Blogroll

Microreview: War by Sebastian Junger

Each war generates its own collection of memoirs, novels and histories. Often, the best come after the conclusion of the war, thanks to the perspective of time. With combat in Afghanistan continuing, we probably have yet to see that war’s canon. Among contemporary accounts, though, Sebastian Junger’s War certainly is laudable,

As a correspondent for […]

Book Review: Armenian Golgotha by Grigoris Balakian

Given recent history, it would seem the term “ethnic cleansing” is of late 20th Century origin. Armenian Golgotha, Grigoris Balakian’s firsthand account of the Armenian genocide during World War I, disabuses any such notion. Balakian, an Armenian priest, notes several times that the Ottoman Empire embarked on an intentional campaign to “cleanse” itself of Armenians.

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Book Review: The Long Way Home by David Laskin

Usually lurking somewhere in today’s ongoing immigration debate is an idealized notion of times when the vast majority of those coming to our shores were Europeans. One of those periods was the early part of the 20th Century when eastern, central and southern Europeans came en masse. More than 1 ¼ million immigrants arrived in […]

Book Review: Wild Bill Hickok & Calamity Jane: Deadwood Legends by James D. McLaird

“Legend” is a word tossed around too easily and misused too often. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a legend is “an unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical.”

In titling his latest book, James D. McLaird demonstrates he knows what the word means. Wild Bill Hickok & […]

Book Review: Orange Sunshine by Nicholas Schou

When people hear the word LSD or the phrase “turn on, tune in, drop out,” a couple images likely come to mind. One is Timothy Leary, the most publicized advocate of LSD. Another is a group of spaced-out hippies in psychedelic clothing (often optional) at a “be-in.” What probably doesn’t come to mind is a […]