Category Archives: General

WWW Wednesday

Posted on December 10, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? The Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson. Review in progress. I have three more ACW books stacking up: Confederate Women, by Bell Irwin Wiley; 1858, by Bruce Chadwick; and The Civil War: An Aerial … Continue reading →

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Selections from the Battle Cry of Freedom

Posted on December 9, 2025 by smellincoffee

Quotes Austere and humorless, Davis did not suffer fools gladly. He lacked Lincoln’s ability to work with partisans of a different persuasion for the common cause. Lincoln would rather win the war than an argument; Davis seemed to prefer winning … Continue reading →

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The Battle Cry of Freedom

Posted on December 9, 2025 by smellincoffee

Battle Cry of Freedom is widely regarded as the finest single-volume history of the Civil War — and after finally reading it, I understand why. McPherson compresses an era of extraordinary complexity into a narrative that feels both sweeping and … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Books Set in the Snow

Posted on December 9, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is “books set in snowy places”. Well, that rules out anything in Alabama! But first, a couple of Tuesday Teases from The Battle Cry of Freedom, by James McPherson. “Soon after dawn on February 16, Buckner sent a … Continue reading →

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A Fine, Quiet Sunday Morning in December….

Posted on December 7, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s annual remembrance of the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor has an especially salient echo given that it’s a Sunday. I am reminded of Captain Billy Mitchell’s interwar warning, quoted in The Airman’s War by Albert Marrin. By chance, I … Continue reading →

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The Book of Common Prayer

Posted on December 3, 2025 by smellincoffee

The Book of Common Prayer is the heart of the Anglican communion, and for my money contains some of English’s best phrasing outside Shakespeare and the Bible. Since 2011, its liturgy has been part of my life, its phrases embedded … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday & Earliest Memories

Posted on December 3, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short Reviews is, what is your earliest memory? More on that story in a few minutes! First, let’s check in with…. WWW Wednesday WHAT have you finished reading recently? The Book of Common Prayer by … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite December Reads

Posted on December 2, 2025 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday (Man of Iron) If the story of Mayor Cleveland’s inaugural message to the city council had to be summarized with one fact it would be this: it so outraged his adversaries that midway through its reading there was … Continue reading →

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Of Shasta & Caspian

Posted on December 1, 2025 by smellincoffee

This past week I have been taking care of animals a county away, and have had plenty of time to make further progress on my Chronicles of Narnia audiobook experience. I am listening to the Audible versions, not the full-cast … Continue reading →

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Moviewatch, November 2025

Posted on December 1, 2025 by smellincoffee

I began the month with intentions of focusing on SF, but….well. Things got weird. Well, to be honest, they started with Xanadu so they BEGAN weird, but you’ll see. NOVEMBER Xanadu, 1980. XANADU! *clap-clap-clap* XANADU!  *clap-clap-clap* XANADU!    Some dude … Continue reading →

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