I picked this book up at a little bookstore in Sonora, California during a vacation. It is an informative primary source of the Gold Rush era in that I picked this book up at a little bookstore in Sonora, California during a vacation. It is an informative primary source of the Gold Rush era in that part of the country. You get an interesting perspective on Mark Twain from one of his contemporaries. This little book is a good companion work with Twain’s Roughing It as it covers the same time period from chapters 56 to 62.
If you find yourself in the Sonora area, stop by the recreated cabin found on Jackass Hill. ...more
A wonderful resource for those who want a line level commentary to supplement reading the Iliad. Most commentaries focus on the Greek text and thus diA wonderful resource for those who want a line level commentary to supplement reading the Iliad. Most commentaries focus on the Greek text and thus difficult for a regular reader who does not know Ancient Greek. This book keys off the Lattimore translation. However, I used this while reading Fitzgerald’s translation and found the line numbers are close enough to make it usable. Willcock pointed to many details I missed and provided background I would not have otherwise known. Highly recommended!...more
A very interesting telling of the start of the Korean War - something I am ashamed to admit do not know much about. Hale had to buy the biography of tA very interesting telling of the start of the Korean War - something I am ashamed to admit do not know much about. Hale had to buy the biography of this early female war correspondent from a rare book dealer due to it being out of print for a long time. I am glad he did!
This is another excellent addition to the Hazardous Tales series. ...more
A very nice book that examines the Feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) from the perspective of a Messianic Jew. I learned a lot about the traditions surA very nice book that examines the Feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) from the perspective of a Messianic Jew. I learned a lot about the traditions surrounding the feast and the Biblical significance of references to this important time in the Hebrew calendar. The book includes a 49 day Bible study devotional tracing through the Scriptural references for this feast. I really enjoyed this book and plan to read the other two books in the series that cover Passover and Feast of the Tabernacles. ...more
Having recently run through the Jurassic World trilogy with my daughter, and looking for a summer read, I discovered this book. It is a fascinating taHaving recently run through the Jurassic World trilogy with my daughter, and looking for a summer read, I discovered this book. It is a fascinating tale of the gilded age and the discovery of the dinosaur everyone knows - Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Reading this book brought to mind Crighton’s novel Dragon’s Bones - a tale of the ruthless Bone Wars fought between two men in the nascent field of paleontology. If you’ve seen The Greatest Showman, you will have a feel for the historical context of the era.
This is such a fascinating era in American history. You had Wild West in its twilight, industrialization sweeping through major cities, the transcontinental railroad, and in this book you learn the tale museums across the country battling for fossils to exhibit and promote their institutions.
Randall tells the story of Barnum Brown, the son of a Kansas farmer who developed a passion for bone hunting that never diminished over his long life. This book weaves Brown’s story in the context of many historical events. A great summer reading book for anyone with even a mild interest in dinosaurs (like myself). ...more
This very short book is essentially the introductory lecture for a seminary class on the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 (2LCF). It is an essThis very short book is essentially the introductory lecture for a seminary class on the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 (2LCF). It is an essential book for those studying the 2LCF like myself. The text provides a nice outline of the confession, but it’s key importance is the recommended references and books.
To truly understand this 1689 Confession, you need to understand the historical context in which it was written. The bibliography of this book provides 17th Century references for each of the 32 articles, which is a valuable resource!...more
The 1689 London Confession is a statement of faith by Particular Baptists (not Anabaptists) following in the footsteps of the Presbyterians’ WestminstThe 1689 London Confession is a statement of faith by Particular Baptists (not Anabaptists) following in the footsteps of the Presbyterians’ Westminster Statement and the Congregationalists’ Savoy Declaration. This confession is loaded with theology that took me five months to work through. I can understand why this statement has endured for so long as these truths remain the Protestant Orthodox doctrines.
That is not to say that no Protestants will take exception to some of these statements. This statement affirms Reformed Covenant theology (to the chagrin of Dispensationalists) and credobaptist (as opposed to paedobaptist) doctrines. Working through this confession was highly edifying to me and a strongly recommend it to everyone!...more
If you have ever ventured deeper into Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit by way of reading biographies or a volume from the History of Middle EIf you have ever ventured deeper into Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit by way of reading biographies or a volume from the History of Middle Earth series, you learn quickly of the importance medieval literature for Tolkien. I only recently learned of the term “medievalist.” It is a title I am sure C. S. Lewis would have embraced as The Discarded Image clearly shows.
This book is a highly accessible introduction to the worldview of people from the Middle Ages. Don’t let the academic label or that the publisher is Cambridge Univeristy Press deter you from this title. This is not a dry, esoteric foray into the dusty back stacks of an old library. This is my first non-theological reading of Lewis and I am impressed with how articulate and engaging his writing style is.
This book is good medicine to purge your temporal biases and pre-conceptions of this vast swath of history. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn some of the context of this period in an easily digestible manner. Strongly recommended!...more
This is a fantastic biography. Having read many books on amusement parks and Disney, I thought I knew it all. Bob Thomas’s book proved otherwise. I haThis is a fantastic biography. Having read many books on amusement parks and Disney, I thought I knew it all. Bob Thomas’s book proved otherwise. I had read his biography on Walt’s brother, Roy O. Disney, and really enjoyed it. I really don’t know why I waited so long to read this work on his more famous brother.
My family decided to watch all the Disney animated movies in chronological order (starting with Snow White of course). Reading this book provided good context for these films.
I found this book at a local used bookstore and bought it on impulse. In Tom Shippey’s book, Tolkien - Author of the Century, he wrote how Tolkien speI found this book at a local used bookstore and bought it on impulse. In Tom Shippey’s book, Tolkien - Author of the Century, he wrote how Tolkien speculated about the origin of street names and the underlying history that led to them. It made me curious to learn more about how English villages developed over the centuries. This is an aspect we can’t find here in the United States.
The book is very accessible with many illustrations and historical references. It is geared more for residents in England who want to study their local history, but there is plenty here for the non-resident to enjoy. ...more
This was a tough book to read while living through the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m glad I did. When George W. Bush received an advanced copy of this boThis was a tough book to read while living through the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m glad I did. When George W. Bush received an advanced copy of this book, it inspired him to Great the strategic medical reserve for supplies that have proven to help during our current pandemic. It is also a book the Bill Gates has on his recommended reading list for this summer (not like I pay attention to those things, but wanted to note it here).
I was struck by how far medical science had developed just before and during the pandemic of 1918. It was just a few short decades prior to the outbreak that germ theory was established. The whole idea of a medical research laboratory was unheard of until the pandemic struck.
In terms of the book itself, the structure is a bit of a mess. Clearly the author know his stuff. The footnotes and bibliography run about 70 pages. However the writing tends to be a bit haphazard and at times repetitive. I don’t know if this is the author’s fault or the editor’s fault, but it made for some slogging through at times.
If you are doing scholarly research on this time period, this would be a perfect book for you. If you are reading more to learn what happened, you may want to skim some paragraphs.
The sobering thing is that the virus was not “beaten”. There was no discovery of a life-saving vaccine. After killing thousand upon thousands, the virus mutated through antigen drift into a less deadly form.
I was struck with just how militant, almost fascist, the US Government under Woodrow Wilson has become when it entered World War I. It was Wilson’s desire to wage “total war”. This meant 100% commitment of all resources, human and natural, to defeating the enemy. Free speech was the chief casualty. Morale was critical. As the dead piled up and the journalists wrote that a cure was just around the corner, people stopped believing them. Ironically, it was Spain, the only major neutral European power during WWI that reported the truth of the virus. Hence the name “Spanish Flu”. Historians and researchers believe the virus actually originated from farms in Kansas.
After the war, during peacetime negotiations, Wilson was pushing hard for victory without a victor. There would not be a punitive leave settlement. But then Wilson became sick. Some historians call it a stroke, but eyewitnesses described symptoms that align well with the influenza virus. One of the complications of the virus is an altered mental state - schizophrenia. When Wilson recovered he “inexplicably” gave in to all of France’s demands. German would be punished ruthlessly. The seeds of World War II were planted.
There are so many lessons to be learned from this book. It is worth reading!...more
This book tells the history of Dungeons & Dragons from its inception to the 5th Edition. It is filled with artwork that brought back a lot of nostalgiThis book tells the history of Dungeons & Dragons from its inception to the 5th Edition. It is filled with artwork that brought back a lot of nostalgia. I had lost track of the franchise around 1988, so I was surprised to see how much the industry had changed with other role playing games, Magic: the Gathering, MMORPGs, and the rise of the Internet. Despite all the changes, the tabletop game of imagination is going strong in the same form it took shape in the 1970s. ...more
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