Tag Archives: History

book review, History, Non-Fiction, True Crime

BLOODY LONDON – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleBloody London
AuthorDavid Fathers
PublisherConway; 1 edition (April 2, 2020)
Format Kindle, Paperback
Page128
LanguageEnglish
ASIN #B0851GK1XX

AUTHOR

David Fathers is the author of Bloody London and several other publications on Great Britain’s capital city. You can find more about him here: https://londonist.com/london/uncategorized/david-fathers

Who is the target audience?

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.

My recommendation is: if you want a compelling read on London’s crime locations read Bloody London: Shocking Tales from London’s Gruesome Past and Present, by Declan McHugh.

Rating: 0.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank David Fathers, NetGalley, and Conway for affording me the opportunity to review Bloody London.

book review, History, Non-Fiction

VOYAGE OF MERCY – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleVoyage of Mercy: The USS Jamestown,
the Irish Famine, and the Remarkable Story
of America’s First Humanitarian Mission 
AuthorStephen Paleo
PublisherSt. Martin’s Press (March 3, 2020)
FormateTextbook, Audiobook, Hardcover
Page336
LanguageEnglish
ISBN# 10/131250200474 / 978-1250200471

Quote “God created the blight, but the English created the famine.”

AUTHOR

Stephen Puleo is the esteemed author of Voyage of Mercy. You can find out more about him here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

If you hold an interest in any of the following: reading about Irish history, maritime travel, disaster relief or history in general then you will definitely be interested in Voyage of Mercy.

SYNOPSIS

In the Voyage of Mercy, Puleo chronicles the multitude of factors that combined to create the nationwide Irish famine. Puleo details the first time in history that humanitarian aid was sent from one nation to another in a complete act of altruism.

The date is 1847; the place is Ireland, and the occurrence is the Irish Famine known as the “Black 47.” It was a time of great tribulation for Ireland and its population. Puleo’s research details the starvation of millions in a country that was exporting food while its people suffered. He sets the stage leading up to, during and post famine including the effects, causes and the dire consequences. His work includes a cast of millions but focuses upon 3 main characters. In short, it is a horrifyingly unflinching examination of one of the worst cases of starvations in Ireland to that date.

The three key characters include:

The Reverend Theobold Mathew moreover known as the “Temperance Priest” was a controversial religious leader who undertook Herculean efforts to avert the growing crisis.  He sent regular written reports to Assistant Secretary to the British Treasury detailing the crisis. When Father Mathews repeated warnings failed to solicit any assistance he took matters upon himself by providing extraordinary levels of support, comfort, sustenance and shelter to those starving. He went so far as to house them and feed them in his own parochial house.

If Reverend Mathew’s is one of the heroes of the tale, then Charles Trevelyn is definitely the villain. Charles Trevelyn was the Assistant Secretary to the British Treasury at that time and was tasked with overseeing the situation in Ireland. Puleo opinioned that Trevelyan exhibited a severe lack of humanity, immense indifference and gross incompetence. Those character flaws combined together with other extraneous events increased the suffering from an arguably avoidable situation into an unintended genocide and created a colossal Irish diaspora.

The third character is Captain Robert Bennet Forbes who volunteered to command the decommissioned Naval vessel Jamestown. A self-made man of considerable talents he sailed the Jamestown across the Atlantic stocked with produce, clothing and other commodities that were desperately needed in Ireland. Upon his return to America, he championed the Irish relief cause to drum up more support and aid for the suffering people.

Perhaps the saddest part of this story is that even as the victims of the famine were fleeing in the tens of thousands to America, the horrors followed them. The Atlantic crossing proved so dangerous that thousands ended up paying the ultimate cost. Worse still, once in America they were often the subject of a myriad of crimes which just continued their misery on a new continent.

CONCLUSION

I considered myself well educated in the history of the Irish famine. However, I now realize that I only had a minimal understanding of the grievous nature of those events.

There is too much information contained within the Voyage of Mercy to adequately describe in this brief review. The book covers the complete collection of emotions. It is a true-life tale of horror, adventure, human suffering, compassion, political incompetence and much more.

The author harrowingly relates the horrors that occurred when a confluence of factors came together creating a famine that changed thousands of lives on both sides of the Atlantic. Voyage of Mercy is skillfully written, engaging and thought provoking in equal measure. This tome dissipates the fog of history to reveal the victims, heroes and villains of the Irish Famine.

Please be aware that this book is not for the faint of heart. The subject matter discussed is heartbreaking, intense, and worst of all a true account of real people and real events. It was a time that literally changed the lives of millions of people forever. If you are looking for a light read, this definitely is not it. If you want to appreciate how dire the situation was during this milestone in world history then I encourage you to read this book.

I want to acknowledge the aid provided by the American Indians, slaves as well as those barely subsisting in America. They dug deep and gave of their own basic food supplies to assist a nation of people they would never meet but who’s struggle they completely understood.

I have to issue this book a rare 5 star review. You know a book is good when you can’t stop thinking about it days or weeks after you’ve finish reading it.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press (March 3, 2020), NetGalley, and Stephen Puleo for affording me the opportunity to review Voyage of Mercy.



book review, History, Military History, Military Intelligence, Non-Fiction, Reference Works, World War 2

AGENTS OF INFLUENCE – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleAgents of Influence                          
AuthorHenry Hemming                        
PublisherPublic Affairs (October 8, 2019)     
FormatPaperback, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook & CD       
Page400     
LanguageEnglish     
ISBN# 10 / 131541742141 / 978-1541742147     

“Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence.”

Alexander Hamilton
(1757-1804) American statesman, Secretary of the Treasury
Pacificus, No. 6, July 17, 1793.
 

AUTHOR

The author of Agents of Influence is Henry Hemming. You can find more information about him and his other publications here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

I recommend this monograph to those with a general interest in military history and anyone with a particular interest in the asymmetric warfare of World War II.

SYNOPSIS

Agents of Influence is the true story of a British Intelligence team tasked with swaying a reluctant United States of America (USA) to join with Great Britain against the Axis Powers in WWII.

The central character, William (Bill) Stevenson is drawn into the murky world of undercover intelligence operations or a “war by other means.” He was assigned by the British Military Intelligence Agency (MI6) with the task of organizing a hand picked elite team of operatives to work behind the scenes influencing the U.S. populations opinions surrounding their role in the war. To this day His operation is considered to have been the most successful covert action ever to have taken place on U.S. soil. Spectacular in its scope, eye waveringly expensive in terms of cost and promethean in its use of an intelligence campaign, William’s enterprise is one of the greatest examples of mass population influence in modern history.

Hemming has us accompany Stevenson during the dark days of the 1940s following the tragedy of the evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk. In June of 1940 the U.S. population had no interest in becoming embroiled in the war across the “pond.” Through William and his teams influence, the national opinion slowly changed. Within a year and half, the attack on Pearl Harbor propelled the U.S. into World War II.

Hemming’s Agents of Influence unrolls the characters and the methods, including “fake news,” that changed the history of the world and the ultimate outcome of the war. He explains the British motivation behind the occult actions employed. He takes us on the ship with Stephenson and the wealth of a nation from across the Atlantic. From there he describes how Bill Stephenson uses his considerable talents to assemble an effective team, integrates them into U.S. society and begins his influence operations behind the scenes. That is just the beginning.

CONCLUSION

Agents of Influence is so outrageous that it seems too unbelievable to be true, and yet it happened. Put simply, it is one of those manuscripts that you find yourself carrying around so that you don’t miss an opportunity to read what happens next. I have just discovered a new favorite author. The next step is to get my hands on one or two of the five other works that Hemming has written. This is a superb read; but don’t take my word for it, go out and get a copy and discover for yourself the pleasure of a Henry Hemming volume. This is the first 5 star review of the year.

Written with academic prowess, scholarly skill, intensively researched, extensively referenced and reads as a compelling novel, Hemming has created a genuine winner.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Henry Hemming, NetGalley, and Public Affairs for affording me the opportunity to review Agents of Influence.

Biography, book review, History, Non-Fiction

STEPHEN AND MATILDA’S CIVIL WAR – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleStephen and Matilda’s Civil War:
Cousins of Anarchy
AuthorMatthew Lewis
PublisherPen & Sword History (4 Nov. 2019)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages280
Language:English
ISBN # 10 / 131526718332 / 978-1526718334

AUTHOR

Matthew Lewis was born in England. He obtained a law degree, but history has always been his passion. He has authored numerous historical books, both fiction and non-fiction. You can find his blog here, his Facebook page here, his Goodreads page here, and his Twitter page here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This book is best suited for historians, students of medieval history or anyone who enjoys learning about the English ancient ruling class.

SYNOPSIS

Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War is the tale of two cousins fight over the throne of England. King Henry I died in 1135 and had no legitimate male heir. His only legitimate son, William Adelin, drowned in the “White Ship” disaster in 1120. His only other legitimate child was Empress Matilda, a female. No female had ever ruled England at this time, but Henry I wanted her to reign after him. Unfortunately for Matilda she was in Anjou at the time of her father’s death. Her first cousin Stephen of Blois rushed in and usurped the crown in her absence. This led to The Anarchy (civil-war) that endured nearly two decades.

Matthew Lewis composes a compelling tale of a tumultuous time in English history. His research and writing ability are evident throughout the book. He delves into the chaos of the time and brings to light the suffering of all those involved. The war ebbs and flows back and forth with no one really seeming to get the upper hand. The external and internal conflicts surrounding this event in history are too numerous to comprehend, but Matthew does an excellent job. He uses personal accounts, quotes, and even a few images to help the reader try to understand the complexities of the times.

 CONCLUSION

Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War is an exceptionally researched historic look at The Anarchy. The author is able to describe in detail the look and feel of the era, as if you were standing there observing it in real time. The battles, both political and literal are played out across the pages of this manuscript. A great read for anyone who is interested in medieval England.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Matthew Lewis, NetGalley, and Pen & Sword History for affording me the opportunity to review Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War: Cousins of Anarchy.


book review, History, Non-Fiction

WORLD’S GREATEST WONDERS – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleWorld’s Greatest Wonders: From Nature’s Special
Places to Stunning Masterpieces Created by
Outstanding Artists and Architects
AuthorEditors of Chartwell Books
PublisherChartwell Books (August 11, 2020)
FormatHardcover
Pages256
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #ISBN-10: 0785837957
ISBN-13: 978-0785837954

AUTHOR

Written by Editors of Chartwell Books.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Do you enjoy thumbing through travel magazines during the cold winter evenings? Would you like referring to a publication to refresh facts from an impressive reference book? Perhaps you just enjoy owning beautiful things. If you answered yes to either question then you might want to read on.

SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time there was a list of seven wonders of the world. Chartwell Books have taken the concept and created the World’s Greatest Wonders. It is a high-quality gallery book. If you are familiar with the original seven wonders you will recognize a few included in the 30 locations presented in World’s Greatest Wonders.

The World’s Greatest Wonders, by Editors of Chartwell Books is a spectacular volume jammed full of impressive high quality, full color, high-definition illustrations, and photographs. The guide is sub-divided into two sections: man-made wonders and natural wonders.

There is a genuine sense of quality in this tome; from the materials employed in its construction to the multitude of creative techniques utilized to produce such a ravishing spectacular feast for the eyes. Some pages are designed using striking paneled images organized to sit comfortably alongside nuggets of clear and concise information. Other pages have cut away visuals or schematics that vary wide-angle and close up images alongside bird’s eye views of the greatest wonders in the world today. In the case of the Naska lines, there is a double page spread magnificent in its awe inspiring complexity. With each turn of the page, there is yet another full color, high definition heavenly picture with maps showing the geographic location. Other elements that give the work a real sense of drama and excitement are the two-dimensional cut away models, architectural illustrations and drawings, as well as city wide images. In addition, there are a multitude of highly creative diagrams, including not to be missed eco diorama’s and panorama’s that have to be seen to be believed. The visuals are accompanied by important details about the subject that include age, size, dimensions, height, weight, historic background, and associated myths or legends.

It’s obvious that a significant amount of time, money, and effort have been employed in the creation of the World’s Greatest Wonders. The graphic designers, architects and illustrators have seriously out-done themselves. You will often hear the phrase that ‘a thing of beauty is a joy forever’ and it is also true of the World’s Greatest Wonders.

CONCLUSION

This hardback is definitely worthy of your home library. There are biodiverse cross-sectional illustrations that are absolutely captivating. If you want to know more about such varied sites as: Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, the Sidney Opera House, the Empire State Building, St. Peter’s Basilica; or natural sites of great wonder such as: the Amazon, Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, the Sahara, or Kilimanjaro, then World’s Greatest Wonders is a must have.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the Editors of Chartwell Books, NetGalley, and Chartwell Books for affording me the opportunity to review World’s Greatest Wonders: From Nature’s Special Places to Stunning Masterpieces Created by Outstanding Artists and Architects.

book review, History, Non-Fiction, World War 2

Operation Swallow – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleOperation Swallow: American Soldiers’ Remarkable
Escape from Berga Concentration Camp
AuthorMark Felton
PublisherCenter Street (October 15, 2019)
FormatPaperback, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Pages305
Language:English
ASINB07P8LMB45

AUTHOR

Mark Felton has a PhD in history from the University of Essex. He has authored numerous publications and maintains two YouTube Channels. You can find him on his official website here. If you are interested in his YouTube channels, you can find WWII history here, and his War Stories here. Mark’s twitter page is @mpfelton. If you are looking for more information on Mark Felton you can try his Wilkipedia page here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys non-fiction stories of WWII. History buffs, students, teachers, and anyone else who likes to read historic accounts of the soldiers who fought in the European theatre will truly enjoy reading this work.

SYNOPSIS

Operation Swallow: American Soldiers’ Remarkable Escape from Berga Concentration Camp is the story of U.S. soldiers captured during the Battle of the Bulge and taken to “Berga an der Elster,” a German concentration camp. These soldiers were forced into hard labor by the Germans to aid in their war-fighting machine. The deprivation, malnutrition, torture, and forced labor killed many POW’s. Forced to dig whether they were ill or not, beaten if they didn’t or couldn’t meet expectations, these men suffered at the hands of their captors. The bond between the soldiers and loyalty they shared were essential in the escape attempts.

Mark Felton weaves a compelling tale from official documents, eye witness accounts, and personal testimonies. He tells the story in the words of those who were actually there and experienced the brutality and hardships first hand.

 CONCLUSION

Operation Swallow is a no-holds-bar true life story of just one facet in WWII. Imagine this story multiplied across all the concentration camps run by the Germans and the scale of the atrocities is astronomical. Mark does a great job bringing this story to light and giving these soldiers who suffered at the hands of the Germans a voice. I definitely recommend this book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Mark Felton, NetGalley, and Center Street for affording me the opportunity to review Operation Swallow: American Soldiers’ Remarkable Escape from Berga Concentration Camp.


book review, History, Non-Fiction

The ship of dreams – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Ship Of Dreams: The Sinking of the
Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era 
AuthorGareth Russell
PublisherAtria Books (November 19, 2019)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Paperback, and Hardcover
Pages 448
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #ISBN-10: 1501176722
ISBN-13: 978-1501176722
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Captain Edward Smith, of the RMS Titanic. “Be British.”

“Captain Smith was the biggest hero I ever saw.”

Robert Williams Daniel, First Class Passenger & survivor of the RMS Titanic sinking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Smith_(sea_captain) Citation 19.

AUTHOR

Gareth Russell is the author of The Ship of Dreams. If you would like to read more about him, please click here. You can find Gareth on Facebook here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Those with an interest in the Edwardian era, the British Empire at its zenith or those who enjoy maritime drama played out against that tapestry will appreciate this manuscript. Other interested parties may include students of history, educators, and university professors.

SYNOPSIS

Russell’s, The Ship of Dreams is much more than a run of the mill retelling of the loss of the Titanic. He has taken the stance to elaborate and expand the remit to include: political, social, and economic events shortly before the advent of the Great War. He focuses on a group of six affluent passengers of the late lamented ship. He observes the tumultuous events beginning in Edwardian era that led to a seismic change in the place of the aristocracy and landed gentry of Great Britain. Russell goes on to describe how they and the ‘new monied’ plutocrats opulent lifestyles were about to be changed forever by a series of National politics, social and Global cataclysmic events. Events that would change the lifestyles of these elite strata of society fundamentally for generations. Russell cleverly interconnects their lives together, adding context against which to paint the tragic events surrounding the loss of Royal Merchant Ship (RMS) Titanic on her fateful maiden voyage. 

Russell takes time to introduce the characters and their background information for the first quarter of the manuscript. This may be a disappointment to some however I found the social commentary and the details of the characters individual lives to be fascinating.

The cast of characters that Russell chose to focus our attention on are as follows:

1.     Thomas Andrews, Managing Director of the Harland and Wolff shipyard.

2.     Countess of Rothes, an aristocrat of the Leslie family and wife of Norman Leslie the 19th Earl of Rothes.

3.     Dorothy Gibson, the highest paid actress in the world at that time.

4.     The Strauss’ Ida and Isidore, joint owners of Macey’s.

5.     John Thayer, an executive with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.

6.     Jack Thayer 17 year old son of John Thayer.  

Before the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, the dying had already begun. The first was Mr. James Dobbin, a forty-three-year-old shipwright struck by a beam as the ship was launched shattering his pelvis. He died the next day of his injuries. 

Russell has managed to produce a heavily researched and compelling read, complete with extensive footnotes and a vast array of monochrome photographs. His narrative brings the Titanic back to life; her gargantuan size, grandeur, and sheer opulence lives again, at least in the mind of the reader.  

I was pleased to see that Russell scuttled the myths and the tropes that have followed the tale of the Titanic since she went to Davy Jones locker. He debunked the lies repeated across time of the Third Class Passengers (AKA Steerage) having been locked in whilst the First Class passengers were prioritized. In addition, the disparaging allegations that certain characters dressed as women to sneak aboard the lifeboats were also disproved. Most important, were the claims attacking the character of Captain (AKA Commodore) Edward Smith.

At approximately 23:40 on the evening of 14 April 1912 with the sea so calm it was like glass the RMS’ luck ran out when she attempted to prevent a direct hit with an iceberg. As a result of the course change, the Titanic’s hull was breached 300 feet along the length of the ship. From that moment she was living on borrowed time. 1,100+ passengers and crew had barely noted how serious the incident was until it was too late. A brief 160 minutes later on 15 April 1912, all but 705 of the people on board had less than 15 minutes to live.

CONCLUSION

Russell has provided an original account of an often told tale. He corrects some of the many errors and provides previously unseen photographs and new information about the infamous incident. Russell’s writing style reminded me of Erik Larson, an author I hold in high esteem. The drama doesn’t end when the ship sinks beneath the waves to her watery grave. In many ways the drama simply switches location and ratchets up on both sides of the Atlantic. Russell details the changes arising from the investigations, both good and bad. The author did manage to capture the humanity and tragedy whilst keeping the familiar story fresh and exciting. Well written throughout with solid prose and a clear logical writing approach

Russell has given us an invaluable insight into the tragedy of the events that catastrophic evening. May the RMS Titanic and her passengers rest in peace.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Gareth Russell, NetGalley, and Atria Books for affording me the opportunity to review The Ship Of Dreams: The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era. 

book review, History, Non-Fiction, World War 2

Retribution – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleRetribution: The Soviet Reconquest of
Central Ukraine, 1943
AuthorPrit Buttar
PublisherOsprey Publishing; 1 edition (October 31, 2019)
FormatPaperback, Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Pages480
Language:English
ASINB07RD6YNZT

AUTHOR

Prit Buttard is a British general practitioner and writer. He has written multiple history genre books covering WWI and WWII. He even authored a couple of novels. He did a five-year stint in the British Army as a surgeon and medical officer. He had an outstanding career and recently moved with his family to Scotland in 2017. You can find out more about Prit Buttard here and here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys the history of epic war-time battles. WWII history enthusiasts will find the information contained within its pages invaluable.

SYNOPSIS

Retribution: The Soviet Reconquest of Central Ukraine, 1943 tells the story of the Ukrainian front during WWII. Through exhaustive research, personal accounts, and eyewitness interviews Prit Buttard brings the epic conflict to life. The reader gets an account of the myriad of detriments effecting both sides. The Germans were better trained soldiers but lacked supply’s, replacement personnel, ammunition, they were unsuited to the environment, and much more. The Soviets were not well trained but had an inexhaustible amount replacement personnel, resupply, and factories that were beyond the reach of the German forces. They were also well suited to the environment. The German Army was also constantly being undermined by Hitler trying to micro-manage the conflict without possessing any concrete knowledge of what exactly was transpiring on the front. The Soviets didn’t experience the limitations that Hitler did as they were right there managing the battles as they went.

Prit describes the battles from the major confrontations to the grittier hand-to-hand personal battles. He gives an account of the Ukrainian people that were caught behind the German lines and the suffering they endured both during the conflict and as the Germans retreated. He does an excellent job of portraying the human conflict from all sides during this dreadful time in history.

Although the information was captivating, the book was a little disjointed due the different timelines between chapters. The reference material was also lacking in usable maps for the reader to follow along.

 CONCLUSION

Prit Buttar does a great job of bringing this epic conflict into view. Even though the maps were somewhat useless, the story is one that needed to be told. This conflict tied up German forces, resources and time allowing Allied forces to win on other fronts. The loss of life on both sides is astronomical. The Soviets, through sheer manpower, overwhelmed the Germans and their limited supplies to force their retreat. Overall, an excellent read!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Prit Buttar, NetGalley, and Osprey Publishing for affording me the opportunity to review Retribution: The Soviet Reconquest of Central Ukraine, 1943.

book review, History, Non-Fiction

WILLIAMS’ GANG – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleWilliams’ Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and
His Cargo of Black Convicts
AuthorJeff Forret
PublisherCambridge University Press (January 16, 2020)
FormatKindle, Hardcover
Pages479
LanguageEnglish
ISBN # 1108493033

AUTHOR

Discover the Prof. Jeff Forret, the author of Williams’ Gang on his page here.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Forret’s manuscript is an invaluable tool for those wishing to understand and appreciate the mechanisms of the slave trade.

SYNOPSIS

Jeff Forret’s work is an extensive and comprehensive examination of the slave trade from the perspective of William H. Williams. 

Williams hailed from Washington DC (District of Columbia), Virginia where he engaged in the flesh trade in a private home known as the Yellow House. The property, surrounded by a twelve-foot wall patrolled by men and ferocious dogs, was more of a human warehouse/sales lot for his chattels than a home. The slaves (men, women, and children) were kept in the basement of the two-story house and then sold at auction in the yard. If selling abducted human beings wasn’t bad enough, he engaged in the kidnapping free “men” or former freed slaves and selling them into servitude. 

The now famous Solomon Northup, a free man of New York, was just one of the people the Williams Gang thrust into bondage. You may recognize his name as he was the writer of in Twelve Years a Slave where he recounted his life experiences as a free man and a slave. 

Forret goes onto chronicle the range of legal wrangles and the events surrounding Williams’  purchase of 27 convicts in 1840 for transport and sale outside of the United States. After illegally transporting the convicts to New Orleans, Louisiana he became entangled in legal proceedings lasting decades; well past the abolishment of slavery by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  

Based on a plethora of reference material, Forret describes the attitudes, economies, and politics of the time surrounding the slave trade.  

CONCLUSION

An excellent primer for anyone wishing to gain a greater knowledge of the workings of the United States Slave Trade during the 1800’s. The attitudes, politics, and economics of the era are eyeopening and intriguing. Williams’ Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and His Cargo of Black Convicts is an excellent look into the history of human bondage in the United States.

As I read the book, I found similarities to the style of writing in a work called Stolen, written by Richard Bell. You can find my review for Stolen here on Litercurious.

Further reading about Williams’ Gang can be found here.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Jeff Forret, NetGalley, and Cambridge University Press for affording me the opportunity to review Williams’ Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and His Cargo of Black Convicts.

book review, History, Non-Fiction, Politics

THE DAILY THOMAS PAINE – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

TitleThe Daily Thomas Paine: A Year of
Common-Sense Quotes
AuthorThomas Paine (Author) (Author Editor Edward G. Gray)
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press
FormatPaperback
Pages176
LanguageEnglish
ISBN #9780226653518

AUTHOR / EDITOR

The eponymous Thomas Paine was the Enlightenment era Philosopher, Political activist, and some say Revolutionary. During his 72 years on earth, he made a lasting impression in the field of political science and philosophy. You can find out more about this extraordinary thinker here. Editor Edward G. Gray Professor of history at Florida State University.

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Those unfamiliar with the importance of Paine as a philosopher will benefit most from this brief introduction of the man through his published thoughts.

SYNOPSIS

The Daily Thomas Paine could be described as a conspectus or a brief compendium of the learned man’s published thoughts. The main work is proceeded by a comprehensive Forward that acts as context to the broader work. Structured as a standard calendar year beginning on January 1st, there are quotes on each page in bite sized nuggets of wisdom ending on 31 December. The manuscript culminates with a brief Index of Sources.

CONCLUSION

I don’t prefer this method of reductionism, and it provides neither a sense of the philosopher nor an adequate take on his concepts and perspectives. There are little gems of wisdom sprinkled throughout the text but they are too few and too brief. I never felt that this volume was a satisfactory salute to Thomas Paine’s great acumen or his humanity. I wish I could say that The Daily Thomas Paine would have made a primer for those who wish to gain some insight into the man, but I’m unable to do so. I found this book to be something of a disappointment and a wasted opportunity. You may hold a different view, but you will only know if you read it for yourself.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank Thomas Paine, NetGalley, and University of Chicago Press for affording me the opportunity to review The Daily Thomas Paine.