Book Review: Age of Daredevils

Book Review: Age of Daredevils by Michael Clarkson This book covers two generations of the William “Red” Hill family of Niagara Falls, Ontario.  They were river men, swimmers, rescue workers, boat handlers–and some of them were driven to perform dangerous stunts.  And around Niagara Falls, the most daring stunt imaginable was to go over the Horseshoe… Continue reading Book Review: Age of Daredevils

Book Review: Outlaws of the Atlantic: Sailors, Pirates and Motley Crews in the Age of Sail

Book Review: Outlaws of the Atlantic: Sailors, Pirates and Motley Crews in the Age of Sail by Marcus Rediker Disclaimer:  I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway for the purposes of this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested. During the Age of Sail, the deep ocean sailing ship was one of the… Continue reading Book Review: Outlaws of the Atlantic: Sailors, Pirates and Motley Crews in the Age of Sail

Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan

Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki This is the first volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s  massive history of Japan during the reign of Emperor Hirohito, the “Showa Era,”  It was a long reign, covering most of the Twentieth Century, from 1926-1989.  In addition to the larger story of Japan, it… Continue reading Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan

Book Review: Famous Nathan

Book Review: Famous Nathan by Lloyd Handwerker and Gil Reavill Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was requested or given. Nathan’s Famous was the number one hot dog stand in the world for several decades, and synonymous with the… Continue reading Book Review: Famous Nathan

Open Thread: Webcomics You Might Enjoy

Open Thread: Webcomics You Might Enjoy Over the holiday weekend, I went to ConVergence 2016 in Bloomington, a yearly science fiction convention.  One of the panels I was on was “Web Comics”, during which we discussed many webcomics that panelists and audience members have enjoyed.  As promised, here’s a list combining the handout by Kathryn… Continue reading Open Thread: Webcomics You Might Enjoy

Anime Review: The Rose of Versailles

Anime Review: The Rose of Versailles In the Year of Our Lord 1770, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and King Louis XV of France decided to seal an alliance between their countries with a political marriage.  Thus it was that Louis-Auguste (later Louis XVI) and Marie Antoinette were married.  So it was in our world… Continue reading Anime Review: The Rose of Versailles

Book Review: A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World’s First National Park

Book Review: A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World’s First National Park by Erin Peabody Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. In early 1871, the readers of Scribner’s Magazine, one of the best-selling periodicals in the United States, were… Continue reading Book Review: A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World’s First National Park

Book Review: The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution

Book Review: The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution by David Wootton At the beginning of the Fifteenth Century, there were no scientists as we understand the term, and no science.  Received wisdom from Aristotle and Galen ruled knowledge and philosophy.  Then a series of changes in technology and the way people… Continue reading Book Review: The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution

Book Review: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt

Book Review: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney Hatshepsut lived about 1500 B.C.E. to circa 1458 B.C.E.  The daughter of Thutmose I, she was married to Thutmose II, her half-brother, when he ascended the throne of Egypt.  As the God’s Wife of Amen-Re (king of all… Continue reading Book Review: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt

Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes

Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes by Jon Morris There have been thousands of superheroes created for comic books since their origins in the 1930s.  Some of them have gone on to lasting success like Superman, Spider-Man or Batman.  Others have had solid B-list careers, staying in the minds of fandom, if not the… Continue reading Book Review: The League of Regrettable Superheroes