Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped Into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home
Author
Richard Bell
Publisher
37 Ink (October 15, 2019)
Format
Kindle, Hardcover, audiobook
Page
247
Genre
Black and African American History, Biographies & Memoirs, Black & American African Studies, African American Studies
Language
English
ISBN #
1501169432
AUTHOR
Richard Bell is the author of Stolen. He currently teaches Early American History at the University of Maryland.
TARGET AUDIENCE
In a word; humanity.
SYNOPSIS
The time is 1825, the place Philadelphia, North America, and a small group of free black boys are about to be kidnapped. They are about to be transported as slaves to serve the needs and wants of a slave hungry South and its human Grissom for the Cotton Kingdom Mill. The real story, however, relates to the titanic strengths and fortitude exhibited by the 5 boys placed in the untenable excruciating predicament of having lived free and taken as slaves under the threat of violence. Despite the seemingly overwhelming odds, the boys seek ways to escape their bondage and return home. To discover if they manage to escape and the consequences of the events affecting their lives you will have to read it yourself. At its worst, this is one example of mans’ inhumanity to man. At its best, this is a call to the resilience of spirit and the power of unity in the face of extremes of privation and enormous adversity.
CONCLUSION
Masterfully written, flawlessly researched, and a tale of 5 free men abducted and taken on a journey of epic proportions. This is a work for our times; lest we forget. I cannot recommend this book enough.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My sincere thanks go to: NetGalley, and 37 Ink for affording me the opportunity to review “Stolen.”
James W Bancroft has almost 23 years of writing experience with more than a hundred publications and articles in a variety of subjects. Most of his works are based in Victorian Military History and non-fiction. He edits and publishes as well as writes. Other books by this author include Rorke’s Drift, Published by Spellmount Ltd., (1988) and is still in print today. As well as The Rorke’s Drift Men, Published by The History Press Ltd., (1 May 2010). James W Bancroft is known primarily for History of Southern Africa, African Historical Biographies, Civil War Biographies.
TARGET AUDIENCE
If you are an avid reader of Adult historic non-fiction and/or you enjoy thrillers, then this book is most certainly for you. Those who want to understand the context of The British Empire, are educators, students of history, or academics will find this book enlightening and disturbing in equal measure.
SYNOPSIS
The events described in The Devil’s Trap surround the preamble to the First Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, specifically the Cawnpore Massacre, and the subsequent remedial actions taken by the British to re-establish control over the canton. Whilst this may not be common knowledge to many people, the Indian *(see 1 below) massacre that took place against a British encampment created a tidal wave of brutal and violent retribution. The subsequent retribution in response to the attack stains the present-day relationship between Great Britain and India. Some of the changes wrought following the rebellion were set in stone until 1947. Arguably the single greatest change was the promise made to the Indian people in a Royal Declaration (see below for a link) issued by Queen Victoria immediately following the mutiny. The author contends that some Indian citizens still believe that this event was the beginning of the end of the British Empires Rule of India.
The central theme and focus of The Devil’s Trap take’s place at Cawnpore, off the beaten track near an area called The Grand Trunk Road near Sati Chaura Ghat situated on the banks of the River Ganges. It was a British Garrison with three Native Infantry Regiments all led by British Officers accompanied by their families and servants. In July 1857 an insurrection was started by the Indian soldiers, elements of the general Indian population, and the servants who were either stationed at, or near the British encampment. British men, women, and children were subject to violence so gruesome I feel unable to detail it here.
Once the enormity of massacre was discovered, the British violently reestablished the status quo however, the Empress of India chose a more diplomatic method to quell the natives. Whilst politics and time have forgotten the victims of the Cawnpore Massacre, James W Bancroft has attempted to bring them back to life through his skillful use of original source material, and by cross referencing the facts still available in the archives.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Some experts speculate that the Raj was shaken by the mutiny but their corrective actions saved the rule by addressing the mutineer’s issues and the Empress’s Declaration. Native Regiments that took part in the insurrection were disbanded. Loyal Native troops were formed into new regiments which remained in effect from 1858 until 1947. Those local Warlords who remained loyal to the British during the rebellion were rewarded. The disloyal peasantry was prevented from obtaining access to land for 90 years. Finally, the British authorities recognized the error of imposing British cultural norms and beliefs upon the native population. This promise came through Royal channels when Queen Victoria gave a proclamation that stated “We disclaim alike our Right and Desire to impose Our Convictions on any of Our Subjects..”* (See 2 below)
CONCLUSION
The Devil’s Trap is exceedingly well written, researched, and is easy to follow for those previously unfamiliar with these ground breaking historic events. The Massacre was as shaking to the British Empire as 9/11 was to the USA. It was devastating in terms of the loss of human life, and changed forever the relationship previously enjoyed by the protagonists. Despite the loss of life, the British Raj continued beyond 1858 until 1947 pretty much without radical change.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank James W. Bancroft, NetGalley, and Frontline Books for affording me the opportunity to review The Devil’s Trap.
*1. The term Indian is used a general reference to the Pashtu, Sikh, and Hindu people as a whole.
Historians, People who like suspense and thrillers
ISBN # 10/13
159921072X / 978-1599210728
AUTHOR
Judith Pearson is a remarkable woman. She graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in French and English. She continued her post graduate studies in Psychology. She is the founder of Courage Concepts, an organization dedicated to cultivating courage in women and girls. In 2012 she was an International Book Award Finalist for It’s Just Hair: 20 Essential Life Lessons. After her breast cancer diagnosis, she founded A2ndAct.org, an organization that supports and celebrates women survivors of all kinds of cancer. She is still very active conducting keynotes and workshops, not to mention writing. She currently lives in Phoenix (that just seems fitting).
SYNOPSIS
Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America’s Greatest Female Spyis the true tale of Virginia Hall. Virginia lost her leg as a young woman in a hunting accident. Virginia always wanted to work for the Foreign Service. In 1929, at the age of only twenty-three, she applied for a consular position with the State Department. She finally received a job as a clerk with the State Department in 1931. She was told that because of her amputation, she was unfit to be a Consular.
At the outbreak of WWII, she enlisted in the Services Sanitaires de l’Armée, a Red Cross type of organization. She drove an ambulance outside of Paris. After France capitulated, she made her way back to England. On the way she had a chance encounter with George Bellows. He provided her with names and places in London that would eventually change her life forever.
Vera Atkins, an acquaintance of Bellow’s, met Virginia at a party in London. Unbeknownst to Virginia at the time, she was recruiting for the “Inter-Services Research Bureau.” This is where Virginia was enticed to work for the British as a spy. She attended a compressed spy training program; learning how to do such things as making bombs and planting explosives. Her leg was not seen as a detriment but a plus as most people wouldn’t think a one-legged woman is a spy.
Virginia went to France where worked tirelessly recruiting for the resistance, sabotaging German supply lines, and creating havoc whenever and wherever she could. She became such a thorn in the Germans side that they actively hunted her and offered rewards for her capture. She was forced to move constantly to stay ahead of the German spy’s that were tracking her. England tried to get her to return as the dangers were too great. She continued fighting for France. Eventually, the Gestapo forced her to flee for her life by making a perilous journey over the Pyrenees Mountains; not an easy feat for a woman with one leg.
Back in England she was assigned to the OSS. They sent Virginia back to France disguised as an old woman. Her limp accentuated the disguise. Virginia continued her work against the Germans until the end of WWII.
CONCLUSION
Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America’s Greatest Female Spy is a very good book. It details the life of Virginia Hall and her contributions to the war effort. Virginia is a remarkable woman with a dedication and drives that far exceeds the average man.
Judith Pearson does an excellent job of describing the events, the feelings, and the suspense that Virginia endured. The story is remarkable in its own right, but Judith brings an element to the tale that makes this a must-read book. Full of danger, suspense, intrigue, and sorrow; this story is one that must be told. An extraordinary woman in a dangerous time, Virginia Hall is a heroine for all times.
Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy
Author
David Zucchino
Publisher
Atlantic Monthly Press (January 7, 2020)
Format
Kindle, Audiobook
Pages
626
Language
English
ASIN
B07YBK3S7V
“What happened in Wilmington became an affirmation of white supremacy not just in that one city, but in the South and in the nation as a whole.” Democracy Betrayed, The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and its Legacy (Chapel Hill, NC: university Press, 1998), 120-121 (2000), Edwards, L.. F.
AUTHOR
David Zucchino is a Journalist and author. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner and he was nominated on four previous occasions. He is known for his international war reports and his previous publications; Thunder Run and the Myth of the Welfare Queen, both of which are featured at the end of this review.
SYNOPSIS
Wilmington’s Lie is in essence the distillation of the chronology of events documenting the birth of white supremacy during the formative years of the Reconstruction era.
Zucchino posits that Wilmington in North Carolina (NC) in 1898 was the epicenter of the tragedy that became white prejudice, not just locally but nationally. Zucchino documents the corruption of the town’s establishments who together conspired to rig the voting system through violence. Subsequently a clan of like minded citizens formed into a lose association that we now identify as the Klu Klux Klan, Red Shirts, and Militia. These people then conspired together to commit murder against peaceful protesters and other members of their community.
Zucchino begins by explaining the tumultuous events that occurred on that Thursday, 10 November 1898 in the largest port city of NC.
Prior to the horrors that took place in Wilmington that day. The town had been a promising template for the advancement of Reconstruction. Those who were former vassal’s had managed to establish a healthy and thriving community. In the town those persons formerly enslaved and freemen were found in all strata of the economic spectrum from Drs to lawyers, Newspaper owners to journalists, even shop owners and journeymen. In a town of 10,000 black people were in the majority?
The initial promise of the Wilmington model, however, was about to be derailed.
The span of the publication goes far beyond the discussion of the central theme. The echos of that year carried on and increased in intensity leading to wide spread prejudice that eventually became the Jim Crow Laws, racial segregation and a perfect storm of misery, poverty and wide spread disenfranchisement of the black population.
It is a sad fact that the shadow of Wilmington continues today to cast a blemish on current day events.
Historically the supremacists failed because whilst the United States have far to go to reach total equity, serious in-roads have been achieved, with more, far more to go.
Wilmington’s Lie is a riveting, fascinating and compelling re-telling of the massacre and its fallout not just in 1898 but to the present day.
It made a profound and long lasting impression on me. I was unaware of the so Called Wilmington Riot and for me it was an education. One is left with more questions than answers not about the massacre but about the depth of mans inhumanity to man.
The horrors of that November day in Wilmington were only formerly recognized as recently as 2000. The tragic echos reach down through the years to influence the decedents of those who lost their lives or who were driven out that day. Zucchino has managed to expose, for the whole world, the events all those years ago. He provides us a window into the truth of what happened to those innocent people. Necessarily graphic at times, the report documents the inhumanity of the hour and immense injustice that began in Wilmington, NC., and eventually inspired the Jim Crowe Laws.
CONCLUSION
Wilmington’s Lie is a stark, ugly, and yet a compelling read.
This history book is heavily researched, professionally written and easy to follow. The author centers on the facts of his research and avoids subjective statements. zucchino includes contemporaneous letters, personal journals, newspaper accounts of that day as well as official documentation. It is genuinely a scholastic effort and a powerful work.
Wilmington’s Lie is a profound exploration of a heinous crime against peaceful protesters who were simply attempting to exercise their newly acquired rights to participate in open and fair elections. Over 120+ years have passed and justice still evades the victims and their antecedents; adding insult to injury. Occulted until now from the purview of the public eye adds to the injustice.
The span of the publication goes far beyond the discussion of the central theme. The echos of that year carried on and increased in intensity leading to wide spread prejudice that eventually became the Jim Crow Laws, racial segregation and a perfect storm of misery, poverty and wide spread disenfranchisement of the black population.
The most concerning aspect of the events of 1898 is that the present day community still refuses to admit that serious crimes took place that November day in 1889. It is a sad fact that the shadow of Wilmington continues today to cast a blemish on current day events.
Having read the manuscript, I sympathize with the authors view and with those who, although long gone, still deserve justice. Telling the heinous truth might begin that path to justice. This was a book that had to be written in an attempt to at least recognize the victims of this tragedy, but far more, it’s a must read.
HISTORIC CONTEXT – The capture of Wilmington during the Civil War, 1865
THE GLOBE, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1898
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank David Zucchino, NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for affording me the opportunity to review Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY THIS AUTHOR
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The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park: The SecretIntelligence Station that Helped Defeat the Nazis
Author
John Dermot Turing
Publisher
Arcturus (March 15, 2020)
Format
Kindle, Paperback
Pages
251 pages
Language:
English
ASIN
B082XHJWCW
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sir John Dermot Turing is the 12th Baronet of the Turing baronetcy. He is the nephew of Alan Turing the infamous English mathematician that worked on the enigma machine. He did a D.Phil in genetics at New College, Oxford before moving into the legal profession. He specialized in financial law and is currently an author.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
This book is for everyone. Wether you are a historian, student, WWII enthusiast or just someone who interested in secret intelligence code breaking, you will find this book interesting.
SYNOPSIS
Before James Bond, there was Alister Denniston, Dilly Knox, Alan Turing, Mavis Batley (née Lever), Peter Twinn and Frank Birch.
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park is a unique take on an old subject and has managed to breathe new life into those who worked on the Enigma machine. It is the true-life account of the people, places and techniques employed for decrypting the machine that the Axis powers used during WWII to secretly encrypt their commercial, diplomatic and military communications. Unlike many books of its kind, The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park paints an intimate observation of the participants that is lacking in other publications. The reader gets a look back in time and at the characters behind the crack. The vital importance of the work at Bletchley Park contributed to the war as a whole and in particular, the Battle of Cape Matapan from 27-29 March, 1941.
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park is a character driven dive into the ultra-secret world of the codebreakers. Turing’s chronology primarily focuses on the years immediately preceding WWII through the evolution of the Government Code & Cypher School (GC & CS) and its evolution into the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The early codebreakers were, as Alister Denniston dubbed them, ‘the professor type.’ Most of these were ‘Kingsmen,’ alumni of King’s College, Cambridge; although not exclusively. They came from varying disciplines that included mathematics, academia, arts, humanities, classics languages, and history. Once ‘The Hunting Party’ had arrived at Bletchley Park work that began with a hand full of academics quickly grew in size and scope. Those with other skills and talents including: Intelligence Staff, Translators, Linguists, Managers, Machine Operators, Typists, Secretaries, and Stenographers were swiftly recruited.
The author avoids focusing upon Alan Truing, but instead introduces the reader to the arguably equally important contributors to the cracking of the Enigma. My favorite character was Dilly Knox a brilliant scholar of the Classics, specifically Greek. He was humorous and poetic. He constantly threatened to resign his position, was a man full of contradictions, a less than skillful driver and tragically gone too soon.
Those interested in women’s studies will find this publication to be a breath of fresh air. It includes details of the women who worked at Bletchley Park and heralds the significant contributions made by those women. Most of whom were never awarded any recognition or accolade.
CONCLUSION
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park is anything but a dry retelling of history. I found it intriguing, enlightening and humors in equal amounts. Since I read it a week or two ago, I’ve thought of it fondly and often mentioned it repeatedly to friends and family. This, for me, is the seal of a truly great work and because of this I am rating this book highly.
If you want to find out: who ‘Dilly’s Fillies’ were, why there was a bath in the office of Room 40 at the Admiralty, how QWERTZU has anything to do with the Enigma, how the Bomba became the Bombe or what really went on in Hut 6; you will have to read The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park for yourself. Be prepared for a compelling and extraordinary true-life tale.
Highly recommended for everyone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Sir John Dermot Turing, Netgalley and Arcturus for affording me the opertunity to review The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park: The SecretIntelligence Station that Helped Defeat the Nazis.
The Organ Thieves: The shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South by Chip Joones
IN MEMORIAM OF BRUCE TUCKER DECLARED DEAD ON SATURDAY MAY 25, 1968 AT 3:33 PM
Still waiting for an apology that will never come. R.I.P.
Title
The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South
Author
Chip Jones
Publisher
Gallery/Jeter Publishing (August 18, 2020)
Format
Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook, Audio CD
Pages
400
Language:
English
ISBN 10/13
1982107529 / 978-1982107529
Imagine ‘House’ meets ‘A Few Good Men.’
AUTHOR
Chip Jones is a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist. You can learn more about this author here or visit his Facebook page here.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
The Organ Thieves has broad appeal. Everyone from medical students to senior professors and laymen alike will enjoy this work. Students of history, ethics, research fellows or anyone who wants to know more about the early history of heart transplants in the United States will find this book invaluable.
SYNOPSIS
The Organ Thieves is a compassionate retelling of events that introduced a new and highly anticipated advance in medical science. It’s a real-life drama of a radical new cutting-edge medical procedure, involving esteemed surgeons and a seemingly inebriated, impecunious victim of an accident. The apparent theft of the heart and two kidneys from a decent hardworking man, eventually resulting in a $1,000,000 lawsuit.
The subsequent trial spans the whole gamut of questions relating to ethics, motivations, incompetence and a questionable disregard for state law and patients care. The trial covered poor medical administrative practices, prejudice and ethical questions that still plague modern medical ethicists. All this set against the contextual history of medical research set in the segregated South. From the dark days of slavery and the Devil’s Half Acre, to the ‘demonstrators’ and the ‘resurrection-men’ of pre 1884, through to the mid 1990s.
CONCLUSION
The Organ Thieves is well-paced throughout, resplendent with historic detail, clear and concise prose that make for a work that is difficult to put down. I read the last 4 hours in one sitting and I was more enthusiastic in my praise and admiration with each passing chapter.
My only criticism is, I felt at times, there was an understandable bias exhibited by the author. Rather than simply presenting the facts, thus leaving the reader to make their own independent assessment, I sensed he was assessing the historic interactions by todays values.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Chip Jones, NetGalley, and Gallery/Jeter Publishing for affording me the opportunity to review The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South.
Historian and author Robert Grenville lives in London, England.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
Students of history, urban explorers, history buffs, and scholars will find this hardcover of interest.
SYNOPSIS
Abandoned Cold War Places is a seminal work byRobert Grenville. He’s produced a simply magnificent coffee table book filled with over 180 pages of full color, high definition professional photographs. The images of long abandoned cold war locations are accompanied by a short descriptive text.
The post-war era spawned an arms race that created international tensions globally. As a result, there was vast investment in munitions and military resources. The situation continued from 1945-1991. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) subsequently became the Russian Federation. International tensions eased and the former cold war sites deteriorated; unloved and uncared for. As time passed, nature began to regenerate and reclaim the various landmarks. Historians, urban explorers and photographers embarked on quests to explore the former secret military sites. This is where Robert Grenville comes in to his own.
The authors pictorial work reveals the rigors wrought by the elements upon the former machines of war. The once pristine weapons are now forever tarnished and covered in flaking paint or rusted beyond recognition. However, they are still standing as a testimony to the futility of war.
CONCLUSION
Abandoned Cold War Places is the documentation of historic landmarks of the cold war era. Robert Grenville travelled the world compiling a photographic record of the discarded sites. His research depicts the devastation of these landmarks caused by 40 years of neglect. Ultimately, he’s created a photographic record of the insanity of war planning and all its ugly and disturbing guises.
I would have liked a little more information about the various locations, but overall it works as expected.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank Robert Grenville, NetGalley, and Sterling Publishing for affording me the opportunity to reviewAbandoned Cold War Places.
Simon Winchester was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), find out more about him here.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
Anyone interested in the Mississippi river and the attempts to control it.
SYNOPSIS
The End of The River centers upon the hydrological and historic ebb and flow of the greatest river in America’s South, the Mississippi. It focuses on a short stretch of the river near the Louisiana border. It describes the importance and influence of the varied control mechanisms that line the course of the river’s flow. It further explains the factors that over time have adversely affected the river’s natural meandering patters and the problems arising out of those changes.
Winchester calls into question the human influences, particularly those of the United States Corps of Engineers who are the guardians of the river. He challenges the effectiveness of every attempt to control the river citing the Great Flood of the Mississippi in 1927 and the futile attempts to prevent the following flood.
Of particular concern to Winchester are the actions of Captain Shreve and his hubris in carving a canal from the Mississippi across to Atchafalaya. Whilst it made the Atchafalaya easier to navigate, it raises concerns over the sheer volume of water ‘stolen’ from the Mississippi. He questions the ability of the Mississippi to continue its flow to the New Orleans delta due to the Atchafalaya diversion. More concerning is the potential and dire consequences of creating an interruption in the river’s ability to distribute the valuable life giving sedimentary elements from Nebraska to the deep South.
Winchester also identifies the increasing impact upon areas immediately abutting the Mississippi. He explains how human development around the river is impeding the ability of the land to siphon off excess water. This consecutively leads to increased water volume flowing directly into the river which results in greater levels of chaotic surges in the Mississippi. The combination of these influences leads to a never-ending war between the river seeking the path of least resistance and the United States Corps of Engineers trying to control it.
Winchester also briefly observes the huge cost of fighting this inevitable losing battle. He leaves us in no doubt that human geoengineering does not come cheap and its failure can cost lives and livelihoods.
CONCLUSION
The End of The River by Simon Winchester is a novelette created for Scribd. It is a substantial departure from Winchester’s other work and is closer to an in-depth magazine piece than a booklet. The work holds true to the high standard we have come to expect from Simon Winchester.
I wanted to love it, however the subject was neither compelling nor memorable. It lost something in its brevity. I felt it just wasn’t as satisfying as I had come to expect from Winchester’s written work. It wasn’t so detrimental that I would avoid reading any more Simon Winchester books, however I would think twice if they were in this format.
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Simon Winchester, NetGalley, and Scribd Originals for affording me the opportunity to review The End of The River.
Learn about Jerry Borrowman, his books, speaking engagements and his life here.
WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?
This book is best suited for people who enjoy historic architecture and engineering. Anyone who likes suspense, death defying incidents and tragedy will find this book enjoyable.
SYNOPSIS
Catastrophes & Heroes is a chronological record of eight historic disasters and ends with the authors “Final Thoughts.” Each story is broken down for the reader into subsections such as: The Human Cost of Tragedy, an Overview, Fateful Choices, Victims and First Responder Heroes, and Professional Heroes.
This is a pre-release and therefore had no pictures or diagrams but the author will include period images in the final release. That being said, this copy had a notation in the proper location for each image that will eventually be included. I appreciated this concept as I could easily look online at images that would bring into focus the events described.
The subjects vary from Civil War paddle boat disasters, to train wrecks, to bridge collapses, to hurricanes and to damn failures. Each disaster tells the stories of individuals that were killed, maimed, who survived, the rescuers, the villains and the ramifications. Whether the cause of the disaster was an Act of God, greed, ignorance, or malice Jerry brings the stories to life before your eyes.
Although the stories are intriguing in their own right, I think the after effects are the most interesting. Because of these disasters, we of today are safer. Procedures have been scrutinized, and corrections emplaced to prevent these types of disasters from happening again.
CONCLUSION
Catastrophes & Heroes is an extensively researched look into a few of the world’s greatest historic disasters. The first-person monologues add to the stories and lets the reader feel as if they are really there viewing the incident in real time. Some personal stories are tragic, some are exhilarating, many are depressing, and while others are joyful.
Even though the book is superbly authored and researched, I found some of the stories more obscure. I would have liked reading about some more widely known disasters and their stories. I did learn a lot about the incidents recorded in this book and definitely found the Civil War paddle boat disaster the most interesting.
The authors “Final Thoughts” are just a rehash of what was previously covered. That section could have easily been left out of the book entirely. On balance, this book is an informative and enjoyable read, but not rememberable.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Jerry Borrowman, NetGalley, and Shadow Mountain for affording me the opportunity to review Catastrophes & Heroes.
Those who want a crime magazine experience may consider this title.
SYNOPSIS
Bloody London is sort of a travel-log of London locations where true crimes took place. Included are suggested routes to aid the reader on any self guided tour.
I was excited to get a copy of Bloody London, by David Fathers and when the opportunity arose, I jumped at it. What started as anticipation filled joy quickly turned into a serious disappointment. It’s instantly apparent that the books concept was poorly executed. The illustrations were ill matched to the body of the text. The maps were less than useless. In addition, the narrative was simple to the point of being insulting to the reader. Rather than a roundly described crime with context and characters, almost all the crimes were a sentence or two long. It’s frustrating how little information there was to get my teeth into. This lack of substance continued for page after page and quickly became tedious.
I rarely receive my favorite type of subject – true crime. Writing about true crime is a time consuming task due to the twists and turns of the average investigation. Books on this subject require long and arduous research, extensive lists of citations, endnotes, and a bibliography. Fact checking an actual investigation or story is an essential prerequisite. Bloody London by David Fathers was found wanting.
CONCLUSION
Bloody London did not live up to my expectations. The book felt as though it had been cut and pasted rather than being well researched and thought through. The whole work felt weak, as though it was not even first draft ready. Usually when an author reference a specific item used in an actual crime or a location they will include photographs. This work used cartoon drawings. Overall, I felt there was potential had the author done his own research rather than relying on the limited list in his bibliography. I wanted this book to be great, but sadly I was disappointed. I sincerely hope that the author or the publisher consider a rewrite prior to public release.
