Category Archives: history

Nullification

Posted on January 23, 2015 by smellincoffee

Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century© 2011 Thomas E. Woods, Jr309 pages In a game of word association, chances are that ‘nullification’ would not meet with flattering replies. Nullification is a word associated with the Civil … Continue reading →

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This week: wrapping up with history and science

Posted on December 31, 2014 by smellincoffee

This last week in 2014 I am spending with Lives of the Planets, a natural history of the solar system. It’s proving to be the most enjoyable science book I’ve encountered in months, and will probably take me into the  … Continue reading →

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Sailing from Byzantium

Posted on December 17, 2014 by smellincoffee

Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World© 2005 Colin Wells368 pages                   Isaac Asimov referred to Byzantium as a forgotten empire, lost and dismissed to the western mind as a decayed remnant of a once-great … Continue reading →

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The Strange Career of Jim Crow

Posted on December 12, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Strange Career of Jim Crow© 1955, 1965 C. Van Woodward245 pages             Fifty years ago, racial and civil unrest swept the United States as organized resistance to the morally outrageous and legally dodgy practice of … Continue reading →

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Gallipoli

Posted on November 25, 2014 by smellincoffee

Gallipoli© 1956 Alan Moorehead416 pages           As the Great War ensnared powers beyond Middle Europe, it became  in truth a world war,  providing the spark to reignite old tensions in places like the middle east.  In late … Continue reading →

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Joan of Arc

Posted on November 20, 2014 by smellincoffee

Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography© 1998 Siobhan Nash-Marshall176 pages In 1429, France in her darkest hour was startled by the sudden appearance of a shining star — a teenage girl from a minor village, wielding a standard and claiming … Continue reading →

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No Hill Too High for a Stepper

Posted on November 17, 2014 by smellincoffee

No Hill Too High for a Stepper: Memories of Montevallo, Alabama© 2014 Mike Mahan384 pages No Hill Too High for a Stepper is a work of reminiscence, a country dentist’s recollections of growing up in a small Alabama town during … Continue reading →

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Between the Testaments

Posted on October 31, 2014 by smellincoffee

Between the Testaments© 1960 D.S. Russell176 pages             The sudden eruption of Christianity from Judaism is inexplicable when considering only the Protestant Bible.  From nowhere burst the Trinity, Satan as a rebel, and an obsession with … Continue reading →

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Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

Posted on October 23, 2014 by smellincoffee

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist© 2011 Brad Pitre240 pages Communion, the eating of bread and wine regarded as the body and blood of Jesus, is the heart of liturgical worship. Its place in Christian history holds such … Continue reading →

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Civilisation: A Personal View

Posted on October 14, 2014 by smellincoffee

Civilisation: A Personal View© 1959 Sir Kenneth Clark359 pages We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race, and the human race is filled with passion — … Continue reading →

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