The History Book Club discussion

Radiah, here is your new thread in 2016. Happy reading in the new year.

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

JANUARY
1. by Richard A. Knaak
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: For a book based off a video game, I found this a pretty satisfying read.

2. by Christie Golden
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: A little less satisfying than the first Warcraft book I read earlier.

3. by Sudhir Venkatesh
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: As a sociology student, Mr. Venkatesh decided to walk into the projects and ask the residents questions of what it was like to be black and poor. It wasn't quite safe as he was held hostage for a night, but that he kept coming back and studying them showed his determination. He befriended a gang leader and gang members, the various characters who lived in the building he had chosen to study and all the myriad problems and limitations of the public welfare system. It is an eye-opening read into the life of someone who was born there and influenced by the lifestyle - drugs, guns, gangs - he mentions them all. I found it entertaining, if that word can be used, however, it was also heartfelt and one could see his struggle to treat his subjects objectively, through all the problems they had to deal with, whether of their own volition or not.

4. by Jeff Grubb
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: The Warcraft books are certainly worth reading. This one had an interesting twist near the end.

5. by Drew Karpyshyn
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: B
Review: Drew Karpyshyn's Star Wars The Old Republic books are simply awesome. The story is fast-paced and I enjoy the way he writes about lightsaber battles.

6. by Drew Karpyshyn
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: B
Review: Another one of Drew Karpshyn's great works. I liked the insight into a young Darth Bane.

Radiah wrote: "3. bySudhir Venkatesh
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Non-Fict..."

I loved this book

Michael wrote: "Radiah wrote: "3. bySudhir Venkatesh
Finish date: January 2016
..."

I thought it was fascinating, especially his struggle to be unbiased, which would be difficult for anyone, I believe.

You are off to a great start, Radiah!!!

7. by James Luceno
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: B
Review: One of the more enigmatic figures in the Star Wars universe, and his activities to establish the Sith. The story overlaps with the introduction of Anakin Skywalker.

8. by Oliver Bowden
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: A continuation of Ezio's story following the death of his uncle.

9. by Chris Metzen (no photo)
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: A rather short but interesting story of a paladin who honoured a promise to a troll.

10. by Oliver Bowden
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: C
Review: I think this is the most interesting story to date in the series- the origins of the assassins.

FEBRUARY

11. by Andrzej Sapkowski
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: I had heard good things about this fantasy series which inspired the Witcher games and I found it pleasantly interesting. A pretty good read into the world of the Witchers.

12. by Anneli Rufus(no photo)
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Self-help / Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: I recently read an interesting article, where a question was put as to how Asians achieve so much academically that it’s become a stereotype. The article answered that it was through shame and guilt which propelled the Asian child to achieve academically what was required of their parents’ approval. Being raised Asian myself and as the eldest child with all the expectations put on me, it sort of ignited a light of revelation for me and I picked up several books on shame to try to understand what it really was about. It is not uncommon in my country to hear about children and teenagers committing suicide over the guilt of earning bad grades.

Personally, I had known of many schoolmates who feared going home with bad grades. Teachers as well rewarded only those who did and behaved well and those who didn’t were criticized and humiliated infront of classmates. It was a common occurrence at the time and accepted and supported by our parents, and I’ve since heard that things have changed, however, the experience of the school system and critical environment must have affected all of us who had gone through it to some degree.

In this book, I believe the writer was writing as a cathartic experience and it is somewhat also aimed at an audience who were ashamed to the point of being suicidal, but she made good points in clarifying what it was that people who felt unworthy of anything had going through their minds at any point of time and where they picked up the notion where they were unworthy. She also offers solutions, though some were a little vague. However, not everyone will have the same experience or can resolve their issues in the same way. It was enlightening in many ways, and I drew many parallels between what the writer described and what many of us who had been raised in the same environment deal with daily.

13. by Brené Brown
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Self-help / Non-Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Continuing to read up on shame and understanding the culture of shame from the article I had read about shame being the driving force behind the academic achievements of Asian kids, I got this book which focused on women and shame. It’s very well written and well-researched, and I drew many parallels between what was described in the book and the culture in general which I had grown up with. The book was more centered around Western culture of shame influenced mostly by the media and looking at the lives of celebrities, whereas, as I saw it, the culture of shame I grew up in was influenced by family, friends, neighbours, teachers and colleagues more than the media. Shame in general is universal - everyone experiences it or has experienced it at some point and the writer identifies how shame and fear has a strong link. Shame is used as cultural control, and is part of cultural conditioning. The writer proposes various methods which involve self-awareness, acceptance and realization to overcome crippling feelings of shame. Overall, it is an enlightening read and understanding more of why shame was very much a huge part of Asian culture.

Radish you are doing so well.

Thank you, Bentley :) I was on a roll in Jan and Feb.

14. by Andrzej Sapkowski
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B+
Review: I thought this was better than the first Witcher book I had read earlier. The story is written with quite abit of humour, though I found myself wondering just how much got lost in translation.

15. by Sam Barone(no photo)
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Thoroughly enjoyed another instalment in this series.

16. by Oliver Bowden
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: I thought this was a better story than the previous books I had read in the series.

MARCH

17. by Andrzej Sapkowski
Finish date: March 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B+
Review: Another well-written instalment in the series.

Radiah wrote: "14. byAndrzej Sapkowski
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B+
Review: I thought this was better t..."

I read The Last wish a couple of years ago and loved it. I have all the books waiting their turn on my e-reader (and waiting, and waiting.... :)). Last summer I played "The Witcher 3: Wild hunt" game on x-box and enjoyed it very much. I heard there is a movie in making too.

by Andrzej Sapkowski

Samanta wrote: "Radiah wrote: "14. byAndrzej Sapkowski
Finish date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B+
Review: I thought th..."

A movie, wow! I'm looking forward to it :) I found it very well-written.

I am excited too. I hope they make it good. :)

18. by Oliver Bowden
Finish date: March 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: The stories seem to get better as the series progresses.

APRIL

19. by Greg Keyes
Finish date: April 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: The story started off confusing, I think it'll be better to have played the game and then read it.

20. by Leo Rawlings (no photo)
Finish date: April 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: Leo Rawlings was an artist who was conscripted and was taken as a POW when Singapore fell to the Japanese in World War 2. He records his experiences in this book, as a cathartic experience and includes his drawings, which he had meticulously saved in the POW camps. He writes from his point of view, what he saw, what he experienced and described the strength of will it took him to make it through the day, only to wake up again to repeat the same the next. What stuck out most for me in his story was his determination that the world should see what he was seeing every single day, and his disappointment when met with disbelief by his own officers about the conditions of the POWs building the Death Railway. His story is just one of many which should never be forgotten.

21. by Timothy Tackett (no photo)
Finish date: April 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: The writer condensed the events leading up to the French Revolution in this book, starting with Louis XVI's flight through the countryside with his family in disguise, subsequent capture and the repercussions of those events. The writer was able to present it all in the form of a story, which made for easier digesting for a newbie to the subject as I am.

Hi, Radiah. In message 28, APRIL should be all caps.

JUNE

22. by Sven Hedin
Finish date: June 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: I took quite awhile to finish it because it was just so dry about mid-way through the book. I'm not sure if it's the translation (he's Swedish), or Sven Hedin is just that dry. It was struggle to finish it and I took over a month. Nevertheless, it gave me a glimpse of what life was like in West China before WW1.

23. by Saleem H. Ali (no photo)
Finish date: June 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: A
Review: We would have to be living in a different century if the question of whether we were driving our planet to an early grave hadn't been raised a few times in our lifetime. I found his introduction of the question of threading the line between need and greed intriguing. He argues that resource consumption is a human need, but the weighing between factors such as alleviating poverty and human progress and the consequences of mindless consumption that is thought-provoking. Hence, sustainability cannot be an afterthought any longer; it now has to be a planned consideration.

I cannot recall the last time I've read a book about human beings facing a black future without the resources which we have grown too reliant on, as engaging as this one.

24. by Spencer Johnson
Finish date: June 2016
Genre: Business
Rating: B
Review: I know the story is popular in business culture, and among many managers and it teaches a valuable lesson about adapting to change however, I thought that it was a little simplistic although, I do appreciate the message- the graveyards of the market is littered with many SMEs and large Multinational corporations who did not manage to change fast enough with the times. I think if there is a writer who decided to take this message and expand on it with real-life examples, I would really like to read it. I think this is one where you either love it or hate it.

25. by David Gemmell
Finish date: June 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B
Review: David Gemmell is a master. This is high fantasy the way it should be done and explores the themes of honour and redemption.

26. by David Gemmell
Finish date: June 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: A
Review: This second part of the Rigante series is incredible. David Gemmell has written a rich immersive story, the likeness of which I have not read for a long time.

JULY
27. by Paul S. Kemp
Finish date: July 2016
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating: B
Review: Interesting dynamics between Vader and Sidious, and the writer also attempts to delve into Vader's thoughts. One of the better Star Wars franchise books I've read, excluding the Old Republic series.

28. by Mitchell Zuckoff
Finish date: July 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: The story of a plane crash in New Guinea during World War 2. This is the story of how the survivors made it out of the dense jungle alive, and were found by natives and eventually rescued.

29. by Patrick O'Brian
Finish date: July 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction/Travel
Rating: B
Review: Patrick O'Brian has compiled tales of voyages in the early days of extensive travel by land and sea. I found the sea voyages particularly interesting, with accounts of shipwrecks and surviving at all costs.

SEPTEMBER

30. by Mary Beard
Finish date: September 2016
Genre: Ancient History
Rating: A
Review: Mary Beard attempts to describe Rome in the beginning and its rise. She starts with the origins of Rome, basing her facts on archaeological evidence and adding sprinkles of theories from herself and other scholars. Then, she goes on to describe the development of Rome as a city and then as a major power, including the first Kings of Rome, before moving onto the the consolidation of power as enforced by Augustus and down history's timeline to Caesar, Nero, and the other emperors.
She brings light to the lives of slaves as well as women, and debunks many myths (and movie theories) of Roman life as well as the emperors, and bringing up many interesting facts. Essentially, this book is about how Rome grew.

Would recommend for a newbie at Roman history such as myself who needs a starting point - it brought much more understanding of Roman history than the books I've read analyzing specific instances or Rome in its decline. Certainly, even the title of the book was beautifully chosen. SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus - at a time when SPQR could be taken as a statement that Rome was established, thriving and present.

31. by Tim Mackintosh-Smith (no photo)
Finish date: September 2016
Genre: Travel
Rating: B+
Review: Tim Mackintosh-Smith attempts to describe the soul of an unknown part of Arabia, long considered lawless, backward and ancient; Yemen.

Personally, I feel he has succeeded. Yemen is a contradiction in itself - a peaceful nation if anyone considers that She hardly ever starts wars with anyone else), however, it has had quite the reputation for being a hideout for terrorist organizations and wars of a civil nature or tribal nature typically occur there.

The soul of Yemen, however, is best described by someone who experiences life with them - to experience poetry in motion.

Where history and modern life merge, where the peoples have a long memory (the Egyptian invasion of Yemen is still remembered today as if it happened yesterday), and where the people still uphold tribal law and culture.

Tim Mackintosh-Smith somehow relates all of this in this book. It is a wonderful piece of work describing Yemen's culture, it's peoples... it's very spirit - something I have not come across anyone being able to do quite as accurately, but Mr. Mackintosh-Smith comes very close.

It might be his turn of phrase, or his deep affection for Arabia and his quest to find the real Arabia (somewhat lost now in modernism, everywhere except Yemen), or perhaps it is that he has a poet's soul, which matches up to Yemen's spirit and he identifies with the way Yemeni tribesmen live their lives - a curious mix of honour and dignity which seems to have lasted millennia past and yet is evident today - something perhaps lost to people who have sold their souls to commercialism and "progress".

It is a lovely written work describing an obscure part of Arabia, in which the people have some of the widest and most ancient known diaspora in the world.

OCTOBER

32. In Gunsight of the KGB (no image) by Alexander Ushakov (no photo)

Finish date: October 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Professor Ushakov certainly puts many misconceptions and rumours to rest in this book. It was given to me as a gift, and according to the gifter, it was a seriously difficult book to obtain - having read it, I wonder why it is not more widely published - it is a prize.

Incredibly, he managed to escape from the KGB and made his way into the borders of Turkey, putting his skills from the Soviet Army to good use, and in writing this book, his scholarly background is given free reign to explain his theories on Marxism and the reasons for its decline.

Starting from his arrest, Mr. Ushakov describes his life in Soviet Russia with a mother belonging to a persecuted Cossack tribe and a Russian father who fought in the Soviet Army and an unwavering faith in God.

He is arrested by the KGB and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment due to his writings on the decline of the Soviet empire. As a professor of social studies, he saw the decline of Marxism coming and, according to him, tried to warn them, but he was taken more as a traitor than anything else.

What followed was a plan to escape from the KGB and make his way to the Caucasus mountains into Turkey on foot. His journey is described in detail, and I thought his analysis of why Communism failed is remarkable. Furthermore, he has quite a droll sense of humour which came through in his writing.

His description of the Turkish people he encountered was heart-warming and his description of the contrasts between American life and Soviet life was fascinating. certainly, he comes across in this book as a man of conviction and that conviction would take him on a journey few would ever attempt.

If the book has no cover associated with it, just use the book link preceded by (no image)......the avatar is not necessary. i.e:

(no image) In Gunsight of the KGB by Alexander Ushakov (no photo)

Done, thanks Jill.

33. by Eugene H. Kaplan(no photo)
Finish date: October 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Remind me never to read such books again. I have turned into a paranoid twit.

First of all, I must say, the writer tries to make a potentially dry subject interesting by including personal stories, stories about victims of parasites and stories about his students in the book.

This book attempts to make biology understandable to the layman. What followed was, on my part, horror and disgust. I'm not sure how I've missed it all these years but I have failed to appreciate how our body works so hard to contain or kill the amount of diseases we can be subject to if our immunity is down even by a small percentage. Never mind that the description of parasites in the book comes from my worst nightmares - vile maws and heaving egg sacs, anyone?

Long story short, everything can introduce parasites into our bodies. I mean everything. The meat we eat, the vegetables we eat, the unwashed hands covered with fecal matter handling our food covered with parasite eggs ready to enter our bodies through moist crevasses... even parasites located on practically any surface (towels, toilets, sinks, open grass fields), waiting to enter our bodies via our skins, straight into our bloodstream. Even children- apparently the biggest parasite carriers in humanity come across as ideal vehicles for parasitic dissemination.

Things I've learnt - 1. Wash everything thoroughly. 2. Wash your hands often (and especially after shaking someone elses' hands. 3. I cannot read such books ever again.

A great review, Radiah......and never eat those little mints that sit beside cash registers in restaurants!!!!!!!!

Jill wrote: "A great review, Radiah......and never eat those little mints that sit beside cash registers in restaurants!!!!!!!!"

Ewww...I'll keep that in mind!

NOVEMBER

34. by Jean Lartéguy
Finish date: November 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: A classic novel of war, Jean Larteguy's classic is a treasure. It tells the story of a Battalion of French airborne soldiers starting with their surrender at Dien Bien Phu during the Indochina War, then leading up to the Algerian war of Independence. How many times has this story been writ in countless conflicts the world over? A gripping and timeless story.

The story which most interested me was an Algerian soldier who had been decorated in Vietnam as part of Legionnaire's Battalion, and yet fought against the French when Algeria wanted its independence. His conflicting loyalties were interesting to read.

35. by Steven Lee Myers(no photo)
Finish date: November 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: A
Review: I had read several books with Putin as the subject and found this one to be, by far, making the most effort to appear unbiased, which I must say, is rather refreshing.

There are many unanswered questions about how Putin rose to power, how the FSB was involved in the apartment bombings of Moscow, the drawn out war in Chechnya, the Yukos affair and the list can go on, however, I must commend Mr. Myers on presenting the facts in such a manner as to ask the reader to make up their own opinion about Putin.

A controversial figure, it would be a shame not to get to know who he is, why he is simultaneously reviled and loved and how much of a force he is in the current stage of world politics. The New Tsar, indeed - an apt title for a mysterious man.

DECEMBER
36. by Patricia Southern(no photo)
Finish date: December 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction / History
Rating: B
Review: This is one of the first books I've read about Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra and I commend the author for trying to make sense of a historical figure in which much is not known about. She is legendary, but separating legend from fact in history is always a headache, yet, Ms. Southern managed a good job of it.