Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Travelin’ man

Posted on July 21, 2015 by smellincoffee

Hello again, dear readers! I’ve been on a mini-vacation this past weekend, staying with my sister’s in-laws in Atlanta and watching the Atlanta Braves take on the Chicago Cubs.  The game itself was a sleepy affair, with little hitting and  only … Continue reading →

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A Canticle for Leibowitz

Posted on July 16, 2015 by smellincoffee

 A Canticle for Leibowitz © 1960 Water M. Miller 320 pages A thousand years ago, nuclear war swept the Earth,  rendering to ashes the civilizations which inaugurated it.  In the southwestern desert, however,  there lies an outpost of another civilization … Continue reading →

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We Could Not Fail

Posted on July 7, 2015 by smellincoffee

We Could Not Fail: The First African-Americans in the Space Program© 2015 Richard Paul, Steven Moss312 pages Between the murder of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, and both political and racial riots throughout the United States, 1968 was a … Continue reading →

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I Am Forbidden

Posted on July 6, 2015 by smellincoffee

I Am Forbidden© 2012 Anouk Markovits302 pages Darkness grips Eastern Europe in the 1940s as war devours millions and the hopes of generations. Jewish residents of Romania are especially hard-pressed; already viewing themselves as a people in exile, they are … Continue reading →

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The Whiskey Rebels

Posted on July 4, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Whiskey Rebels© 2008 David Liss544 pages “You have my word as a gentleman.”“You are no gentleman!”“Then you have my word as a scoundrel, which, I know, opens up a rather confusing paradox that I have neither the time nor … Continue reading →

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Last Call

Posted on July 1, 2015 by smellincoffee

Last Call: the Rise and Fall of Prohibition © 2010 Daniel Okrent 480 pages “Law and order should not ruin the lives of law-abidin’ people! Like that stupid law of Prohibition they had in the old days. Gangsters had to go … Continue reading →

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American Cicero

Posted on June 24, 2015 by smellincoffee

American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll © 2010 Bradley Birzer 230 pages When Charles Carroll of Carrollton signed the Declaration of Independence, he was risking the biggest fortune on the American mainland.  But Carroll had yearned for independence for … Continue reading →

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Recarving Rushmore

Posted on June 24, 2015 by smellincoffee

Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty© 2009 Ivan Eland527 pages Presidential rankings tend to favor  those who were most active, reigning during a crisis or creating expansive new programs that alter the nation’s fortunes.  What of … Continue reading →

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The Cost of Liberty

Posted on June 21, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Cost of Liberty: The Life of John Dickinson© 2013 William Murchinson257 pages “Experience must be our only guide; reason may mislead us.” Can you claim to be a Founding Father if you didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence?  What … Continue reading →

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Behind the Mask of Chivalry

Posted on June 20, 2015 by smellincoffee

Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Klan© 1995 Nancy MacLean336 pages             I’m a faithful follower of Brother John Birch, and I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church   — and I ain’t even got a garage, … Continue reading →

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