Let's not over-complicate this. This is how Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World by José Luis González Macías goes:
1. One page histoLet's not over-complicate this. This is how Brief Atlas of the Lighthouses at the End of the World by José Luis González Macías goes:
1. One page history of a super cool lighthouse 2. Super cool sketch of a super cool lighthouse 3. Super cool metrics about the super cool lighthouse 4. Map showing where the super cool lighthouse is/was which is usually in the middle of nowhere somewhere on Earth
Do you like lighthouses? Of course you do. Read this book.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Chronicle Books.)...more
Buckle up, reader. This review is going to be a roller-coaster.
Ironically, Patric Gagne's Sociopath left me feeling a lot of different things. Gagne hBuckle up, reader. This review is going to be a roller-coaster.
Ironically, Patric Gagne's Sociopath left me feeling a lot of different things. Gagne has written a memoir of her life as a sociopath. She chronicles how she tried to live a mostly non-violent life while trying to fight urges and pressures as she becomes more and more aware just how different she feels from everyone else. There is crime, love, and music. Gagne's memoir is not meant to tell a story, necessarily. It is more of a plea for society to stop looking at sociopaths and thinking, "well, they will probably murder me if they had the chance."
Normally, I start with the good of the book but here I need to start with the bad. One disclaimer: Gagne states in a note at the beginning of the book that she had to change names, timelines, and reconstruct dialogue. What I am about to say is not in any way me questioning her integrity. However, these reconstructed conversations stretch the bounds of believability. Gagne's scenes remind me of a TV show with very good writers who consistently put the perfect words into their character's mouth. It often feels that Gagne applies what she has learned as an adult to her past self. Also, we jump from perfectly timed scene to perfectly timed scene. An episode at the end of the book felt like she was setting up the finale of a movie. I think it's important to repeat that I don't question whether approximations of what we read actually happened. My issue is that Gagne has shined the story so bright that you almost want to look away. Gagne wants the reader to understand her plight and to also see that sociopaths deserve empathy even if they can't provide that themselves. Some of her points are good, but she also has other ideas which show both a lack of accountability for herself and possibly a savior complex.
But.....
Then I kept thinking about what I was reading. It dawned on me that maybe I was holding Gagne to a higher standard than other memoirs I have read. Did I apply my suspicious eye to them or am I more suspect of Gagne because she is a sociopath? After all, don't many people think sociopaths will lie when it suits them? Would I say a cancer patient who simultaneously studies cancer cures has a savior complex? Is any of that the point?
Ultimately, no, the answers to those questions are not the point. The point was that I asked those questions. The book bounced around in my head and made me question my own views and to try and put myself in the shoes of a sociopath (as I am not one, I promise I've been checked).
This is not a perfect book. It has flaws. However, it convincingly accomplishes its goal. That is no small thing.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.)...more
Who would have thought that you can't trust a spy agency? Oh, everyone knew that already? Well, Patrick Winn's Narcotopia is a wonderful example of hoWho would have thought that you can't trust a spy agency? Oh, everyone knew that already? Well, Patrick Winn's Narcotopia is a wonderful example of how doing the "right" thing can be extremely objective.
Narcotopia tells the story of how a section of Burma became a massive and lasting narco-state while battling the CIA and the DEA. Well, the CIA and DEA were there, but the biggest dangers came from the various groups within Burma. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie or they wanted to destroy the pie.
I had very little background on this subject before I started the book. I also find that books with massive scope can often devolve into becoming a list of names too large for anyone to remember. I am happy to report Winn does not fall into this trap. While this is a wide ranging narrative, most of the action is focused around a man named Saw Lu, who at the very least, is one of the most stubborn men to ever exist. I won't say more, but trust me, this guy did not know the definition of quit.
You get to learn all about the various groups in Burma and Winn does a great job world building without overwhelming the reader. He also explains the rivalry between the CIA and DEA in the War on Drugs. I should mention that Winn comes off rather strong about what criticisms he will level against these organizations in his introduction. I did worry this would become a long diatribe against American policy and turn this from history to sociology. Winn, once again, uses a deft touch and his criticisms are valid and backed by solid reasoning even if you may not agree. The CIA certainly takes the brunt of it, which was fine with me as the son of a DEA agent. This story contains a lot of gray area and Winn never loses sight of that. It's a must read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)...more
In True Face by Jonna Méndez is unfortunately an example of a book which does not live up to its title. A memoir written by Méndez who was a spy in thIn True Face by Jonna Méndez is unfortunately an example of a book which does not live up to its title. A memoir written by Méndez who was a spy in the CIA, In True Face is touted as an inside look at a woman's struggle against the misogyny of the CIA during her career along with a chronicle of her dangerous missions. I don't believe she succeeded on either account. Méndez's writing style in this book is not focused on any one of the topics the book purports to illuminate. It almost feels like she will get bored in the middle of a page and jumps to a different subject.
Admittedly, I was primed for this book after reading two exceptional books on women in the CIA (Wise Gals by Nathalia Holt and The Sisterhood by Liza Mundy). Each of these books dig deep into CIA history and painstakingly document how unfairly women were treated within the agency. I had hoped Méndez would give a more personal, but also detailed, rundown of the challenges she faced. While Méndez called out many people in the narrative, she did not provide in-depth examples of these injustices regularly. Often, she would say she knew she was being treated differently due to her sex, but then moves on to another topic. When she does take the time to detail specific instances of these problems, the book is quite good. However, there is more examples of the former rather than the latter.
Similar problems occur when it comes to recounting her own missions. An anecdote about meeting President Bush the elder while in disguise is fascinating. However, mostly her missions are just a few paragraphs with little detail. The same can be said about her personal life which the author seems to shy away from truly digging into.
There are things to like about this book, but there is too much extraneous information on unimportant topics and not enough information on the subjects which matter.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)...more
Thermopylae and the Spartans is the quintessential "last stand" in history. However, did you know how many other battles and military actions occurredThermopylae and the Spartans is the quintessential "last stand" in history. However, did you know how many other battles and military actions occurred there? I certainly didn't. Thankfully, Myke Cole and Michael Livingston are here to remedy that with their book The Killing Ground.
I am a fan of Michael Livingston already and Myke Cole has a well received book on military history which is going on my to-read list. I had a general idea what to expect. The authors would fully survey the ground of Thermopylae, both now and in the past, and then lead the reader through each battle. There is plenty of mythbusting and very colorful stories of individual heroism and horrible planning. These parts are all wonderful.
The one issue I had with the book is almost unfair. The authors cover every single instance where Thermopylae is involved in combat. Unfortunately, (and they readily admit this) some of these episodes have almost no documentation. While I appreciate the thoroughness of the authors, these chapters slow down the narrative even with their best efforts to state what we do know and move on quickly. That said, this is still a very good book and should be appealing to anyone interested in the subject matter.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Osprey Publishing.)...more
Oh, Love Canal. One of the funniest town names in America and also the site of one the worst environmental disasters, too. If you have ever heard the Oh, Love Canal. One of the funniest town names in America and also the site of one the worst environmental disasters, too. If you have ever heard the term "Superfund Site" and were thoroughly confused, then Paradise Falls by Keith O'Brien is the perfect book for you. It's also the perfect book for you if you love great writing, working class people taking on amoral corporations, and politicians being politicians.
O'Brien tells the story masterfully and deliberately. This is not a book which is constantly throwing curve balls at you to ratchet up the drama. Instead, O'Brien just tells the story. This can be a recipe for disaster if the author focuses on the wrong things but O'Brien has no issues in that respect. His prose is simply compelling without being over-dramatic and he lets his subjects shine. Just as importantly, he doesn't lionize anyone, either. Lois Gibbs, for instance, does some heroic things in this book. However, O'Brien doesn't shy away from pointing out that there were numerous detractors as well. It's this attention to detail without slowing the narrative that kept me hooked and literally made me lose sleep. Not because I live near a Superfund Site but because I wanted to keep reading.
The book is fantastic and anyone will enjoy it....more
Divorces can be messy. Unfortunately, books about them can also be messy.
Strong Passions by Barbara Weisberg is a book about missed opportunities. It Divorces can be messy. Unfortunately, books about them can also be messy.
Strong Passions by Barbara Weisberg is a book about missed opportunities. It follows the story of the divorce battle between Mary and Peter Strong. You see, Mary decided to go and and sleep with Peter's brother. Peter sued for divorce and Mary accused him of forcing her to have an abortion and that he was having an affair with an abortionist.
Oh, are you mad at me for not posting a spoiler warning? Well, don't be. All of these facts are contained in the description of the book and then brought up again very early in the narrative. It is maddening. There are many twists and turns in the story which are given away almost immediately by the author. It's fatal to any sense of shock in the book. It also means that when you actually get to the courtroom scenes there is no suspense. It becomes lawyers arguing about things you already know. The repetition makes the book drag badly.
Also, with historical true crime, the author needs to immerse the reader in the world as it was during the time period. Weisberg actually does a very good job until she goes overboard. As a reader, I thought she did some excellent world building but then didn't stop. It's a shame because Weisberg can write well, but those skills cannot overcome the bad storytelling choices.
Finally, what pieces of work the Strongs were. Whomever you believe, you don't feel good about it. By the time I was done, I felt like it was best we forgot about Mary and Peter as soon as possible.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company.)...more
This review is going to be a choose your own adventure! You pick up Tripping on Utopia by Benjamin Breen and then....
Path 1: You are a reader who loveThis review is going to be a choose your own adventure! You pick up Tripping on Utopia by Benjamin Breen and then....
Path 1: You are a reader who loves science, medicine, philosophy, and you know who Margaret Mead, Gregory Bateson, Allen Ginsberg, and Timothy Leary are. You know what MKUltra is and you want to know more about all these subjects. This book is perfectly suited for you. It is very well written and you will probably give it 5 stars.
Path 2: You are like me. You've heard the names listed above before but know next to nothing about them other than that they did....something. MKUltra is about LSD and the government made some people lose their minds right? And you'd go to jail if you pulled any of this nonsense nowadays. You will recognize this book is very well written but you can't connect with the characters. Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson's backgrounds feel too rushed for you to feel connected to them. Other characters seem to dip in and out of the narrative. The actual experiments need more detail to fully understand their impact. You give the book 3 stars because you can tell the author knows what he is talking about, but there is just enough missing from the narrative that you can't get into it.
Path 3: You are actually me and need to rate this book. You choose 4 stars. It's not Breen's fault you don't love science. He's certainly a talented writer and that alone deserves more than 3 stars doesn't it? Plus, some of the stories about tripping are pretty cool. You click 4 stars and you go to bed.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing.)...more
Max Marshall's Among the Bros is basically what I expected and that was a good thing. Marshall tells thBro, you need to read this book. Trust me, bro.
Max Marshall's Among the Bros is basically what I expected and that was a good thing. Marshall tells the story of a drug ring which developed at a southern college that ended in a murder. If you are looking for a straight true crime book then this actually isn't it. Marshall also immerses the reader in the fraternity culture and at times explains his own experiences since he was in a frat at a different school.
I peeked at a few other reviews and I noticed that many (not all) of the bad reviews for this book centered around Marshall being a bro himself and the fact he does not explicitly condemn Greek culture. While I agree that he does not denounce the culture explicitly, I respectfully disagree with their conclusions.
Marshall treats Greek life as a journalist and looks at it clinically. He does not say, "Frats do this and this is bad, shut them all down." However, when you follow along with what he presents to the reader to explain where fraternities come from and what they have become, he is actually providing a searing indictment. At the same time, he fully recognizes his own part in this lifestyle and touches on how wistful it can seem years later. I think saying, "Frats are terrible and should be abolished," will not reach readers who are prone to ignore that type of diatribe. Marshall does the harder job of showing, not telling.
Whether you love or hate Greek life, there is a book here for you. I highly recommend it.
(This book was provided for review by the publisher.)...more
Before reading The Showman by Simon Shuster, I came across various social media posts which portrayed Shuster as a Russian asset. After finishing the Before reading The Showman by Simon Shuster, I came across various social media posts which portrayed Shuster as a Russian asset. After finishing the book, I can confirm that if he is a Russian asset, then he is terrible at it.
The Showman chronicles the rise of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mostly centered on his time at war with Russia but also on his transition from actor to politician. Shuster makes all of this feel rather personal. He met with nearly everyone in the book for interviews and he is often willing to say what he thinks about what he witnesses. I am not kidding about the Russian asset part. Shuster is willing to examine the good and bad parts of all of his characters with the exception of Putin. Let there be no mistake, Shuster thinks what Russia is doing is criminal and the atrocities all go back to Putin.
However, no one will confuse this as a puff piece praising Zelensky as a saint and fearless warrior. There are numerous places where Shuster points out his mistakes, miscalculations, and a worry about who Zelensky might become when this is all said and done. Zelensky is human after all and is learning to be a politician under the worst of circumstances. This doesn't mean he gets a free pass from the press, though.
The story tells itself but Shuster's voice enhances the book and makes it feel like a conversation. I pictured myself sitting at a bar hearing about all of this from an old friend who just came back from overseas. I highly recommend it.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and William Morrow.)...more
There are some books which feel like pulling on your favorite sweatshirt. There is comfort level with the author who has a clear goal, easy to read prThere are some books which feel like pulling on your favorite sweatshirt. There is comfort level with the author who has a clear goal, easy to read prose, and a talent for choosing the interesting parts. Charlotte Gary's Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons is a great sweatshirt. I mean book.
The passionate mothers are Jennie Churchill (mother of Winston, you may have heard of him) and Sara Roosevelt (mother of FDR, also probably heard of him). Gray's book has a clear purpose. She wants to reevaluate these women who are not always presented in the most positive light. There is a real danger of using today's societal standards and turning both women into heroes with no flaws. While Gray does highlight the hypocrisy of previous views of these women, she also does not shy away from pointing out their very real faults. Jennie and Sara are not saints and they certainly weren't feminists. However, Gray puts their lives in perspective.
There is also a comfort level that Gray clearly has with the parent-child relationship. (I checked, she has 3 boys so yeah, she didn't need to do any research on that part.) She provides the reader the facts needed to see why these men and women acted the way they did without passing judgement. It would be so easy to call Jennie a narcissist and Winston a mama's boy. Gray eschews easy labels and does the work showing how these relationships evolved.
Reading this book was a breeze and I highly recommend it for anyone even slightly interested in any of the subjects.
(A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.)...more
It's not often you find a book which is well-written, exquisitely researched, and respectful of its topics but also feel like a missed opportunity. IaIt's not often you find a book which is well-written, exquisitely researched, and respectful of its topics but also feel like a missed opportunity. Ian Gardner's Sing Here for Sacrifice is one those books. There is much to recommend it as he tells the story of the 3rd Battalion of the 506th Airborne in Vietnam, but there is also a few big problems which keeps it from truly becoming a "must read" book.
The good is consistently mixed with the bad. Gardner is able to distill and explain a combat experience in a way that nearly anyone can understand the mechanics of it. His prose is crisp and clear except when he starts to pour in military vernacular. I knew what it all meant from my own history and there is a list in the beginning of the book, but I imagine a lay reader would get very frustrated having to refer to an acronym list.
Gardner loves the soldiers he is writing about. His effort to give each man their due is obvious and heartening. He doesn't leave anyone's name out. This is also a huge problem. He tries to jam a lot of people into a book that is less than 300 people. It becomes nearly impossible to remember who is who as Gardner also will throw their nicknames into the mix. These men deserve their name in this book, but then the book needs to be longer or Gardner needed to focus on a smaller unit such as a platoon.
If I have to point to one thing which sank this book for me. Gardner spoke with many of the men in the story. However, there is very few quotes throughout the narrative. It feels like such a missed opportunity to hear directly from the people who were there and in their voice. I am sure Gardner made this choice for a reason because his respect for his subjects is clear, but it keeps the reader from getting to know the soldiers even more and understanding what makes them tick.
Ultimately, Gardner needed to choose either a high-level view of this unit and used less specificity on the personnel or choose a smaller part of the unit so he could laser focus on specific men. The combination of both along with the short length made the book feel rushed. That said, Gardner is a gifted writer with this type of book and with a few tweaks this could have easily been a 5 star book. I'll be on the lookout for his next release.
Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg was the best fraud ever. Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa tell her story in their book The Counterfeit Countess and it'sDr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg was the best fraud ever. Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa tell her story in their book The Counterfeit Countess and it's nice to be rooting for the imposter. Mehlberg was a Polish Jew who during World War II became "Countess Janina Suchodolska" just to survive. However, she decided surviving wasn't enough and became a resistance member along with the boldest humanitarian I have ever read about. What made her bold? Well, she willing went to the nearby concentration camp and proceeded to manipulate every single Nazi she could to get food and medicine within the camp. A lot of books try to oversell what their main character accomplished. This is not one of those books.
I especially appreciated how White and Sliwa approached the story. They make it clear in the introduction to the book that much of this is pulled from Mehlberg's unpublished memoir, but nothing is taken at face value. There is a lot of scholarship and significant research to make this story both readable but also complete (and verified). There are portions of the book which lag a bit as there is a fair amount of paperwork wrangling or administrative arguments. These sections are short and the story inevitably picks up immediately after with Mehlberg descending into the lion's den of Nazis. This is a book that truly does justice to its subject.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.)...more
I've said a few weird things in book reviews this year that I never thought I'd say. Let's add one more. I just read this book which is basically abouI've said a few weird things in book reviews this year that I never thought I'd say. Let's add one more. I just read this book which is basically about a Chinese art road trip during World War II and I loved it. Adam Brookes' Fragile Cargo tells the story of the curators who kept the art and precious artifacts kept in China's Forbidden City from being taken and destroyed by the rampaging Japanese right before and during World War II. Oh, and then there is the communists, too.
I know what many people may think. How can this possibly be interesting? There is a version of this book which could be very dry and boring. Luckily, Adam Brookes finds a way to make the story read like a novel with rich, colorful characters and a pacing which never lets up. Brookes clearly has a love of the art and the people in his book, but he never lets anything get in the way of telling the most interesting story possible. This is an especially good book for anyone unfamiliar with China during this time period. Brookes provides excellent context for the culture and major events that the characters need to contend with. It's a great read and I highly recommend it....more
Benedict Arnold is still a jerk. However, it is nice to read Jack Kelly's new book to be reminded he was one hell of a battlefield commander. And alsoBenedict Arnold is still a jerk. However, it is nice to read Jack Kelly's new book to be reminded he was one hell of a battlefield commander. And also impossible to get along with if you spent more than 10 minutes with him.
Kelly's God Save Benedict Arnold is a very good book mostly focused on Arnold's battles on the good side (U-S-A! U-S-A!) before he broke bad. Kelly's writing style is perfect for the subject as the battles feel frenetic even with the outcome long since established. I did appreciate that Kelly didn't overpraise anyone in particular including Arnold. As a self-identified Revolutionary War nerd, I've read many books that fall into hero worship for specific figures at the expense of others. For example, it is very easy to make Horatio Gates look bad at Saratoga but Kelly keeps a balanced view and doesn't attribute otherworldly leadership to Arnold as the battle is won.
This is a great book for anyone who isn't that familiar with the American Revolution or hasn't picked up a book about it since grade school. Kelly keeps the pacing brisk and it's an easy read. If you are more familiar with all the major players, this won't shed a tremendous amount of new light on the events of this time period. It also doesn't spend a tremendous amount of time trying to answer the "why" of Arnold's treachery. This is not a criticism as Kelly is focused on his battlefield prowess. It's a great read.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)...more
I have zero interest in ever meeting Stéphane Breitwieser. It would probably be fascinating but also maddening from a moral standpoint. I did enjoy thI have zero interest in ever meeting Stéphane Breitwieser. It would probably be fascinating but also maddening from a moral standpoint. I did enjoy the heck out of reading about him, though.
Michael Finkel's The Art Thief is fantastic. It chronicles the art thievery of Breitwieser and his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus. The thefts were numerous and I mean numerous. They would sometimes commit multiple thefts in the same day and even sometimes in the same place. They never used weapons, never committed any violence, and never sold anything. This is a book about stealing, but it is also about a broken psyche.
Finkel presents this story without flourishes and keeps it very compact. It is a short book but in the right way. Finkel tells you everything you need to know without long diatribes about the history of art thefts or endless attempts to diagnose Breitwieser. He lets the story tell itself and, hoo boy, it's a doozy. Highly recommend it for everyone as it is that good.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the publisher.)...more
I hate giving bad reviews. Authors put a tremendous amount of time and energy into creating a book and their efforts should be respected as much as poI hate giving bad reviews. Authors put a tremendous amount of time and energy into creating a book and their efforts should be respected as much as possible. I have never written a book and I am just a blogger online yelling into the void. However, I need to be honest. I tried everything I could to find the good in Susan Eischeid's Mistress of Life and Death. I found almost nothing.
The book is about an exceedingly evil woman named Maria Mandl who oversaw the women in concentration camps in World War II. She is not interesting.
The problems with this book are substantial. From a technical perspective, this book is listed as being 400 pages long. There are 112 chapters. That is not a typo. 112 chapters. There is no way to create a cohesive narrative when there is a new chapter every 3-4 pages and in some cases only 1 or 2 pages. This choice might be because Eischeid's writing style is especially choppy. Very often an entire paragraph is a statement of facts without any flourish and then moves on to a different thought. There is no narrative drive. A book on the Holocaust should leave a reader with a sick feeling in their stomach. Before you can even to begin to process a terrible episode in this book, it's on to another chapter and another topic.
There are even more serious issues from a content perspective. Eischeid does not satisfyingly answer her own questions at the beginning of the book. In fact, it seems quite often that she defaults to explaining Mandl's villainy by referencing a broken engagement. We aren't even sure who the man was but somehow this incident is leaned on multiple times in explaining her evil side. Eischeid will sometimes reference experts to explain Mandl. However, it is unclear at times if these experts are just being quoted in general or specifically about Mandl. Also, trying to diagnose and explain someone years after their death and where significant evidence from their life is missing does not hold up to scrutiny. It's guessing.
Eischeid does use the voices of actual Holocaust survivors but they are haphazardly included. A more serious problem is how often Eischeid attributes things in the narrative to "some people said" or "people believed that." Not only does this seem suspect in a non-fiction book, but why do these voices not get the same treatment as people who are quoted by name? There may very well be notes explaining where the information comes from, but if it's from a Holocaust survivor then they deserve their name to be in this book while Mandl's should be erased from history.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Kensington Books.)...more
I always take a slight pause before picking up a history book which has an actor or pundit listed as a co-author. Luckily, I can confirm that Mark HarI always take a slight pause before picking up a history book which has an actor or pundit listed as a co-author. Luckily, I can confirm that Mark Harmon (from NCIS but more importantly, Summer School) and Leon Carroll do a great job with Ghosts of Honolulu.
The subtitle of the book is a bit misleading. While it sounds like this is a spy vs. spy espionage thriller, this book is more about the shifting fortunes of Japanese-Americans on Oahu during World War II. There is the main character of Doug Wada, but he disappears for extensive periods of time in a short book. That said, the book is still a great read and it covers a lot of ground.
There is one criticism I have which can either be a nitpick or a deal-breaker depending on your adherence to the tenets of non-fiction. There are at least two places in the book where the authors point out they "dramatized" a conversation. This would normally drive me insane, but the authors do have footnotes explaining where the information comes from and that the conversations are not made up from nothing. If you are a casual history reader, you won't notice and will enjoy the book immensely. For the history nerds who see this as sacrilege (I am usually in this camp), these sections are slight and do not come from nowhere. The footnotes are extensive throughout the book. Quite frankly, the authors should have never bothered as the narrative would have been strong even without the dramatizations.
This is a great, fast-paced, and interesting book for anyone who likes a good story even if you aren't a full-on history nerd....more
I'm much older, but I still love picture books. I'm not sure what that says about me, but can you blame me when the pictures look as good as Edmund StI'm much older, but I still love picture books. I'm not sure what that says about me, but can you blame me when the pictures look as good as Edmund Stump's Otherworldly Antarctica? Take a look and I'll bet you would cut me some slack.
Stump made a book of pictures he took over 40 years of visiting the very cold continent at the bottom of the world. I knew I would like Stump's energy when he states in the preface how "psyched" he was to visit Antarctica. His writing is minimal for the most part and while there are some great stories such as climbing with his brother, the stars of the book are of course the photos.
I should point out that I am a sucker for anything Antarctica and it is number 1 on my "places to visit but probably won't because life isn't fair." However, not only do the photos range from grand to amazingly intimate (as in close up, don't be weird), the fact that some were taken decades ago add a bit of a retro vibe. Get this book and put it on the coffee table so people know how cool you are.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and University of Chicago Press.)...more
If you are going to go do something, you should go all the way with it. Unfortunately, Sarah McCammon plays it safe in her book, The Exvangelicals.
A If you are going to go do something, you should go all the way with it. Unfortunately, Sarah McCammon plays it safe in her book, The Exvangelicals.
A bit of a clarification for this review. I will not comment on what I think of Evangelical Christianity, Donald Trump, or any sort of political agenda. What I am going to comment on is McCammon's point and whether or not she makes it.
Long story short, she doesn't. McCammon is a former evangelical and is clearly trying to work through her feelings of leaving her childhood religion behind. She is a brave person and is on a path which seems to be better for her. Quite frankly, if this were just a memoir of and by McCammon, then I would feel differently about it.
The problem is that McCammon tries to keep her journalist hat on while presenting this story. Which would be fine if not for the fact this is still half memoir. McCammon relives hurtful personal memories without fully placing blame and calling out the perpetrators. For example, (avoiding spoilers) McCammon has multiple stories about her relationship with her grandfather. I was invested in this thread and I wanted McCammon to truly vent her spleen about the wrongs done to their relationship. We don't get that. Instead, we move on to other topics or the views of other exvangelicals instead of spending more time with the author and her family.
Another example of problems with scope in this book are multiple references to Donald Trump which don't always fit. It certainly makes sense to point out the current political climate and Trump specifically but not repeatedly based on the way the author handles the rest of the book. McCammon herself points out that the problems with evangelicalism came way before Trump. He becomes a needless distraction instead of getting a catharsis from McCammon.
I was truly frustrated because I think McCammon pulled her punches. I think she intended for this to be an indictment of the state of evangelicalism, but instead it feels like a kind admonishment. She lit a match but refused to burn it all down.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)...more
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