces in Vietnam. He is the author of Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 (Savas Beatie, 2021) and a contributing author at the Emerging Civil War blog.
Editorial Note #2: Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and a co-founder of Emerging Civil War. Chris is a writing professor at St. Bonaventure University, where he also serves as the associate dean for undergraduate programs, and is the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania Court House battlefield.
The Military Shelf
Patton's War
Kevin M. Hymel
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th Street, Columbia, MO 65211
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826222787, $39.95, HC, 490pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pattons-War-Leadership-August-December-Experience/dp/0826222781
Synopsis: "Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership August-December 1944" is second of three volumes of Patton's War and picks up where the first one (Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership, Volume I: November 1942-July 1944) left off, examining General George S. Patton's leadership of the U.S. Third Army.
This volume follows Patton's contributions to both the Normandy and Brittany campaigns -- the closing of the Falaise Pocket in Normandy, and racing to the port cities in Brittany. It ends with Patton and his corps rescuing the besieged town of Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge.
As he did in the preceding volume, Hymel relies not only on Patton's diaries and letters, but countless veteran interviews, surveys, and memoirs. He also provides a unique insight missed by previous Patton scholars. Instead of using Patton's transcribed diaries, which were heavily edited and embellished, he consults Patton's original, hand-written diaries to uncover previously unknown information about the general.
This second volume of military historian Kevin Hymel's groundbreaking work shows Patton at the height of his generalship, successfully leading his army without the mistakes and caustic behavior that almost got him sent home earlier -- even if we also see a Patton still guided at times by racism and antisemitism.
Critique: A massive and impressively informative military biography, "Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership August-December 1944" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Illustrations, Maps, a twelve page Bibliography, sixty-two pages of Notes, and a twenty-two page Index. This seminal volume is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II Histories & Biographies collections and supplemental WWII curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and military history buffs that "Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership August-December 1944" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Kevin M. Hymel (https://www.usni.org/people/kevin-m-hymel) has served as a historian and writer for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force for the last fifteen years and is a historian/tour guide for Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours, where he leads the "In Patton's Footsteps" tour. He is also a regular contributor to WWII History and WWII Quarterly, and the author of three books, including Patton's Photographs: War as He Saw It.
No Sacrifice Too Great
Gregory Fontenot
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th Street, Columbia, MO 65211
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826222848, $39.95, HC, 616pp
https://www.amazon.com/No-Sacrifice-Too-Great-Experience/dp/0826222846
Synopsis: The U.S. 1st Infantry Division (1st ID), familiarly known as the Big Red One, adapted to dynamic battlefield conditions throughout the course of its deployment during World War II by innovating and altering behavior, including tactics, techniques, and procedures. Both the Division's leaders and soldiers accomplished this by thinking critically about their experiences in combat and wasting little time in putting lessons learned to good use. Simply put, they learned on the job (in battle and after battle) and did so quickly.
In telling the Division's WWII story, which includes an extensive photographic essay featuring many previously unpublished images, this edition of "No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II" by Gregory Fontenot includes the stories of individual members of the Big Red One, from high-ranking officers to enlisted men fresh off the streets of Brooklyn, both during and after the conflict. Colonel Fontenot's rare ability to combine expert analysis with compelling narrative history makes No Sacrifice Too Great an absorbing read for anyone interested in the military history of the United States.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of Maps, three Appendices (Tactical Symbols; 1st Infantry Division Organization Chart; Table of Ranks through Lieutenant Colonel), a twelve page Selected Bibliography, and a twenty-eight page Index, "No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II military history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for military history buffs that "No Sacrifice Too Great" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.95).
Editorial Note: Gregory Fontenot (https://www.fpri.org/contributor/gregory-fontenot) is a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army. He is currently a consultant on threat emulation for Army experimentation and a working historian. He was lead author of On Point: The US Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom published by CGSC Press and is the author of The 1st Infantry Division and the US Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991, winner of the 2017 Army Historical Foundation award for Unit History, as well as Loss and Redemption at St. Vith: The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge.
The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777
Michael C. Harris
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242644, $24.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-Campaign-1777-78-Casemate-Illustrated/dp/1636242642
Synopsis: The British Army in North America conducted two campaigns in 1777. John Burgoyne led one army south from Canada to seize control of the Lake Champlain-Hudson River corridor resulting in the battle of Saratoga. Burgoyne's defeat led to that army's capture. Rather than assist Burgoyne's campaign, William Howe led his army from New York City on the Philadelphia campaign. Although Howe captured Philadelphia, the events of 1777 led to the French Alliance and ultimately American victory in American Revolution.
Critique: With the publication of "The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777" by historian Michael C. Harris, the reader is treated to a fully illustrated account of the Philadelphia campaign that places this American Revelational War campaign into its historical context and explains the importance of this particular military campaign to the eventual outcome of the war.
Critique: Profusely and informatively illustrated in full color throughout, "The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777" provides a succinct account of one of the pivotal battle campaigns of the American Revolution that would insure the emancipation of the colonies and their subsequent transformation into the United States of America. While a very highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library American History collections and supplemental American Revolution curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Philadelphia Campaign, 1777" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).
Editorial Note: Michael C. Harris (https://www.battlefields.org/contributors/michael-c-harris) has worked for the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Fort Mott State Park in New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission at Brandywine Battlefield. He conducted tours and staff rides of many of the east coast battlefields. He has written two books on the Philadelphia Campaign: Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle Lost Philadelphia but Saved America, September 11, 1777, and Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 1777.
SOG Medic
Joe Parnar, author
Robert Dumont, author
Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781612006338, $32.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/SOG-Medic-Stories-Vietnam-Fence/dp/1612006337
Synopsis: Elite units carried out many dangerous operations during the Vietnam War, the most secret and hazardous of which were conducted by the Studies and Observations Group, formed in 1964.
In the years since the Vietnam War, the elite unit known as SOG has spawned many myths, legends and war stories. Special Forces medic Joe Parnar served with SOG during 1968 in FOB2/CCC near the tri-border area that gave them access to the forbidden areas of Laos and Cambodia.
With the publication of "SOG Medic: Stories from Vietnam and Over the Fence", Parnar recounts his time with the recon men of this highly classified unit, as his job involved a unique combination of soldiering and lifesaving. His stories capture the extraordinary commitment made by all the men of SOG and reveal the special dedication of the medics, who put their own lives at risk to save the lives of their teammates. Parnar also discusses his medical training with the Special Forces.
During his tour with SOG, Parnar served as a dispensary medic, chase medic, Hatchet Force medic and as a recon team member. This variety of roles gave him experience not only in combat but in dealing with and treating the civilians and indigenous peoples of that area. There is a graphic account of a Laotian operation involving America's most decorated soldier, Robert Howard, during which Parnar had to treat a man with a blown-off foot alongside nearly fifty other casualties. It is a reminder of the enormous responsibility and burden that a medic carried.
Critique: An impressively informative and inherently interesting combination of memoir and history, this new edition of "SOG Medic: Stories from Vietnam and Over the Fence" is further enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of additional photos and maps. An important and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Viet Nam War histories, biographies, and memoirs, "SOG Medic" is also available in a paperback edition (9781636243207, $24.95), in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200307623, $34.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Joe Parnar (https://www.modernforces.com/veteran_joe_parnar.htm) served in the U.S. Army Special Forces from August 1966 - April 1969. After military service he became involved in several veterans' organizations. He is a lifelong member of the American Legion and served as Commander of Gardner Post 129 in 1989 and 1990. He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Special Forces and Special Operations associations.
Editorial Note #2: Robert Dumont was born in Oklahoma in 1947 and graduated from Tusla University before moving to Brooklyn, NY. He worked in the General Research Division of The New York Public Library before retiring in 2010. He co-authored Bac Si: A Green Beret Medic's War in Vietnam (Casemate 2014) with Jerry Krizan and has also written two fiction collections, "Borough of Churches" and "NYC Transit[s]."
Hard Aground
Andrew C. A. Jampoler
The University of Alabama Press
PO Box 870380, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0380
www.uapress.ua.edu
9780817321390, $115.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Aground-Tennessee-Maritime-Archaeology/dp/081732139X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Hard Aground: The Wreck of the USS Tennessee and the Rise of the US Navy", Andrew C. A. Jampoler brings together three intertwined stories documenting the US Navy's strategic and materiel evolution from the end of Civil War through the First World War. These incidents had lasting consequences for how the navy would modernize itself throughout the rest of the twentieth century.
The first story focuses on the reconstruction of the US Navy following the swift and near-total dismantling of the Union Navy infrastructure after the Civil War. This reconstruction began with barely enough time for the navy's campaigns in the Spanish-American War, and for its role in the First World War. Jampoler argues that the federal government discovered that the fleet requested by the navy, and paid for by Congress, was the wrong fleet. Focus was on battleships and cruisers rather than destroyers and other small combat vessels needed to hunt submarines and serve as convoy escorts.
The second story relates the short, tragic life of the USS Tennessee (later renamed Memphis), one of the steel-hulled ships of the new Armored Cruiser Squadron that was a centerpiece of the navy's modernization effort. The USS Tennessee was ordered on two unusual missions in the early months of the First World War, long before the United States formally entered the war. These little-known missions and the ship's shocking destruction in a storm surge in the Caribbean serve as the centerpiece of the story. Threaded through the narrative are biographical sketches of the principal players in the drama that unfolded following the ship's demise, including two of Tennessee's commanding officers: Vice Admiral Sims, who commanded the US Navy squadrons deployed to Europe in support of the Royal Navy; Rear Admiral William Caperton, who commanded the Caribbean squadron before the Memphis (formerly the Tennessee) was lost; Charles Pond, squadron commander during the wreck; and the American ambassador to the Ottoman court, President Wilson's enthusiastic supporter, Henry Morgenthau.
Jampoler rounds out this fascinating account with the story of how the USS Tennessee's destruction prompted fierce deliberations about the US Navy's operations and chains of command for the remainder of the First World War and the high-level political wrangling inside the Department of the Navy immediately after the war, as civilian appointees and senior officers wrestled to reshape the department in their image.
Critique: Enhanced informatively for the reader with the inclusion of illustrations, a ten page Epilogue, an eight page Bibliography, and a sixteen page Index, "Hard Aground: The Wreck of the USS Tennessee and the Rise of the US Navy" is an exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented historical study of the American navy and key figures involved in shaping what it into the force it would become today. While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9780817361082, $34.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20), "Hard Aground: The Wreck of the USS Tennessee and the Rise of the US Navy" is a especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library 20th Century U.S. Naval and Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Andrew C. A. Jampoler (https://jampoler.com) retired from the US Navy in 1986 after a twenty-four-year career, which included serving as an officer in the Strategic Plans and Policy Division of the US Navy staff and service on the personal staffs of the chief of naval operations, the secretary of defense, and the commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet. He is author of nonfiction books about incidents in maritime history, including Embassy to the Eastern Courts: America's Secret First Pivot Toward Asia, 1832-37 and Congo, the Miserable Expeditions and Dreadful Death of Lt. Emory Taunt, USN.
Kapaun's Battle
Jeff Gress
3rd Coast Books
https://www.3rdcoastbooks.com
9781946743480, $17.95, PB, 239pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kapauns-Battle-Jeff-Gress/dp/1946743488
Synopsis: "Kapaun's Battle" by Jeff Gress is a powerful testament to the heroism of US Army Chaplain Emil Kapaun (Medal of Honor). The story follows him, from the start of the Korean War until his death as a Prisoner of War in a Communist Chinese Prison Camp in 1951, following the destruction of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment of the US 1st Cavalry Division in November 1950.
"Kapaun's Battle" is the story of a true American hero. It's the biography of a young man, from a humble Kansas farming family, whose Catholic faith led him to the priesthood. Kapaun became an Army Chaplain in Southeast Asia during World War II and then a parish priest. He volunteered to return to the Army as tensions rose on the Korean Peninsula. It is the exceptional story of Father Emil Kapaun's selfless bravery and of his dedication to the men he ministered to during the Forgotten War.
In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Father Kapaun a Servant of God, the first stage on the path to canonization. In 2013, Kapaun posthumously received the Medal of Honor from President Obama for his actions in Korea. He was the ninth American military chaplain Medal of Honor recipient.
Although "Kapaun's Battle" is relevant to every freedom-loving American and indeed people worldwide, it is especially intended for the enlightenment of students in schools and universities, along with members of religious congregations and military personnel, to the incredible impacts that one humble, pious American can have on the lives of so many by sacrificing his for them.
Critique: One of those heartfelt, heart-breaking, and truly inspiring biographies that stirs the emotion and inspirationally impacts the reader, "Kapaun's Battle" will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after this outstanding military biography has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/academic Korean War Military History and 20th Century American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that "Kapaun's Battle" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Jeff Gress (https://www.3rdcoastbooks.com/jeff-gress) is a novelist, screenwriter, and movie producer who has been writing for over twenty years. He recently started his own production company, Landing Hill Pictures, hoping to turn many of his stories and novels into movies or TV series.
The Cookbook Shelf
Cookbook Passion: Exploring a Culinary History
Pamela Kure Grogan
Gaudium Publishing
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592112029, $39.99, PB, 276pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cookbook-passion-pamela-kure-grogan/1142517712
Synopsis: A cookbook with a historic recipe anthology does not easily define the wonder of tracking the evolution of the cookbook and the modernization of the kitchen.
"Cookbook Passion: Exploring a Culinary History" by Pamela Kure Grogan draws upon a vintage selection from her 3,000 volume cookbook collection showcasing the changing palates of those at-home and at-travel epicureans. In it, she visualizes the impact of various world wars, financial depressions, expanding transcontinental auto usage, and the technological advancement of utensils and ingredients used in the kitchen on the public's taste.
"My Cookbook Passion" is a color panorama of historic cookbooks and recipes with the stories of how such books came into being. The chapters comprising this unique and extraordnary volume include: "Entertaining is Fun"; "Reach for the Stars" on celebrities; "Inns & Farms"; books on food publishers like Barrows & Co; and a list of famous chefs and their restaurants, most now gone from the scene. There are even hints about becoming a discerning cookbook collector.
Critique: Unique, impressively informative and inherently fascinating, "Cookbook Passion: Exploring a Culinary History" will have an enormous appeal for: chefs, food lovers, cookbook collectors, and any family chef who wants to try the heirloom recipes that are showcased in its pages. More than just another cookbook, "Cookbook Passion: Exploring a Culinary History" a distinctively original cooking resource guide. It is a culinary history where 'nostalgia becomes refreshed and relevant' with recipe selections of the timely and the timeless. Simply stated, "Cookbook Passion: Exploring a Culinary History" is unreservedly recommended as a treasured addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, and to academic library supplemental Culinary History curriculum studies lists as well.
Editorial Note: Pamela Kure Grogan (www.cookbookpassion.com) worked for twenty years as Store Manager at Williams Sonoma and at Sur La Table kitchen stores. She also served as Food Editor for an online food company. Today, Pamela is an active 'passionate baker' with her fan-followed social media sites.
The Great American Recipe Cookbook: Season Two Edition
The Great American Recipe, author
Pati Jinich, foreword
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637743645, $39.95, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Recipe-Cookbook-Season/dp/1637743645
Synopsis: In the second season of The Great American Recipe, a new set of the country's most talented home cooks shared the stories of their lives, backgrounds, communities, and cultures -- all told through food.
Living up to its subtitle of '100 Memorable Recipes to Celebrate the Diversity and Flavors of American Food', This new edition of "The Great American Recipe Cookbook draws from the cast, host, and judges of the acclaimed PBS television sow. The recipes for meals that made their big moments memorable, family treasures handed down through generations, iconic regional foods and twists on everyday classics, and even the weeknight standbys they turn to for quick, family-friendly dinners are illustrated and presented..
"The Great American Recipe Cookbook: 100 Memorable Recipes to Celebrate the Diversity and Flavors of American Food" offers culinary offerings from the East Coast to the islands of Hawai'i, and from indigenous to immigrant families. Accompanied by gorgeous food photography as well as captivating images from on-set, this outstanding collection of recipes are fully accessible for home cooks and certain to become personal and family favorites at the kitchen or dining room table.
Also of special note is getting to know more about your favorite contestants while learning how to make the standout recipes featured on the series, including: Instant Pot Lasagna Soup with Garlic Knots; Grab and Go Breakfast Burritos; Traditional Southern Shrimp & Grits; Rocky Mountain Trout with Stuffed Poblanos; BBQ Glazed Pork Ribs with KC Cheesy Corn; Dan Dan Sliders; Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Cups -- and so much more!
Critique: Profusely illustrated, clear and kitchen cook friendly instructions, this Season Two edition of "The Great American Recipe Cookbook: 100 Memorable Recipes to Celebrate the Diversity and Flavors of American Food" is a unique and especially recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community library Cookbook Collections. It should be noted that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: The Great American Recipe (a PBS 8-part television series), is a fun, feel-good show that celebrates amazing home cooks while capturing the rich culinary history of America. (https://www.pbs.org/show/great-american-recipe)
No Dig Cookbook
Charles Dowding, author
Catherine Balaam, author
No Dig Garden
c/o Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781916092075, $22.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/No-Dig-Cookbook-homegrown-vegetables/dp/1916092071
Synopsis: With the publication of "No Dig Cookbook: Seasonal feasts from homegrown vegetables", co-authors Catherine Balaam and Charles Dowding explains and develops the strong links you can achieve between garden and kitchen, which keep changing according to the season. Basically their messages is that you should allow the garden decides your menu!
The recipes comprising the "No Dig Cookbook" are by Catherine Balaam, who cooks for day and weekend courses at Charles' Homeacres no dig garden. Catherine has created and tested over 60 delicious plant-based recipes, inspired by those lunches which see the participants salivating, after an intense morning of learning in the garden. They are simple dishes bursting with flavor, from seasonal vegetables and herbs.
To complement them, Charles Dowding has written 'Advice on growing your own' sections to be found throughout the "No Dig Cookbook". He outlines some key growing tips for many of the vegetables in the recipes. He has also includes his own recipe for no-knead bread, another great timesaver.
There are ideas on how to adapt recipes to your own harvests, using different vegetables which are similar to cook with. While some of the information is on how to ferment and store vegetables so that you can use any gluts and enjoy them later.
The recipes are categorized as follows: Pestos, dips and sauces; Ferments and vinegars; Salads; Cooked salads; Roasties; Stews and hot dishes; Sweet treats. There are a profusion of beautiful photos of the cooked dishes, a few including preparation, and of Charles Dowding's garden at Homeacres.
Critique: Offering a beautifully illustrated compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes with informative gardening tips, the "No Dig Cookbook" is a particularly 'kitchen cook friendly' and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. Although "No Dig Cookbook" is especially welcoming to gardeners, the seasonal vegetable and herb dishes will appeal to anyone who enjoys savory plant-based meals!
Editorial Note #1: Charles Dowding develops and explains time- and labour-saving methods of high-yielding nature-friendly gardening. He has written ten books and an annual calendar of sowing dates, runs a YouTube channel with 36 million views, writes for national gardening magazines, and gives talks and courses at home and abroad. He has created three online courses: No Dig Gardening, Course 1; Growing Success Course 2. His third online course appeared in 2021.
Editorial Note #2: The recipes are by Catherine Balaam, who cooks for day and weekend courses at Charles' Homeacres no dig garden. Catherine has created and tested over 60 delicious plant-based recipes, inspired by those lunches which see the participants salivating, after an intense morning of learning in the garden. They are simple dishes bursting with flavor!
Taste of Home All-American Cookbook
Taste of Home
Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621459279, $24.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-All-American-Cookbook-Flavors/dp/1621459276
Synopsis: The United States is famous for being a melting pot of flavors, but there are distinct dishes and culinary traditions that have influenced the American table. After all, we love our burgers, fried chicken, and good ol' apple pie!
With the publication of "Taste of Home All-American Cookbook: 370 Ways to Savor the Flavors of the USA", it is easier than ever to sample our nation's most iconic foods at the family dinner table. With an impressive lineup of iconinc recipes that celebrate everything from the South's love of barbecue to the Midwest's enthusiasm for casseroles, here are to be found athentic and nostalgic classics (as well as modern twists) recipes for memorable dishes.
With "Taste of Home All-American Cookbook" the family chef can provide hot and hearty American dinnertime favorites such meatloaf and pot roast, complete with a scoop of mashed potatoes swimming in gravy. The savor Mom's chocolate cake, lattice-crowned pies and other sweet indulgences that make you look forward to dessert.
There are holiday and party standbys, steaming soups, hearty sandwiches, grilled greats, a fresh array of veggies and sides, heartwarming breads, and other time-tested than just a collection of recipes. "Taste of Home All-American Cookbook" is packed from cover to cover with hundreds of gorgeous full-color photos, pro cooking tips and regional featurettes celebrating unique twists and fun facts on America's favorite dishes.
Of special note is the inclusion of 'Cooking Featurettes' such as an Intermittent sections featuring food facts, folklore, regional specialties, ethnic twists and other fun factoids. Chapter: County Fair Classics which is a fun bonus chapter filled with classic fair food including blue prize winners and other contest-worthy nibbles and bites. As well as Complete Nutrition Facts and Diabetic Exchanges. There is even a diabetic exchanges with applicable recipes.
Critique: Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook, "Taste of Home's All-American Cookbook" takes the guesswork out of preparing traditional down-home meals with sure-bet classics and ingenious tips and tricks to enable you to prepare the meals that grace the tables of families from coast to coast. Beautifully and profuse illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "Taste of Home All-American Cookbook: 370 Ways to Savor the Flavors of the USA" is especially recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste of Home All-American Cookbook: 370 Ways to Savor the Flavors of the USA" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: For more than 25 years, Taste of Home (https://www.tasteofhome.com) has been one of the world's most popular cooking publications. Through the pages of the flagship magazine, popular cookbooks and online community, Taste of Home offers a friendly exchange of family-favorite recipes, cooking tips and personal stories from genuine home cooks. Because professional food staff test and evaluate every recipe in the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, readers are guaranteed success every time.
The General Fiction Shelf
Petrochemical Nocturne
Amos Jasper Wright IV
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama, Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
https://livingstonpress.uwa.edu
9781604893434, $22.95, PB, 350pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/petrochemical-nocturne-amos-jasper-wright/1143664760
Synopsis: The Mississippi River. HAZMAT. Boxing. Suicide by cop. New Orleans Saints football. Chemical explosions. The Angola prison rodeo. Chlorine gas ghost ships.
Through these symbols and themes we learn about Toussaint, (an African-American named after the Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture) and his formative experiences in the Standard Heights neighborhood of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
"Petrochemical Nocturne" is an indictment of what Toussaint describes as "that dystopian haunted carnival cruise line called America." as Standard Heights and the ExxonMobil refinery which has destroyed it supply the energy and refined petroleum products which enable contemporary consumerism.
A discursive exploration of environmental racism, southern history, the prison-industrial complex, police brutality, intergenerational trauma, and climate change, "Petrochemical Nocturne" is both paean and eulogy for the former enslaved communities of Cancer Alley, the erasure of an entire people from a poisoned landscape.
Critique: Although a work of fiction by novelist Amos Jasper Wright IV, "Petrochemical Nocturne" offers a clear warning about a very real and current environmental, social, political, judicial, and racial crisis in America. A riveting and thought-provoking read, "Petrochemical Nocturne" is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Starring Adele Astaire
Eliza Knight
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063209206, $18.99, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Starring-Adele-Astaire-Eliza-Knight/dp/0063209209
Synopsis: Adele Astaire was a glittering, glamorous star, dancing with her brother, Fred, endearing herself to audiences from New York to London. But although she is toasted by royalty and beloved by countless fans, Adele Astaire has dreams of a loving husband and a houseful of children. And when she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, her wishes may just come true - but at what cost?
Ever since Violet Wood could walk she's wanted to dance on the London stage. Befriended by Adele, filled with ambition, she is more than willing to make the sacrifices it will take to becomes a star herself, and her rags-to-riches hopes are within reach. But the road to fame is never easy.
From the fast-paced world of roaring 20s New York to the horrors and sacrifice of wartime London, Adele's and Violet's lives intertwine, and each must ask themselves is fame worth the price you must pay?
Critique: An expertly written World War II era biographical fiction novel, "Starring Adele Astaire" by Eliza Knight is a fully engaging read from cover to cover and one that will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in well-wrought fiction featuring truly memorable characters involved with an inherently fascinating and entertaining storyline. While highly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Starring Adele Astaire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Eliza Knight (https://elizaknight.com) is an award-winning author whose love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Novelists, Inc., and the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Whale
Cheon Myeong-kwan, author
Chi-Young Kim, translator
Archipelago Books
232 Third Street #A111, Brooklyn, NY 11215
https://archipelagobooks.org
9781953861146, $22.00, PB, 327pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whale-Cheon-Myeong-Kwan/dp/1953861148
Synopsis: A woman sells her daughter to a passing beekeeper for two jars of honey. A baby weighing fifteen pounds is born in the depths of winter but named "Girl of Spring." A storm brings down the roof of a ramshackle restaurant to reveal a hidden fortune. These are just a few of the events that set Cheon Myeong-kwan's beautifully crafted, wild world in motion in "Whale".
"Whale", set in a remote village in South Korea and follows the lives of many linked characters, including Geumbok, an extremely ambitious woman who has been chasing an indescribable thrill ever since she first saw a whale crest in the ocean; her mute daughter, Chunhui, who communicates with elephants; and a one-eyed woman who controls honeybees with a whistle.
Critique: Ably translated in English by Chi-Young Kim, "Whale" by showcases and documents South Korean author Cheon Myeong-kwan as a natural born storyteller and one with a cinematic, darkly humorous, and thoroughly original perspective. Replete with unexpected surprises and a wicked sense of humor, "Whale" is a riveting, rollicking, combination of adventure and satire of epic saga proportions by arguably one of the most original literary talents in international literature. While an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library International Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "Whale" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.63).
Editorial Note #1: Cheon Myeong-kwan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheon_Myeong-kwan) is a South Korean novelist and screenwriter. Upon publication of his first story, "Frankand I" (2003), he received the prestigious Munhakdongne New Writer Award. His debut novel, The Whale, published the following year, won him the 10th Munhakdongne Novel Award. His novels have been translated into Chinese, English, French, Thai, Russian, and Vietnamese.
Editorial Note #2: Chi-Young Kim (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi-young_Kim) is a literary translator and editor based in Los Angeles. A recipient of the Man Asian Literary Prize for her work on Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin (2011), she has translated over a dozen books, including works by Ae-ran Kim, You-jeong Jeong, and Young-ha Kim, among others.
A Greek Love: A Novel of Cuba
Zoe Valdes, author
David Fry, translator
Arcade Publishing
www.arcadepub.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781956763409, $24.99, HC, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greek-Love-Novel-Cuba/dp/1956763406
Synopsis: A free spirit who spends time near the port of Havana, where her friend Osiris is known as the "Greek sailormen's whore", teenager Ze becomes pregnant after a brief love affair with a captain's son her age. By the time she realizes her condition, the ship has left and the boy is gone.
In her father's Cuba, an unwed teenage mother is a source of scandal and shame and a threat to his ambitions in the Party. He disowns her and brutally throws her out of her home. Led by her mother, she leaves the city for refuge in Matanzas, a university town rich in Afro-Cuban culture, where her mother's sister, a music scholar, lives and where she will raise her child mentored by these three older women -- an aunt, a mother, and Osiris.
Years later, Ze's son, Petros, has become a world-class musician bridging Cuban and Greek traditions, while Ze has become a scholar herself. When a recording executive invites Petros to give concerts in Greece, Ze seeks permission from the authorities to leave the island and accompany him. Secretly (a secret they guard from the authorities and her father, who is now a Party stalwart) they both nourish the hope of somehow finding Petros's father and Ze's one great, lost love.
Critique: A remarkable, engaging, memorable, original story of human passions, emotional endurance, unrelenting hope, -- as well as one woman's resolute and enduring love for the father of her child, "A Greek Love" by Cuban novelist Zoe Vales is expertly translated into English for an American readership by David Frye. The result is a deftly engaging read from cover to cover and a novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic Contemporary International Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that "A Greek Love" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Zoe Valdes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zo%C3%A9_Vald%C3%A9s) was born in Cuba in 1959 and worked with UNESCO and the Cuban Cultural Office in Paris between 1983 and 1988. In exile in France since 1995, she has been a screenwriter and assistant director of the magazine Cine Cubano. Her bestselling debut novel, Yocandra in the Paradise of Nada, brought her international acclaim - she was once dubbed "the Madonna of Cuban literature" - and she has written many more novels, including I Gave You All I Had and The Weeping Woman, both published by Arcade. Winner of the Planeta Prize, Azorin Prize, and Premio de Novela Ciudad de Torrevieja, she received the Tres Llaves (Three Keys) to the city of Miami in 2001. She currently lives in Paris.
David Frye teaches anthropology and Latin American culture and society at the University of Michigan. As a professional translator he has published more than thirty books in translation, ranging from Heart of Tango (2010) by the Spanish novelist Elia Barcelo and the sixteenth-century picaresque novel Lazarillo de Tormes (2015) to the poetry of Nancy Morejon. He resides in Ann Arbor.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
An Unsuitable Heiress
Jane Dunn
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804835357, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 318pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-unsuitable-heiress-jane-dunn/1143106018
Synopsis: Do you realise, Corinna, just how hard it is for a young woman of irregular birth, without family, fortune or friends in the world? Marriage is the only way to get any chance of a life.'
Following the death of her mother, Corinna Ormesby has lived a quiet life in the countryside with her cantankerous Cousin Agnes. Her father's identity has been a tantalising mystery, but now at nineteen Corinna knows that finding him may be her only way to avoid marriage to the odious Mr Beech.
Deciding to head to London, Corinna dons a male disguise. Traveling alone as a young woman risks scandal and danger, but when, masquerading as a youth, she is befriended by three dashing blades, handsome and capable Alick Wolfe, dandy Ferdinand Shilton and the incorrigible Lord Purfoy, Corinna now has access to the male-only world of Regency England. And when she meets Alick's turbulent brother Darius, a betrayal of trust leads to deadly combat which only one of the brothers may survive.
From gambling in gentleman's clubs to meeting the courtesans of Covent Garden, Corinna's country naivety soon falls away. But when she finds her father at last, learns the truth about her parentage and discovers her fortunes transformed, she must quickly decide how to reveal her true identity, while hoping that one young man in particular can see her for the beauty and Lady she really is.
Critique: Especially recommended for Regency Romance fans, "An Unsuitable Heiress" by novelist Jane Dunn is an extraordinarily, impressive, and entertaining story from beginning to end. Elegant, eloquent, and just plain fun, this large print paperback edition of "An Unsuitable Heiress" from Boldwood Books is a welcome pick for community library Historical Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Jane Dunn (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/7608/jane-dunn) is also the author of Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens; Moon in Eclipse: A Life of Mary Shelley; Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell: A Very Close Conspiracy; and Antonia White: A Life. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, is married to the linguist and writer Nicholas Ostler. She currently resides in Bath, England.
The Cowboy's Treasure
Jill Barry
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851151, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 258pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cowboys-treasure-jill-barry/1143106025
Synopsis: "The Cowboy's Treasure" by Jill Barry is the story of Katie, a young governess who leaves Yorkshire to take over her aunt's teaching post at a small country town school in America. Not long after she arrives, she meets Ben, a young cattleman who is also new in town. On riding in, Ben had happened upon an old man who had been attacked. Although unable to keep the stranger alive, he learned a secret from him: one linked to Katie's aunt!
Critique: A clearly gifted writer, with the publication of "The Cowboy's Treasure" author Jill Barry's skills as a novelist are on full display. An inherently interesting, impressively original, fully entertaining, and emotionally satisfying blend of romance and mystery, this large print paperback edition of "The Cowboy's Treasure" from the Linford Romance Library collection is highly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction shelves.
Editorial Note: Jill Barry (https://www.jillbarry.com) has been writing for publication since the year 2000 and became a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association a few years later. Since then, she has attended numerous workshops, meeting with other writers, as wellas reading and writing as much as possible.
The Dolphin's Kiss
Dawn Knox
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851137, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 308pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Dolphin's%20Kiss
Synopsis: Born 1790; in Sydney, New South Wales, to wealthy parents, Abigail Moran is attractive and intelligent, and other than a birthmark on her hand that her mother loathes, she has everything she could desire. Soon, she'll marry handsome, witty, Hugh Hanville. Abigail's life is perfect. Or is it?
A chance meeting with a shopgirl, Lottie Jackson, sets in motion a chain of events that finds Abigail in the remote reaches of the Hawkesbury River with sea captain, Christopher Randall. He has inadvertently stumbled across the secret that binds Abigail and Lottie. Will he be able to help Abigail come to terms with the secret, or will Fate keep them apart?
Critique: Romance and intrigue combine to provide the reader with a compelling novel, "Dolphin's Kiss" by talented novelist Dawn Knox who writes with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully engages her readers. This large print paperback edition form the Linford Romance Library series is and unreservedly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of Historical Romance fans and community library Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Dawn Knox (https://www.facebook.com/DawnKnoxWriter) has been a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for 2017 and 2020, Readers' Favorite Book Awards 2018 and Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award 2018. Dawn has also written two plays about the First World War, which have been performed in England, Germany and France.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Beat The Drum Slowly
Sheldon B. Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850314, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 186pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beat-the-drum-slowly-sheldon-b-cole/1136785771
Synopsis: Drifter Blake Durant was arrested and thrown into the Sunfish Creek jail in a case of mistaken identity. The town was expecting a visit from Tom Moran, who'd sworn to get revenge on its lawmen, and Deputy Billy Owen suspected that Durant was part of his gang, sent out ahead to scout the lay of the land. Then everything became even more complicated when some genuine owlhoots broke jail and committed a cold-blooded murder. A manhunt followed, as did the unexpected appearance of Moran's beautiful young daughter Lisa. And Durant found himself on the trail of the outlaws, because the only way to clear himself of suspicion was to bring back the guilty parties - either in their saddles, or across them.
Critique: Few writers today have a better grasp on the western action adventure novel than Sheldon Cole. A riveting read from first page to last, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library, "Beat The Drum Slowly", is an especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is a comprehensive and available listing of Sheldon B. Cole's novels at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19648928.Sheldon_B_Cole
Mission to Treaty Mesa
Abe Dancer
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850215, $24.50, Large Print, 210pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mission-to-treaty-mesa-abe-dancer/1136785797
Synopsis: When a band of Apache Mescalero are forced from their homeland, Preston Kewle sees Treaty Mesa as a favorable, well-situated base for his ever-expanding life of crime. So he sets up a home and operates out of there - but finds he is tied to the place by a commitment that is more burdensome than he ever expected.
Eventually, the powerful General William Newton gets word of Kewle's activities, and for intensely personal reasons, steps in to find out the true reason for Kewle's presence in the mesa. He summons Jack Games, and issues him with an ultimatum - either undertake a rescue mission to Treaty Mesa, or spend the rest of his life branded an outlaw.
Locating and inveigling himself into a gang of owl-hoots, and riding across the Lizard Loma badlands to locate stolen money and supplies, is almost regular work for Jack. But staying alive long enough to find and successfully return what General Newton believes is rightfully his is more difficult, and Jack's rescue mission has an unexpected and violent outcome.
Critique: As a novelist, Abe Dancer has a complete mastery of the western genre. With the publication of this large print paperback edition of "Mission To Treaty Mesa" from the Linford Western Libfrary series (and originally published as A BlackHorse Western in 2020), is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to library Western Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans.
Editorial Note: Abe Dancer (the pen name of Carl Bernard), worked in higher education for 25 years. He is the author of more than 45 Black Horse Westerns, including Blackwater, The Border Search, and Teal's Gold. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1173498.Abe_Dancer)
Bullet for a Sheepman
Cole Sheldon
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850260, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 216pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bullet-for-a-sheepman-cole-shelton/1136785791
Synopsis: Trouble was brewing in the town of Longhorn, Utah. A band of nesters had moved onto land the local cattlemen had always previously claimed as their own. And they also happened to be the one thing no cattleman could stand -- sheepmen!
Judd Gunther, the biggest rancher in those parts, immediately declared war on the newcomers. Against so many hired guns, there wasn't much they could do to defend themselves -- until Shane Preston and Jonah Jones happened to pass through.
Taking a shine to nester's daughter Elizabeth Cooper (and an instant dislike to Judd and his two bully-boy sons) Shane and Jonah decided to buy into the war, in the hope of stopping it. But when the bullets started flying, they realized things were going to get a whole lot worse before they got better!
Critique: The stuff of which classic western films were made in the Golden Age of cowboy movies, this large print paperback edition of "Bullet for a Sheepman" from the Linford Western Library series is a fun read from cover to cover and an especially recommended addition to personal western fan reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is an impressive on-line listing of novels by Cole Sheldon at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7160486.Cole_Shelton
Kee-To, Iron Hand
Art Isberg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850093, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 258pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kee-to-iron-hand-art-isberg/1136491098
Synopsis: Kee-To, Iron Hand is the one Sioux leader white soldiers have never been able to corner or capture. His daring raids and uncanny ability to avoid being behind bars have made him a priority for the cavalry officers to find and jail. But Kee-To has the blood of his fighting ancestors, and their mystical whispers to him, to keep him free. He would rather die than let the horse soldiers pen up his people behind fences under guard. A battle is looming as the Sioux prepare to journey to the safety of Canada. Can Kee-To prevail one last time?
Critique: An action-packed novel set in the Old West and with a Native American as the hero, "Kee-To, Iron Hand" is one terrific read from cover to cover. Original, deftly crafted, and memorable, no community library Western Fiction or personal reading lists of dedicated western fans should miss out on the thrilling and singular story that is "Kee-To, Iron Hand" by Art Isberg.
Editorial Note: An impressive and lengthy listing of western novels by Art Isberg is available online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1681798.Art_Isberg
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Judas Horse
Lynda La Plante
Thorpe / Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851267, $41.95, PB, Large Print, 336pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/judas-horse-lynda-la-plante/1137491924
Synopsis: When the wild mustangs are running free, you corral one and train it to become a Judas Horse. When he's ready, you release him and he'll bring his team back into the corral - like Judas betraying them back into captivity.
Violent burglars have been terrorizing residents across the English countryside. But when a mutilated body is discovered in a Cotswolds house, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary group of opportunist thieves.
As Detective Jack Warr investigates, he discovers locals with dark secrets, unearths hidden crimes - and hits countless dead ends. With few leads and the violent attacks escalating, he will have to act as audaciously as the criminals if he hopes to stop them.
When Warr meets Charlotte Miles, a terrified woman with links to the group, he must use her to lure the unsuspecting killers into one last job, and into his trap. But with the law already stretched to breaking point, any failure will be on Warr's head - and any more blood spilled, on his hands...
Critique: Of particular and special appeal to readers with an interest in police procedural crime fiction, murder mystery solving women sleuths, and psychological thrillers combined, this large print, paperback edition of "Judas Horse" by Lynda La Plante is an impressively well crafted, entertaining, and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Lynda La Plante (www.lyndalaplante.com) is an author whose novels have all been international bestsellers. Her original script for the much-acclaimed PRIME SUSPECT won awards from BAFTA, Emmys, British Broadcasting and Royal Television Society as well as the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Writer's Award. Lynda has been made honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and was awarded the BAFTA Dennis Potter Writer's Award 2000. Books penned by Lynda La Plante include: The Legacy, The Talisman, Bella Mafia, Entwined, Cold Shoulder, Cold Blood, Cold Heart, Sleeping Cruelty, Royal Flush, Above Suspicion, The Red Dahlia, Clean Cut, Deadly Intent and Silent Scream, Blind Fury, Blood Line, Backlash, Wrongful Death, and Twisted.
The Dog Sitter Detective
Antony Johnston
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399125895, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dog-sitter-detective-antony-johnston/1142990363
Synopsis: Retired actress Guinevere 'Gwinny' Tuffel is finding life hard after inheriting her late father's run-down house and discovering she's broke. But Gwinny is delighted to be at Hayburn Stead for her best friend Tina's wedding to a handsome Italian business magnate. However, before they get the chance to declare 'till death do us part', the husband-to-be is found dead in the library and Tina is accused of his murder. Convinced of her friend's innocence, Gwinny must uncover the real killer from a pool of larger-than-life suspects, while also suddenly finding herself looking after Tina's expensive and demanding saluki dogs.
Critique: With the publication of this large print paperback edition of "The Dog Sitter Detective", author Antony Johnston has created a novel that will be of special interest to readers who appreciate a cozy mystery featuring amateur murder mystery solving sleuths. A fun and carefully crafted read from first page to last, "The Dog Sitter Detective" is certain to be a favored addition to personal reading lists and a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: the career of Antony Johnston (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Johnston) has spanned books, award-winning video games and graphic novels including collaborations with Anthony Horowitz and Alan Moore. He wrote the New York Times bestseller Daredevil Season One for Marvel Comics and is the creator of Atomic Blonde which grossed over $100 million at the box office. Johnston is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers' Association and can often be found writing at home in Lancashire with a snoozing hound for company.
A Contest To Kill For
E. V. Hunter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804835760, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 404pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-contest-to-kill-for-ev-hunter/1143065298
Synopsis: Desperate to try and rebuild the reputation of Hopgood Hall, owners Alexi Ellis and Cheryl and Drew Hopgood agree to host a realty TV baking show, spearheaded by their arrogant but enigmatic head chef Marcel Gasquet. Hopefully the ratings will bring in bookings to the struggling hotel and Cosmo, Alexi's antisocial feral cat, is hoping to get a starring role too!
Fiery and hot-headed, Marcel's antics makes for brilliant television, but off-screen trouble is brewing. One of the contestants, femme fatale Juliette Hammond, makes it clear that she will do anything to secure the winning prize - even if it means sweetening up the prima donna chef.
So when Juliette is found dead, all eyes turn to Marcel. Has his fiery French temper got the better of him or has someone else fallen victim to Juliette's devious ways?
With the reputation of the hotel in tatters and Marcel's liberty on the line, Alexi needs answers and fast. And the only person she can turn to for help is her old friend and private eye Jack Maddox. Jack's working his own case, but he can't refuse Alexi and he knows more than anyone that this murder could cost them everything!
Critique: Part of author E. V. Hunter's 'A Hapgood Hall Murder Mystery', this large print paperback edition of "A Contest To Kill For" from Boldwood Books is a classic 'whodunnit' murder mystery that plays fair with the dedicated mystery fan. With a plot that has more twists and turns than a Disneyland roller coaster making it a terrific read from cover to cover, "A Contest To Kill For" will prove to be a welcome pick for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collection.
Editorial Note: Evan Hunter (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Evan-Hunter", whose original name Salvatore Albert Lombino, also writes under the pseudonyms Ed McBain, Curt Cannon, Ezra Hannon, Hunt Collins, and Richard Marsten. Evan Hunter was born October 15, 1926, in New York City. and died on July 6, 2005, in Weston, Connecticut. He was a prolific American writer of best-selling fiction, of which more than 50 books are crime stories published under the pseudonym Ed McBain.
Inside Threat
Matthew Quirk
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063051683, $30.00, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Threat-Novel-Matthew-Quirk/dp/0063051680
Synopsis: When Code Black is asserted it's time to assume the worst.
The day that every secret service agent trains for has arrived. The White House has been breached; the President forced to flee to a massive doomsday bunker outside DC to defend against whatever comes next. Only the most trusted agents and officials are allowed in with him -- those dedicated to keeping the government intact at all costs.
Among them is Erik Hill, who has given his life to the Secret Service. They are his purpose and his family, and his impressive record has made him a hero among them. Despite his growing disillusionment from seeing Washington corruption up close, Erik can't ignore years of instincts honed on the job. The government is under attack, and no one is better equipped to face down the threat than he is.
The evidence leads him to a conspiracy at the highest levels of power, with the attack orchestrated by some of the very individuals now locked in with him. As the killers strike inside the bunker, it will take everything Erik Hill has to save his people, himself, and his country.
Critique: A solid suspense thriller of a read from first page to last, "Inside Threat" by novelist Matthew Quirk is the stuff of which block-buster edge of your seat movies are made. Sizzling with unexpected plot twists and turns, "Inside Threat" will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in espionage thrillers and non-stop mystery action/adventure novels. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212690751, $41.99, CD), "Inside Threat" is unreservedly recommended for community library contemporary fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: Matthew Quirk (http://matthewquirk.com) is the author of Red Warning, Hour of the Assassin, The Night Agent, The 500, The Directive, Cold Barrel Zero, and Dead Man Switch. He spent five years at The Atlantic reporting on crime, private military contractors, terrorism prosecutions, and international gangs.
Macarons Can Be Murder
Rose Betancourt
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781643859767, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Macarons-Murder-Kentucky-Bakery-Mystery/dp/1643859765
Synopsis: Living in Paris, Kentucky, and having a sidekick cat named Pepe le Pew gives Marci Beaucoup's life a certain je ne sais quoi. Combining her love of baking and France, Marci opened La Belle Patisserie to bring her small Southern hometown a bit of French flair and lots of croissants. Everything is sunshine and macaronsat the bakery until her landlord calls to tell her she's selling the property.
Marci's relieved to hear that if the top bidder, an enchanting Frenchman named Antoine Dubois, gets the property, he'll renew her bakery's lease. Charmed by Antoine, Marci figures this development isn't half bad and sees a handsome new landlord in her future -- but then Antoine's estranged ex-girlfriend Kelly turns up dead in front of her bakery!
Everyone calls Marci's pastries "to die for", but nobody's actually died at La Belle Patisserie before. Antoine quickly becomes the main suspect to everyone in Paris -- as well as to womanizing detective Maverick Malone. Who else would have killed Kelly but the ex-boyfriend she was just seen fighting with on the day of her death?
Marci finds out from her landlord that if Antoine is arrested, his purchase of her building will fall through -- and her landlord will sell to developers instead, who plan to demolish the building and construct a strip mall in its place. Enamored with Antoine and with her patisserie dreams hanging in the balance, Marci is determined to prove Maverick and the rest of Paris wrong and find the true killer before Antoine winds up in jail -- and she has to say au revoir to her bakery.
Now Marci finds herself mixed up in the murder investigation, and she must find the killer before her half-baked theories result in her untimely death.
Critique: The debut novel launching author Rose Betancourt's new series of culinary themed cozy mysteries, "Macarons Can Be Murder" is a fun read from cover to cover and will leave the reader looking eagerly toward her next title in what promises to be an outstanding addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections featuring amateur female murder mystery solving sleuths. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that "Macarons Can Be Murder" is also readily available in a digital book formalt (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Rose Betancourt (https://crookedlanebooks.com/rose-betancourt) enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. When she's not plotting her next mystery novel, she loves reading, painting, spending time with family, and listening to oldies. Living near Louisville, Kentucky, her writing is fueled by Diet Coke and dark chocolate.
The Island
Adrian McKinty
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316531283, $28.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Island-Adrian-McKinty/dp/0316531286
Synopsis: After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.
When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.
But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.
When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.
Now it's up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don't trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.
Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
Critique: Picked to be a forthcoming Hulu original television series, "The Island" is a riveting read of the compulsive page turner variety. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in suspense thriller novels with more unexpected twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado, "The Island" by gifted novelist Adrian McKinty is particularly and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading ists of dedicated suspense thriller fans that "The Island" is also available in a paperback edition (9780316531290, $18.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Hachette Audio, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Adrian McKinty (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_McKinty) is the author of more than a dozen crime novels, including the Dagger and Edgar-award nominated debut Dead I Well May Be, the critically acclaimed Sean Duffy series, and the award-winning standalone thriller The Chain, which was a New York Times and #1 international bestseller. McKinty's books have been translated into over 30 languages and he has won the Edgar Award, the International Thriller Writers Award, the Ned Kelly Award (3 times), the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Macavity Award, and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.
Death by Food Truck
Joi Copeland, et al.
Barbour Publishing
1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636095943, $14.99, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Food-Truck-Joi-Copeland/dp/1636095941
Synopsis: Birch Tree, Maine, is experiencing a rash of deaths, all mysteriously linked to food trucks that frequent the Birch Point Lake Park. Mey's noodle truck was her ticket to a new life, until her ex-boyfriend threatens to take it away. Angel's new donut truck was doing great, until deathly rumors started. Shanice thought she had customer support when taking over her grandpa's potato truck, until one started complaining. Marisol's taco truck is a fixture in the park, until linked to a food judge's death. Could competition between vendors have led to this murder and mayhem?
Critique: Comprised of four cozy mysteries written in a round robin style by co-authors Joi Copeland, Cynthia Hicky, Linda Baten Johnson, and Teresa Ives Lilly, "Death By Food Truck" is a delightful literary treat for all cozy mystery fans and readers with an interest in Christian themed fiction short story anthologies. While highly recommended as an addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of cozy culinary mystery buffs that "Death By Food Truck" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781685924065, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Multi-published and best-selling author, Cynthia Hickey, has taught writing at many conferences and small writing retreats. She and her husband run the publishing press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA's best well-known authors. They live in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming snowbirds with two dogs and one cat. They have ten grandchildren who them busy and tell everyone they know that "Nana is a writer."
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Witch King
Martha Wells
TorDotCom
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250826794, $28.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-King-Martha-Wells/dp/1250826799
Synopsis: After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai's magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.
But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?
Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. -- He's not going to like the answers.
Critique: "Witch King" is author Martha Wells's first new fantasy in over a decade, and draws together her signature ability to create fascinating characters, a compelling action and adventure plot, all with an entertaining, memorable, and distinctive narrative storytelling style. While also readily available for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Witch King" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Martha Wells (https://marthawells.com) has written many fantasy novels, including The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, the Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads and ending with The Harbors of the Sun), and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction. Her New York Times and USA Today-bestselling Murderbot Diaries series has won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards.
The Ghosts of Trappist
K. B. Wagers
Harper Voyager
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063115163, $32.50, HC, 560pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Trappist-NeoG-3/dp/0063115166
Synopsis: NeoG (the Near-Earth Orbital Guard), is a diverse military force that patrols and protects the solar system, inspired by the real-life mission of the Coast Guard -- and the crew of Zuma's Ghost are under attack, and shocking truths are about to be exposed.
Ensign Nell "Sapphi" Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she's hearing in the Verge and the song she can't get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma's Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief's robot dog, Doge, is acting weird (a computer problem she can't find an answer to) and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge.
It doesn't help the NeoG's mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D'Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he's struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten.
The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D'Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What's worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that's been taking their ships too!
As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe.
Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel by K.B. Wagers, "The Ghosts of Trappist" is a fun read that will have a special appeal to science fiction fans with an interest in Space Opera/Colonization action/adventure stories. Memorable characters combine with a narrative driven plot with more twists, turns and surprises than a Disneyland roller coaster, "The Ghosts of Trappist" is unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ghosts of Trappist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212691086, $57.99, CD).
Editorial Note: K.B. Wagers (https://kbwagers.com) is the author of the Indranan and Farian War trilogies from Orbit Books and the NeoG Adventures from Harper Voyager. K.B. Wagers can be followed on Twitter @kbwagers and Instagram @midwaybrawler for political commentary, plant photos, and video game play-throughs.
The Sports Shelf
Game of Edges
Bruce Schoenfeld
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393531688, $30.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Game-Edges-Analytics-Revolution-Professional/dp/0393531686
Synopsis: In the last two decades, innovation, data analysis, and technology have driven a tectonic shift in the professional sports business. With the publication of "Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports" by sports journalist Bruce Schoenfeld tells the story of how sports franchises evolved, on and off the field, from raggedly run small businesses into some of the most systematically productive companies around.
In today's game, everyone from the owners to the marketing staff are using information (data) to give their team an edge. For analysts, an edge is their currency. Figuring out that bunting hurts your offense? That's an edge. So is discovering metrics that can predict the career arc of your free agent shooting guard. Or combing through a decade of ticket-buying data to target persuadable fans.
These small, incremental steps move a sports franchise from merely ordinary to the leading edge. Franchises today are more than just sports; they integrate a whole suite of other businesses -- television and digital content, gambling and real estate, fashion and apparel, entertainment, catering and concessions, and much more. But an optimized franchise has no room for error. Teams must do what the numbers say, reducing the element of chance, limiting those random moments of athletic heroism that make sports thrilling to watch. Optimization also means the franchise's main goal isn't championships anymore; it's keeping you, the viewer, engaged with the product.
Drawing on extensive interviews with franchise owners, general managers, executives, and players, Schoenfeld introduces dynamic leaders who are radically re-imagining the operations of these decades-old teams and producing mind-boggling valuations. He joins the architects of the Golden State Warriors dynasty for an exclusive reception before tip-off. He stands among the faithful at Anfield, watching Liverpool's analytics guru size up a prized midfielder. And he watches the president of the Chicago Cubs break ground on a new DraftKings gambling parlor at Wrigley Field, not ten miles from the site of the original Black Sox betting scandal.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study that is as impressively detailed as it is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports" must be considered as essential reading for professionals and fans alike who are interested in professional sports, professional sports as a business, or the new technologies that are changing and evolving professional sports. While a highly recommended pick for community and academic library Professional Sports collections, it should be noted for personal and professional reading lists that "Game of Edges" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Bruce Schoenfeld (https://www.esquire.com/author/213420/bruce-schoenfeld), is a regular contributor to the New York Times Magazine, and has also written for Esquire, Fast Company, Sports Illustrated, and GQ, among other publications.
The Parenting Shelf
Out
John Sovec, LMFT
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781839974243, $17.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Out-Parents-Supporting-Lgbtqia-Through/dp/1839974249
Synopsis: The coming out process for LGBTQIA+ adolescents and young adults can be a terrifying moment, not only for themselves, but also for their family and friends. When intense emotions are running the gamut of concern, shock, joy or even anger and acceptance, it can be tricky to process how you feel while giving your child the support they need.
Offering essential guidance and advice, "Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid through Coming Out and Beyond" by counselor and therapist John Soveck is here to help you with chapters that explore LGBTQIA+ terminology, understanding the coming out process, effective communication strategies, talking to your LGBTQIA+ kid about sex, the parents' process of acceptance, and the family coming out process.
Importantly, this guide also covers a wide range of lesser-known orientations such as pansexuality and asexuality as well as dedicated chapters on trans youth and the often overlooked grieving process for parents with stories of lived experience throughout.
With a unique three step strategy, you and your family can support your LGBTQIA+ child's newly shared identity, create a stronger family unit, and move towards a more open, affirming relationship based on honest communication and understanding.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented -- especially for the non-specialist general reader seeking to know what to do (and why) when they realize that their child is gay, "Out: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid through Coming Out and Beyond" is essential and unreservedly recommended reading. A core addition for personal, professional, and community library Parenting & LGBTQ+ instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Out" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: John Sovec (https://www.johnsovec.com) is a licensed therapist, counselor and coach who specializes in working with LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. John has written for Huffington Post, Medium and Good Therapy and appeared on the Ricki Lake Show, OWN, Shahs of Sunset, Raising Whitley, BRAVO, Fox News, The Washington Post, and LA Talk Radio. He is the host of OutTalk and lives in Pasadena, California with his husband.
The Business Shelf
The Case for Good Jobs
Zeynep Ton
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647824174, $32.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Case-Good-Jobs-Companies-Everyones/dp/1647824176
Synopsis: From healthcare facilities to call centers, fulfillment centers to factories, and restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find and/or keep workers, because the jobs they offer are low-paying, stressful, and provide little chance for growth and success.
Workers want good jobs, and many business leaders want to provide them. But they don't think they can offer higher pay and more motivating work without hurting the bottom line. Most business leaders want to win with customers, but their companies are hobbled by a host of service and operational problems largely driven by high employee turnover -- turnover that's partly driven by low pay.
It is indeed a vicious cycle, with the publication of "The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work", Professor Zeynep Ton is here to show you the way out: why good jobs combined with strong operations lead to higher productivity and increased competitiveness for the business. And why, more than ever, in a world with tight labor markets, failing to provide good jobs will catch up with you and threaten your business.
As the leading scholar on good jobs and president of the Good Jobs Institute, Professor Ton has helped executives at many companies implement a good jobs system. With expertise drawn from spending time on the front lines with workers and their managers, she knows what's keeping most companies mired in mediocrity and how implementing a good jobs system makes them more competitive, more resilient, and more likely to attract and retain loyal customers and dedicated employees.
Critique: Informative, insightful, prescriptive, provocative, and 'real world practical', "The Case for Good Jobs" must be considered essential reading for company leaders, managers, and business owners who need to attract and retain profitable employees in today's increasingly volatile and competitive labor market. While a timely and significant addition to professional, corporate, and academic library Business & Personnel Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of readers with a responsibility or an interest in business leadership and motivation that "The Case for Good Jobs" is also available in a a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Zeynep Ton (www.Zeynepton.com) is a Professor of the Practice in the Operations Management group at MIT Sloan School of Management. She is also president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, where she works with companies to improve their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors alike. Before joining MIT Sloan, Ton spent seven years on the faculty at Harvard Business School. She is also the author of "The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits". She can be followed on Twitter @zeynepton
The Audiobook Shelf
Game Of Scones
Kim M. Watt, author
Patricia Gallimore, narrator
Isis Audio Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399150118, $122.95, MP3-CD (11 Hours 20 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Game-Scones-Kim-M-Watt/dp/1399150111
Synopsis: Bribery. Corruption. Murder. -- Who said local politics were boring?
Suspicious deaths on the Skipton city council don't sound as though they should have anything at all to do with the Toot Hansell Women's Institute, and DI Adams would rather like to keep it that way. But when the councillor for Toot Hansell becomes the latest victim, Alice Martin, chair of the W.I. and RAF Wing Commander (ret.), steps straight in to take his place.
Before DI Adams can so much as say lemon drizzle cake the ladies of the Women's Institute are lurking around farmyards in the company of dragons, farmers are vanishing, the invisible dog's developed a caffeine dependence, and Alice is already in as deep as she can get.
In deep, and facing a killer that seems to know far too much about her. Enough, perhaps, to turn the tables. Murder, mayhem, and old secrets come to light in the Yorkshire Dales -- along with dragons, of course.
Critique: "Game of Scones" is book 4 in novelist Kim M. Watt's the Beaufort Scales of 'whodunnit' murder mysteries. With her impressive storytelling skills, narrator Patricia Gallimore provides the cozy mystery fan with a true 'theatre of the mind experience in this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Kim Watt's "Game of Scones". Of particular interest to dedicated fans of the cozy mystery genre, this Isis Audio Book edition of "Game of Scones" is a very special and highly recommended addition to personal and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Kim M. Watts (www.kmwatt.com) has a lengthy listing of her novels on the GoodReads website at https://www.goodreads.com/series/250128-beaufort-scales-mystery
The Body At Carnival Bridge
Michelle Salter, author
Polly Edsell, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837510535, $97.95, MP3-CD (9 Hours 5 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-body-at-carnival-bridge-michelle-salter/1143082518
Synopsis: How deadly is the fight for equality? In 1922 (and after spending a year traveling through Europe), Iris Woodmore returns home to find a changed Walden.
Wealthy businesswoman Constance Timpson has introduced equal pay in her factories and allows women to retain their jobs after they marry. But these radical new working practices have made her deadly enemies.
A mysterious sniper fires a single shot at Constance -- is it a warning, or did they shoot to kill? When one of her female employees is murdered, it's clear the threat is all too real -- and it's not just Constance in danger.
As amateur sleuth Iris investigates, she realizes the sniper isn't the only hidden enemy preying on women!
Critique: With a riveting narration by the impressively talented voice actor Polly Edsell, the cozy mystery novel by Michelle Salter is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. A brilliantly crafted, exceptionally entertaining, and deftly scripted original story that will hold a special appeal to dedicated fans of the cozy mystery genre and is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library cosy mystery audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Michelle Salter (https://www.michellesalter.com) is an historical crime fiction writer based in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Many of her novels are set in the area where she lives and are inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. She brings a love of social history to her novels, which reflect how issues of 100 years ago are not so different from the challenges we face today. Michelle can be followed on Twitter: @MichelleASalter and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleSalterWriter
Betraying the Crown
T. P. Fielden
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713659204, $25.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 47 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Betraying-Crown-Guy-Harford-Mystery/dp/1713659204
Synopsis: Windsor, 1943. Britain is in the grip of war and treachery is afoot. The body of controversial former courtier Lord Blackwater is found in the abandoned Fort Belvedere, once the country bolthole of the King's wayward brother. And all signs point to murder.
Royal confidant Guy Harford is called in to solve the mystery quickly and quietly, before any hint of scandal reaches the public. Investigating with the help of Rodie, his roguish burglar girlfriend, his enquiries lead him into the world of the Royal Ballet, where on-stage glamour hides an undercurrent of off-stage deceit. And when the ballet company's newest recruit turns up dead, it's clear there's more to this murder than meets the eye.
Meanwhile, news reaches the Palace that the King's brother (already under strict orders to stay out of trouble) is threatening to undermine both Crown and country by taking US citizenship.
Harford must do his royal duty. It's up to him to catch the killer and save the monarchy from crisis in wartime. Before any more heads roll!
Critique: With the impressive storytelling skills of narrator Joel Froomkin bringing author T. P. Felson's novel, "Betraying the Crown" to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' listening experience in this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio, this simply outstanding 'Royal Mystery' is highly recommended for both personal and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: TP Fielden is the fiction-writing name of the acclaimed royal biographer and commentator Christopher Wilson, who has penned biographies of Prince Charles, Camilla, Diana and other members of the British royal family.
Editorial Note #2: Joel Froomkin (https://www.joelfroomkinaudio.com) Joel Froomkin, an Audie-nominated, eleven-time Earphones Award-Winning narrator. He was the recipient of the 2020 Best Male Narrator Award at the Independent Audio Book Awards, and the 2020 Best Humor Narration recipient at the Society of Voice Arts Awards. A classically trained actor with an MFA in theatre from USC, he is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of British and American sounds. His great range and ability to bring characters to life with honesty, wit and versatility delights producers and listeners alike. He has won Earphones Awards for 1st person British, American and Australian narrations.
The Library CD Shelf
The Terry Gibbs Songbook
Terry Gibbs Legacy Band
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 digital
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C38445KF
The Terry Gibbs Songbook is a jazz album of original songs composed by the legendary Terry Gibbs (b. 1924). Terry Gibbs, currently 98 years old, is living proof that talent and ability can defy age itself! The songs are performed by the Terry Gibbs Legacy Band, an amazing lineup of masterful musicians: Scott Hamilton and Harry Allen on tenor saxophone, Tom Ranier on piano and tenor saxophone, Danny Bacher providing vocals, Mike Gurrola on acoustic bass, Gerry Gibbs on drums, and Terry Gibbs himself on 2 finger piano, as well as vocals for track 4. The Terry Gibbs Songbook is a treasure for both personal and public library jazz music collections, highly recommended! The tracks are Let's Go to Rio; Those Eyes, Those Lips, That Nose, That Face, That Girl; I Was Loved; Now's the Time to Groove; The House That Might Have Been; Nina; I Can Hardly Wait For Saturday Night; If I Were You; Play and Sing; Lonely Days; And That's Why They Call It the Blues; Say Goodbye; Stay With Me Tonight; If I Knew Then; and Sweet Young Song of Love.
Swirl: Live at Piccolo
Francois Bourassa Quartet
francoisbourassa.com
Effendi Records
$TBA CD / $7.00 digital
https://franoisbourassaquartet.bandcamp.com/album/swirl-2
Featuring six original, instrumental compositions by Francois Bourassa, Swirl: Live at Piccolo is a jazz album recorded live with Francois Bourassa on piano, Andre Leroux on saxophones and flute, Guy Boisvert on bass, and Guillaume Pilote on drums. Brimming with energy and passion, Swirl: Live at Piccolo is an extraordinary soundscape odyssey, highly recommended for personal and public library collections, and a "must-have" for modern jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are Pooloop; Prologue; Room; Costard; Remous; and 15, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette.
Perseverance
Melvin Smith
melvinsmithsax.com
Mismwo Music
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVH2DPRZ
Featuring both original creations and arrangements of beloved classics, Perseverance is a jazz album showcasing the tenor and soprano saxophone talent of Melvin Smith, along with Jeb Patton on piano, Greg Lewis on organ, Corcoran Holt on bass, and Jeremy Warren on drums. Intense and soulful, Perseverance is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs and highly recommended for personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Sound for Sore Ears, Karita, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, Letter to the Ancestors, Beatitudes - Interlude, One by One, Gettin' It, Beatrice, Perseverance, Golden, and Beatitudes.
Galuunx wil lu Holtga Liimi
Saltwater Hank
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.00 CAD digital
https://saltwaterhank.bandcamp.com/album/g-alu-u-nx-wil-lu-holtga-liimi
Galuunx wil lu Holtga Liimi is an album from Ts'msyen music artist Saltwater Hank, featuring original songs created in Sm'algyax, the Ts'msyen language. Today, there are no first generation Sm'algyax speakers under age 60. Galuunx wil lu Holtga Liimi was created to push back against two centuries of the Canadian government's efforts to erase Ts'msyen language and culture, and to reach out to other Ts'msyen people who seek to better understand the language and musical traditions of their heritage. The songs speak out against cultural suppression, unjust laws, and violence perpetrated against First Nations peoples. Galuunx wil lu Holtga Liimi is an intensely charged listening experience, highly recommended especially for personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Uks yaan K'ask'oos, Ba'wis, Dm Yootu Stukwliin, Ndo'o Yaan, Waaba Gwasoo, Liimi Mak'ooxs, Akadi K'ul Waal Nsiip'nsgu, 'Nii Wila Waalt, and Goosnl Waals Noon.
The Library DVD Shelf
ParaGold
First Run Features
FirstRunFeatures.com
$19.95 DVD
https://firstrunfeatures.com/paragoldvod.html
Synopsis: From the director of Harry and Snowman and Life in the Doghouse, ParaGold follows the lives of four Paralympic equestrian hopefuls as they vie for a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Dressage team.
The film focuses on Roxy Trunnell, Rebecca Hart, David Botana and Sydney Collier on their quest to qualify for - and hopefully win - gold medals at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Each of the four riders has severe physical disabilities, but determination and the bond with their horses propel them to greatness.
Para Dressage is the highest expression of horse training for athletes with a physical disability. Conducted under the same basic rules as Olympic-level Dressage, the athletes are classified according to the level of their disability. They must direct their horse to perform at a walk, trot, and canter, and all tests are ridden from memory and follow a prescribed pattern of precise movements. Para Dressage is the only equestrian discipline included in the Paralympic Games, the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games.
Critique: The documentary ParaGold shows the lives, hopes, and dreams of four Paralympic equestrian athletes, each of whom aspires to earn a place on the U.S. Paralympic Dressage team. (The Paralympic Games are a major series of international sport competitions involving athletes with disabilities; dressage is a horse riding sport in which the horse and rider are expected to perform predetermined movements from memory.) Training for the highest level of athletic competition is difficult, and dressage requires financial sponsors since horses need expensive care. Each of the athletes confronts challenges every day from their disability, whether it's physical pain, restricted movement, or the psychological burden of knowing that the condition that caused their disability will worsen over their time, or possibly even claim their life at a young age. One athlete in particular, seventeen-year-old David, has to balance training and practice with demanding academic studies, since he desires to one day achieve breakthroughs in the field of medicine. ParaGold does not shy from showing the hardships of life with a disability - the athletes speak openly about their worst days, in their own words - but ParaGold is ultimately a profoundly inspirational story about dedication, purpose, and making the absolute most of one's life. ParaGold is highly recommended especially for high school, college, and public library DVD collections, and makes an excellent gift for anyone who loves horses or the sport of dressage! It should be noted for personal viewing lists that ParaGold is also available in a digital format from Amazon instant video, AppleTV, iTunes, or Vimeo. 85 min.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Dogs Demystified
Marc Bekoff, author
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608688166, $19.95, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Demystified-Z-Things-Canine/dp/160868816X
Synopsis: Dr. Marc Bekoff is an expert at turning cutting-edge science into practical, reader-friendly information. The encyclopedic entries comprising "Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine" cover everything related to dog care, dog-human relationships, and dog behavior, cognition, and emotions, making this the accessible book that every dog lover should have.
In concise, readable A-through-Z entries, Bekoff covers everything canine, from aggression to pack formation to zoomies, and explores why dogs do what they do; exactly how to meet any dog eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose, and ear-to-ear to understand their world better; and how tuning in to a dog's unique personality leads to happier dogs and happier human companions.
Critique: An exceptionally well organized, comprehensively informative, and thoroughly user friendly resource for anyone who has (or who would like to have) a canine companion, "Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine" by Dr. Marc Bekoff is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Canine Behavioral Science collections and supplemental currciulum studies lists. It should be noted that "Dogs Demystified" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Marc Bekoff (www.MarcBekoff.com) is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has published more than thirty books and writes regularly for Psychology Today.
The Literary Studies Shelf
The Bard in the Borderlands: Volume 1
Katherine Gillen, editor
Adrianna M. Santos, editor
Kathryn Vomero Santos, editor
ACMRS Press
Arizona State University
PO Box 874402, Tempe, AZ 85287-4402
https://acmrspress.com
9780866988384, $19.95, PB, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bard-Borderlands-Anthology-Shakespeare-Appropriations/dp/0866988386
Synopsis: For several decades, Chicanx and Indigenous theater makers have been re-purposing Shakespeare's plays to reflect the histories and lived realities of the US-Mexico Borderlands and to create space to tell stories of and for La Frontera. Celebrating this rich tradition, :The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera" brings a wide range of Borderlands Shakespeare plays together for the first time in a multi-volume open-access scholarly edition.
Collaboratively co-edited by the academic editorial team of Katherine Gillen, Adrianna M. Santos, and Kathryn Vomero Santos, "The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera, Volume 1" is anthology that celebrates the dynamic, multilingual reworking of canon and place that defines Borderlands Shakespeare, and it situates these geographically and temporally diverse plays within the robust study of Shakespeare's global afterlives.
The editors offer a critical framework for understanding the artistic and political traditions that shape these plays and the place of Shakespeare within the multilayered colonial histories of the region. Borderlands Shakespeare plays, they contend, do not simply reproduce Shakespeare in new contexts but rather use his work in innovative ways to negotiate colonial power and to envision socially just futures.
Critique: "The Bard in the Borderlands: An Anthology of Shakespeare Appropriations en La Frontera, Volume 1" features a wide range of plays that deftly re-imagine Shakespeare works from Borderlands perspectives. Unique, ground-breaking, exceptional, thought-provoking, and inherently fascinating, "The Bard in the Borderlands" is a distinctive, ground-breaking, and unreservedly recommended as an addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Shakespeare studies collections. Of special appeal and value for readers with an interest in Hispanic American Dramas & Plays, it should be noted that "The Bard in the Borderlands" is also available in a paperback edition (9780866988391, $19.95).
Editorial Note #1: Katherine Gillen (https://tamus.academia.edu/KGillen/CurriculumVitae) is associate professor of English at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. She is the author of Chaste Value: Economic Crisis, Female Chastity, and the Production of Social Difference on Shakespeare's Stage.
Editorial Note #2: Adrianna M. Santos (https://adriannasantos.wordpress.com) is an assistant professor of English at Texas A&M University-San Antonio where she acts as cocoordinator of the Mexican American, Latinx, and Borderlands Studies interdisciplinary minor.
Editorial Note #3: Kathryn Vomero Santos (https://kathrynvomerosantos.com) is assistant professor of English and codirector of the Humanities Collective at Trinity University. She currently serves as Performance Reviews Editor for Shakespeare Bulletin.
The Art Shelf
The Fantastic Gustave Dore
Alix Pare, author
Valerie Sueur-Hermel, author
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379630, $65.00, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Gustave-Dor%C3%A9-Alix-Par%C3%A9/dp/3791379631
Synopsis: "The Fantastic Gustave Dore" is comprised of an informative and unique retrospective of the best and most representative of French artist Gustave Dore's prints and pictures selected from an archive of more than 10,000 pieces of his work. Originally published by: Editions du Chene - Hachette Livre, this new large format hard cover, half-linen, edition (20.5 x 26.0 cm, 23) of The Fantastic Dore by co-authors Vaalerie Sueur-Hermel and Alix Pare is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 23 color illustrations and 380 b/w illustrations by the legendary French artist, print maker, illustrator, and sculpture Gustave Dore (6 January 1832 - 23 January 1883).
Critique: Simply stated, this magnificent an informative volume showcasing the artistry and imagery of Gustave Dore is a singular and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Art History collections in general, and supplemental curriculum Gustave Dore studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: Alix Pare is a lecturer specializing in 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th century Western painting. She held previous positions at the Louvre Museum in Paris and the Château de Versailles, France.
Editorial Note #2: Valerie Sueur-Hermel is curator of the Department of Prints and Photography at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, in Paris, France. She has curated numerous exhibitions such as: Daumier (2008), Gustave Dore (2014), Odilon Redon (2011).
Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle
Eleanor Nairne
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379661, $29.95, HC, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Neel-Hot-Off-Griddle/dp/3791379666
Synopsis: Alice Neel (January 28, 1900 - October 13, 1984) was one of the great American painters of the twentieth century and a pioneer among women artists. A painter of people, landscape and still life, Neel was never fashionable or in step with avant-garde movements. "One of the reasons I painted was to catch life as it goes by," she explained, "right hot off the griddle."
"Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle" by Eleanor Nairne is a beautifully designed volume that takes a unique approach to the exhibition catalog, highlighting Neel's understanding of the fundamentally political nature of how we look at others, and what it means to feel seen.
Long a favorite of portrait lovers, Neel has recently gained an even wider 21st-century audience appreciative of the searing candor with which she viewed the world, the depth of her humanity, and her championing of the underdog.
This beautifully produced catalog from Prestel Publishing features a thoroughly modern design, as well as an essay by renowned critic Hilton Als and poetry by Daisy Lafarge.
Critique: A unique, informative, and fascinating study of Alice Neel and her work by art gallery curator Eleanor Nairne, "Alice Neel: Hott Off The Griddle" is full color compendium of her artwork is further enhanced for the reader with a chronology of her life and accomplishments and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists for art students as well as community, college, and university library 20th Century American Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Eleanor Nairne (https://artuk.org/discover/profile/eleanor-nairne) is Curator at Barbican Art Gallery, London. She is a contributor to the London Review of Books, has written for magazines including frieze and is a previous Jerwood Writer in Residence. Her previous books with Prestel include Jean Dubuffet and Basquiat: Boom for Real! She live in London, England.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Hammer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company
Howard Maxford
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476670072, $95.00, PB, Volumes 1 & 2, 992pp
McFarland & Company is a premier publisher of books in the field of cinematic history. Now they have published film historian Howard Maxford's "Hammer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company" a two volume history of the British movie company Hammer Film: "Hammer Complete: Volume One, A-L" and Hammer Complete: Volume Two, M-Z.
Think you know everything there is to know about Hammer Films, the fabled "Studio that Dripped Blood?" The lowdown on all the imperishable classics of horror, like The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Devil Rides Out? But what about the company's less blood-curdling back catalog? What about the musicals, comedies and travelogues, the fantasies and historical epics -- not to mention the pirate adventures?
This lavishly illustrated two volume encyclopedia definitively covers every Hammer film and television production in thorough detail, including budgets, shooting schedules, publicity and more, along with all the actors, supporting players, writers, directors, producers, composers and technicians. Both volumes are simply packed from cover to cover with quotes, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, credit lists and production specifics.
Critique: This large format edition of Volumes 1 & 2 of "Hammer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company" is a comprehensive, detailed, and fully informed reference work of a cherished, British cinematic institution whose impact on 20th Century popular culture was worldwide. Exceptionally well organized and presented, and also available in a paperback edition (9781476693446, $49.95) and in a digital book format (9781476629148, $49.99), "Hammer Complete: The Films, The Personnel, The Company: Volume 1 & 2" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library 20th Century Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in London, England, Howard Maxford is a freelance entertainment journalist who has contributed reviews, interviews, features and retrospectives to a variety of UK magazines, including Film Review, Starburst, Shivers, Replay, Tower Records' Top, London After Dark, Video Now and HMV Choice.
The Agriculture Shelf
The Ecological Farm
Helen Atthowe, author
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021810, $44.95, PB, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ecological-Farm-Selective-Weeding-Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer-Agriculture/dp/1645021815
Synopsis: A breakthrough resource for fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go 'beyond organic' and build higher soil quality and fertility using fewer inputs through a unique ecosystem balancing approach, "The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture" by Helen Atthowe is the new 'bible' for organic farming.
"The Ecological Farm" will enable even the most novice of farmers to employ their efforts at organic, ecologically sustainable farming to ever advancing levels. Jam packed from cover to cover with 'real world' useful, field-tested, innovative techniques for farming more gently without sacrificing productivity. With its unique focus on reduced tillage, minimizing farm and garden inputs, and pest control, "The Ecological Farm" is the essential guide for successfully growing organic crops year after year after year.
Critique: This large format paperback edition of "The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture" also features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Ecological Farm" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and agricultural college Organic/Ecological Farming collections. It should be noted that "The Ecological Farm" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.99).
Editorial Note: Helen Atthowe has worked for 35 years to connect farming, food systems, land stewardship, and conservation. She farms and conducts research at Woodleaf Farm in Eastern Oregon and serves as a consultant with farmers across the United States and internationally. She is a contributing writer to The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control and other books. She has served as a board member for the Organic Farming Research Foundation and advisor for the Wild Farm Alliance. She has also served as a horticulture extension agent in Montana, where she annually taught an organic master gardener course.
The Dance Shelf
Ed Watson: A Different Dance
Sarah Crompton
Prestel Publishing
www.prestel.com
9783791379715, $55.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ed-Watson-Different-Sarah-Crompton/dp/3791379712
Synopsis: Ed Watson was a Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet for over 20 years. His was a unique talent; a widely celebrated collaborator in dance, photography and fashion.
With the publication of "Ed Watson: A Different Dance", each illustrated essay focuses on a distinct aspect of Watson's career and in which leading art critic Sarah Crompton discusses his trajectory from young student to principal dancer and coach with The Royal Ballet.
Of special note is the inclusion of Wayne McGregor's reflection on their long and fruitful collaboration, as well as longtime friend Charlotte MacMillan's lively conversation with the man himself -- while Gareth Pugh muses on the concept of duende.
"Ed Watson: A Different Dance" features dozens of images by leading photographers (including Rick Guest, Nick Knight, Anthony Crickmay, Kosmas Pavlos, Nadav Kander, Paul Smith, Laurence Ellis, Teddy Iborra Wicksteed, Liz Seagrove, Paul Grover, and Johan Persson) depicting images of Watson throughout his career, in rehearsal, on fashion shoots, in the dressing room, and in stills from his famed performances.
Together the words and images comprising "Ed Watson: A Different Dance" tell the story of a performer of extraordinary versatility, exceptional physicality, and a profound artistic sensibility. There is a website dedicated to Ed Watson at https://www.edwatsonofficial.com
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in classical dance, modern dance, and dance criticism/history, this large format, hardcover, strikingly illustrated, and exceptionally informative edition of "Ed Watson: A Different Dance" from Prestel Publishing is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library American Biography and Dance History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Sarah Crompton is Arts Editor in Chief for the Daily Telegraph, London, a theater critic for Whatsonstage, and a journalist and broadcaster on all things cultural for publications including The Guardian, The Sunday Times (London) and Vogue.
The Criminology Shelf
In Search of the Blonde Tigress
Silvia Pettem, author
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493068630 $29.95 hc / $21.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Blonde-Tigress-Untold-Eleanor/dp/1493068636
Synopsis: Beginning in 1933, Eleanor Jarman was sensationalized by the press as the "blonde tigress" and "the most dangerous woman alive." But a closer look at her life shows that she was an otherwise ordinary woman who got caught up in a Chicago crime spree, then was convicted as an accomplice to murder and sent to prison. In 1940, Eleanor escaped and managed to live out her life as, perhaps, America's longest-running female fugitive.
Following the murder of an elderly shopkeeper, with the publication of "In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story of Eleanor Jarman" by Silvia Pettem readers are given a front-row seat for Eleanor's arrest, trial, conviction, and sentencing (all documented with recently unearthed primary-source police records, court transcripts, and prison files) and her subsequent prison years.
Deftly woven in are comparisons and contrasts between Eleanor's and her escape partner's criminal histories, as well as speculation on their lives on the lam. Whether Eleanor deserved her sentence, or whether it was too harsh, is left for the reader to decide.
"In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story of Eleanor Jarman" sets the mystery and intrigue of this wanted woman into historic context. It also includes her family's plea, in 1993, for Eleanor to come forward and apply for clemency. Most revealing at the time was Eleanor's alias. With that information (and considering that Eleanor, born in 1901, is most certainly now deceased), biographer Silvia Pettem documents her search for Eleanor's remains -- right up to a visit to her likely grave.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, compelling, and combining biography and prison reform in the 1930s with modern-day evidence that has helped to unravel a long-standing mystery, "In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story of Eleanor Jarman" will have immense appeal to readers with an interest in criminology and true crime. While an unreservedly recommended pick for community and academic library American Biography collections, it should be noted personal reading lists that "In Search of the Blonde Tigress: The Untold Story of Eleanor Jarman" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.49).
Editorial Note: Silvia Pettem (silviapettem.com) is a Colorado-based historical researcher, writer, and author. After local history research led her to the identification of a decades-old murder victim, Pettem switched from writing about history to the genre of true crime. Pettem's other books that relate to cold case investigations include Someone's Daughter: In Search of Justice for Jane Doe (2009); Cold Case Research: Resources for Unidentified, Missing, and Cold Homicide Cases (2013); The Long Term Missing: Hope and Help for Families (2017); and Cold Case Chronicles: Mysteries, Murders, and the Missing (2021).
Bloody Savannah
Derek Smith
Exposit Books
c/o McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476691831, $25.00, PB, 249pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Savannah-Citys-Violent-Reporter/dp/1476691835
Synopsis: Savannah, Georgia is one of America's most beautiful and historic cities. Yet underneath the mint juleps, oaks bearded with Spanish moss and the splendor of colonial architecture, there lurks a deadly undercurrent.
With the publication of "Bloody Savannah: The City's Most Violent Era as Seen by a Crime Reporter", Derek Smith offers a first-person account of his career as an award-winning newspaper crime reporter who covered scores of murders in the Savannah area, including one of the bloodiest eras in the city's history: in 1985, metro Savannah earned notoriety with the nation's highest homicide rate.
"Bloody Savannah" describes a wide range of crimes, including murders over a 14-year-old lover, $4 for hamburgers or a baby carriage; the grisly murder of a voodoo priest; bound corpses in the waterways and interstate body dumping grounds; the Scarecrow and "Say Cheese" Killers, serial killer Wade Sheffield; and many more.
Critique: With a special appeal to readers with an interest in True Crime histories, "Bloody Savannah: The City's Most Violent Era as Seen by a Crime Reporter" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a four page Introduction, a Prelude (Beginnings), an Epilogue, six pages of Chapter Notes, and a ten page Index. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Bloody Savannah" is an extraordinary history of an extraordinary American city and highly recommended for personnel, community, and academic library True Crime collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Bloody Savannah" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Derek Smith (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XS9T3JV/about) was a crime reporter in Savannah, Georgia, for almost ten years and has written extensively on the Civil War. He lives in Bishopville, South Carolina.
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