Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds (2009) directed by Quentin Tarantino In 1941 France, SS officer Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), already known as “The Jew-Hunter”, ferrets out a hidden family, killing most of them, but decides to let Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) the almost-adult daughter to outrun him to, perhaps, have the pleasure of hunting her down again later.… Continue reading Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds
Tag: antisemitism
Book Review: World’s Best Science Fiction: Third Series
Book Review: World’s Best Science Fiction: Third Series edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Terry Carr (also printed as “World’s Best Science Fiction 1967”) The introduction to this volume of science fiction stories from 1966 mentions that there was a tendency to longer stories in the field, perhaps because many of the ideas required more… Continue reading Book Review: World’s Best Science Fiction: Third Series
Book Review: The Gambler
Book Review: The Gambler by William Krasner Ben Wulfson hasn’t been back to his home city in a while. He got called up during the war, and when he mustered out, Ben decided to operate in Miami for a while. Miami went sour after a while, and he did not have many other places to… Continue reading Book Review: The Gambler
Book Review: Farthing
Book Review: Farthing by Jo Walton England didn’t win World War Two. In fairness, they didn’t lose either. Thanks to a coalition of wealthy nobles and businessmen, Rudolph Hess’ mission was a success, and the Axis were able to negotiate a peace settlement with Great Britain. This is generally considered a great saving of British… Continue reading Book Review: Farthing
Book Review: Artful
Book Review: Artful by Peter David As long time readers will recall, some years ago I read and reviewed the classic Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. Towards the end, the last we see of Oliver’s friend acquaintance the Artful Dodger is in court, where he’s sentenced to be transported to Australia for thievery. (A crime… Continue reading Book Review: Artful
Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy It is the height of the Reign of Terror, after the fervor of the French Revolution turned from freedom to revenge. In an effort to unify the country both against outside enemies and counter-revolutionaries, the Committee of Public Safety holds trials of those suspected of acting… Continue reading Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel
Book Review: Beau Geste
Book Review: Beau Geste by P.C. Wren Fort Zinderneuf is silent now, manned by the dead. Each of its defenders shot by Tuareg raiders and propped up on the walls to make it appear their numbers were undiminished. In the finest tradition of the French Foreign Legion, they have fought to the last man. But… Continue reading Book Review: Beau Geste
Book Review: Code Name Verity
Book Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein In a Gestapo cell somewhere in Vichy France, a captured spy has been broken. She writes a story telling of her secret mission, but in order to do that, she must first tell of the friendship between ATA pilot Maddie and SOE wireless operator Queenie. The years… Continue reading Book Review: Code Name Verity
Book Review: Oliver Twist
Book Review: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens An anonymous woman stumbles into a village about seventy-five miles from London, heavily pregnant and with her shoes in tatters. She collapses in the street, and is taken to the parochial workhouse. There, she gives birth to a boy and then perishes, seemingly leaving no clue to who… Continue reading Book Review: Oliver Twist
Book Review: The Rebels
Book Review: The Rebels by John Jakes Philip Kent, nee Phillipe Charboneau, would much rather be at home, caring for his pregnant wife Anne. But after he was forced to kill his murderous half-brother in self-defense, Philip has gone all in for the cause of the rebels against British rule. Thus it is that on June… Continue reading Book Review: The Rebels