Pioneering is a dangerous business. Crazy fact, everyone who helped settle Colorado is now dead. See? Very risky.
Eilene Lyon's tell the story of many Pioneering is a dangerous business. Crazy fact, everyone who helped settle Colorado is now dead. See? Very risky.
Eilene Lyon's tell the story of many of these people who are now buried in various spots in Colorado in her aptly named What Lies Beneath Colorado. Unfortunately, you have to come up with a star rating for Goodreads and I gave this one three stars, but this is more about narrative cohesion than anything else.
Lyon has unearthed (yup, pun intended) a multitude of cool stories. The research she did to fill out this book is extensive and impeccable. The problem with books like this is making it read like a cohesive story as opposed to a listing of loosely connected anecdotes.
However, if this sounds like something you would dig (pun #2!) then do not let the three stars scare you off. I think Lyon could have written this with a tighter through-line to make this an easier sell to a general audience, but this is by no means a bad book. The audience for it is just very narrow.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)...more
Giles Milton is so damn good at this. "This" being writing history books that read like fictional dramas. His latest, The Stalin Affair, is as great aGiles Milton is so damn good at this. "This" being writing history books that read like fictional dramas. His latest, The Stalin Affair, is as great as I had hoped. Milton looks at the doomed World War II bromance of Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt. For those of you who rolled their eyes at a history reviewer using the word "bromance", please read the book and tell me what word works better. There are specific episodes in this book which read like high school drama only with the fate of the free world on the line.
What I appreciate so much about Milton's writing is how he packs each page with information while making it feel like he is just chatting with you at a pub. Much of this book could read like an extremely boring rehash of diplomatic activities, but instead he makes it feel like a propulsive character drama.
And there is a lot of drama in The Stalin Affair. It is easy to forget that the Allies in World War II were not a collection of countries who loved each other while fighting evil. There were so many gray areas and conflicts that it seems amazing they ever worked together at all.
Milton also makes sure not to lose the other players in the drama. People who often become footnotes in other books, like Averell Harriman, his daughter Kathleen, and Archibald Clark Kerr, are given their due for making the successes of the Big 3 a reality. At the same time, Milton doesn't lose sight of the fact that the leaders of the free world were actively searching for the approval of one of the most evil men in history. This is all balanced out perfectly in the narrative and I could not put this book down.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company.) ...more
Samuel de Korte's Tuskegee Airmen is an excellent example of an author giving the reader exactly what they need to understand the subject. The book loSamuel de Korte's Tuskegee Airmen is an excellent example of an author giving the reader exactly what they need to understand the subject. The book looks at the entire timeline of the Tuskegee airmen from right before World War II to right after.
The narrative is short (less than 200 pages) and de Korte does not spend a tremendous amount of time on any one date or subject. This is in between a purely scholarly work and a work of narrative non-fiction. For example, there are multiple sections which start out reading like a military debrief. The thing keeping the reader from zoning out is that de Korte litters the book with passages taken directly from the airmen themselves. These passages give the reader a bit more emotional involvement then a scholarly work which would just be names and dates.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and felt it gave a great rundown of the Tuskegee airmen's history.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the author.)...more
Jacob Kushner has a lot he wants to write about in his book, Look Away. He wants to discuss Germany's thriving neo-Nazis, a specific trio of serial kiJacob Kushner has a lot he wants to write about in his book, Look Away. He wants to discuss Germany's thriving neo-Nazis, a specific trio of serial killer neo-Nazis, the families of the victims, and the extreme failure of Germany's police force. Any one of these subjects could be an excellent book. Unfortunately, Kushner tries to cover all of them in a scant 250 or so pages and it becomes a problem.
There are some very good aspects of Look Away and they aren't hard to find. Kushner is clearly passionate about all of these subjects and if you isolate any one thing in the book, he can write rather compellingly. Kushner makes a real effort to tell the story of the victims in a compassionate way. He clearly hates neo-Nazis. (Same, bro.)
The problem is the sheer scope. The first half or so of the book tackles the Neo-Nazi vs. punk movement. The hateful trio is introduced as well, but it felt like it was way more about the background and ideologies of a whole group and not just the main players. There are also characters who probably could have been eliminated from the text such as Katharina. She is by no means not worthy of being part of the narrative. However, she needed more page count to do her story justice or to be cut entirely because she isn't pivotal enough in the actual crimes and subsequent trial. By the time the book gets to the killing spree of immigrants and trial, the flow starts to feel rushed. Kushner needed to focus on one or two subjects or expand the book extensively.
The last thing which kept me from truly enjoying this book was Kushner's repeated criticisms of Germany's police force. I know nothing about Germany's law enforcement. However, Kushner does not miss an opportunity to spew invective at the job police did during the investigations. Again, I am not doubting Kushner's characterization as I don't know, but I do object to the number of times he feels the need to say it. He made his point and he needs to trust the reader that they understand and remembered what he has reported.
There is some very good and important information in here, but it does not succeed as a cohesive narrative.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the publisher.)...more
Well this was just delightful. Elizabeth Reese tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette returning to the United States decades after the American RWell this was just delightful. Elizabeth Reese tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette returning to the United States decades after the American Revolution in Marquis de Lafayette Returns.
I make no apologies for being a massive fan of the Marquis. Reese's book is slim (only about 140 pages) as she focuses on a very specific point in the life of Lafayette, but she also does some quick explanations of other parts of his life. What you have is a succinct and well-written book that even a non-history nerd can love because it is basically all highlights.
Speaking of love, you may be wondering why anyone would even write a book about the Marquis doing a visit to the U.S. so many years after the revolution. Quite simply, the country went nuts. The current politics were toxic (thank God it's not like THAT anymore) and Lafayette was beloved by everyone. You think Taylor Swift's concert tour is big? Marquis de Lafayette's "homecoming" made the attendance of her shows look like high school plays. No, I am not mocking Taytay. I am merely giving context. Don't tase me, Swifties.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the author.)...more
Relationships are complicated. They are even more complicated when both people are spies during World War II. This is the case for the couple in NahlaRelationships are complicated. They are even more complicated when both people are spies during World War II. This is the case for the couple in Nahlah Ayed's The War We Won Apart.
I am disappointed to say this book missed the mark for me. Ayed's prose is quite good but the story and the framing around it really lets the reader down. A technical but confusing aspect is the timeline of the book. The middle sections focus on when our main characters are dropped into occupied France. Ayed tells a lot of story (and side characters) in a relatively short amount of time. It throws off the timescale and we never really get time to sit with characters. The book is basically cut up into thirds which cover the early lives and military training of our protagonists, then World War II activities, and then their married lives after the war. This book is marketed as a World War II spy book and there is not enough of it.
The other negative aspect of the story may be just a "me" problem, but here goes. Without going into too many specifics, the love story between the two main characters suffers badly because of a love triangle. While you know that they couple stays together, the documented reason why they did is one of the most insulting I ever heard. After that, I had a hard time being invested in them as a couple and there was still half the book to go.
Ultimately, Ayed is a good writer, but this story needed to be told differently to minimize some rough edges. There is a lot of great World War II spy literature and, unfortunately, this one does not measure up.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the publisher.)...more
I have read some books with some weird themes before. Theodore Pappas' Combing Through the White House may just take the case, though. Pappas has writI have read some books with some weird themes before. Theodore Pappas' Combing Through the White House may just take the case, though. Pappas has written a book about presidential hair. No, that is not a typo.
In many ways, Pappas' book is stellar. He writes with a certain wink to the reader about how silly this can all be. The stories he chooses are interesting and there are a lot of little facts which keep the narrative interesting. This book is definitely fun.
Whether or not the "hair" aspect of the narrative holds up is a different matter. Some stories force Pappas to really reach to make hair a critical factor. He also needs to talk about non-presidents to barely pass 200 pages of content (with pictures throughout).
If you want an offbeat book with good prose and a lot of fun, then this one is for you.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)...more
This book (and everyone in it) is BONKERS. Abbott Kahler is one of my favorites and her newest book, Eden Undone, does not disappoint.
There is one majThis book (and everyone in it) is BONKERS. Abbott Kahler is one of my favorites and her newest book, Eden Undone, does not disappoint.
There is one major problem, though. I don't want to ruin this for you. I went in almost completely blind about the story. I think it's the best way to approach this. Here is what you need to know. Various people decide to try and create isolated lives with their significant others on a deserted Galapagos island. In order not to spoil anything specific, but to also explain just how bonkers the story is, I'd like to provide a list. The following things are in this book:
1. Spouse swapping 2. Hitler 3. Volcanic eruptions 4. Murderous cows 5. Actual murder....maybe? 6. Drownings 7. Shipwrecks 8. Nudity. So much nudity. 9. Sex, duh. 10. Bad philosophy
That's not even all of it. A story like this in the hands of a pro like Kahler is a guaranteed page turner. I shall say no more. I want you to end up on the edge of your seat like I was.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Crown Publishing.)...more
Peanut butter and jelly. Cookies and milk. To these iconic pairings, let's add video games and history. Don't believe me? Then let me introduce you toPeanut butter and jelly. Cookies and milk. To these iconic pairings, let's add video games and history. Don't believe me? Then let me introduce you to Tore Olsson and his wonderful book, Red Dead's History.
For the uninitiated, there is a video game franchise with three different games, Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption, and Red Dead Redemption II. All three are fun, but Olsson wants to focus on the sprawling, intricate, and surprisingly historically accurate Red Dead Redemption II. It follows some outlaws in 1899 on various adventures. Sure, some may ask, "Brendan, I don't play video games so why should I care?" First of all, that's a terrible attitude. Second, you have not yet lived, my friend. Finally, this game let's you be an outlaw and rob banks without the real life risk of death and jail. What more could you possibly want?
Olsson's book is compulsively readable. He calls out the good and bad of the game. For historians, I think most would be shocked how much it gets right. I've played all the games and they are immersive in a way you could only dream of back in the days of the original NES, Playstation, (or if you are super old), Atari. Olsson created a college class out of his idea and you can tell he was able to distill down the most interesting aspects and put them in the book. If you are well-read in this part of history, then you probably won't learn anything new. However, Olsson has written a book targeted at the person who doesn't realize they love history....yet. It's a triumph.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)...more
If JFK wasn't already dead, Maureen Callahan might have killed him with this book. Do I mean metaphorically, like he would have a heart attack? Or do If JFK wasn't already dead, Maureen Callahan might have killed him with this book. Do I mean metaphorically, like he would have a heart attack? Or do I mean literally, in that she might have bludgeoned him with a copy of Ask Not to avenge all the women destroyed by the Kennedy clan? Honestly, I don't know, but if you read the book, you probably won't be troubled by either possibility.
Ask Not is not a book interested in the positive aspects of the Kennedys. No, Callahan is here to document (exquisitely, I might add) every known woman who was used, discarded, and then destroyed when they became inconvenient. Sorry, I know "destroyed" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. It can mean killed, lobotomized, left to die in a car underwater, called a druggie/prostitute, driven to overdose/suicide, or just ignored. The "lucky" ones just stay in loveless marriages, and they were all loveless marriages.
I know that Maureen Callahan writes for newspapers which could be considered "right-wing" and that this book may be painted as a salacious hit piece on a prominent Democratic family. (For the record, Callahan also wrote the widely praised American Predator which I highly recommend.) Callahan tells the reader what her agenda is and she then fulfills that promise. Yes, the author spends 300 pages lambasting the Kennedys, but she is not doing it for political purposes. She is doing it to give a voice to the women who were shunted aside by the Kennedys and their enablers for decades. In fact, feel free to check the extensive list of sources Callahan provides if you think she is trying to pull a fast one. Callahan doesn't need to stretch the truth to make her argument. After all, when the patriarch of the family is willing to lobotomize his own inconvenient daughter, how much do you need to make up?
Something else I feel the need to highlight is that there is no discussion of politics in this book. None. Additionally, there is a well-known Republican who is lumped in as in the same class as the Kennedys. This is not a political book. It is definitely a true crime book, though.
(This book was provided as a review copy by the publisher.)...more
Any person willing to verbally slap around Hermann Göring deserves a book written about them. That is what Pamela Toler does by writing a book about SAny person willing to verbally slap around Hermann Göring deserves a book written about them. That is what Pamela Toler does by writing a book about Sigrid Schultz in The Dragon from Chicago. Oh, and the title of the book? That is the name Göring gave her.
Schultz was a journalist who spoke so many different languages that I literally lost count. She traveled extensively and was based in Germany in the time between World War I and II. It goes without saying that being a female journalist at this time was impressive enough. To be a female journalist in Nazi Germany and unafraid to call out those in power is bravery with a side of suicidal tendencies.
Toler tells Schultz's story straight and includes many wonderful anecdotes. I definitely felt like I know who Schultz was and what drove her. I would say I felt like Toler probably could have pared down some of the book. There are certain sections which drag more than others. Also, it probably would have helped to add a bit more feeling to the narrative. Toler sticks to the facts, but for example, the sections on Schultz reporting from the site of concentration camps felt too academic. This is still a good book. My criticisms are mainly about why it is not as superlative as it could have been.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.) ...more
I am torn on this one, dear reader. Tia Levings' A Well-Trained Wife is deeply moving. It also contains a fair amount deficiencies which keep it from I am torn on this one, dear reader. Tia Levings' A Well-Trained Wife is deeply moving. It also contains a fair amount deficiencies which keep it from being a must read without any reservation. As with any memoir, I am not reviewing Levings' life experience as whether it is worth a book because that question is immaterial. Everyone's life story deserves respect, especially when someone like Levings courageously opens up the wounds of a horribly abusive marriage. My review is concerned with how effectively she conveys her experiences to the reader. Let's dive in. Let's start with the bad, but please stick around for the good/great.
The beginning of Levings story is her childhood leading up to her marriage. The final portion of the book is Levings post-divorce and she now connects her experiences to religion and other social movements. In these sections, you can feel that Levings does not have the control over the material that she does in the "marriage" portion of the book. Her childhood seems rushed and I felt there was a lot glossed over about her family experience growing up. Later, when she tries to speak to the larger Evangelical movement, her observations start to strain past her own personal experience. This leads Levings to flowery word choices and imperfect metaphors/similes that sound like an author trying too hard to paint a picture. She is trying to tell, not show. To be clear, we are talking about 30% of the book taken up by these weaker sections. Now, let's talk about the other 70%.
When Levings writes about her marriage (and the dating phase right before), she displays her talent by showing, not telling. The story of her abusive husband is visceral, compelling, and horrifying. She will still try a little too hard at times with her word choices, but her personal experiences and her ability to present her emotions to the reader left me unable to put the book down. It takes real courage to return to past trauma and admit how hard you were trying to please a terrible human because that's what you have been told is your sole reason for living.
So, do I recommend it? I think this very much depends on whether you feel the deficiencies I described will be too distracting for you to focus on the story.
I'm glad I read it, warts and all.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.)...more
I run into a lot of books which try and get too cute with the narrative. Just tell the story. No storytelling tricks. No time jumps. Just tell an engaI run into a lot of books which try and get too cute with the narrative. Just tell the story. No storytelling tricks. No time jumps. Just tell an engaging story. Rick Jervis does this to perfection in The Devil Behind the Badge. Oh, he does something else which all great true crime does. He honors the victims and tells their story. In this case, it's not all roses.
The story is about how Border Patrol Agent Juan David Ortiz took the lives of four sex workers, Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Guiselda Hernandez, and Janelle Ortiz (no relation). Jervis makes sure to tell everyone's story. For the sex workers, Jervis chronicles their drug addictions, attempts to get clean, and the families who tried to love them through it. For Ortiz, we get the background of a Veteran, fighting off demons, but with some sort of murderous urge he gives into. Jervis tries to answer as many questions as possible about this case, but he also acknowledges that much of it is unknowable.
Quite simply, this is just a journalist giving you all the facts. If you want well-written true crime which doesn't forget the victims, then this book is for you.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Dey Street Books.)...more
To colonize or not to colonize, that is the question. Adam Goodheart wrestles with this quandary in his book The Last Island. The island we are talkinTo colonize or not to colonize, that is the question. Adam Goodheart wrestles with this quandary in his book The Last Island. The island we are talking about is North Sentinel Island near India which has a tribe of isolated people. You may have heard of it when an American went to the island to try and bring Jesus to the tribe and was killed. Yes, Goodheart discusses that and no, Goodheart does not try and do the same thing.
Readers should be aware that Goodheart uses the experiences of many of the contacted tribes in the surrounding area of the Andaman Islands to fill in a lot of the blanks. I know other reviewers felt these were just padding, but I felt they filled in a lot of background and gave an idea of what the Sentinelese might be avoiding. And there is still plenty on the Sentinelese people including a British officer who was probably super creepy when you get all the facts.
Overall, I got exactly what I wanted out of this book and more....more
It turns out that crime does pay! Especially if you become a fence in NYC during the mid to late 1800s. A woman named Fredericka Mandelbaum found thisIt turns out that crime does pay! Especially if you become a fence in NYC during the mid to late 1800s. A woman named Fredericka Mandelbaum found this all out way back in 1850. Her life of crime is chronicled in Margalit Fox's The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum.
For those looking for a deep dive into Mandelbaum's inner life, you may be a bit disappointed. Mandelbaum's life as a criminal meant she wasn't writing a daily diary of her thoughts and activities. As an arch criminal, that would have been a very bad idea. However, Fox does what every great historical true crime author does. She drops you into Mandelbaum's world and the people within it. This includes crooked cops, master thieves, pickpockets, shady lawyers, and cultural touchstones like rampant antisemitism! You think Twitter is bad? You should see the words a New York paper would put on its front page back in the day.
I really enjoyed the book and the details Fox is so adept at finding and presenting to the reader. My personal favorite is always a good bank heist and they don't disappoint. Sure, I would have loved to learn a little more about "Marm" Mandelbaum herself, but then again, I probably wouldn't believe a word she said.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House Publishing.)...more
Shannon Monaghan's A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men is an example of good writing undone by an unwieldy scope. In this case, Monaghan chooses to folloShannon Monaghan's A Quiet Company of Dangerous Men is an example of good writing undone by an unwieldy scope. In this case, Monaghan chooses to follow four British special operatives through World War II and the Cold War afterwards. Does that sound like a lot? Because it is too much.
It is a crying shame, though. Monaghan clearly has an affection for these characters and has done her research. This is not a "bad" book by any stretch of the imagination, but the fatal flaw is a big one. The problem is that in order to do tell each story, she needs to introduce dozens of other characters while often doubling back in time to catch the reader up. This results in a strange habit of Monaghan telling stories backwards, such as when one character was in jail. The author states he just got out and then goes back in time to explain what happened. This temporal whiplash happens often and does not let anyone's story truly resonate.
The best example is Julian Amery's brother, Jack. Without giving too much away, he was demonstrably different from Julian and his ultimate fate suggests a fascinating backstory. Unfortunately, Monaghan has to condense much of the story into a few pages, when this could probably be its own book. Often, we get told what people are like instead of seeing what they are like through their actions.
However, there is a lot to learn from the book, especially the overall conditions within Albania and the surrounding area in World War II. This area is often overlooked and I learned quite a bit even if it felt a bit superficial. Ultimately, I wouldn't tell anyone not to read this book, but I would suggest that you may not get the full story you are hoping for.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Viking Books.)...more
When you have an excellent author like Brenda Wineapple tackling one of the most famous trials in American history, then it is as close to a slam dunkWhen you have an excellent author like Brenda Wineapple tackling one of the most famous trials in American history, then it is as close to a slam dunk as possible. However, even the best miss every now and again. Unfortunately, Keeping the Faith is one of those misses.
The book is ostensibly about the Scopes Monkey Trial where a Tennessee law criminalizing the teaching of evolution was challenged. However, the trial doesn't even begin to take shape until about halfway through the book. The first half is devoted a little bit to defense counsel Clarence Darrow and a lot to the prosecution's William Jennings Bryan. On the face of it, this makes perfect sense. What better way to set up the head to head battle of two cultural heavyweights than by giving a full explanation of who they are and what makes them tick.
The problem becomes how Wineapple chooses to apportion coverage. Bryan gets a lot more attention and it is mostly to denigrate him as a racist Christian fundamentalist. To be clear, he basically was. The problem is not the characterization but the extensive amount of time Wineapple spends on this point. Darrow disappears almost entirely from the narrative for a large portion of it and the trial didn't even start yet.
Wineapple also adds in extraneous subjects. She spends way too much time on the Ku Klux Klan when they do not figure at all in the Scopes Trial. They seem to be in the book because they align significantly with Bryan's views but Bryan was not in the KKK (even Wineapple states this). Aimee Semple McPherson shows up briefly and then disappears.
By the time the trial comes along, I was frustrated. First, because it took so long to get there. Second, because Wineapple spent so much time making Bryan look like a small, diminished, and weak person, that the showdown with Darrow loses all narrative tension. I didn't expect this because the author is an amazing writer. Wineapple's The Impeachers is one of my favorite books and is exceptional from beginning to end. And her writing here is never bad. You couldn't drop in on a single page and say there is anything wrong with it. But once you zoom out and look at what the book is supposed to be, you can't help but feel like the scope (pun intended!) got too big for this story to feel cohesive.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House.)...more
Crackpots, weirdos, and suicidal thrill-seekers. These are the men who started American aviation. Oh, and a Frenchman being very French.
Richard GoodriCrackpots, weirdos, and suicidal thrill-seekers. These are the men who started American aviation. Oh, and a Frenchman being very French.
Richard Goodrich tells the story of how the West Coast became the epicenter of aviation in his book, L.A. Birdmen. The first thing I loved about the book is how completely in the dark I was about almost all of it. The Wright brothers are the beginning of flying, but did you know they almost immediately became recluses and jerks? Jerks because they tried to sue everyone into oblivion instead of getting into the business of actual flying on a regular (and visible) basis.
The book isn't just about the birth and development of the airplane. Dirigibles (or blimp if you are an NFL fan) develop within the narrative and Goodrich does an exceptional job of making each person memorable. That is no small feat. By the time the narrative gets to the L.A. airshow, we have already been introduced to dozens of figures. The entire story leads up to the airshow and it does not disappoint. This book is a lot of fun and you don't need to be a science/aviation nerd to enjoy it.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Prometheus Books.)...more
I'm not saying I want to be a criminal. All I am saying is that there are a few brief fleeting moments in Dean Jobb's A Gentleman and a Thief where I I'm not saying I want to be a criminal. All I am saying is that there are a few brief fleeting moments in Dean Jobb's A Gentleman and a Thief where I entertained the idea of becoming a jewel thief. Of course I wouldn't hurt anyone. Well, maybe their pocketbooks, but like our boy Arthur Barry, I'd only steal from the rich and then go on epic gambling runs.
Jobb tells the full story of Barry as he grows up, fights honorably in World War I, and then decides to go from juvenile delinquent to criminal mastermind. Like any great historical true crime, Jobb makes sure to educate the reader of the times in which Barry lived. I have always appreciated Jobb's ability to make time periods come alive as much as the characters he is writing about. It's one thing to be a thief. It's another thing to be a thief during the time of The Great Gatsby. Maybe you might daydream a little bit like me. That is, until you inevitably get to the point where Barry himself realizes crime doesn't pay.
Sometimes, it looks like a lot of fun, though.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Algonquin Books.)...more
When I started Sune Engel Rasmussen's Twenty Years, I knew this would be a challenging read for me. For anyone who reads my reviews regularly, they knWhen I started Sune Engel Rasmussen's Twenty Years, I knew this would be a challenging read for me. For anyone who reads my reviews regularly, they know I am not shy about pointing out I am a U.S. Army Veteran and spent a tour in Iraq as a tank platoon leader. Rasmussen makes no qualms about what Twenty Years is about. It is about the failure of the Taliban, the U.S., and quite frankly the world when it comes to giving the Afghani people the lives they deserve. This is especially true for the people who stood up to the Taliban and tried to create a new nation under foreign direction and guidance (or occupation if you want to see it that way).
The challenge for me comes in the fact that Rasmussen is not complimentary in any way to these groups. This is not a criticism and my rating of the book is not colored by this. In fact, I appreciated Rasmussen's willingness to point out when mistakes were well meaning but became disasters. Rasmussen's summary of U.S. actions can be mostly described as benevolent incompetence with some episodes of malice. He does balance this out quite a bit because he won't give the Taliban the same courtesy. They are good administrators, but only because they kill people on a whim and horribly oppress all women. In essence, Rasmussen acts like the writers of South Park. Everyone is fair game for censure.
The problem for me is that is it very difficult to be unbiased in my reading of this. One of the book's subjects, Omari, is a Taliban operative who openly brags about killing American soldiers. To put it lightly, I don't like Omari and I have a visceral reaction to him. It made me think for a few minutes that I can't possibly give this book a good rating because it gave this person the time of day. Then, Rasmussen kept writing about Omari. I won't say too much, but Omari may not be the true believer he thought he was. His views may differ quite a bit from the people he thought he was fighting with and for.
Thanks for making it this far in my therapy session! I owe you a review and here it is. Rasmussen has written an extremely engaging narrative with some fascinating people. Zahra alone is worth a biography of her own and I would read the hell out of it. Her battle with an abusive husband with almost no support is heartbreaking. Parasto is a close second as a woman who is constantly fighting to make her country better. Their lives are rich with detail and insight into the real Afghanistan and the fallout from everything post-9/11. And while Omari is not someone I enjoyed reading about, his story is vital in understanding a certain point of view. That point of view is currently ruining women's lives, but it exists and shouldn't be ignored because it is a major component of the current political climate.
My criticism of the book would be the number of characters. The ones I already mentioned provided enough fodder for the reader to understand the stakes. Other characters, such as Fahim, come and go with little added to the overall narrative. Other characters only show up towards the very end of the book. They don't destroy the flow, but I think it all could have been streamlined.
I would recommend this with a bit of caution to the reader. I have friends who served in Afghanistan and would wholeheartedly endorse everything in this book. They are enraged at how the people of Afghanistan who fought along side them were left to rot. I have other fellow vets who would consider this a hit job which completely ignores any positive aspects of U.S. military intervention. I have sympathy (and some convictions) with both outlooks.
My review is therefore based solely on how well the book is written and how well it makes the point that Rasmussen wanted to make. I believe he succeeds in making this an eye-opening look at the War in Afghanistan.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.)...more
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