Book Review: A Reader’s Book of Days by Tom Nissley Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. My review is based on the Advance Reading Copy; there may be small changes in the finished product. Unlike most of the books I review, I have not… Continue reading Book Review: A Reader’s Book of Days
Tag: history
Giveaway: Autumn Giveaway (Ends September 30, 2013)
This giveaway has now ended. Congratulations to the winner, who will receive an ARC of “Hen of the Baskervilles!” There’s a chill in the air as fall approaches–time to warm up with a book! This time the prize is one of seven books that I’ve recently reviewed: Beneath the Bleak New Moon by Debra Purdy… Continue reading Giveaway: Autumn Giveaway (Ends September 30, 2013)
Movie Review: The Grandmaster (2013)
Movie Review: The Grandmaster (2013) This Chinese-French co-production is a Wong Kar Wai film loosely based on the real life of Ip Man, Bruce Lee’s instructor in the art of Wing Chun style kung fu. As the title indicates, however, the true central character is the Northern Grandmaster, Gong Yutian. As the film begins, Master… Continue reading Movie Review: The Grandmaster (2013)
Book Review: Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America’s Radical Right
Book Review: Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America’s Radical Right by Claire Conner Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This is an autobiography of Claire Conner, daughter of Stillwell J. Conner, one of the first members of the John Birch Society… Continue reading Book Review: Wrapped in the Flag: A Personal History of America’s Radical Right
Book Review: The 47 Ronin
The 47 Ronin by A.B. Mitford This is an abridged and dolled-up reprint of A.B. Mitford’s Tales of Old Japan with lots of color illustrations. Tales was originally published in 1871, as Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, a member of the British legation in Tokyo, witnessed the rapid modernization of Japan. He decided to set down some traditional stories… Continue reading Book Review: The 47 Ronin
Book Review: The Boy Knight
Book Review: The Boy Knight by G. A. Henty G.A. Henty (1852-1902) was a writer of children’s historical fiction, who began his career as an author after a friend heard him telling bedtime stories to his kids. Like many Victorian authors, he’s out of favor these days, but my parents found this book at an… Continue reading Book Review: The Boy Knight
Manga Review: Ayako
Manga Review: Ayako by Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka is best known in the United States for his early children’s manga and their subsequent animated adaptations like “Astro Boy” and “Kimba the White Lion.” But later in his prolific career, he also produced quite a few works for more mature readers, such as “MW” and “Ode… Continue reading Manga Review: Ayako
Book Review: America In So Many Words
Book Review: America In So Many Words by Allen Metcalf & David K. Barnhart American English is its own animal, with a vocabulary that marks it out from British English. This volume traces American history through the words that have been important to or invented by Americans. It’s set in roughly chronological order, from “canoe”… Continue reading Book Review: America In So Many Words
Book Review: Shanghai 1937
Book Review: Shanghai 1937 by Peter Harmsen Disclaimer: I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This is my 25th win! This is the first English-language book specifically about the battle for Shanghai in 1937, which is considered by some to be the start of the Asian… Continue reading Book Review: Shanghai 1937
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1 by Takehiko Inoue Miyamoto Musashi, author of A Book of Five Rings, was one of the greatest swordsmen of his time (the 1600s) and something of a warrior-philosopher. He’s become a legendary figure, and there have been many fictional accounts of his life in Japanese media. The most influential of these… Continue reading Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1