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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Homesick
Brendan O'Brien
Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641609692, $19.99, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Homesick-Why-Housing-Unaffordable-Change/dp/1641609699
Synopsis: Nobody who sits in traffic on Sedona, Arizona's main stretch or stands shoulder to shoulder in its many souvenir
shops would call it a ghost town.
Neither would anyone renting a room for $2,000 a month or buying a house for a half-million dollars. And yet the people
who built this small town and made it a community are being pushed further and further out. Their homes are being sold
out from under their feet.
In studying the impact of short-term rentals, Brendan O'Brien saw something similar happening in places ranging from
Bend, Oregon, to Bar Harbor, Maine. But it isn't just short-term rentals, and it's not just tourism towns. Neighborhoods in
Austin and Atlanta have become rows of investment properties. Longtime residents in Spokane and Boston have been
replaced by new, high-salaried remote workers.
Across the country, a level of unaffordable housing that once seemed unique to global cities like New York and San
Francisco has become the norm, with nearly a third of all US households considered housing cost burdened.
This situation has been abetted by the direct actions of developers, politicians, and existing homeowners who have sought
to drive up the cost of housing. But it's mostly happened due to a society-wide refusal to see housing as anything more than
real estate, another product available to the highest bidder. This trend of putting local housing on a global market has
worsened in recent years but is nothing new. Housing in the United States has always been marred by racial and income
inequality that mocks the country's highest ideals.
Deeply researched and deeply felt, with the publication of "Homesick: Why Housing Is Unaffordable and How We Can
Change It", O'Brien argues that we can be so much better -- and we can start where we live!
Critique: Impressively well researched, written, organized and presented, "Homesick: Why Housing Is Unaffordable and
How We Can Change It" by Brendan O'Brien is a seminal, groundbreaking, eloquent, and informatively fact laden
contribution to our present national dialogue with respect to homelessness and the crisis of inadequate affordable housing
in America. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49), "Homesick: Why Housing Is
Unaffordable and How We Can Change It" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Urban Sociology, Contemporary Social Issues, and Real Estate Investment
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Brendan O'Brien (https://www.bobrien.us) spent three seasons working for federal public land management
agencies in California, Montana, and New Mexico. He observed the influx of short-term rentals and non-primary homes
alongside rising rents and prices. Studying this link became the basis of his master's thesis from Northern Arizona
University as well as the article "When Boom Towns Become Ghost Towns in the New West."
The Education Shelf
50 Strategies for Teaching STEAM Skills
Kara Ball
Shell Education
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/shell-education
9798885543392, $21.99, PB, 80pp
https://www.amazon.com/50-Strategies-Teaching-STEAM-Skills/dp/B0C5GGZ9PQ
Synopsis: With the publication of "50 Strategies for Teaching STEAM Skills", Kara Ball provides students concrete
opportunities to practice STEAM skills" This teacher resource includes easy-to-use classroom strategies and activities for
science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
This instructive lesson guide and 'how to' manual provides 50 specific and effective strategies to support STEAM
instruction and build 21st-century skills such as collaboration, handling failure, problem-solving, communication, and
creativity. With ten strategies per essential STEAM skill, this book provides educators with tools to build skills. These
activities utilize accessible everyday materials, which makes them perfect for any classroom setting.
"50 Strategies for Teaching STEAM Skills" also includes student activity pages, instruction sheets, and ideas for variation
at every grade level. From building knowledge of STEAM concepts to strengthening lifelong learning skills, "50 Strategies
for Teaching STEAM Skills" offers PreK - 12 classroom teachers with the support they need to help their students
thrive.
Critique: Of particular and special interest to readers concerned with STEM education, education theory, and K-12
science/technology curriculums, "50 Strategies for Teaching STEAM Skills" is an ideal, high value, and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, school district, and college/university STEM Education collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kara Ball (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karaball-stoy18) is a published author, academic officer, project
manager, program coordinator, award-winning curriculum developer & educator, a National Teacher of the Year Finalist
2018, a doctoral student and STEMinist.
Help Anxious Kids in a Stressful World
David Campos, author
Kathleen McConnel Fad, author
Free Spirit Publishing
www.freespirit.com
9798885543262, $34.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Help-Anxious-Kids-Stressful-World/dp/B0BTKYB2VF
Synopsis: The number of students experiencing anxiety at school is swiftly on the rise. But with the publication of "Help
Anxious Kids in a Stressful World: 25 Classroom Strategies" by educators David Campos and Kathleen McConnell Fad,
classroom teachers can now create emotionally supportive environments and strengthen children's abilities to cope with
anxiety.
"Help Anxious Kids in a Stressful World" from Free Spirit Publishing is an essential resource that: Provides a framework
for understanding anxiety, its causes, and the various ways it can present in young people; Offers standalone action
strategies for classroom use, including a matrix to identify which strategies may be most useful for specific situations;
Makes implementation of strategies easy with reproducibles for teacher and student use.
Drs. David Campos and Kathleen McConnell Fad wrote "Help Anxious Kids in a Stressful World" to specifically ensure
that teachers, regardless of their prior knowledge and background, have a wide range of easy-to-understand and useful
instructional tools to address anxious behaviors.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this large format (8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches, 1.36 pounds)
paperback edition of "Help Anxious Kids in a Stressful World: 25 Classroom Strategies" by co-authors David Campos and
Kathleen McConnell Fad is an ideal and highly recommended selection for school district in-service training sessions, as
well as a supplemental Student Anxiety Reduction curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Help Anxious Kids in a
Stressful World: 25 Classroom Strategies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $39.99).
Editorial Note #1: David Campos (https://ancorapublishing.com/authors/campos) is a Professor of Education at University
of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in special education,
culturally responsive teaching, and instructional design and delivery. He is an award-winning teacher and has written
books on issues that impact education, including Educating Latino Boys (2013), Jump Start Health (2011), and
Understanding Gay and Lesbian Youth (2005). His publications have been featured in Social Education, Principal
Leadership, Educational Leadership, American
Editorial Note #2: Kathleen McConnell Fad (https://ancorapublishing.com/authors/fad) has a Ph.D. in learning disabilities
and behavior disorders from The University of Texas at Austin. Kathy was a general and special education teacher before
working as a college professor and a consultant specializing in emotional and behavioral disorders. Her publications focus
on practical strategies for teachers, counselors, and educational specialists. Kathy has written books on childhood
loneliness, gifted and advanced learners, and more.
The Science Shelf
Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s
Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309467346, $95.00, PB, 628pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pathways-Discovery-Astronomy-Astrophysics-2020s/dp/0309467349
Synopsis: We are in a time of extraordinary discovery and progress in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. The next
decade is expected to continue to transform our understanding of the universe and humanity's place in it.
Every decade the U.S. agencies that provide primary federal funding for astronomy and astrophysics request a survey to
assess the status of, and opportunities for the Nation's efforts to forward our understanding of the cosmos. "Pathways to
Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s" identifies the most compelling science goals and presents an
ambitious program of ground-based and space-based activities for future investment in the next decade and beyond.
This decadal survey identifies three important science themes for the next decade aimed at investigating Earth-like
extrasolar planets, the most energetic processes in the universe, and the evolution of galaxies. The Astro2020 report also
recommends critical near-term actions to support the foundations of the profession as well as the technologies and tools
needed to carry out the science.
Critique: An absolutely essential and core addition to personal, professional, governmental, college and university library
Contemporary Astrophysics/Astronomy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Pathways to Discovery in
Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s" is a National Academies Consensus Study Report, and as such is
comprehensively informative, and impressively well organized in presentation.
Origins, Worlds, and Life
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309475785, $90.00, PB, 736pp
https://www.amazon.com/Origins-Worlds-Life-Planetary-Astrobiology/dp/0309475783
Synopsis: The next decade of planetary science and astrobiology holds tremendous promise. New research will expand our
understanding of our solar system's origins, how planets form and evolve, under what conditions life can survive, and
where to find potentially habitable environments in our solar system and beyond.
"Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032" from The National
Academies Press highlights key science questions, identifies priority missions, and presents a comprehensive research
strategy that includes both planetary defense and human exploration. This report also recommends ways to support the
profession as well as the technologies and infrastructure needed to carry out the science.
Critique: A massive, large format (8.48 x 1.51 x 11.04 inches, 4.41 pounds) paperback, "Origins, Worlds, and Life: A
Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032" will prove of special and particular value to readers
with an interest in astronomy, astrophysics, and space science. As a well organized and presented compendium of current
and up-to-date science with respect to the study of space, astronomy, and astrophysics, "Origins, Worlds, and Life: A
Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032" is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, governmental, and college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes the publications of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine. NAP publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of topics in science,
engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important matters in science
and health policy.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Field Guide to Family Business Research
Keith H. Brigham, editor
G. Tyge Payne, editor
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781800884137, $145.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Family-Business-Research-Guides/dp/1800884133
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Professors Keith H. Brigham and G. T. Payne, "The Field Guide to
Family Business Research" from Edward Elgar Publishing is a concise and accessible guidebook that addresses the unique
challenges associated with conducting high-quality family business research. Intended for both new and more experienced
scholars, experts provide essential guidelines and insightful best practices for overcoming these challenges.
Comprehensive in scope and split into three key parts, the contributors to "The Field Guide to Family Business Research"
address general, qualitative and quantitative challenges and their various solutions. Chapters examine three primary
research challenges: failure to demonstrate a clear and unique contribution to the extant literature; failure to properly frame
and align an argument's theory and hypothesis; and finally, failure to measure and conduct appropriate methodological and
empirical approaches to a study. Ultimately, the solutions presented offer a better understanding of the unique aspects of
conducting research in the family business domain.
With a wealth of expertise and practical information, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" will be of great
benefit to anyone conducting research in family business. It will be especially helpful to researchers and students of
business management, law, public policy and social policy as well as consultants and practitioners in the field of family
business.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" also includes a two
page listing of the contributors and their credentials. A seminal contribution to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, "The Field
Guide to Family Business Research" should be considered essential reading for anyone engaging in, or aspiring to, the
management of a family owned business.
Editorial Note #1: Keith H. Brigham is the Professor of Entrepreneurship, Director, Tom Love Division of
Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma.
(https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5QQ8-OYAAAAJ)
Editorial Note #2: G. Tyge Payne (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lbRbss8AAAAJ) is Professor of
Entrepreneurship, Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems, Louisiana State University,
US
The Cookbook Shelf
Signature Dishes of America
Sherry Monahan
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493072644, $35.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Signature-Dishes-America-Treasures-Restaurants/dp/1493072641
Synopsis: America's hotel chefs and restaurant cooks have reveled in serving meals to their customers since this country's
early beginnings, creating their own recipes based on available ingredients, creativity, or at the request of others.
Some took humble home recipes and made them into their signature specialties, many of which have become synonymous
with certain hotels and restaurants in America. These culinary treasures are household names, but their true origin has
slipped back into history.
With the publication of "Signature Dishes of America: Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic Hotels and
Restaurants", culinary historian Sherry Monahan showcases nearly 100 of these well-known dishes and their origins.
Including foods like Eggs Benedict, Green Goddess Dressing, and Hot Browns which were created decades ago and remain
mainstays in our culinary world today.
Readers will enjoy discovering the story behind Los Angeles' Brown Derby's Cobb Salad, whose recipe was created by a
hungry owner, or how an old pie recipe discovered in an antique drawer became a favorite at the Golden Lamb restaurant.
This collection of recipes and their background is a tasty way to share American food history and culture.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughly, "Signature Dishes of America: Recipes and Culinary Treasures from Historic
Hotels and Restaurants" is an impressive compendium of classic, palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, and kitchen cook
friendly recipes that will bring a culinary elegance to any and all dining occasions. Exceptionally well organized and
presented, "Signature Dishes of America" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular and appreciated pick for
personal, professional, and community library regional cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Signature Dishes of
America" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Sherry Monahan (https://sherrymonahan.com) is a culinary historian who enjoys researching the genealogy
of food and spirits. After studying frontier food, her culinary repertoire has expanded to include food and drinks from all
over America and beyond. She is a past-president of Western Writers of America and holds memberships in the James
Beard Foundation, the Authors Guild, and is an honorary Dodge City Marshal. Her other publications include Golden
Elixir of the West, Tinsel Tumbleweeds, and Star-Spangled Celebrations, The Tombstone Cookbook, Frontier Fare, The
Cowboy Cookbook, and Mrs. Earp: The Wives and Lovers of the Earp Brothers.
The Vegan Baker
Zachary Bird
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754554, $35.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Baker-Ultimate-Plant-based-Pastries/dp/1922754552
Synopsis: For any vegans struggling to veganize their favorite savory treats, sweets, or desserts, with the publication of
"The Vegan Baker: The Ultimate Guide to Plant-based Breads, Pastries, Cookies, Slices, and More" vegan culinary expert
Zacchary Bird is here to take you on a cooking experience like no other.
More than just a cookbook, "The Vegan Baker" is packed from cover to cover with over 100 recipes for all our baked
favorites, made vegan. Whip up cherry pies, chocolate chip cookies, or chocolate cakes without butter, eggs, milk, cheese,
and honey.
With "The Vegan Baker" you can learn how to make croissants from scratch, with step-by-step photos that show you how
to laminate your own pastry. Bake fresh brioche, Japanese shokupan, and other usually dairy-laden breads, or make your
own sourdough starter that you'll love so much you'll want to keep it by your side (or at least in your fridge) forever.
If you're feeling adventurous, learn how to make profiteroles, millefeuille, cannoli, and even a croquembouche. Or if
savory snacks are more your jam, Zac has recipes for sausage rolls, cornbread, meat-filled pies, scones, and more.
Each recipe is explained with Bird's signature humor and easy-to-follow instructions. Veganism isn't about missing out --
it's about getting creative, and with Bird's ingenuity, baked goods are no longer forbidden.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Vegan Baker: The Ultimate Guide to Plant-based Breads, Pastries, Cookies, Slices, and
More" is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout and the ultimate 'kitchen cook friendly' DIY guide to plant-based
baked goods for vegans and vegetarians. A delight to browse through and to plan menus with, "The Vegan Baker" is
certain to be a treasured addition to personal, professional, and community library Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook
collections.
Editorial Note: Zacchary Bird (https://www.zaccharybird.com) is a vegan cookbook author, recipe developer, and social
media personality living in Melbourne, Australia. His first full-length published cookbook Vegan Junk Food: A Down &
Dirty Cookbook was released in 2020 by Smith Street Books and was called "a real winner" by New Zealand Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern. His follow-up cookbook The Vegan Butcher was the 2021 winner of PETA's Best Vegan
Cookbook.
The Nourishing Asian Kitchen
Sophia Nguyen Eng
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645022169, $34.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Asian-Kitchen-Nutrient-Dense-Recipes/dp/1645022161
Synopsis: When Sophia Nguyen Eng moved to the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee to start a family farm, she was
determined to honor the cultural food traditions and flavors passed down by her parents, who fled Vietnam in 1975. The
meals of her childhood drew inspiration from the rich culinary traditions of Vietnam, China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian
countries. However, Sophia noticed that preparing these dishes in the United States often relied heavily on processed
ingredients containing artificial flavors and preservatives. She was determined to recreate the flavorful recipes she loved
while making them healthier.
Inspired by the nutritional research of Weston A. Price, the regenerative farming practices of Joel Salatin, and the
traditional Asian recipes passed down through her family for generations, with the publication of "The Nourishing Asian
Kitchen: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Health and Healing" Sophia has curated a unique collection of wholesome dishes.
These recipes explore the proper preparation of grains, dairy, meats, and ferments, emphasizing fresh ingredients and
traditional cooking methods while focusing on flavor, food quality, ingredient sourcing, seasonality, and eating
nose-to-tail.
With an opening sectioning on mastering basic techniques (like working with bone broth, fish fumet, and ghee) the recipes
range from familiar classics to mind-blowing creations, including: Sauces (Korean Gochujang Sauce, Hoisin Sauce,
Vietnamese "Peanut" Dipping Sauce, Lemongrass Chili Oil); Vegetable & Sides (Pickled Red Onion, Daikon Kimchi,
Wild Bibimbap, Mushroom Banchan); Soups (Oxtail Pho, Sweet and Sour Tamarind Soup, Spicy Thai Hot Pot, Crab
Noodle Soup); Meats (Garlic Butter Chicken Wings, Five Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi, Shaking Beef with Watercress Salad,
Lamb Bulgogi Spring Rolls); Beverages & Desserts (Vietnamese Coffee, Strawberry Lychee Panna Cotta, Matcha Green
Tea Honey Ice Cream) -- and so much more!
From hot pot to tempura, kimchi to pho, each recipe is designed to nourish the body and reconnect with tradition and
heritage. And with beautiful photography by David K. Peng, easy-to-follow instructions, and tips for sourcing high-quality
ingredients, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen is a must-have for anyone seeking to explore the world of Asian cuisine
through the lens of nourishing traditions.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated and published in a large format (7 x 1 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) paperback format, "The
Nourishing Asian Kitchen: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Health and Healing" is exceptionally 'kitchen cook friendly' in
organization and presentation. An ideal and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library
ethnic cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Nourishing Asian Kitchen" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $26.49).
Editorial Note: Sophia Nguyen Eng is a first-generation Vietnamese-American who left a successful career in growth
marketing in Silicon Valley to start a five-acre permaculture farm in the Appalachian region of eastern Tennessee. During
her time in the tech industry, Eng led successful growth marketing campaigns for startups and Fortune 500 companies like
WorkDay, InVision, and Smartsheet, which led to opportunities to develop a certificate training program with CXL
Institute and being a founder of the tech organization Women in Growth. Now she draws on her experiences speaking on
stage and her knowledge of food, farming, and health to present at homesteading conferences. Eng is also a Weston A.
Price Chapter Leader and the founder of the website Sprinkle with Soil. With her husband, Tim, she raises grass-fed dairy
cows, beef cattle, laying hens, broilers, ducks, sheep, goats, turkeys, and grows a variety of produce for her
multi-generational family and local community.
The American History Shelf
Agriculture in the Midwest, 1815-1900
R. Douglas Hurt
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496233493, $70.00, HC, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Agriculture-Midwest-1815-1900-Prof-Douglas/dp/1496233492
Synopsis: After the War of 1812 and the removal of the region's Indigenous peoples, the American Midwest became a
paradoxical land for settlers. Even as many settlers found that the region provided the bountiful life of their dreams, others
found disappointment, even failure -- while still others suffered social and racial prejudice.
"Agriculture in the Midwest, 1815-1900" by Professor R. Douglas Hurt is a broad and authoritative survey of midwestern
agriculture from the War of 1812 to the turn of the twentieth century. Professor Hurt contends that this region proved to be
the country's garden spot and the nation's heart of agricultural production.
During these eighty-five years the region transformed from a sparsely settled area to the home of large industrial and
commercial cities, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Detroit. Still, it remained primarily an agricultural
region that promised a better life for many of the people who acquired land, raised crops and livestock, provided for their
families, adopted new technologies, and sought political reform to benefit their economic interests.
Focusing on the history of midwestern agriculture during wartime, utopian isolation, and colonization as well as political
unrest, Hurt contextualizes myriad facets of the region's past to show how agricultural life developed for midwestern
farmers -- and to reflect on what that meant for the region and nation.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of illustrations, fifty-two pages of Notes, a ten page
Selected Bibliography, and an eight page Index, "Agriculture in the Midwest, 1815-1900" is a work of meticulous
historical research. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Agriculture in the Midwest, 1815-1900" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library 19th Century American History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Agriculture in the Midwest, 1815-1900" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $66.50).
Editorial Note: R. Douglas Hurt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Douglas_Hurt) is a professor of history at Purdue
University. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Food and Agriculture during the Civil War; The Big
Empty: The Great Plains in the Twentieth Century; and The Great Plains during World War II (Bison Books, 2010).
The World History Shelf
Lost Cities of the Ancient World
Philip Matyszak
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025659, $34.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cities-Ancient-World-Philip-Matyszak/dp/0500025657
Synopsis: The ruins of ancient Athens, Luxor, and Rome are all familiar cornerstones of world history, visited by travelers
from across the globe. But what about the cities that have dropped off the map? That have been submerged under water, or
swallowed up by the sands of time? Where are they, and what can they tell us about our past?
"Lost Cities of the Ancient World" is compendium of forgotten cities wherein historian Philip Matyszak explores the trials,
tribulations, and triumphs these cities faced, revealing how people have embarked on the shared endeavor of living
together since we first settled down twelve thousand years ago.
Illustrated throughout with important artifacts, ruins, and maps, "Lost Cities of the Ancient World" brings to life the sites
and settlements across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond that time forgot and ranging from the sunken city of
Pavlopetri in the Mediterranean to the deep cave dwellings of Derinkuyu in Turkey. Four thousand years of human history
are covered in this history, offering unique insights into forgotten cities and ways of life.
With the publication of "Lost Cities of the Ancient World, Matyszak also reveals a dynamic network of peoples and
cultures who fought and traded between themselves, exchanging inventions, ideas, and philosophies, with the result that
people as far apart as Catalhoyukin Turkey and Skara Brae in Scotland's Orkney Islands shared a common heritage. By
examining the motivations that first drew populations to gather and settle together, as well as the challenges that led to
their cities' abandonment, this visually striking and often surprising book offers us a fresh perspective on our urban
origins.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 192 color illustrations, an informative Introduction (Ghosts of the
Past), an eleven page bibliography of Further Readings, a two page listing of Sources of Illustrations, and a four page
Index, "Lost Cities of the Ancient World" will prove of immense value for readers with an interest in ancient history and
civilizations. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Lost Cities of the Ancient World" is also
available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "Lost Cities of the Ancient World" will prove
to be a welcome and highly prized edition to community and college/university library Ancient History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Philip Matyszak (https://www.matyszakbooks.com) has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's
College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient
World, The Greek and Roman Myths, The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, and Ancient Magic.
The Military History Shelf
The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943
James Holland
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802161604, $32.00, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Storm-Battle-Italy-1943/dp/080216160X
Synopsis: Following victory in Sicily, and while the central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied
troops crossed into southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forces north and liberate Rome by
Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but German divisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into
one of the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war.
With the publication of "The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943", James Holland chronicles the dramatic opening
months of the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail. Unlike any campaign history yet written. Holland
narrates the war at ground level, and chronicles events almost entirely through the contemporary eyes of those who were
there on all sides and at all levels -- Allied, Axis, civilians alike.
Weaving together a wealth of letters, diaries, and other documents (from the likes of American General Mark Clark,
German battalion commander Georg Zellner, New Zealand lance-corporal Roger Smith, legendary war reporter Ernie Pyle,
and Italian politician Filippo Caracciolo) Holland traces the battles as they were experienced across plains, over mountains,
through shattered villages and cities, in intense heat and, towards the end of December 1943, frigid cold and relentless
rain.
Such close-up views have persuaded Holland to recast important aspects of the campaign, reappraising the reputation of
Mark Clark himself and other senior commanders of the U.S. Fifth and British Eighth armies. Given the shortage of Allied
shipping and materiel allocated to Italy because of the build-up for D-Day, more was expected of Allied troops in Italy than
anywhere else, and, as accounts at the time attest, a huge price was paid by everyone for each bloodily contested mile.
"The Savage Storm" puts the reader vividly in the moment as events unfolded, with characters made unforgettable by their
own words. Simply stated "The Savage Storm" is a defining account of the pivotal months leading to Monte Cassino, and a
landmark in the writing about war.
Critique: A massively detailed study, "The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" is exceptionally well researched,
written, organized and presented -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university World War II Military History collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: James Holland is one of WWII's finest historians and the author of Brothers in Arms, Sicily '43, Normandy
'44, Big Week, The Rise of Germany and The Allies Strike Back in the War in the West trilogy, and Dam Busters. He has
written and presented the BAFTA short-listed documentaries Battle of Britain and Dam Busters for the BBC. His WWII
podcast is We Have Ways of Making You Talk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holland_(author)
Roman Conquests: Gaul
Michael M. Sage
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399077323, $26.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roman-Conquests-Michael-M-Sage/dp/1399077325
Synopsis: "Roman Conquests: Gaul" by Michael M. Sage is newest addition to the Roman Conquests from Pen & Sword
Books. This is definitive series that deals with some of the best known Roman campaigns of all.
Indeed, due to the involvement of Julius Caesar in the Roman military campaigns agaist the Gauls, and the commentaries
he wrote upon them, these are some of the most studied of any ancient campaigns.
Before Caesar, however, Rome had already established a foothold across the Alps in Gaul (the Province, modern
Provence) and with "Roman Conquests: Gaul", historian Michael M Sage starts this historical study with these early
acquisitions which were largely reactive and defensive.
The Gauls were one of the great warrior societies of ancient Europe and some of Rome's heaviest defeats were suffered
here at the end of the second century BC. This context makes all the more remarkable the dazzling success of the
audacious campaigns, just half a century later, by which Caesar rapidly completed the initial conquest of the rest of
Gaul.
The subsequent revolts that soon occurred, culminating in the great unified rising under Vercingetorix, are also covered in
detail, with the epic siege of Alesia as the dramatic climax.
Michael Sage deftly narrates and analyzes all of these campaigns, revealing just how the Roman military war machine was
able ultimately able to overcome vastly superior numbers of Celtic warriors, ultimately resulting in the extension of
Rome's rule from the Mediterranean to the English Channel.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a section of color plates and maps, "Roman Conquests: Gaul" also
features a seven page Appendix (Development of the Roman Army of the First Century BC), nine pages of Notes, a nine
page Bibliography, and a five page Index. "Roman Conquests: Gaul" is fascinating, informative, deftly organized and
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation. Originally published in hardcover in 2012, this new paperback edition is a
solidly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Roman History collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Roman Conquests: Gaul" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Michael M Sage gained his doctorate in Classics from Toronto University in 1973. After a long teaching
career at the University of Cincinatti, Ohio, he is now Emeritus Professor of Classics. His previous works include Warfare
in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook (1996) and The Republican Roman Army: A Sourcebook (2008).
Allied Victory Over Japan 1945
Jon Diamond
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399042888, $28.95, PB, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Allied-Victory-Over-Japan-1945/dp/1399042882
Synopsis: In 1944 with the war in Europe turning in the Allies' favor, Japan still occupied vast swathes of South East Asia
and the Pacific.
In Burma, the seemly unstoppable Japanese advance was halted at Kohima and Imphal in June and July 1944. Six months
later the advances made by British-led forces enabled the re-opening of the supply routes from India to US forces in China.
It was not until Spring 1945 that British-led forces seized first Mandalay and then the port city of Rangoon after a year of
grueling fighting.
Admiral Nimitz's and General MacArthur's forces meanwhile were overcoming fanatical Japanese resistance as they
invaded Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Leyte and Luzon in late 1944. Iwo Jima and Okinawa fell to the Allies in early 1945. These
successes enabled USAAF Superfortresses to bomb mainland Japan. Late Spring/Early Summer 1945 saw the steady
recapture of the Northern Solomons and Brunei, Borneo and former Dutch colonies. The Soviets were advancing into
Manchuria and Korea.
The atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 finally forced the Japanese to surrender without the
inevitable carnage of an invasion of their mainland.
The tumultuous events of the final year of the Second World War in the Far East are brilliantly described in the pages of
"Allied Victory Over Japan 1945: Rare Photographs from Wartime Achieves by Jon Diamond who provides a wealth of
contemporary well captioned images supported by a succinct text.
Critique: The large format paperback edition of "Allied Victory Over Japan 1945: Rare Photographs from Wartime
Achieves) from Pen & Sword Books is a high value and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Pacific Theatre World War II collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that "Allied Victory Over Japan 1945: Rare Photographs from Wartime Achieves" (a part of the Pen & Sword
'Images of War' series) is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jon Diamond MD is a kidney specialist in the USA with a deep interest in the Second World War. He is a
keen collector of photographs. His Stilwell and the Chindits, War in the South Pacific, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of the
Italian Mainland: Salerno to Gustav Line, 1943-1944, Onto Rome 1944; Anzio and Victory at Cassino and Beyond Rome
to the Alps; Across the Arno and Gothic Line, 1944-1945 and Op Plunder The Rhine River Crossing are all published by
Pen and Sword in their Images of War series.
The Dieppe Raid
John Grehan, author
Alexander Nicoll, author
Frontline Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781399067201, $34.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dieppe-Raid-Assault-Hitlers-Fortress/dp/1399067206
Synopsis: As dawn was breaking on the morning of 19 August 1942, Allied troops leapt ashore to the east and west of the
French port of Dieppe. These were British commandoes accompanied by U.S. Rangers, tasked to silence the German gun
batteries that flanked Dieppe. Other troops (the men of the 2nd Canadian Division) landed closer to Dieppe to capture the
German positions that overlooked the port while, minutes later, the main body of the predominantly Canadian assaulting
force began clambering from landing craft that had run onto the beach along Dieppe's seafront. This was the start of
Operation Jubilee, the Allies' most ambitious assault upon Hitler's so-called Fortress Europe that quickly became a
bloodbath.
The early months of 1942 had been difficult ones for Prime Minister Churchill. Stalin was demanding action in Western
Europe to lessen the pressure of the 280 German divisions that were bearing down upon Stalingrad. Roosevelt was
insisting that U.S. soldiers must start fighting the Germans in Europe, and Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister,
desperately needed Canadian troops to become involved in the war to keep his politically divided nation together.
Churchill's response to these measures was to authorize a 'super-raid' upon German-held territory, and the target selected
by the planners was Dieppe.
Apart from the notable success of No.4 Commando, the raid was a disaster with more than 50 per cent of the 6,086 men
who landed being killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, plus all the Churchill tanks landed in support of the infantry suffered
mechanical failure or were shelled into smoking wrecks. Yet amid the scenes slaughter, of confusion, and communication
breakdown, were acts of almost unimaginable heroism, ingenuity, determination, and self-sacrifice to which the awarding
of two Victoria Crosses paid a worthy tribute. There were also special missions associated with the raid, the details of
which remained a closely guarded secret until long after the war.
A part of the Frontline Books 'Images of War; series, "The Dieppe Raid: The Allies' Assault Upon Hitler's Fortress Europe,
August 1942" by co-authors John Grehan and Alexander Nicoll opens a window on Operation Jubilee, allowing the reader
a rare insight into the death and destruction inflicted upon the Allied force during just a few hours, and of the damage done
to Dieppe itself, with many of the photographs being taken by the victorious German defenders. The raid saw the heaviest
casualty figures experienced by Canadians in the Second World War, and the photographs in this book are a stark reminder
of that fateful day in late summer of 1942.
Critique: This large format (7.75 x 0.5 x 10 inches) paperback edition of "The Dieppe Raid: The Allies' Assault Upon
Hitler's Fortress Europe, August 1942" is a truly stunning collection of authentic historical B/W photos whose images and
captions provide rare insight into the death and destruction inflicted upon Allied forces during the Dieppe Raid. While
highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university World War II collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Dieppe Raid: The Allies' Assault Upon Hitler's Fortress Europe,
August 1942" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note #1: John Grehan has written, edited or contributed to more than 300 books and magazine articles covering a
wide span of military history from the Iron Age to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. John has also appeared on local and
national radio and television to advise on military history topics. He was employed as the Assistant Editor of Britain at
War Magazine from its inception until 2014. John now devotes his time to writing and editing books.
Editorial Note #2: Alexander Nicoll has been involved in writing and publishing military history for thirty years. He began
his career with local history, and has since written numerous books and magazine articles, predominantly on subjects
relating to the two world wars.
Duel in the Deep
David Sears
Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781682475607, $34.95, HC, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Duel-Deep-Hunters-Hunted-Finish/dp/1682475603
Synopsis: In Autumn 1943 the Battle of the Atlantic (World War II's longest seagoing campaign) reached a new crescendo.
Anti-submarine aircraft and ships using new tactics, technologies, and weaponry dominated a seascape where German
U-boats once ruled supreme. But then unexpectedly, in eerie, mid-ocean darkness, an elemental hull-to-deck,
sailor-to-submariner duel erupted.
On Halloween Eve, U.S. Navy destroyer Borie, an outmoded, thin-skinned "tin can" of World War I vintage, set out alone
to track down an elusive U-boat. Borie had thus far toiled in the war's backwaters, her crew of young reservists anxious to
prove its mettle.
When Borie trapped U-405 on the surface, that chance arrived. As Borie's deck guns unleashed withering fire and U-405's
skipper angled his submarine to launch torpedoes, Borie's young skipper (a salesman in civilian life) resorted to the
original (and the only) means of sinking a submarine: ramming, full speed ahead, consequences be damned.
Borie's slashing collision with U-405 ignited a swashbuckling, no-holds-barred brawl of cannons, machine guns, small
arms, and even knives and spent shell casings. In the wreckage-strewn aftermath, desperate sailors on both sides fought for
survival in a heaving, frigid, unforgiving sea.
"Duel in the Deep: The Hunters, the Hunted, and a High Seas Fight to the Finish" deftly weaves together high-stakes
strategy and lethal gamesmanship with poignant human backstories, pounding air/surface/subsurface action, epic heroism,
and wrenching sacrifice.
Critique: Rescuing from an undeserved obscurity one of the most dramatic and unique submarine battles during World
War II, "Duel in the Deep: The Hunters, the Hunted, and a High Seas Fight to the Finish" by military historian David Sears
is a simply riveting read and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library World War II U.S. Navel History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Maps, a six page Glossary of Terms and Acronyms, thirty-six
pages of Notes, and a fifteen page Index, it should be noted that "Duel in the Deep" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $19.22).
Editorial Note: David Sears (https://www.duelinthedeep.com) is a New Jersey-based author of four book-length military
history narratives: The Last Epic Naval Battle, At War with the Wind, Such Men as These, and Pacific Air. Sears is also a
frequent contributor to print publications focused on aviation history, naval history, military history, and veteran
affairs.
British Coastal Forces: Two World Wars and After
Norman Friedman
Sealforth Publishing
c/o Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781399018586, $100.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/British-Coastal-Forces-World-After/dp/1399018582
Synopsis: With the publication of "British Coastal Forces: Two World Wars and After", military historian Norman
Friedman presents the first comprehensive study on Britain's coastal defences and forces during and after World Wars I &
II.
Using contemporary official material, much of which has not been used previously, and published memoirs, Friedman
connects the technical story of the coastal craft and their weapons and other innovations with the way they fought. In both
world wars much of the technology was at the edge of what was feasible at the time.
Boats incorporated considerable British innovation and benefited from important U.S. contributions, particularly in
supplying high-powered engines during World War II. In contrast with larger warships, British coastal forces craft were
essentially shaped by a few builders, and their part in the story is given full credit.
"British Coastal Forces" also contains all the sophisticated analysis for which Friedman is so well known as a military
historian, and a superb collection of illustrations is includes detailed plans by John Lambert. Like other books in the
Sealforth Publishing series, "British Coastal Forces is based very heavily on contemporary official material, much of which
has not been used previously -- like the extensive reports of U.S naval observers, who were allowed wide access to the
Royal Navy as early as 1940.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, "British Coastal Forces: Two World Wars and After" is informatively enhanced
for the reader with the inclusion of a listing of Abbreviations, and Appendix (Air-Sea Rescue Boats), forty-three pages of
Notes, a two page Bibliography, a five page Coastal Forces Craft Data List, a twenty-four page List of Coastal Forces
Craft, and a five page Index. Extraordinary and exceptionally well written, impressively organized and presented, this large
format (9.76 x 1.18 x 11.42 inches, 4.81 pounds) hardcover edition of "British Coastal Forces" is a unique and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library 20th Century
British Naval & Maritime Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Norman Friedman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Friedman) is a prominent international defense
analyst and historian specializing in the intersection between policy, strategy, and technology. He has published more than
forty books, including The Fifty-Year War, an award-winning history of the Cold War; a history of naval fighter aircraft;
and design histories of many U.S. and British warships.
Battle of the Cities
Anthony Tucker-Jones
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399072007, $42.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Cities-Urban-Warfare-Eastern/dp/1399072005
Synopsis: The Stalingrad battle and the Leningrad siege were just two of the brutal, devastating urban conflicts that marked
the awful struggle between Germany and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The cities were strategic fixed
points in the sweeping advances and retreats of the opposing armies across eastern Europe. Yet no one has concentrated on
these city battles before or has sought to tell the story of the campaigns through the fighting that took place in and around
them. That is Anthony Tucker-Jones's purpose in publishing "Battle of the Cities: Urban Warfare on the Eastern Front ", a
concise and vivid history of the urban war on the Eastern Front.
Early in the war, during the Wehrmacht's crushing offensives of 1941 and 1942, the Red Army was forced out of a series
of key cities. Moscow was threatened, Leningrad surrounded. Then, after the climactic battle at Stalingrad, the Red Army
with increasing confidence, speed and power drove the Germans from the Soviet and East European capitals they had
occupied. The final urban battles were fought in Germany's cities, culminating in Berlin.
As he traces the course of the fighting for each city, Anthony Tucker-Jones also looks at the local circumstances, the
opposing forces, the strategic significance and the tactics employed. In "Battle of the Cities" he focuses not only on the
destruction and cruelty of such warfare, but on the heroism displayed on both sides and on the fate of the civilians who
found themselves on the front line.
Critique:"Battle of the Cities: Urban Warfare on the Eastern Front" is deftly organized into four major parts (The
Relentless Nazi Tide; Breakwater Cities; Lifting the Nazi Yoke; Final Agonies), and features two sections devoted to
historic B/W photos, two Appendices (German Siege Weapons; Soviet Siege Weapons), a five page Bibliography, and a
nine page Index. A seminal and groundbreaking study from start to finish, "Battle of the Cities" is an exceptional and
highly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library World War II (European Theatre)
history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history
buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Battle of the Cities" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Anthony Tucker-Jones (https://www.atuckerjones.com) is a former defense intelligence officer and a
widely published expert on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism and armored and aerial warfare. He is the author of over
thirty books, is security and terrorism correspondent for intersec - The Journal of International Security, and has freelanced
for Channel 4 News.
Air War Vietnam
Martin W. Bowman
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781526746276, $39.95, HC, 328pp
https://www.amazon.com/Air-War-Vietnam-Martin-Bowman/dp/1526746271
Synopsis: "Air War Vietnam" by Martin Bowman is a revealing narrative of the aerial conflict in South-East Asia,
1965-1972, which had its beginnings in 1 November 1955, engulfed Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and only ended with
the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975 has resulted from decades of painstaking fact-finding as well as detailed
correspondence with surviving aircrew incorporating a wealth of first-hand accounts, some never told before, supported by
dozens of rare and unusual photographs. Collectively they describe in adrenalin-pumping accuracy the furious aerial battles
of a long suffering and bitter war in South-East Asia and in particular the frontline action in the skies over Vietnam that
will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The readers will also acquire a new and useful perspective on a conflict that cost the Americans 58,022 dead and brought
the USA worldwide condemnation for its role in Southeast Asia. Nearly 2,500 Americans remained 'missing'.
"Air War Vietnam" also serves as a tribute to the courageous pilots who flew the F-104 Starfighter in the 'Widowmakers'
war and B-52 bomber crews on 'Arc Light' 'Linebacker II' strikes and the eleven days of Christmas which ultimately ended
the aerial campaign against North Vietnam. And as well, strike aircraft such as the USAF F-4 Phantom and the F-105
'Thud' and the US Navy carrier-borne jet and propeller-driven strike aircraft and the Americans' sworn enemy, the North
Vietnamese MiG fighters, feature large, from 'Rolling Thunder' onwards. Equally, the Hueys and Chinooks and other
notable work horses that participated on combat assaults or Ash & Trash missions and transports like the C-130
'Herky-Bird', C-123 Provider, Caribou and Vietnamese C-47 - the 'Haulers On Call' - that performed sterling service during
the grueling air campaign are not forgotten either.
Here presented, at first hand, are their stories which also include some of the less publicized American forces like the
pilots and crewmen who flew the Bird Dogs and all manner of helicopters as well as the largely forgotten Australian and
New Zealand Air Force units and the Anzac Battalions whose valuable contributions are too often overlooked. So too is
the cost in human misery, death and destruction.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, as well as impressively enhanced for the reader with a section of
historic B/W photos, "Air War Vietnam" is a seminal and critically important contribution to personal, community, and
college/university library Vietnam War history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Martin Bowman is one of Britain's leading aviation authors and has written a great deal of books focusing
on aspects of Second World War aviation history. He is the author of many Pen and Sword Aviation titles, including all
releases in the exhaustive Air War D-Day and Air War Market Garden series.
(www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Martin-Bowman/a/164)
Belleau Wood and Vaux: 1 to 26 June & July 1918
Maarten Otte
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781526796219, $22.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Belleau-Wood-Vaux-June-July/dp/152679621X
Synopsis: The Battle of Belleau Wood has a prominent place in the history of the United States Marine Corps. It took place
between 6 and 27 June 1918 (sometimes considered to be 1-26 June). However, when on 6 June 1918 the marines
launched their attack on the wood, the biggest German threat here was nearly over.
Its significance to the Corps is underlined by the presence not only of a monument to the 4th (Marine) Brigade of the US
2nd Division but also by a preserved part of the wood, which is situated to the rear of the Aisne-Marne American
Cemetery. The fighting here marks the first major battle by the USMC in Europe.
The battle came (although the participants were unaware of this) at the end of the the third great German offensive of
Spring 1918, the Blucher-York Offensive, also known as the 3rd Battle of the Aisne, which was launched on 27 May and
officially ended on 4 June. Like its predecessors that Spring, an offensive which had started with startling territorial gains
had almost ground to a halt by the time that the 2nd Division, and thus the marines, were called in to assist the French
Sixth Army in holding the line and in retaking, where possible, crucial positions.
What started out as preventing the Germans from breaking through the French lines and pushing on to Paris ended in a
three-weeks long slogging match in and around Belleau Wood. It was on French General Duchene's instigation that the
woods were attacked; but in reality the marines could have just held the line and been satisfied with that. As it was, they
were flung into action with little time to prepare.
The fighting in Belleau Wood was extremely brutal and involved several attacks and counter-attacks; neither side was
willing to yield an inch of the terrain of a feature that had local strategic significance, particularly to the Germans.
Although the offensive locally here came to an end and the initial German threat in the area was nearly overcome, the focal
point of the fighting moved to Villers Cotterets, twenty-five kilometres north-east of Belleau. The Americans were not
quite finished when Belleau Wood was finally captured, as the nearby village of Vaux was taken by an army brigade of the
2nd Division in a text book attack on 1 July.
The USMC has always had a good 'publicity machine' and Belleau Wood was certainly well known to the wider American
public in the war years, particularly as it was an early action by a formation of the AEF. Although largely forgotten since
the Second World War (the memory perhaps kept alive by the unusual preserved remnant of the battlefield), Belleau
Wood's reputation has been enhanced by increased interest in the war since the turn of the century.
Nowadays, the battle is sometimes called a 'pivotal event in the First World War and an iconic battle in US Marine Corps
history' by several American authors, which some of their European counterparts might regard as somewhat
exaggerated.
Although there have been several guide books on Belleau Wood published in recent years (a clear indication of American
interest in the battle today), what differs in the publication of "Belleau Wood and Vaux: 1 to 26 June & July 1918" by
Maarten Otte is the number of points to visit as well as the clear narrative that precedes the tours section. Not only are
many new points of interest explored in Belleau itself, but the surrounding countryside is not forgotten. Headquarters,
temporary burial sites and other features are included.
"Belleau Wood and Vaux" is profusely illustrated by contemporary photographs and numerous maps, the narrative
supplemented by a number of first hand accounts; the whole is supported by several walking and car tours.
"Belleau Wood and Vaux: 1 to 26 June & July 1918" is the latest in a series of Battleground books by Maarten Otte on the
American Expeditionary Forces, with several more in preparation. The AEF's performance in the war is relatively little
known, not least in the USA; Belleau Wood is one of the few engagements that still carries some resonance. It is fortunate
that so many of the AEF's actions took place in parts of France that have seen little development and are in agricultural or
wooded country, which means that traces of their fighting are relatively plentiful.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Belleau Wood and Vaux: 1 to 26 June & July 1918" is a
seminal and unreservedly recommended core contribution to personal, community, and college/university library World
War I military history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Maarten Otte is a long time resident of the Argonne. Growing up in the Netherlands with a fascination with
the Great War, particularly the role of the United States. He has published books on Nantillois in 1918 and on US Medal of
Honor winners.
Hitler's Imperfect Victories
Rex Bashford
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399070263, $42.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hitlers-Imperfect-Victories-Campaigns-1939-1941/dp/1399070266
Synopsis: There have been many books on Adolf Hitler, and specific military campaigns and battles during the time of the
Third Reich. However, there has never been a comprehensive analysis of Hitler's role as the supreme military leader of the
Third Reich across all the major campaigns until the publication of "Hitler's Imperfect Victories: Campaigns in Western
Europe 1939-1941" by Rex Bashford.
Hitler combined every senior position in government and the armed forces until he was at the same time Supreme
Commander of the Armed Forces, Chancellor, Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Army. He was involved in
every aspect of the German war effort including new weapons development. How well did he perform these roles? He
called himself a genius and was described as "the greatest German military leader of all time" by one of his most senior
military leaders -- but was he? What does the evidence show?
"Hitler's Imperfect Victories" analyses each of the Third Reich's military campaigns paying special attention to Hitler's role
in them. This detailed study is based entirely on the evidence of the most senior military personnel who were there at the
time, from their contemporaneous diaries and subsequent writings. The sources used include the diaries and recollections
of three Chiefs of the Army General Staff, Field-Marshals Rommel, von Rundstedt, von Bock, von Kliest, von Manstein,
numerous other senior generals, Hitler's military adjutants, ministers of his government and evidence from the Trial of the
Major War Criminals at Nuremberg. The question answered is whether or not there is a consistent thread in this
evidence.
Critique: Featuring a seciton of historic B/W photos, "Hitler's Imperfect Victories: Campaigns in Western Europe
1939-1941" is a fascinating, detailed, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that also includes a one page
bibliography of Suggestions for Further Reading, twelve pages of Notes, a two page Select Bibliography, and a nine page
Index. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99), "Hitler's Imperfect
Victories: Campaigns in Western Europe 1939-1941" is a strongly recommended pick for both community and
college/univesity library World War II History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Rex Bashford has been an avid student of military history at all periods during the whole of his life. He has
collected an extensive library with many source materials on a wide variety of historical subjects, especially the military
history of WW1 and WW2. He was admitted the Supreme Court of NSW as a Barrister in 1985 and has practiced as a
consultant to many of the largest companies in Australia.
Fighting for the French Foreign Legion
Nils Elmark
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399069151, $42.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-French-Foreign-Legion-Americans/dp/1399069152
Synopsis: On 24 August 1914, forty-four Americans joined the Foreign Legion and "with a cowboy swing" marched
through Paris, wildly cheered by the crowd. They were Ivy League graduates, artists and dreamers and soldiers of fortune
starting on equal terms as recruits in the French Army. They were the first Americans in the Great War, driven by a love
for France and a thirst for adventure with no idea of the horrors awaiting them. "Fighting for the French Foreign Legion:
Americans who joined the First World War in 1914" by journalist Nils Elmark is the amazing story of these American
legionnaires told by three of the young volunteers:
David Wooster King - a 21-year-old dropout from Harvard, son of a rich businessman. King survived four years in the
trenches ending as an officer in the US Army chasing German spies in Switzerland. He became a modern global adventurer
and when the world went to war again David King was the first to volunteer for an even greater adventure in North
Africa.
Alan Seeger - a 26-year-old poet and dreamer from a New York family of intellectuals. Seeger was killed during the Battle
of the Somme on 4 July 1916. Six weeks earlier, he wrote the famous poem, 'I Have a Rendezvous with Death' which was
to become his legacy and the favorite poem of President Kennedy. It has inspired a line of American presidents during the
20th century and is an indestructible poetic lifeline linking France and the United States of America.
Eugene James Bullard - the last of the three legionnaires and a 19-year-old entertainer and boxer from Columbus, Georgia.
His father was born a slave, his mother was Creek Indian. Although wounded at Verdun and invalided out of the French
Army, Bullard became the world's first black aviator. After the war he settled in Paris and ran a bar in Montmartre before
going to war for France again in 1940.
The three men represent different pillars of the American soul, and their lives and dreams symbolize the story of how
America became modern and remind us of the strong historic ties between France and America. Most of all, "Fighting for
the French Foreign Legion: Americans who joined the First World War in 1914" is a fantastic saga of brave men, great
adventures and terrific sacrifices that bring hope and a new direction in a time of human division.
Critique: A seminal study and an absorbing read from start to finish, "Fighting for the French Foreign Legion: Americans
who joined the First World War in 1914" is a unique and highly recommended pick for personal, community, and
college/university library World War I history and military biography collections. An ideal pick for supplemental World
War I curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Fighting for the French Foreign Legion: Americans who joined the First World
War in 1914" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Nils Elmark is a European journalist and non-fiction writer. He specializes in digging up near-forgotten
stories, and delights in revealing their exciting, hidden connections in modern history. With four books under his belt,
Fighting for the French Foreign Legion is his fifth book and second in English. Before becoming a reporter, he served in
the Danish Royal Guards.
Elite Bastards
Edward L. Dvorak
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781526789655, $37.95, HC, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elite-Bastards-Missions-Company-Vietnam/dp/1526789655
Synopsis: "Elite Bastards: The Combat Missions of Company F, LRP Teams in Vietnam" by Edward L. Dvorak is an
extraordinary first-person combat memoir of a special forces soldier at war.
Edward Dvorak joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam in the summer of 1967. He then joined Company F, 51st
Infantry, Long Range Patrol, Airborne. For Dvorak and his buddies of Company F, LRP, their real training started with the
MACV (Military Assistant Command Vietnam) Recondo School at the 5th Special Forces Compound in Nha Trang, South
Vietnam. That training culminated with an actual Combat LRP mission.
If you lived through the patrol, you graduated.
Dvorak would remain with Company F for 19 months going on dozens of combat patrols deep behind enemy lines. "Elite
Bastards: The Combat Missions of Company F, LRP Teams in Vietnam" is his story.
Critique: Rightly noted as 'The quintessential first-person combat memoir of a special forces soldier fighting in the jungles
of Vietnam', "Elite Bastards: The Combat Missions of Company F, LRP Teams in Vietnam" is enhanced with the inclusion
of a section of full color historic photos. A compelling and memorable read from start to finish, "Elite Bastards" is a high
value, seminal, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Vietnam
War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Elite Bastards: The Combat Missions of
Company F, LRP Teams in Vietnam" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49).
Editorial Note: Edward Dvorak voluntarily enlisted on May 1, 1967, for a 3-year tour of active duty in the US Army. After
three months in Vietnam, he volunteered for Company F, 51st Infantry, Long Range Patrol, Airborne. Company F was
formed from volunteers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and Company E from volunteers of the 101st Airborne Division.
The two LRP Companies eventually became the first two Long Range Patrol Companies of the 75th Ranger Regiment
when it was activated on 1 February 1969. He remained with Company F LRPs for 19 months and was promoted from a
Spec 4 to Staff Sergeant during that time period. He served in every position on a LRP Team, which culminated with his
promotion to the team leader (TL) for LRP Team 1-3. Among his many decorations, Dvorak earned the Combat Infantry
Badge (CIB), Silver Star, Bronze Star with "V" Device, and the Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf cluster (2 Purple
Hearts).
The Biography Shelf
Crusade to Heal America
Judith L. Pearson
Mayo Clinic Press
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org
9798887701561, $27.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Crusade-Heal-America-Remarkable-Lasker/dp/B0BRQTJRNR
Synopsis: "I am opposed to heart disease and cancer the way one is opposed to sin." With that as her battle cry, health
activist and philanthropist Mary Woodard Lasker had a singular goal: saving lives by increasing medical research.
Together with her husband, advertising genius Albert, they created the Lasker Foundation, bestowing the Lasker Awards.
Known as the "American Nobels," these became the most prestigious research awards in America. The Laskers' next step
was transforming the sleepy and ineffectual American Society for the Control of Cancer, reinventing it as the American
Cancer Society in 1944.
But the real increase in medical research funding occurred when Mary discovered a revolutionary source: the federal
government. "I'm just a catalytic agent," she would insist, while she tirelessly lobbied Congress and presidents alike. She
played a major role in expanding the National Institutes of Health from a single entity to the largest research facility in the
world.
A feminist who used her femininity wisely, Mary's ultimate victory was bringing together two political adversaries to help
launch the original cancer moonshot: the 1971 National Cancer Act.
"Crusade to Heal America: The Remarkable Life of Mary Lasker" by Judith L. Pearson is a deeply researched biography
that showcases the life and accomplishments of a woman who was savvy, steely, and deliberate.
Mary Lasker courageously positioned herself at the crossroads of politics, science, and medicine. At a time when women
in research laboratories and the halls of Congress were anomalies, she smashed stereotypes in the fashion of Jeannette
Rankin, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Shirley Chisholm. As eloquently described in this absorbing personal and professional
history, the country's march to conquer humanity's most feared maladies was well- fueled by its fearless and feisty crusader
-- Mary Lasker.
Critique: Informative, detailed, compelling, insightful, memorable and inspiring, "Crusade to Heal America: The
Remarkable Life of Mary Lasker" is an extraordinary and impressively well written biography that is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Women's Biography collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that 'Crusade to Heal America: The Remarkable Life of Mary Lasker" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Judith Pearson (https://judithlpearson.com) is the award-winning author of three previous books: The
Wolves at the Door, Belly of the Beast, and From Shadows to Life, which won the 2022 Nautilus Gold Award.
What Was Shakespeare Really Like?
Stanley Wells
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781009340373, $19.95, HC, 130pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Was-Shakespeare-Really-Like/dp/1009340379
Synopsis: Sir Stanley Wells is one of the world's greatest authorities on William Shakespeare. With the publication of
"What Was Shakespeare Really Like?" from the Cambridge University Press, he brings a lifetime of learning and
reflection to bear on some of the most tantalizing questions about the poet and dramatist that there are.
How did he think, feel, and work? What were his relationships like? What did he believe about death? What made him
laugh? This freshly thought and immensely engaging study wrestles with fundamental debates concerning Shakespeare's
personality and life.
The mysteries of how Shakespeare lived, whom and how he loved, how he worked, how he produced some of the greatest
and most abidingly popular works in the history of world literature and drama, have fascinated readers for centuries. This
concise, crystalline biography conjures illuminating insights to reveal Shakespeare as he was. Wells brings the writer and
dramatist alive, in all his fascinating humanity, for a new generation of readers.
Critique: Inherently interesting, insightful, absorbing, eloquent, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "What Was
Shakespeare Really Like?" by Professor Stanley Wells is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library biography collections and supplemental William Shakespeare curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, dedicated Shakespeare enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers that
"What Was Shakespeare Really Like?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Professor Sir Stanley Wells, CBE, FRSL, is Honorary President at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. His
many successful books include Shakespeare: For All Time (2002), Looking for Sex in Shakespeare (2004), Shakespeare &
Co. (2006), Shakespeare, Sex, and Love (2010) and Great Shakespeare Actors (2015). He is co-editor of The Cambridge
Companion to Shakespeare on Stage (with Sarah Stanton, Cambridge University Press, 2002), The New Cambridge
Companion to Shakespeare (with Margreta de Grazia, Cambridge University Press, 2010), The Shakespeare Circle: An
Alternative Biography (with Paul Edmondson, Cambridge University Press, 2015) and All the Sonnets of Shakespeare
(also with Paul Edmondson, Cambridge University Press, 2020). He is also the General Editor of the Oxford and Penguin
editions of Shakespeare. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Wells)
Like a Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith
Stephen C. Tayson
The University of Utah Press
www.uofupress.com
9781647691271, $95.00, HC, 469pp
https://www.amazon.com/Like-Fiery-Meteor-Joseph-Smith/dp/1647691273
Synopsis: Joseph F. Smith was born in 1838 to Hyrum Smith and Mary Fielding Smith. Six years later both his father and
his uncle, Joseph Smith Jr., the founding prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were murdered in
Carthage, Illinois. The trauma of that event remained with Joseph F. for the rest of his life, affecting his personal behavior
and public tenure in the highest tiers of the LDS Church, including the post of president from 1901 until his death in
1918.
It was Joseph F. Smith who laid the theological groundwork for modern Mormonism, especially the emphasis on temple
work. This contribution was capped off by his "revelation on the redemption of the dead," a prophetic glimpse into the
afterlife.
With the publication of "Like a Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith", Professor Stephen Taysom deftly traces the
roots of this vision, which reach far more deeply into Joseph F. Smith's life than other scholars and biographers have
previously identified.
"Like a Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith" is the first cradle-to-grave biography of Joseph F. Smith and utilizes
previously unavailable primary source materials to craft a deeply detailed, insightful story of a prominent member of a
governing and influential Mormon family. Most importantly, Professor Taysom situates Smith within the historical
currents of American westward expansion, rapid industrialization, settler colonialism, regional and national politics,
changing ideas about family and masculinity, and more.
Though some writers tend to view the LDS Church and its leaders through a lens of political and religious separatism,
Professor Taysom does the opposite, pushing Joseph F. Smith and the LDS Church closer to the centers of power in
Washington, DC, and elsewhere.
Critique: A inherently fascinating and impressively informative read from start to finish, "Like a Fiery Meteor: The Life of
Joseph F. Smith" is further enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of 'A Note on Sources', an eight page Bibliography,
sixty-four pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index. An extraordinary work of meticulous scholarship, exceptionally well
written, organized and presented, "Like a Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Biography and Mormon History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, members of the Mormon community, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Like
a Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith" is also available in a paperback edition (9781647691288, $34.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Stephen C. Taysom is a professor of philosophy and comparative religion at Cleveland State University. He
is the author of Shakers, Mormons, and Religious Worlds and editor of Dimensions of Faith: A Mormon Studies Reader,
as well as of numerous articles in academic journals.
The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I
Steven Veerapen
Birlinn
c/o Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781780278162, $34.95, HC, 432pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wisest-fool-steven-veerapen/1143241926
Synopsis: James VI and I was the first monarch to reign over Scotland, England and Ireland and has long endured a mixed
reputation. To many, he is simply the homosexual king, the inveterate witch-roaster, the smelly sovereign who never
washed, the colorless man behind the authorised Bible bearing his name, or the drooling fool whose speech could barely be
understood.
For too long, he has paled in comparison to his more celebrated Tudor and Stuart forebears. But who was he really? To
what extent have myth, anecdote, and rumour obscured him?
With the publication of "The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I" by Steven Veerapen is a new and
ground-breaking biography in which King James's story is laid bare and a welter of scurrilous, outrageous assumptions
penned by his political opponents put to rest.
What emerges is a portrait of Elizabeth I's successor as his contemporaries knew him: a gregarious, idealistic man obsessed
with the idea of family, whose personal and political goals could never match up to reality. With reference to letters, libels
and state papers, this seminal study casts fresh light on the personal, domestic, international and sexual politics of this
misunderstood sovereign.
Critique: In new and inherently fascinating biography, the life, times, and accomplishments of James VI and I (James
Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 - 27 March 1625) is carefully laid out with an impressive degree of meticulous research and
corrects a traditional welter of scurrilous assumptions penned by his political opponents which are diligently put to rest.
Based on primary and printed sources, along with fourteen pages of Notes and featuring a seventeen page Index, this
hardcover edition of "The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I" by Steven Veerapen is an impressive and
highly recommended addition to community and college/university library 16th & 17th English History and Royal
Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, dedicated Anglophiles, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The
Wisest Fool" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
Editorial Note: Steven Veerapen (https://www.stevenveerapen.com) was born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a
Mauritian father and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours
degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII's six wives.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Tales of Villa Diodati
Mary Shelley, et al.
Dover Publications, Inc.
www.doverpublications.com
9780486851365, $14.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Villa-Diodati-Origins-Science/dp/0486851362
Synopsis: In 1816, also known as "The Year Without a Summer", a group of pioneering writers gathered at Villa Diodati in
Lake Geneva, Switzerland, and, as a housebound pastime because of the inclement weather, wrote some of the most iconic
Gothic horror stories in English literature to pass the time.
Now from Dover Publications comes, "The Tales of Villa Diodati: The Origins of Iconic Science Fiction and Gothic
Horror", an anthology of original tales that arose from a legendary ghost story contest between friends confined indoors by
unseasonably dismal weather.
"We will each write a story", proposed Lord Byron. The challenge was the genesis of this blood-chilling anthology
blending the macabre, supernatural, and romance. The selections comprising "The Tales of Villa Diodati" include Mary
Shelley's Frankenstein (the first true science fiction novel), and John Polidori's "The Vampyre" (considered one of the
earliest examples of the romantic vampire genre). The story was inspired by Lord Byron's "A Fragment," which is also
included, as is Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Fragment of a Ghost Story." These spine-tingling tales have enthralled generations
of readers for centuries.
Critique: While very highly recommended as a core addition to personal, community, and college/university library 19th
Century Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Tales of Villa Diodati: The Origins of Iconic Science Fiction and Gothic Horror" is also readily available from
Dover Publications in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.00).
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Friends With Benefits
Laura Carter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785135507, $41.00, PB, Large Print, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Benefits-Laura-Carter/dp/1785135503
Synopsis: A high-flying investor, New Yorker Jake Harrington loves a lot of things about living in London: his lucrative
hedge fund job, the way British women melt at the sound of an American accent, being thousands of miles away from the
girl who betrayed him. And, oh yes, his just-sex arrangement with his gorgeous roommate, Jess.
Jess (his sexy British flatmate) has a deal with Jake suits her fine. No commitments, no risk of being hurt again, just fun
and friendship. And friends do each other favors, like agreeing to go on a trip to New York where Jake will have to face
his past.
The result is a vacation that will change everything. What friends shouldn't do? Suddenly find themselves feeling
something much more complicated than simple lust. When "no strings" is no longer enough, will Jake be willing to take
the ultimate gamble?
Critique: A deftly crafted and modern romance, "Friends With Benefits" by novelist Laura Carter is original, artfully
written, thought-provoking, daydream inducing, and thoroughly fun read from start to finish. This large print paperback
edition of "Friends With Benefits" from Boldwood Books is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists
and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Laura Carter (www.lauracarterauthor.com) writes romance and women's fiction with a romantic slant.
Exploring everyday relationships and getting under the skin of her characters is her passion. She takes inspiration from
everything she overhears in cafes, so be wary of that strange woman 'listening' to music next time you're chatting over
coffee. Laura lives with her family in Jersey, Channel Islands. Laura can be followed on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/lauracarterauthor), Twitter (@LCarterAuthor) and Instagram (@lauracarterauthor).
In The Greek Midwinter
Mandy Baggot
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781805493716, $41.00, Trade Paperback, Large Print, 530pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-greek-midwinter-mandy-baggot/1143755341
Synopsis: It was supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime. But when Jen's boyfriend David suddenly cancels their romantic
Paris trip, needing to urgently travel to Athens for work, it's best friend Bonnie who suggests they surprise him.
Having already booked the time off from her events company (Christmas Every Day) Jen decides an impromptu and
romantic gesture might be just what their relationship needs? Arriving in Greece and finding David is not there, Jen has a
lot of questions. And when she gets her answers she has a choice - should she go home or should she stay a while?
With the help of Astro, the handsome yet Christmas-hating waiter from the local bar, she sets about a little Greek
Christmas research. But what starts as a 'business trip' soon turns into something more!
Critique: A thoroughly fun read from start to finish, this large print, trade paperback edition from Boldwood Books of "In
the Greek Midwinter" by Mandy Baggot will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in romantic comedy set
in modern day Greece. With a genuine flair for originality and a thorough mastery of the Rom-Com genre, author Mandy
Baggot's "In the Greek Midwinter" is particularly and enthusiastically recommended for both personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Romance/Comedy collections.
Editorial Note: Mandy Baggot (www.mandybaggot.com) is best-known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies
featuring strong heroines, gorgeous heroes and always that happy-ever-after! The winner of the Innovation in Romantic
Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance, her novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic
Novelists' Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy's books have so far been translated into
Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian and Italian. Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and splits her time
between living in Wiltshire, UK and Corfu, Greece.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Fool's Gold
Eric Niven
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850413, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 252pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Fool's%20Gold
Synopsis: Trouble struck with the powerful boom from a large caliber rifle, the sound quickly evaporating like a rare
morning mist in the hot desert air. The Whip felt the passing of the heavy slug as it blasted a hole in his hat and then tore
off some wood molding on the back of the stagecoach before kicking up dust in the road. Whoever was shooting had just
barely missed him, and the Whip knew he was in serious trouble. He leaned over, creating a smaller profile, and began
yelling and snapping the reins on the rumps of his four-horse team in a desperate attempt to increase their pace.
Critique: The gun play action is fast and furious from start to finish in author Eric Niven's western novel "Fool's Gold".
First published in Great Britain in 2020, "Fool's Gold" is now readily available to American fans of the western genre with
the publication of a large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series. Original, well crafted,
memorable, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Fool's Gold" will be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for
personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Eric Niven lives and works in the actual area where his western books take place. Among his close friends
are cowboys, ranchers, farmers and even a competitive gun slinger. He lives with his wife Cathi on a ten acre spread at the
base of the Blue Mountains in rugged southeastern Utah. When he is not researching or writing, Eric is commonly found
jawing with friends at the local hardware store.
Where Guns Talk
Sheldon B. Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850406, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 198pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-guns-talk-sheldon-b-cole/1137640896
Synopsis: Ahead was a cold-blooded killer, and an innocent woman who wanted to believe he was no such thing. Behind
was a God-fearing tyrant by the name of Isaac Madie, and Madie's three sons, all of them with vengeance in mind. And
Blake Durant was caught smack in the middle. He wanted to rescue the woman and return a fortune in gold bullion to its
rightful owners. But Madie had other ideas. And if it came to that, so did Ringo Nyall, the killer who'd set his mind on the
gold...and the girl!
Critique: Non-stop action and a compelling western adventure, they just don't come better that "Where Guns Talk" by
Sheldon B. Cole. Originally published in 1967 and now readily available for personal reading lists and community library
Western Fiction collections in a large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series, "Where Guns Talk"
is a welcome and highly recommended read for all dedicated western fans.
Editorial Note: Editorial Note: Editorial Note: There is a comprehensive and available listing of Sheldon B. Cole's novels
at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19648928.Sheldon_B_Cole
Coyote Terror
James Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850475, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 264pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coyote-terror-james-clay/1137640886
Synopsis: Range detective Rance Dehner arrives in Conrad, Texas for a few days of fishing, and finds himself in the midst
of trouble. Akando, who heads a band of Indian renegades, has demanded that the town bans Indian children from
attending its school. He threatens that if his orders are defied, Conrad will be attacked by Coyote, a mythical creature of
Indian lore. Schoolmarm Angie Knowland is determined to keep the school open to all children, and is supported by the
Wichita chief Sahale. But a series of gruesome murders terrifies the townspeople, and leads to explosions of violence and
the possible demise of Rance Dehner!
Critique: A deftly scripted and compelling read from beginning to end, "Coyote Terror" by western novelist James Clay is
now available and highly recommended in a large print paperback edition and an ideal pick for the personal reading lists of
dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is a complete listing of books by western author James Clay on GoodReads at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/201553.James_Clay
Only The Fastest
Adam Brady
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850437, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 191pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-the-fastest-adam-brady/1137640889
Synopsis: Old Dick Clayton and his niece Hope were in big trouble. The local land baron, bully-boy Aldo Latimer, wanted
their ranch - at any cost. But what made the old Clayton place worth so much to him? Why was he willing to try every dirty
trick in the book to get it? All Dick and Hope knew was that they needed protection...and when Buck Halliday rode in, they
figured they'd found it. Buck wasn't looking for gun-work right then, but he liked the pair. So he signed on. But the stakes
were so high that soon he wasn't sure who he could really trust...
Critique: Adam Brady is a master of the action/adventure western genre and "Only The Fastest" is one of his very best. A
simply riveting read from start to finish, This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is a
welcome pick for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Editorial Note: There is a substantial listing of Adam Brady westerns available at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4832559.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Hercule Poirot's Silent Night
Sophie Hannah
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780062991638, $30.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hercule-Poirots-Silent-Poirot-Mysteries/dp/0062991639
Synopsis: It's December 19, 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are looking forward to a much-needed,
restful Christmas holiday, when they are called upon to investigate the murder of a man in a Norfolk hospital ward.
Cynthia Catchpool, Edward's mother, insists that Poirot stay with her in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can
all be together for the festive period while he solves the case.
As Poirot digs into the mystery, he discovers that the murdered man was a retired post office master, and by all accounts
very well-liked. The local constabulary's investigation failed to uncover how someone could have entered a hospital room
and killed him under the noses of the staff. Cynthia's friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital, and his
wife is convinced he will be the killer's next victim, though she refuses to explain why.
With no obvious motive or suspect, Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to
escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else (someone utterly
ruthless) also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot.
Critique: Talented novelist Sophie Hannah brings back one of the legendary Agatha Christie's greatest detectives in a new
and baffling 'whodunnit' Christmas murder mystery with the publication of "Hercule Poirot's Silent Night". Exceptionally
well written and true to the original characterization of the Belgian detective, this new Hercule Poirot mystery will delight
the legions of Poirot fans and prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hercule Poirto's Silent Majority" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio,
9798212699174, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Sophie Hannah (www.sophiehannah.com) is an internationally bestselling crime fiction writer whose books
have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her crime novels have been translated into 49 languages and published in 51
countries. Her psychological thriller The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the 2013 UK National Book
Awards. In 2014 and 2016, Sophie published The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket, the first new Hercule Poirot
mysteries since Agatha Christie's death, both of which were national and international bestsellers. She went on to publish a
third, The Mystery of Three Quarters in 2018 which was an instant bestseller, and her fourth Poirot novel, Sophie helped to
create a Master's Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher
and Course Director. She is also the founder of the Dream Author Coaching Programme for writers which launched in
September 2019.
Rim of the Pit
Hake Talbot
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613164655, $15.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rim-Pit-American-Mystery-Classic/dp/1613164653
Synopsis: "I came here to make a dead man change his mind."
So begins a creepy and unusual mystery celebrated to this day as one of the greatest "impossible crime" novels of all
time.
When a family's promise to protect the beloved pine grove of their dead father creates a financial strain, a seance is
suggested to summon the ghost of the late logger and ask its permission. A mixed group of skeptics and believers convene
at a snow-bound lodge to call the spirit with a group that includes a gambler, a businessman, a clairvoyant, a professor, and
a refugee, among others. With so many diverse interests at the table, the tensions run high -- but when one of the
participants ends up dead, there is reason to suspect that a nefarious spirit is to blame.
The body is discovered in a locked room, impenetrable from the outside -- just one of many bizarre and inexplicable
circumstances surrounding the scene of the crime. There is also the trail of footprints in the snow, beginning and ending
amid a field of untouched powder; another on the roof, with the tracks leading for a short distance before vanishing into
nothingness; and, there are fingerprints on a gun suspended at an unreachable height...
Supernatural undertones and eerie atmosphere clear away in the third act to present a logical conclusion to the case, teasing
out the clues and murder methods that unscrupulous readers may have missed. With its off-beat exposition, puzzling plot
and exceptional prose, "Rim of the Pit" is a cult classic of the Golden Age era deserving of a wide audience today.
Critique: Another time-lost treasure brought back into print by American Mystery Classics for a new generation of
appreciative readers, "Rim of the Pit" is an inherently fascinating, deftly crafted, and unreservedly recommended pick for
community and college/university library traditional detective and amateur sleuth 'whodunnit' murder mystery collections.
It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery fans that "Rim of the Pit" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Hake Talbot was the pen name of the American writer Henning Nelms (November 30, 1900 - May 1986).
Nelms reserved his real name for writing non-fiction about showmanship (his chief occupation was as a stage magician),
but wrote several mysteries and stories under the Talbot moniker.
Murder At The Abbey
Sue Cook
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851830, $24.50, PB, Large Print, 318pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-the-abbey-sue-cook/1143941421
Synopsis: 1536. England. Abbey cook Agnes Morrow nurses a secret that she dares not let Abbot Mark de Winter discover
-- not yet, anyway. Not until she is sure he is ready for it. But then King Henry VIII's men come to strip the abbey of its
treasures, and two murders threaten to destroy all her hopes. Will her future happiness be torn asunder, or will her
long-cherished dreams come true?
Critique: First published in England in 2020 and now available to an American readership in a large print paperback
edition from Linford Romance Library, "Murder At The Abbey" is an original and creatively crafted historical novel of
romance and murder in the reign of King Henry VIII. A splendidly written and thoroughly fun read from first page to last,
this new edition of "Murder At The Abby" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists
as well as community library Historical Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Sue Cook writes short and long stories for the women's fiction market. Her novels include contemporary or
historical romance sprinkled with crime, intrigue or suspense. You will find her short stories in The People's Friend and
My Weekly.She lives in a damp and windy corner of northwest England with her husband and five ducks. She finds
writing a marvelous antidote to the urge to do housework.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
All the Hidden Paths
Foz Meadows
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250829306, $29.99, HC, 528pp
https://www.amazon.com/All-Hidden-Paths-Tithenai-Chronicles/dp/1250829305
Synopsis: With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin
and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage
are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they're summoned north to Tithena's capital city, Qi-Xihan, to
present themselves to its monarch.
With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother's heir and Velasin's old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace
they've managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae's recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel
struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him
now. Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan's court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the
skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive.
Because there's more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail -- and they
will resort to murder if needed.
Critique: The sequel to Foz Meadows's "A Strange and Stubborn Endurance" and the second volume in the author's
Tithenai Chronicles series, "All the Hidden Paths" is a sultry, political and romantic fantasy that explores gender, sexuality,
identity, and self-worth. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and
strongly recommended as an addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections, "All The Hidden Paths" will have a
very special appeal to readers with an interest in action, adventure, romance, fantasy, and LGBTQ fiction.
Editorial Note: Foz Meadows (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foz_Meadows) is a queer Australian author, essayist,
reviewer and poet. They have won two Best Fan Writer awards (a Hugo Award in 2019 and a Ditmar Award in 2017) for
yelling on the internet, and have also received the Norma K. Hemming Award in 2018 for their queer Shakespearean
novella, Coral Bones. Their essays, reviews, poetry and short fiction have appeared in various venues, including Uncanny,
Apex Magazine, Goblin Fruit, HuffPost, and Strange Horizons.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Erdogan: A Graphic Biography
Can Dundar, author
Anwar, illustrator
L.L. Kreider, translator
Arsenal Pulp Press
www.arsenalpulp.com
9781551529219, $24.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Erdo%C4%9Fan-Graphic-Biography-Turkeys-Autocrat/dp/1551529211
Synopsis: One of the world's most divisive and controversial leaders, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ruled over Turkey as
either prime minister or president since 2003. "Erdogan: A Graphic Biography: The Rise of Turkey's Modern Autocrat" by
Can Dundar is a graphic biography that sheds light on the origins of Turkey's most powerful man, from his youth as a
budding soccer player to his years spent navigating Turkey's political landscape, including the founding of the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2001.
Situated at the crossroads between Europe and Asia with a population of 84 million, Turkey is a growing economic
powerhouse with a geopolitically strategic location. As its leader, the Islamic, conservative Erdogan has had a polarizing
effect on the country's populace; some applaud his economic and political reforms, while others decry his autocratic,
iron-fisted rule which has included the jailing of opponents, the crushing of free speech and the rights of LGBTQ+ people
and others, and an ongoing war waged against the country's Kurdish minority.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and featuring compelling illustrations by Egyptian-Sudanese comic artist Anwar, and
ably translated into English by L.L. Kreider, "Erdogan: A Graphic Biography: The Rise of Turkey's Modern Autocrat"
provides a critical and dramatic context for understanding Erdogan's convictions and contradictions as a demagogue for
whom democracy has been merely a means to power. Also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format
(Kindle, $11.99), "Erdogan: A Graphic Biography: The Rise of Turkey's Modern Autocrat" is a highly recommended pick
for both community and college/university library Contemporary Biography collections.
Editorial Note: Author Can Dundar, a Turkish journalist and contributor to the Washington Post now living in exile in
Germany, spent several years researching "Erdogan: A Graphic Biography: The Rise of Turkey's Modern Autocrat".
The Audiobook Shelf
The Witch's Lens
Luanne G. Smith, author
Gail Shalan, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400147807, $19.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 41 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Lens-Novel-Order-Seven/dp/B0BTPN3J27
Synopsis: With her husband off fighting at World War I's eastern front, Petra Kurkova embraces her fleeting freedom,
roaming the city at night with her camera. A born witch, she's discovered that she can capture the souls of the dead on
film.
Her supernatural skills don't go unnoticed by the enigmatic Josef Svoboda. He's recruiting a team of sorcerers to infiltrate
the front lines, where the bloodshed of combat has resurrected foul creatures. Petra's unique abilities will be needed against
the most dangerous enemies of all -- those ever present, undead, and unseen.
Deep in the cursed Carpathian Mountains, the ragtag team meets with an emissary of an ancient organization founded to
maintain balance between worlds. Photographing the escalating horrors is beyond anything Petra imagined. So are the
secrets among her fellow witches. But Petra can't turn back. Not before she discovers her husband's fate and the myriad
ways her magic is manifesting.
To defeat an occult foe, Petra must release the power she's been concealing for so long, or risk damning a war-torn world
to ashes.
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of dark fantasy set in the era of World War I, author Luanne G. Smith's novel, "The
Witch's Lens" is vividly, expressively, and brilliantly performed by the impressive storytelling talents of professional
narrator Gail Shalan. The result is a complete and unabridged audio book production from Brilliance Audio that will prove
to be an outstanding addition to personal and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Luanne G. Smith (www.luannegsmith.com) is also the author of The Raven Spell, The Vine Witch, The
Glamourist, and The Conjurer.
Editorial Note #2: Gail Shalan (https://www.gailshalan.com) has worked with Shakespeare and Company, Williamstown
Theatre Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, and others before her passion for storytelling propelled her to Boston, New
York, Rome, London, and Bristol, earning her MFA in Acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and performing at
renowned venues such as The Bristol Old Vic, Edinburgh Fringe, Cherry Lane, and St. Ann's Warehouse. She brings her
diverse background of experience in performance and training to all of her work.
Tempted: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Lexi Blake, author
Ryan West, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501207785, $9.99, MP3-CD (5 Hours 51 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Tempted-Masters-Mercenaries-Novella-Nights/dp/1501207784
Synopsis: When West Rycroft left his family's ranch to work in the big city, he never dreamed he would find himself
surrounded by celebrities and politicians. Working at McKay-Taggart as a bodyguard and security expert quickly taught
him how to navigate the sometimes shark-infested waters of the elite. While some would come to love that world, West
has seen enough to know it's not for him, preferring to keep his distance from his clients -- until the day he meets Ally
Pearson.
Growing up in the entertainment world, Ally was always in the shadow of others, but now she has broken out from behind
the scenes for her own day in the spotlight. The paparazzi isn't fun, but she knows all too well that it's part of the gig. She
has a good life and lots of fans, but someone has been getting too close for comfort and making threats. To be safe, she
hires her own personal knight in shining armor, a cowboy hottie by the name of West. They clash in the beginning, but the
minute they fall into bed together something magical happens.
Just as everything seems too good to be true, they are both reminded that there was a reason Ally needed a bodyguard. Her
problems have found her again, and this time West will have to put his life on the line or lose everything they've
found.
Critique: Deftly and expertly narrated by the rather impressive storytelling talents of Ryan Wess, the novella, and
flawlessly produced by Brilliance Audio, "Tempted" by author Lexi Blake is certain to be an enduringly appreciated,
complete and unabridged addition to both personal and community library Contemporary Romance audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lexi Blake (http://www.lexiblake.net) began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and
journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to
find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome
may seem.
Editorial Note #2: Ryan West (https://podiumaudio.com/performer/ryan-west) is the proud narrator of nearly 200 titles
written by numerous New York Times bestselling authors around the country and around the world. He lives in Brooklyn,
NY and is eternally grateful for the romance audiobook fan community -- the most loyal and passionate fans in the
world.
Darkest Need: A Dark Ones Novella
Rachel Van Dyken, author
Aiden Snow, Tamika Katon-Donegal, and Oliver Clarke, narrators
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501208201, $14.99, MP3-CD (3 Hours 26 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Need-Dark-Novella-Nights/dp/1501208209
Synopsis: I see everything. I feel everything. I watch people fall in love. I watch them burn with hate, anger, rage, and I see
the cycle repeat over and over again. I take it on every night I work at Timber, aka Anubis's bar in downtown Seattle, and
then I help the rest of the immortals keep the very intense balance between Heaven and Earth.
I see everyone's future but mine, and when I try to look, all I see is darkness, despair, need... Until she walks into my bar
with bruises on her face, getting pulled by one of the lesser demons. I do what any good bartender would do. I beat him
within an inch of his life and turn my eyes to her.
By then, it's too late. She already has me in her grasp. A succubus that has no other plan than to suck me clean of every
inch of power that's been bestowed on me by the Heavens.
I never thought my future involved getting kidnapped and tied up or that I'd die by way of sex -- then again, maybe that's
for the best. Dying at the hands of my enemy rather than being one more burden to my already mated friends. After all,
giving into one last need before death, while selfish, may be exactly what my darkness means.
My need is great. -- And she's about to find out just how much!
Critique: Original, fascinating, riveting, and a distinct treat for fans of dark fantasy stories and a highly recommended pick
for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections, this complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio
edition of author Rachoel Van Dyken's novella, "Darkest Need" is brought vividly to life in a true theatre of the mind
experinece by the collaborative storytelling talents of co-narrators Aiden Snow, Tamika Katon-Donegal, and Oliver
Clarke.
Editorial Note: Rachel Van Dyken (https://rachelvandykenauthor.com/about) is the author of over 90 books ranging from
contemporary romance to paranormal. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first
romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting
edge of the reader experience.
Straw Dogs of the Universe
Ye Chun, author
Nancy Wu, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501219337, $29.99, MP3-CD (11 Hours 56 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Straw-Dogs-Universe-Ye-Chun/dp/1501219332
Synopsis: A sweeping historical novel of the American West from the little-seen perspective of those who helped to build
it, "Straw Dogs of the Universe" by Ye Chun traces the story of one Chinese father and his young daughter, desperate to
find him against all odds.
After her village is devastated by famine, 10-year-old Sixiang is sold to a human trafficker for a bag of rice and six silver
coins. Her mother is reluctant to let her go, but the promise of a better life for her beloved daughter ultimately sways her.
Arriving in America with the profits from her sale and a single photograph of Guifeng, her absent father, Sixiang journeys
across an unfamiliar American landscape in the hopes of reuniting her family.
As she makes her way through an unforgiving new world, her father, a railroad worker in California, finds his attempts to
build a life for himself both upended and defined by along-lost love and the seemingly inescapable violence of the
American West. A generational saga ranging from the villages of China to the establishment of the transcontinental
railroad and the anti-Chinese movement in California, Straw Dogs of the Universe considers the tenacity of family ties and
the courage it takes to survive in a country that rejects you, even as it relies upon your labor.
Critique: With a particular appeal for fans American western historical fiction from an Asian immigrant perspective, this
complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio edition of Ye Chun's "Straw Dogs of the Universe" as expertly and effectively
performed by professional narrator Nancy Wu is an extraordinary and welcome pick for both personal and community
library Historical Fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Ye Chun (https://www.yechunauthor.com) is a bilingual Chinese American writer and literary translator.
Her debut story collection, Hao, was longlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. She is also
the author of two books of poetry, Travel Over Water and Lantern Puzzle; a novel in Chinese, Peach Tree in the Sea; and
four volumes of translations. A recipient of an NEA Literature Fellowship, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award, and
three Pushcart Prizes, she teaches at Providence College and lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Editorial Note #2: Nancy Wu (https://nancywuvoice.com) is an award-winning audiobook narrator who specializes in
emotive storytelling, wild and wacky characters, and difficult accents. She is known for magically bringing stories to life.
Her work is consistently featured in AudioFile Magazine, The New York Times, and other top publications.
A Fire in the Flesh
Jennifer L. Armentrout, author
Stina Nielsen, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781978699755, $34.99, MP3-CD (24 Hours 4 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Flesh/dp/1978699751
Synopsis: After a startling betrayal ends with both Sera and the dangerously seductive ruler of the Shadowlands she has
fallen madly in love with being held captive by the false King of the Gods, there is only one thing that can free Nyktos and
prevent the forces of the Shadowlands from invading Dalos and igniting a War of Primals.
Convincing Kolis won't be easy, though -- not even with a lifetime of training. While his most favored Revenant is
insistent that she is nothing more than a lie, Kolis's erratic nature and twisted sense of honor leave her shaken to the core,
and nothing could've prepared her for the cruelty of his Court or the shocking truths revealed. The revelations not only
upend what she has understood about her duty and the very creation of the realms but also draw into question exactly what
the true threat is.
However, surviving Kolis is only one part of the battle. The Ascension is upon her, and Sera is out of time.
But Nyktos will do anything to keep Sera alive and give her the life she deserves. He'll even risk the utter destruction of the
realms, and that's exactly what will happen if he doesn't Ascend as the Primal of Life. Yet despite his desperate
determination, their destinies may be out of their hands.
But there is that foreseen unexpected thread -- the unpredictable, unknown, and unwritten. The only thing more powerful
than the Fates!
Critique: This complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio edition of "Fire in the Flesh" by Jennifer L. Armentrout, is a
compelling dark fantasy novel that is brilliantly narrated by Stina Nielsen and will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Science Fiction/Fantasy audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer L. Armentrout (https://jenniferlarmentrout.com) is an accomplished novelist who also writes
under the name J. Lynn.
Editorial Note #2: Stina Nielsen (https://stinanielsen.com) is a New York based actress who has performed in Film, TV,
Broadway, London's West End, and at many American Regional Theaters. She has recorded over 250 audiobooks and her
work has been recognized with numerous awards.
Deadlands
Victoria Miluch
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400132544, $19.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 24 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Deadlands-Novel-Victoria-Miluch/dp/B0BN8PZHCF
Synopsis: Only the most hardened survivalists can endure living in the scorched deadlands of the former state of Arizona.
Among them is nineteen-year-old Georgia Reno, who lives in an isolated desert settlement with her father and younger
brother. Roads don't exist here; visitors are more dark fairy tale than reality.
But when two mysterious strangers arrive on their land, Georgia begins to question her sheltered existence. Soon, her
tentative curiosity blooms into a fledgling desire to leave the settlement, even if it means venturing into a world her father
has only ever warned against.
As their tenuous situation deteriorates, Georgia uncovers secrets about the visitors that could threaten her family's fragile
existence in the desert. But to leave the newcomers at the hands of her father could put everyone's lives at risk -- and force
Georgia into an impossible decision.
Critique: With the publication of Victoria Miluch's debut novel, "Deadlines", this complete and unabridged audio book
edition effectively and vividly narrated by Laura Jennings will have a very special attraction for listeners with an interest in
Dystopian Fiction and is a welcome addition to personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Victoria Miluch (https://www.victoriamiluch.com) is a fiction writer and translator whose work has
appeared in journals such as Passages North, Southeast Review, Asymptote, and Arkansas International. She is the
recipient of a Fulbright fellowship and has served as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Editorial Note #2: Laura Jennings (https://www.laurajenningsnarrates.com) is an Earphones Award Winning and holds a
Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Laura has an intrinsic appreciation of the mechanisms and techniques
which comprise the art of the tale. She's able to analyze the underlying moods and currents of a book and bring these into
her interpretation of the author's work. Her character work has listeners rechecking audible making sure there is only one
narrator. She has narrated titles for major publishers but is just as proud of her work with independent authors.
Bluebeard's Castle
Anna Biller, author
Samantha Hydeson, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400124204, $19.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 34 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Castle-Novel-Anna-Biller/dp/B0BSNKRDFM
Synopsis: When the successful British mystery writer Judith Moore meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a
birthday party on the Cornish coast, his love transforms her from a bitter, lonely young woman into a romance heroine
overnight. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a secluded Gothic castle. But soon she finds
herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband's mysterious nature and his alternation between charm and violence become
increasingly frightening.
As Judith battles both internal and external demons, including sexual ambivalence, psychological self-torture, gaslighting,
family neglect, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, she becomes increasingly addicted to her wild beast of a husband. Why do
women stay in abusive relationships? The answer can be found in the tortured mind of the protagonist, whose richly
layered fantasy life parallels that of the female Gothic romance reader. Filled with dark humor and evocative imagery,
Bluebeard's Castle is a subversive take on modern romance and Gothic erotica.
Critique: Impressively original, inherently fascinating and vividly brought to life with the narrative storytelling skills of
Samantha Hydeson in this complete and unabridged audio book edition of Anna Biller's debut novel, "Bluebeard's Castle",
will prove a highly prized pick for personal and community library Gothic/Psychological Thriller Fiction audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Anna Biller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Biller) is an independent filmmaker. The New York
Times called her film The Love Witch "a hothouse filled with deadly and seductive blooms;" Indiewire called it "a
spellbinding feminist delight;" and Rotten Tomatoes listed her as one of "The 21 Masters of Horror Shaping the Genre
Right Now." The hashtag #thelovewitch has gone viral on Tiktok, with over 72 million views to date. She is a member of
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the writer's branch, and is represented for her film work by
WME.
Editorial Note #2: Samantha Hydeson (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6245227) is a young actress and screenwriter
originally from Northern California. She started acting in elementary school and has studied classical drama, Shakespeare,
screen acting, and voiceover. After performing lead roles in multiple short films and making it to the second round of the
Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Samantha signed with KMR & Associates.
Exorcism
Han Song, author
Kenneth Lee, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400144844, $19.99, MP3-CD (15 Hours 28 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Exorcism-Hospital-2-Han-Song/dp/B0BSQGXS9V
Synopsis: Yang Wei wakes to find himself still a patient at the hospital. Somehow, he's aged decades overnight and is
confined to the geriatric ward on a massive Hospital ship as it floats along a blood red sea full of unsightly things. But
human remains and sea nymphs are perhaps nothing compared to the goings-on belowdecks.
The doctors are nowhere to be found, replaced by a procession of medical robots from whom, of course, no information
can be gleaned. So Yang Wei, along with a small group of patients (all just as aged as he is) venture out to explore the
uncharted depths of the ship and the answers that are surely hidden within.
As they delve deeper into both the ship and why they're on it, every uncovered secret comes with its own questions. The
only thing Yang Wei can be sure of is that the more he learns, the less he understands... and the less he truly wants to
know.
Critique: An original, exceptional, and deftly crafted science fiction mystery that is a highly recommended as a very special
addition for both personal and community library audio book collections, Han Song's "Exorcism" is narrated with a
riveting performance by Kenneth Lee in this complete and unabridged MP3-CD edition from Brilliance Audio.
Editorial Note #1: Han Song is a journalist with Xinhua News Agency and one of China's leading science fiction writers. A
native of Chongqing, Han earned an MA in journalism from Wuhan University; he began writing in 1982 and has
published numerous volumes of fiction and essays. His novels include The Red Sea, Red Star over America, the Rails
trilogy (Subway, High-Speed Rail, and Orbits), and the Hospital trilogy (Hospital, Exorcism, and Dead Souls), which has
been described as a new landmark in dystopian fiction. Han is a six-time winner of the Chinese Galaxy Award for fiction
and a repeat recipient of the Xingyun Award. His short fiction has appeared in the collections Broken Stars and The
Reincarnated Giant and the anthology Exploring Dark Short Fiction: A Primer to Han Song.
Editorial Note #2: Kenneth Lee (http://www.ikennethlee.com) is an actor, director, writer, and thinker.
The Dissent
Leah Vernon, author
Alaska Jackson, et al., narrators
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400124228, $19.99, MP3-CD (13 Hours 39 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Dissent-Union-Leah-Vernon/dp/B0BS1VV51H
Synopsis: A thousand years into the future, a Black elite class reigns while the underclass toils at their feet. With her
society's future hanging in the balance, young Avi Jore enters into an arranged marriage. But the ceremony turns violent
when the servants rebel and kill Avi's father.
In the aftermath of General Jore's death, Avi and her sister Jade vie for power in a vicious contest. As the rightful heir, Avi
has no choice but to defend what's hers -- at any cost. With her loyalties tested and her enemies closing in, Avi must rely
on her sister Saige, who searches for allies outside the Union's walls.
As Avi and Saige navigate threats and betrayals in the wake of worsening unrest, they forge a path forward that could
forever change their turbulent world.
Critique: This complete and unabridged MP3-CD audio book edition Leah Vernon's dystopian novel, "The Dissent" is
expertly narrated by the vocal acting talents of co-narrators Alaska Jackson, Sisi Aisha Johnson, and Kirby Heyborne. Of
special and particular interest to science fiction fans, "The Dissent" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular
addition to personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note: Leah Vernon is an author, a body-positivity activist, and the first international plus-size hijabi model.
During her double master's program, she started a blog about being a fat Black Muslim in Detroit and experiencing
everything from eating disorders to anti-Blackness. She's been featured in ads from Target to Dove, and she even made it
to the New York Times and HuffPost. She currently resides in New York City. She can be connect with her on Instagram,
@lvernon2000, and on her website, www.leahvernon.com
Consort of Fire
Kit Rocha, author
Caitlin Elizabeth, et al., narrators
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491594698, $19.99, MP3-CD (12 Hours 32 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Consort-Fire-Bound-Steel/dp/1491594691
Synopsis: For three thousand years, an ancient dragon god has protected the borders of the Sheltered Lands. In return, he
makes only one demand: every one hundred years, the mortal ruler must send their heir to serve as his consort... for as long
as they can survive.
Sachielle of House Roquebarre is the thirty-first consort to be sacrificed to the monster who guards the mountain passes.
She is young, beautiful -- and she has three secrets.
First: she's a disposable orphan trained in seduction.
Second: her handmaid, Zanya, is an assassin and the only person she has ever loved.
Third (and most dangerous) she is cursed.
Sachi and Zanya have five weeks to murder the Dragon in his bed. If they fail, the mortal king's curse will steal not just
Sachi's life, but her very soul.
The Dragon has only one secret: he is nothing like what they have been told. And he will do whatever it takes to possess
them both.
Critique: Original and of particular interest to fans of fantasy and dragons, and unreservedly recommended for personal
and community library audio book collectoins, "Consort of Fire" by novelist Kit Rocha is brilliantly performed in a true
'theatre of the mind' experience by co-narrators Catelin Elizabeth, Victoria Mei, Will Thorne, and Adenerele is this
complete and unabridged MP3-CD audio book edition from Brilliance Audio.
Editorial Note: Kit Rocha (www.kitrocha.com( is the pseudonym for cowriting team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges.
After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas, and stories as Moira Rogers, they reinvented themselves by writing
the nine-book multiple-award-winning (and extremely steamy) Beyond series, which became an instant cult favorite. They
followed it up with two spin-off series, including the popular Mercenary Librarians trilogy published by Tor. Now they're
leaping into sexy epic fantasy with happily ever afters. Their favorite stories are about messy worlds, strong women, and
falling in love with the people who love you just the way you are. When they're not writing, they can be found crafting
handmade jewelry, caring too much about video games, or freaking out about their favorite books or TV shows, all of
which are chronicled on their various social media accounts.
1001 Dark Nights: Christmas in Cape May
Jennifer Probst, author
Alexander Cendese, narrator
Lynn Wright, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501208263. $14.99, MP3-CD (4 Hours 3 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Cape-May-Sunshine-Sisters/dp/1501208268
Synopsis: Devon Pratt loves many things in life. The beauty of flowers. The yin and yang of energy. The power of
positivity in people. And everything to do with the Christmas season.
As a floral shop owner in the beach town of Cape May, she looks forward to decorating both the town and running the
annual holiday party to benefit the local animal shelter. Too bad the new owner of her favorite venue is more like the
Grinch than Santa. Working with him will be a challenge, but she's too full of seasonal cheer to let him annoy her,
right?
Jameson Franklin hates many things in life. Crowds. Fake cheer. Ostentatious decor. And especially Christmas. The season
is full of things he'd rather avoid, but since taking over the popular restaurant Vintage temporarily for his cousin as a favor,
he's trying to play nice with the locals. Too bad the florist is insisting on overrunning his sacred space with blooms, dogs,
and an endless positive persistence that pushes all of his buttons.
But when too many heated confrontations lead to heated encounters, he begins to wonder what it would be like to love not
only Christmas, but Devon Pratt. -- Let the festivities begin!
Critique: A truly memorable, entertaining, and very highly recommended pick for personal and community library
collections, the talented storytelling skills of co-narrators Alexander Cendese and Lynn Wright bring author Jennifer
Probst's "Christmas in Cape May" to life in this complete and unabridged MP3-CD audio book edition as part of the
Brilliance Aujdio '1001 Dark Nights' series.
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer Probst (www.jenniferprobst.com) is the author of eight series, including The Sunshine Sisters,
Stay, The Billionaire Builders, Searching For... , Marriage to a Billionaire, The Steele Brothers, Sex on the Beach, and
Twist of Fate.
Editorial Note #2: Alexander Cendese (https://tantor.com/narrator/alexander-cendese.html) is a New York - based
actor/narrator whose credits include roles on and Off-Broadway, in films, and on popular television shows, including Law
& Order: SVU and All My Children. He holds a BFA from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.
Editorial Note #3: There is a listing of the audio books narrated by Lynn Wright at the Audible Amazon website at:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Lynn+Wright
All The Little Truths
Debra Webb, author
Megan Tusing, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400116322, $19.99, MP3-CD (11 Hours 7 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/All-Little-Truths-Finley-OSullivan/dp/B0BRXMHC19
Synopsis: Legal investigator Finley O'Sullivan has dealt with her share of shady characters, but the firm's latest client has
an even darker past than most. In fact, Nashville Metro Police seems to think he's a murderer.
Finley isn't so sure. Her investigation into Ray Johnson's history focuses on the unsolved murder of a teenager who died
thirteen years earlier. The case went cold, but questions remain. After the girl's death, people close to her started
disappearing -- Ray's brother first, then the girl's mother. But why?
As Finley races to solve a decade-old murder, she uncovers new clues and long-buried secrets that could blow the case
wide open. But whoever killed the girl all those years ago may still be a threat -- and now the chase is on!
Critique: Of special and particular interest to fans of cold case murder mysteries, author Debra Webb's compelling novel,
"All The Little Truths" is exceptionally well narrated by the vocal storytelling talents of Megan Tusing. This complete and
unabridged MP3-CD audiobook edition from Brilliance Audio is an especially recommended pick for both personal and
community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Debra Webb (www.debrawebb.com) is the author of more than 170 novels. She is the recipient of the
prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers' Choice
Awards. In 2012, Webb was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for her
courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Webb was also awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for
having published her hundredth novel. She has more than four million books in print in many languages and
countries.
Editorial Note #2: Megan Tusing (https://www.megantusing.com) is an actor and an award-winning audiobook narrator.
She developed a love of storytelling and a passion for language at a young age when first introduced to William
Shakespeare, which eventually led her to pursue a career in acting. She has recorded over 300 audiobooks, most from her
home studio, with such publishers as Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Harper Collins, and
Macmillian, as well as indie authors.
The Library CD Shelf
Welcome Winter
Bryan Lubeck
www.bryanlubeck.com
Vineyard Music Productions
$10.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Winter-Bryan-Lubeck/dp/B0CJK1MNYN
Welcome Winter is an album of classic Christmas and winter songs performed by the talented Bryan Lubeck on the
Spanish guitar, supported by an acoustic ensemble including violins, cellos, dulcimer, melodica, percussion, vibraphones,
and more. The masterful performances are a joyful celebration of the spirit of Christmas. A wonderful way to set the mood
for the holidays, Welcome Winter is highly recommended especially for Christmas parties and public library music
collections. The tracks are Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Welcome Winter, The Christmas Song, Jingle
Bells, What Child is This, Mary Did You Know, and Carol of the Bells.
Nighttime Creatures
The Angelica Sanchez Nonet
angelicasanchez.com
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
https://angelicasanchezpyroclastic.bandcamp.com/album/nighttime-creatures
Nighttime Creatures is the instrumental debut album of the Angelica Sanchez Nonet. All songs are composed by Angelica
Sanchez, who performs on the piano; the other members are Michael Attias on alto saxophone, Ben Goldberg on contra
alto clarinet, John Hebert on bass, Thomas Heberer on quarter-tone trumpet, Sam Ospovat on drums, Chris Speed on tenor
saxophone and clarinet, Omar Tamez on guitar, and Kenny Warren on cornet. Inspired by Sanchez's time living in a
secluded cabin while teaching in upstate New York, the beautiful music of Nighttime Creatures evokes hidden mysteries of
a natural ecosystem after dark. An evocative balance of ensemble harmony and individual flourishes, Nighttime Creatures
is an extraordinary collaboration and highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The
tracks are Nighttime Creatures, C.B. the Time Traveler, Cloud House, Astral Light of Alarid, Lady of the Lavender Mist,
Land Here, Ringleader, Big Weirdo, Wrong Door for Rocket Fuel, Tristeza, and Run.
Love Letter
Vocals and piano by Casey MacGill
Compositions by Cornet
caseymacgill.com
Privately Published
$30.00 CD
https://www.caseymacgill.com/product-page/love-letter-casey-macgill-original-music-2-volume-cd-set-1
Superbly sung and performed by talented vocalist and piano maestro Casey MacGill, Love Letter is a 2-CD set of cabaret
jazz songs composed over the last 50 years, and freshly recorded between 2019 and 2022. Although a few of the songs
have previously been released, most have been confined to cabinets, sheets, or reels of tape for decades. Featuring songs
ranging from old time pop to big band swing, Latin jazz, bossa nova, funky soul and more, Love Letter is a treasure for
jazz connoisseurs and highly recommended. The tracks are Noctunre, Who's Gonna Buy You Drinks Tonight, So Far So
Good, Summer Shade, Hold the Phone, Nocturne in D flat, Funk University, The Camel's Hump, Swingin' in the Rain, Pan
Dulce, Love Letter, and You Always Want the Thang You Can't Have on disc 1, and Late Night Swing, Are You Fats
Enough, He Makes the Blues Come Out of His Horn, San Gabriel, On a Summer Night, Postcard From Jelly, Barrelhouse,
Head in the Clouds, Love Ain't Nothn' But the Blues, Rhythm, Front Porch Rockin', and It's Gonna Be a Long Long Time
on disc 2.
Between the Stars
Ann Licater
annlicater.com
Cul de Sac Mystic Productions
$15.00 CD / $9.00 digital
https://annlicater.bandcamp.com/album/between-the-stars
Award-winning recording artist and world-class flutist Ann Licater presents Between the Stars: Flute Passages for
Meditation and Inspiration, a breathtakingly beautiful New Age album. Licater's devotion to the flute includes both years
of classical flute training at the MacPhail Center for Music, and study with master Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai.
Licater personally composed all the tracks of Between the Stars. The songs showcase Licater's talented performance on
eleven types of flute including folk, alto, ocarina, Native American-style, Mayan-style Drone, silver C-flute and more.
Although Between the Stars is a solo album, Licater has mixed some tracks with her own performance on grand piano or
singing bowls to create the effect of a duo. Between the Stars is a treasure for New Age connoisseurs and an ideal audio
complement to meditation, yoga, creativity, study, or relaxation. Highly recommended! The tracks are Divine Skies,
Ancient Traveler, Between the Stars, Sunbirds, Luminous Waters, Dream Passages, Distant Realm, Angelic Echoes, Moon
Garden, Whispering Light, Timeless Voices, Circling Star, and Starlight Lullaby.
The Library DVD Shelf
A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps
Alana DeJoseph, director
Jimmy Carter, actor
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, actor
First Run Features
www.firstrunfeatures.com
B0CLZ3H3D3, $24.99, DVD (113 Minutes)
https://firstrunfeatures.com/toweringtaskvod.html
https://www.amazon.com/Towering-Task-Story-Peace-Corps/dp/B0CLZ3H3D3
Synopsis: In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave Americans a new way to serve their country and called it the Peace
Corps. In its 60-year history, some 200,000+ volunteers have traveled to more than 140 countries to carry out the
organization's mission of world peace and friendship - a towering task, indeed. Through interviews with Corps volunteers,
Heads-of-State, scholars, journalists, and host country nationals, "A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps" is a
documentary film that fully explores how this uniquely American government agency has attempted to answer Kennedy's
call: "My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom
of man."
Critique: Exceptionally well produced and presented, and unreservedly recommended for personal, community,
highschool, and college/university library DVD collections, "A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps" will prove
of immense value to viewers with an interest in the Peace Corp and its history.
Editorial Note: First Run Features (www.firstrunfeatures.com) is a theatrical and home video distributor that has released
independent, documentary and foreign films in the United States since 1979.
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg
Jerry Aronson, director
First Run Features
www.firstrunfeatures.com
UPC 720229918305, $24.95 List, $17.99 Amazon, DVD
https://firstrunfeatures.com/lifeandtimesofallenginsbergvod.html
Synopsis: Visionary, radical, spiritual seeker, renowned poet, founding member of a major literary movement, champion of
human rights, Buddhist, political activist and teacher - Allen Ginsberg's remarkable life shaped the very soul of American
counterculture.
For 25 years, Academy Award-nominated director Jerry Aronson accumulated more than 60 hours of film on Allen
Ginsberg, resulting in this comprehensive portrait of one of America's greatest poets, author of "Howl" and other
groundbreaking poems. The DVD includes exclusive and revealing interviews with his friends, family and contemporaries
as well as never-before-seen materials made public because of the warm friendship that developed between subject and
director.
"The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg" reveals the last 70 years of American culture beginning with the Beat era in the
post-war Forties and Fifties, continuing through the revolutionary Sixties and concluding with the uncertainty and
possibility of current times.
"The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg" features 6 hours of Bonus Material that includes: Exclusive Interviews; A
Featurette: "The Making of the Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg"; Ginsberg reading selected poems; Bob Dylan and Allen
Ginsberg at Jack Kerouac's grave; William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg at Naropa University; Neal Cassady and Allen
Ginsberg at City Lights bookstore; The Making of the Music Video "A Ballad of the Skeletons"; Ginsberg guiding us
through an exhibition of his photographs; Excerpts from "Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit" by Jonas Mekas;
and a Memorial for Allen Ginsberg.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Allen Ginsberg fans, "The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Biography/Documentary
DVD collections.
Editorial Note: First Run Features is a theatrical and home video distributor that has released independent, documentary
and foreign films in the United States since 1979. To hear about new releases, special offers, contests, screening events and
more they have an informative website at http://www.firstrunfeatures.com
The Business Shelf
Social Media Strategy
Julie Atherton
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398610019, $131.00, HC, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Media-Strategy-Practical-Engagement/dp/1398610011
Synopsis: Integrated marketing and PR strategies are a requirement for all businesses but with the explosion of social
media and content marketing many organizations still struggle to know which channels to invest in and how to maximize
their impact. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, "Social Media Strategy: A Practical Guide to Social Media
Marketing and Customer Engagement" by Julie Atherton gives clear guidance with a simple structured approach to
executing campaigns that work.
"Social Media Strategy" provides a blueprint for planning, delivering and measuring social media's contribution to your
business through: Identifying and targeting audience segments; Maximizing social search; Enhanced reputation
management; Managing a diversified influencer portfolio; Selecting the right channels for organic and paid social;
Creating a process and structure to improve efficiencies; Using appropriate technology including AI.
With explanations of best-practice tools and practical downloadable templates, this new and expanded second edition
includes new and updated interviews and case studies from industry leaders, influencers and brands including TUI, Greggs,
Lego, Ryan Air, National Geographic and others. "Social Media Strategy" delivers a long-term solution for maximizing
social media-led business development.
The business world has progressed to the point that no company or corporate executive can ignore the value and necessity
of employing social media in their marketing. Social Media is no longer an optional 'take-it-or-leave-it proposition for
anyone engaging in direct marketing, on-line marketing, or national/international commerce. It is a survival-as-a-business
necessity.
Critique: "Social Media Strategy: A Practical Guide to Social Media Marketing and Customer Engagement" is a complete
course of DIY instruction that unpacks the winning formula for effective social media marketing complete with
comprehensive updates and all the latest developments. While especially and unreservedly recommended for corporate,
community, and college/university library Business Management & Marketing collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of corporate executives, business managers,
marketing directors, entrepreneurs, MBA students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Social Media Strategy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398609990, $35.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $28.79).
Editorial Note: Julie Atherton, based in Bristol, UK, founder of Small Wonder is a business leader, public speaker,
consultant and strategist with 30 years' experience gained working with global brands including Nissan, ITV, Deloitte
Digital, Asos and St John Ambulance. Awarded IDM Educator of the Year in 2018, she trains marketing professionals and
business leaders in digital, brand, social media and content marketing. Previous chair of the DMA Social Media Council,
she is also an experienced trustee and non-executive director for a range of organizations including the IDM Qualifications
Advisory Board and Union of Brunel Students. (https://www.koganpage.com/authors/julie-atherton)
Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide to Resolution in the Workplace, second edition
David Liddle
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609471, $131.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Conflict-Practical-Resolution-Workplace/dp/1398609471
Synopsis: Now in an updated and expanded second edition, with the publication of "Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide
to Resolution in the Workplace", author David Liddle shows HR professionals how to tackle these office and workplace
personnel problems by not only resolving current issues, but also preventing future instances of conflict.
Included are the latest research and case studies showing how conflict management has been impacted by hybrid working
models and digitalization. There are also updates to reflect how resolution is a driver of trust in organizations, enabling
people to disagree more constructively in a safe environment.
"Managing Conflict" also covers the causes and costs of conflict, the impact of the psychological contract and the legal
framework for managing workplace disputes both in the UK and internationally. It shows how to design a conflict
management strategy, develop a formal resolution process and engage stakeholders and training managers in resolution and
mediation skills.
Packed with best practice examples from organizations such as Tesco, Burberry and Nationwide Building Society as well
as conflict resolution resources and toolkits, "Managing Conflict is essential reading for all HR professionals looking to
resolve conflict in the workplace.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and of special relevance to readers with an interest in
workplace conflict resolution and mediation, this new second edition of "Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide to
Resolution in the Workplace" is an ideal resource for in-service training programs in conflict management and mediation.
While highly recommended as a core addition to corporate and college/university library Business Management collections
and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for personnel managers, MBA students, entrepreneurs,
and corporate policy makers that "Managing Conflict" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781398609457,
$35.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.19).
Editorial Note: David Liddle is the CEO of the TCM Group and president of the People and Culture Association. David is
a recognized leader in the areas of conflict resolution, cultural change, and transformational leadership. For over twenty
years, David Liddle and his team have been delivering award winning conflict resolution, leadership development, and
cultural change programmes for organizations across the globe. Based in London, UK, in 2021 he was named as one of the
Most Influential HR Thinkers by HR Magazine and has been featured on the Thinkers50 Radar for 2022.
The Library Science Shelf
Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions
Sarah R. Kostelecky, editor
Lori Townsend, editor
David A. Hurley, editor
ALA Editions
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838938300, $54.99, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hopeful-Visions-Practical-Actions-Cultural/dp/0838938302
Synopsis: Cultural humility offers a renewing and transformative framework for navigating interpersonal interactions in
libraries, whether between patrons and staff or staff members with one another. It foregrounds a practice of critical
self-reflection and commitment to recognizing and redressing structural inequities and problematic power imbalances.
The collection of the contributors to "Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions: Cultural Humility in Library Work" have create
the first book-length treatment of this approach in libraries. Contributors from across the field were selected to demonstrate
how cultural humility can change the way we work and make lasting impacts on diversity, equity, and inclusion in
libraries.
"Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions: Cultural Humility in Library Work" collectively explores such topics as: How
Indigenous adages can be tools for reflection and guidance in developing cultural humility; The experiences of two Black
librarians who are using cultural humility to change the profession; New perspectives on core concepts of customer
service; rethinking policies and practices in libraries both large and small; Using cultural humility in approaching
collection development and creating resource guides; What cultural humility can look like for a tribal librarian working in
a tribal college library; And reflecting on cultural humility itself and where it is going.
Critique: Featuring a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Hopeful Visions, Practical Actions:
Cultural Humility in Library Work" is a uniquely ideal and exceptionally well written and organized textbook for library
in-service training sessions, for inclusion in supplemental Library Science curriculum studies lists, as well as for personal,
profession, community, college, and university library collections dealing with General Library & Information
Services.
Editorial Note #1: Sarah R. Kostelecky is the Director of Digital Initiatives and Scholarly Communication (DISC) for
University of New Mexico Libraries. Her research focuses on outreach efforts to underrepresented communities, diversity
in academic libraries and library collections, and Native American language resources. Previously at UNM, Sarah has
served as the Education Librarian and Access Services Librarian in the Indigenous Nations Library Program (INLP). She
earned both her MA in Information Resources and Library Science and BA in Sociology from the University of Arizona.
Prior to working at UNM Libraries, Sarah was the Library Director at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa
Fe, NM, the premiere educational institution for contemporary Native American arts and cultures.
Editorial Note #2: Lori Townsend is the Learning Services Coordinator and Engineering Librarian for the University of
New Mexico Libraries. Her research interests include threshold concepts and information literacy, academic librarians of
color and cultural humility. Lori holds a BA in history from the University of New Mexico and an MLIS from San Jose
State University. Before coming to UNM, she worked as the Electronic Collections Librarian at California State
University, East Bay from 2005-2010. She is co-author, along with Amy R. Hofer and Silvia Lin Hanick, of the book
Transforming Information Literacy Instruction: Threshold Concepts in Theory and Practice (Libraries Unlimited, 2018);
she and Silvia Lin Hanick are Series Editors for the just-launched Libraries Unlimited Series on Teaching Information
Literacy.
Editorial Note #3: David A. Hurley is the Web and Discovery Librarian for the University Libraries. In addition to cultural
humility, he writes and presents on search, reference services, and information literacy. He was previously the director of
the Dine College libraries on the Navajo Nation, chief of the library development bureau at the New Mexico State Library,
and branch and digital services manager for the public library of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Making The Best Years of Our Lives
Alison Macor
University of Texas Press
https://utpress.utexas.edu
9781477318911, $45.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Best-Years-Our-Lives/dp/1477318917
Synopsis: Released in 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives became an immediate success. Life magazine called it "the first
big, good movie of the post-war era" to tackle the "veterans problem." Today we call that problem PTSD, but in the initial
aftermath of World War II, the modern language of war trauma did not exist.
The film earned the producer Samuel Goldwyn his only Best Picture Academy Award. It offered the injured director,
William Wyler, a triumphant postwar return to Hollywood. And for Harold Russell, a WWII double amputee who co-
starred with Fredric March and Dana Andrews, the film provided a surprising second act.
With the publication of "Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation" film critic
and historian Alison Macor illuminates the film's journey from script to screen and describes how this authentic motion
picture moved audiences worldwide. The film's nuanced critique of American ideals also made it a target, and the picture
and its creators were swept up in the anti-Communist witch hunts of the late 1940s. In this authoritative history, Macor
chronicles the making and meaning of a film that changed America.
Critique: A seminal and detailed study of extraordinarily impressive film, "Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The
Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation" will have a very special interest to fans of one of Hollywood's most iconic and
influential films of the 20th Century. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and enhanced with the inclusion
of a section of historic B/W photos, "Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a
Nation" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
American Film History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
film buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Making The Best Years of Our Lives:
The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation" is also available in a paperback edition (9781477328330, $29.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Alison Macor (http://alisonmacor.com) received a Public Scholars grant from the National Endowment for
the Humanities for her book "Making The Best Years of Our Lives: The Hollywood Classic That Inspired a Nation"
(University of Texas Press, 2022). She is also the author of "Rewrite Man: The Life and Career of Screenwriter Warren
Skaaren" (UT Press, 2017) and "Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids: Thirty Years of Filmmaking in Austin, Texas", which
won the 2012 Peter C. Rollins Book of the Year Award. She holds a PhD in film history and taught for more than 20 years
at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, Austin Community College and the Austin Museum of
Art.
Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock
Gary McCarron
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839988462, $110.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Theory-Films-Alfred-Hitchcock/dp/1839988460
Synopsis: "Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock" by Professor Gary McCarron is neither a biography nor a
conventional film critique. Rather, the text explores aspects of Hitchcock's work in relation to theories drawn from the
social sciences and philosophy.
The various chapters focus not on specific films, but on broader ideas central to Hitchcock's work. There is, for instance, a
chapter on his idea of the MacGuffin in which Professor McCarron uses Ernesto Laclau's theories of equivalent
substitution to explain how the MacGuffin functions in Hitchcock's works.
There is also a chapter on his notion of 'pure cinema' which moves from the idea of purity as an anthropological concept to
consider purity in relation to current debates regarding so-called hybrid media, and Hitchcock's relevance to these issues in
respect of his dissatisfaction with the advent of sound to the cinema world.
With the publication of "Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock", Professor McCarron utilizes the films of
Alfred Hitchcock to illustrate ideas in the social sciences and philosophy and applies those same ideas to illustrate aspects
of Hitchcock's films.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking work of original scholarship, "Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock"
by Professor Gary McCarron will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in film criticism in general, and an
analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic philosophy in particular. Exceptional, informative, thought-provoking, and
unique, "Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, film school, and college/university library Cinematic Studies collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gary McCarron (https://www.sfu.ca/~gmccarro) is an associate professor in the School of Communication
at Simon Fraser University. He is also the Graduate Chair of Simon Fraser University's program for Graduate Liberal
Studies.
The Archaeology Shelf
Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages
Chales Speer, editor
Ryan M. Parish, editor
Gustavo Barrientos, editor
The University of Utah Press
www.uofupress.com
9781647691080, $80.00, HC, 242pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sourcing-archeological-lithic-assemblages-charles-speer/1141581091
Synopsis: For most of our existence, we humans have manipulated stone into tools that were essential for the survival of
our species.
Generally resistant to degradation, stone tools comprise a large portion of the material culture found at archaeological sites
worldwide. Recovery of stone tools during archaeological excavation indicates the location where they were discarded,
often tied to where they were used.
"Sourcing" refers to attempts to determine the origin of the raw materials used to produce these tools. Knowing the
beginning and end points of a tool's use-life, as well as the likely paths it took between those two locations, can offer
insight into trade and procurement patterns.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Charles A. Peer, Ryan M. Parish, and Gustavo Barrietos, the contributors to
"Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages: New Perspectives and Integrated Approaches" employ a variety of unique
approaches to real-life contexts in multiple geographic regions. These diverse studies collectively illustrate the numerous,
robust options available to archaeologists and researchers today, as well as the problems that must be faced and
resolved.
Part 1 of "Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages" explores technological approaches to sourcing in conjunction with
innovative survey strategies. The chapters describe a particular method while often offering suggestions for improving the
chemical analysis.
Part 2 of "Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages" focuses on region-specific and methodological sourcing
applications. In a concluding review, Michael D. Glascock critiques each of the chapters and presents his views, developed
across 40 years of work in the field, on sourcing raw materials.
Broadly, all of these contributions demonstrate how knowledge of lithic sources, geologic processes, the nature of
variation, and regional availability can provide a more thorough understanding of past peoples.
The contributors to "Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages: New Perspectives and Integrated Approaches" include:
Agustin Agnolin, Pedro Andrade, Hassan Aouraghe, Said Bengamra, Alfonso Benito-Calvo, Cesar Borie, Adam Burke,
Adrian Burke, Gisela Cassiodoro, Luciana Catella, M. Gema Chacon, Gabriela Coelho dos Santos, Josefina Flores Coni,
Kane Ditchfield, Trudy Doelman, Stephan Dubernet, Analia Castro Esnal, Silvana Espinosa, Carola Flores, Bretton Giles,
Michael Glascock, Rafael Goni, Bernard Gratuze, Hamid Haddoumi, Jillian Huntley, Rebekah Kurpiel, Juan Ignacio
Morales, Khori Newlander, Laura Olguin, Fernando Oliva, Cesar Parcero-Oubina, Cecilia. Perez de Micou, Ximena
Power, Robert Sala-Ramos, Diego Salazar, Marta Sanchez de la Torre, Morgan Smith, Maria Soto, Mohamed Souhir,
Charles Stern, Andoni Tarrino, Norberto Uriz, Ingrid Ward, John Webb, and Francois Xavier Le Bourdonnec.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of Figures, Tables, fifty pages of References, and a five page Index,
"Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages: New Perspectives and Integrated Approaches" is a seminal and substantial
contribution to professional, college, and university library Paleolithic and Neolithic archeology collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. Exceptionally well organized and presented, it should be noted for the personal
reading lists of students, academia, field archaeologists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Sourcing Archeological Lithic Assemblages: New Perspectives and Integrated Approaches" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $64.00).
Editorial Note #1: Charles A. Speer is the Associate Professor of Anthropology at Idaho State University and the Curator
of Anthropology at Idaho Museum of Natural History.
Editorial Note: Ryan M. Parish is an Associate Professor of Archaeology at the University of Memphis.
Editorial Note #3: Gustavo Barrientos is a Professor of Archaeology at the National University of La Plata and Principal
Researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina.
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Wildlife Ethics
Clare Palmer, et al.
Wiley-Blackwell
www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell
9781119611219, $140.00, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wildlife-Ethics-Management-Conservation-Welfare/dp/1119611210
Synopsis: Co-authored by the team of Clare Palmer, Bob Fischer, Christian Gamborg, Jordan Hampton, and Peter Sandee,
"Wildlife Ethics: The Ethics of Wildlife Management and Conservation" is the first systematic, book-length discussion of
the ethics of wildlife conservation and management, and examines the key ethical questions and controversies.
Tackling both theory and practice, the text is divided into two parts. The first describes key concepts, ethical theories, and
management models relating to wildlife; the second puts these concepts, theories, and models to work, illustrating their
significance through detailed case studies on controversies in wildlife management and conservation.
"Wildlife Ethics" explores pressing topics including human responsibilities due to climate change, tradeoffs when
managing zoonotic disease risks, the ethics of the wildlife trade, culling non-native species, indigenous wildlife use, and
zoo-based conservation programs. Readers are encouraged to explore different ways of valuing wild animals and their
practical implications.
Essential reading, "Wildlife Ethics": Explains and explores relationships between valuing biodiversity, human utility,
ecosystems, species, and animal welfare; Describes established approaches to wildlife management, such as sustainable
use, and emerging concepts, such as compassionate conservation; Discusses key ethical theories, including utilitarianism,
ecocentrism, and animal rights; Offers a practical model of how to analyze ethical issues in wildlife management and
conservation.
Critique: A systematic account of the ethical issues related to wildlife management and conservation, "Wildlife Ethics: The
Ethics of Wildlife Management and Conservation: is an informative introduction to complex ethical issues, making it
significant resource for students and practitioners in fields such diverse fields as conservation biology, ecology,
environmental science and policy, game management, public health and veterinary medicine. It will also be an invaluable
tool for wildlife managers, conservationists, One Health practitioners, practicing veterinarians and animal rehabilitation
staff, contemporary wildlife professionals and other stakeholders. "Wildlife Ethics" is an exceptional and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Wildlife Biology and
Management collections and supplemental Veterinary Medicine curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students,
academia, zoologists, animal rights activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Wildlife Ethics" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $112.00).
Editorial Note #1: Clare Palmer is the George T. and Gladys H. Abell Professor of Liberal Arts & Professor of Philosophy
in the Department of Philosophy at Texas A&M University in the USA.
Editorial Note #2: Bob Fischer is Associate Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Texas State
University in the USA.
Editorial Note #3: Christian Gamborg is Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics at
University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
Editorial Note #4: Jordan Hampton is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, an Adjunct Lecturer at Murdoch
University, and a Consultant Veterinarian for Ecotone Wildlife, all in Australia.
Editorial Note #5: Peter Sand e is Professor of Bioethics at the Department of Food and Resource Economics and
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
The Art Shelf
Art Unpacked: 50 Works of Art: Uncovered, Explored, Explained
Matthew Wilson
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025673, $39.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Unpacked-Uncovered-Explored-Explained/dp/0500025673
Synopsis: For beginners, art history might seem a daunting subject with complex rules and impenetrable technical
language. Even for more seasoned art lovers the question of how to think about art is a perennial riddle. With the
publication of "Art Unpacked: 50 Works of Art: Uncovered, Explored, Explained", art historian Matthew Wilson has
created the perfect resource for both audiences: an engaging, visual primer for the general reader and educators. Designed
like an instruction manual, fifty key artworks from around the world are deconstructed with explanations, diagrams, and
close-ups in order to reveal the elements that comprise a masterpiece.
Dating from the earliest times to the present, the artworks under analysis are drawn from many cultures and cover all forms
of visual media, including drawing, illustration, photography, prints, and sculpture. Wilson's simple approach, using
established art historical methods, enables the reader to discover the fundamentals of art history, from considerations of
function, historical context, iconography, and artists' experience to broader issues of identity, including feminism, gender,
and postcolonialism.
Whether it's the mask of Tutankhamun or Dorothea Lange's photograph Migrant Mother, Katsushika Hokusai's GreatWave
or Kara Walker's Gone, each image is dissected on the page in a no-nonsense style, with explanatory notes detailing artists'
sources of inspiration, associated styles and movements, plus any relevant quotes, related visuals, and other contextual and
issue-led information with keywords for handy cross-referencing. The resulting book is a dynamic visual resource that will
inspire and spark enjoyment of art in all its forms.
Critique: Visually enhanced with some 850 color illustrations, "Art Unpacked: 50 Works of Art: Uncovered, Explored,
Explained" this a large format (9.2 x 1 x 10.8 inches) hard cover edition from Thames & Huson also features an
Introduction (How Art Works), a two page listing of the Illustrations, a two page index of Artists, and two pages of Notes.
Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentations, "Art Unpacked: 50 Works of
Art: Uncovered, Explored, Explained" is a complete studies course in one magnificent volume, making it especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art Appreciation &
History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Matthew Wilson (https://www.matthewwilson.uk) is an art historian, educator, and writer. He has written
for numerous publications and media on art and culture and is an examination specialist in art history. He is also the author
of "Symbols in Art and The Hidden Language of Symbols".
Abstract Painting: Contemporary Painters
Amber Creswell Bell
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760763633, $50.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Painting-Amber-Creswell-Bell/dp/1760763632
Synopsis: There is no single neat definition of abstract art. It makes no attempt to represent reality; instead, it has its own
ever evolving visual language using shape, color, and form with no rules. An explosion of creative expression and gestural
force, "Abstract Painting: Contemporary Painters" by Amber Creswell Bell informatively explores the constantly evolving
genre and how it offers unparalleled artistic freedom, inviting deeply personal connection and interpretation from both
artist and viewer. Works often straddle a midpoint between recognition and the sensed experience through the materiality
of paint encompassing a pastiche of styles.
Drawing on extensive interviews, "Abstract Painting: Contemporary Painters" examines the diverse practices of more than
forty contemporary abstract painters, documenting a repertoire of styles, subjects, visions, and philosophies. Some
compare abstract art to music, particularly jazz; others are inspired by nature, science, and geometry; and some simply
relish the opportunity to express complex emotions in a way words cannot. What unites these extraordinary artists,
however, is the conviction that this form of expression chose them.
Critique: This large format (9.3 x 1.2 x 11.6 inches, $3.9 pounds) hardcover edition of "Abstract Painting: Contemporary
Painters" from Thames & Hudson is impressively and visually enhanced with 233 color illustrations and images of the
artists and their artworks. Exceptional in both organized and presentation, this impressive volume of instruction, insight,
and information by Amber Creswell Bell is ideal as a Memorial Fund acquisition and recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Amber Creswell Bell (https://www.ambercreswell.com) is a Sydney-based arts, design, and lifestyle writer
and curator. With a passion for art, Amber champions emerging and unrepresented artists, curating exhibitions both
independently and in collaboration with well-established commercial galleries. She is currently the director of emerging art
for Michael Reid galleries. Her previous books include Clay and Still Life.
Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces
Susie Hodge
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500296417, $34.95, PB, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Art-in-Detail/dp/0500296413
Synopsis: Great paintings cannot be fully understood in a single encounter; there is always more to be derived from them.
Art lovers may revisit and reconsider the masterpieces throughout their lives, but a deeper understanding can only be
gained by analyzing the painting in detail, be it the placement of the subject, the lighting, the style of brushstrokes, or the
themes.
With the publication of "Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces" art historian and journalist Susie Hodge examines one hundred
iconic paintings from the Western canon and spotlights the finer points a quick glance will almost certainly fail to reveal.
These include subtle internal details, such as hidden symbols and artistic tricks employed by the painter to achieve
particular effects.
In addition, Hodge writes intelligently about external influences on the artist -- everything from the socioeconomic context
in which he or she flourished, to smaller local difficulties, such as the level of air pollution at the time the painting was
created. And she treats each of her subjects not only, to quote the English poet Matthew Arnold, "as in itself it really is,"
but also as part of a tradition that links the oldest painting to the most recent, as artists pass a metaphorical baton down
through the ages.
Critique: This large format ( 8.7 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches, 3.57 pounds) paperback edition of "Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces"
from Thames & Hudson is visually enhanced for the reader with 700 color illustrations. Impressively informative,
exceptionally well organized and presented, "Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces" is an ideal, fascinating, instructive, thought-
provoking, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art
History & Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Susie Hodge (https://www.susiehodge.com) is an art historian, author, artist, and journalist with more than
one hundred books to her name. She has an MA in the history of art from Birkbeck, University of London, and is a fellow
of the RSA. She has twice been named the No. 1 art writer by the Independent.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Doyle's World - Lost & Found
Daniel L. Friedman, author
Eugene Friedman, author
Square One Publishers
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004483, $29.95, HC, 344pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/doyles-world-lost-found-daniel-friedman-md/1142314640
Synopsis: "Doyle's World - Lost & Found: The Unknown Histories of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" is no
ordinary biography about one of the world's most influential writers. It is instead a work that deciphers in particular the
cryptic origins and actual scientific methods used by fiction's most famous consulting detective Sherlock Holmes -- and a
work that provides a detailed look into the psyche and working life of Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Doyle's World - Lost & Found" is unique study that follows Conan Doyle's entire illustrious literary career, with emphasis
on the Sherlock Holmes mysteries as they evolved from the late 1880s to the early 1900s. Revealed here for the first time
by the son and father writing team of Daniel Friedman, MD, and Eugene Friedman, MD, are the many inspirations behind
the physical, emotional, and intellectual characteristics that Doyle wove together so deftly to bring his legendary sleuth to
life. Readers are in for many surprises as the Friedmans bring forth tantalizing parallels between the literary realm of both
Sherlock Holmes - along with his various other fiction and nonfiction works - and the actual events from Doyle's
childhood and early adulthood that served as frequent inspiration.
"Doyle's World - Lost & Found" offer answers to long-debated and mysterious questions, such as: From whom did
Sherlock Holmes actually learn the art of detective work?; Why did Doyle kill off Sherlock Holmes (and how did the
country of Japan inspire how he brought his famous detective back to life after nearly a decade?); What story elements did
Doyle borrow from Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island?; How did Doyle apply his fervent belief in Spiritualism to a
variety of Holmes stories?; Who inspired Doyle to write about civil rights after a steamship journey in 1882?; How did the
women in Doyle's life come to influence the relationships with women that both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have
across sixty written adventures?
"Doyle's World - Lost & Found" is divided into three sections. The first is dedicated to the elements (both good and bad)
that comprised Doyle's childhood and early adult years, and how an assemblage of persons and places and things from his
life found their way into his literature.
The second section emphasizes the highly complex themes and plots present in the Sherlock Holmes adventures, while it
also thoroughly examines some of Doyle's strengths (and weaknesses) as a public figure of his time. The Friedmans also
reveal how Doyle was able to subtly incorporate his own political, social, and religious views (in particular, his passionate
and often bewildering embrace of Spiritualism) into the Holmes stories.
In the third section, the authors offer two "lost" stories they uncovered that were written by Doyle under a pseudonym --
accompanied by textual analysis with which they make their case.
"Doyle's World - Lost & Found" is a work of rich detail and in-depth scholarship that should win over both established
fans of Doyle and devoted "Sherlockians" everywhere -- and that will engage, and entertain, all others who enter this
intriguing hall of literary mirrors.
Critique: Unique, informative, fascinating, iconoclastic, and a 'must' for the legions of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock
Holmes fans, "Doyle's World - Lost & Found: The Unknown Histories of Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"
is very highly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Studies collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Literary Criticism
and Author Biographies, that "Doyle's World--Lost & Found" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$11.99).
Editorial Note #1: Daniel L. Friedman, MD, received his BA from Stony Brook University, and his medical degree from
St. George's School of Medicine. He is currently a practicing pediatrician in Floral Park, New York, and is also an active
member of the Cohen Children's Medical Center, where he sits on the voluntary staff advisory committee. Dr. Friedman's
prize-winning articles on Doyle and Holmes have appeared in numerous national and international journals. He and Dr.
Eugene Friedman are also the authors of the book, The Strange Case of Doctor Doyle. Dr. Friedman resides in Long
Island, New York with his wife, Elena, and their three children.
Editorial Note #2: Eugene Friedman, MD, received his BA from New York University, and his medical degree from New
York Medical College. He was Chief Resident in Pediatrics at New York Medical College and later served as Assistant
Chief of Pediatrics at Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia. Dr. Friedman has been in private practice with his
son, Daniel, for over twenty years.. He has held multiple leadership positions in organized medicine and has devoted
himself to the education of future physicians. He and his wife, Sheryl, live in Long Island, New York and have five
children and fifteen grandchildren.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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