Tag Archives: Spain

Oceans and fishes and magic needles

Posted on December 6, 2024 by smellincoffee

Within the last few weeks I’ve read a couple of science titles, one of which was a big ol’ book that deserves a proper review, but given that my mental energies are entirely focused on my last project for this … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Historic Pensacola

Posted on August 19, 2024 by smellincoffee

I don’t know that I’d ever given much thought to Pensacola before immersing myself in Florida’s colonial history prepping for my St. Augustine weekend a few years back, but reading those made me aware of how chaotic and interesting Florida’s … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sharpe’s Command

Posted on July 8, 2024 by smellincoffee

The Duke of Wellington is preparing to invade Spain , but there’s a little matter of prep work to do first. The Duke needs to separate French forces in northern and southern Spain, which means destroying a bridge deep behind … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Of British invasions and medieval haunts

Posted on April 10, 2023 by smellincoffee

As a followup to Hitler’s Armada, I read Frank McLynn’s Invasion from the Armada to Hitler, a history of planned attempts to invade the British isles, and has an interesting mixture of deep background and absurd simplification.  McLynn begins by … Continue reading →

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

Davita’s Harp

Posted on March 21, 2021 by smellincoffee

Davita’s Harp© 1985 Chaim Potok384 pages Are you a Jew?  Ilana Davita Chandel  gets that question a lot. It’s lobbed at her from Irish and Italian street toughs, and from inquisitive neighbors who see  her swimming on the Sabbath.  Is … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Fire and Blood

Posted on June 20, 2018 by smellincoffee

Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico  © 1973 T.R. Fehrenbach 675 pages Fire and Blood is an epic history of Mexico, one that begins at the dawn of time and takes its time moving on.  Case in point: the 20th … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Age of Napoleon

Posted on August 17, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Age of Napoleon© 1975 will Durant870 pages Because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for me – or didn’t.  Will and Ariel Durant intended for Rousseau and Revolution to be the final volume in their epic … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cities of Gold

Posted on August 3, 2017 by smellincoffee

Cities of Gold: A Journey Across the American Southwest in Pursuit of Coronado© 1992 Douglas Preston (Walter Nelson, Photographs)480 pages Sometimes, history has got to be pursued from the back of a horse.  Douglas Preston wasn’t sure what took him … Continue reading →

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

Rousseau and Revolution

Posted on August 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

Rousseau and Revolution© 1957 Will and Ariel Durant1092 pages “…little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fallen upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor, and of … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Mexican Frontier

Posted on July 27, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Mexican Frontier 1821 – 1846: The American Southwest Under Mexico©  1982 David Weber (University of New Mexico Press)440 pages In 1821, the people of Mexico declared their independence from Spain, recognizing that its Napoleonic straits meant that the mother … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments