Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

The Afghan Campaign

Posted on November 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Afghan Campaign: A Novel© 2006 Steven Pressfield 368 pages Afghanistan, 330 B.C. Alexander the Great, having toppled the Persian Empire and won eternal glory for himself and his men, now looks with hungry eyes to India. The way to … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , | 5 Comments

V-2

Posted on November 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

V-2: A Novel of World War 2 © 2020 Robert Harris320 pages The Wehrmacht is being pushed from western Europe, and the Waffen-SS is reeling in eastern Europe. The Luftwaffe flies no more. And yet Germany fights on, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Is Reality Optional?

Posted on November 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

“The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.” – F.A. Hayek From economist and cultural critic Thomas Sowell come this amusingly-titled collection of essays,  loosely gathered … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Society and Culture | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Mary Roach in bed, Frank Underwood’s crib notes, and a love story for libraries

Posted on November 13, 2020 by smellincoffee

It’s been a week of …very different books here. First up, Mary Roach’s Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. All of Roach’s previous other works, all mostly-humorous attempts to review the science of taboo or often overlooked subject, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews, science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Firefly: Generations

Posted on November 10, 2020 by smellincoffee

Firefly: Generations© 2020 Tim Lebbon384 pages A map won in a card game, given importance by River’s intuition, Kaylee’s recognition of an old name, and the fact that several people tried to murder Mal to take the map back, leads … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Drowning in books

Posted on November 3, 2020 by smellincoffee

This is something of a catch-up post. I’ve been slowly reading The Dictator’s Handbook, an impressively cynical analysis of political science, and had hoped to finish it by Election Day so I could post an amusingly-timed review. Between the hurricane … Continue reading →

Posted in General, history, science fiction | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

ST: The Long Mirage

Posted on October 27, 2020 by smellincoffee

Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Long Mirage© 2017 David R George III300 pages Bajor is a planet in crisis, as a sect which argues that that Prophets are not gods is growing in prominence, commingling with the revelation that … Continue reading →

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Napoleon: Life and Legacy

Posted on October 22, 2020 by smellincoffee

Napoleon: Life and Legacy© 2011 Alan Forrest403 pages Napoleon is an unavoidable figure of European history, and enjoys no shortage of admirers even today. For years he dominated a continent, using native talents given abundant opportunities opened by the revolution … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

COVID Reviews #6 Cleaning Up with gangsters, Navajo, politicians, and so many Germans

Posted on October 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

Back in September and early October when I was under quarantine, I didn’t have computer access, so I couldn’t take many notes or write reviews when things were fresh on my mind. I tried to post comments intermittently, but some … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Stalling for Time

Posted on October 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator242 pages© 2010 Gary Noesner Having read extensively about the Ruby Ridge and Waco debacles, I couldn’t help but be curious about the “other side’s” perspective: the state’s. How did the … Continue reading →

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