Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

God Rest Ye Merry, Soldiers

Posted on December 13, 2023 by smellincoffee

The Christmas of 1862 approached far differently than the year proceeding. Although the southern war for independence had begun in April of ’61,  the war was then still seen by many as a lark, an adventure – and soldiers on both … Continue reading →

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The War of 1812

Posted on December 12, 2023 by smellincoffee

The war of 1812 has had a particular fascination for me in recent years, in part because of the complexity of the conflict: it began as an offshoot of the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain’s attempts to control the azure main … Continue reading →

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A Tudor Christmas

Posted on December 11, 2023 by smellincoffee

Alison Weir’s A Tudor Christmas is a short social history of how Christmas was celebrated in the days of Henry VIII and his daughters. (And, ever so briefly, his son.) After some background information on the different cultural traditions that … Continue reading →

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Diary of a Psychosis

Posted on December 8, 2023 by smellincoffee

Tom Woods is a historian and podcast host with a daily newsletter which (in part) analyzes issues of the day from a libertarian point of view. From February 2020 forward, both the podcast and the newsletter were largely oriented toward … Continue reading →

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Hitlers amerikanische Freunde

Posted on December 5, 2023 by smellincoffee

Years ago when the History Channel was more interested in Hitler than aliens and ice road truckers, I happened upon a documentary there about German-Americans in the United States who supported the “New Germany” from their adopted country. I was … Continue reading →

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On the first tease of Tuesmas, my true love gave to me

Posted on December 5, 2023 by smellincoffee

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive GOLD-en RIIIIIINGS! (ahem) Sorry. ‘Tis the season. Here’s a tease and then the top ten. In order to become a swordsmith, Kevin had to be something of a Renaissance man: equal parts historian, artist, scientist, mathematician, and detective. Some … Continue reading →

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Uncensored Memoirs of a Trailer Park Refugee

Posted on November 30, 2023 by smellincoffee

Ahh, boyhood. A time for digging out forts in the sides of hills, running from water moccasins at the creek, and repeatedly bashing .45 ACP rounds to see what’s inside. I stumbled upon this book while researching a Selma suburb … Continue reading →

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It’s the last tease of November, I’ll meet you at the station..

Posted on November 28, 2023 by smellincoffee

Today’s treble-T is “Top Ten Books Set in _________”. I haven’t thought of a topic yet, so I’ll edit this later. And now, the Tuesday tease! If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other … Continue reading →

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Short rounds: C.S. Lewis and the anthropology of sanitation workers

Posted on November 27, 2023 by smellincoffee

First up, C.S. Lewis’ The Pilgrim’s Regress. Lewis dashed this off immediately after converting to Christianity in 1933, and it’s a fictional and fantastical rendering of his own journey throughout the twenties as he fell away from his childhood faith, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

With Good Intentions? The Myth of Progress

Posted on November 25, 2023 by smellincoffee

Wait, wait, wait. Before I comment on this book, I want to say first that patience is a virtue, and so is persistence. I stumbled on Bill Kauffman nine years ago, possibly via Front Porch Republic, and was immediately taken … Continue reading →

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