The story is told through the eyes of the woman who lived it, while it took around the same time, each one had an individual and unique experience. While the synopsis might sound like a fairytale (falling in love, crossing the ocean, etc.) the reality was much harsher and difficult.
About: Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe by Wayne Vansant is a graphic novel recounting the events of that fateful day and those leading up to it. 104 pages Publisher: Zenith Press Language: English ISBN-10: 0760343926 My rating for Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day – 4 Buy this book from in paper or electronic format* Thoughts: Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe by Wayne Vansant connects to the reader more than a mere history book. The excellent art draws attention to historical details in vivid details and colors. Mr. Vansant starts at the weeks and months ramping up to D-Day, and ends at the liberation of Paris – about two months after D-Day. The author does a great job educating the reader about the leaders who made great, lucky and disastrous decisions on both sides as well as the consequences suffered by the civilian population of the battlefield. The author does an excellent job representing all the countries who participated in the invasion of Europe, not just the big ones we hear and learn about. A special mention of the Polish 1st Armored…
The book is not only a memoir, but a commentary about the life in a small southern town circa the 1920s. A town where almost everyone never even saw a Jew nevertheless interacted with one.
I was actually surprised to learn that Herzl cemented himself as a leading force in the Zionist movement in only 9 years, which is the time the book covers. In an aberration from conventional teachings, Mr. Avneri refutes that Herzl’s evolution of thought was not, as taught, out of the Dreyfus affair (which he covered as a reporter) but a gradual process.
Mr. Lavie lived among the Egyptians and writes about the warm, wonderful individuals he met. The author also writes about Egyptian society, the difficult life and analyzes the economy and the mess that Egypt got itself into and the difficulties the country faces in the future getting out of them.
An insightful book about the character of this very divisive politician.
About: Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels by Andrei Netto is a non-fiction book telling the story of the author, a Brazilian journalist. Mr. Netto traveled to Libya to witness firsthand the uprising against Gaddafi. 320 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Trade Language: English ISBN-10: 1137279125 My rating for Bringing Down Gaddafi — 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic (Kindle) format* Thoughts: Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels by Andrei Netto tells of the Libyan Revolution, the author’s harrowing experience, captivity and the people he met along the way. Together with an Iraqi journalist, Mr. Netto’s capture and release was, for me, one of the most interesting aspects of the book. The book also gives an excellent overview of the situation in Libya, including historical context to the revolution. The story moves back and forth between profiles of the revolutionaries, a history lesson and the author’s experiences. Even though the civil war in Libya was brief, it was still very dangerous, especially for reports at the time. The book is written in a very professional, but also personal manner depending on what subject Mr. Netto writes about. Mr. Netto’s book is…
The book is part history, part historical fiction. While much of the book is based on outstanding research and first-person interviews, some of the book is told from a perspective which the author himself wrote but relied on historical information for reference. A most interesting way to write the book and a brave decision by the author (who states his method in the forward).
The book is actually two well written essays. The first essay is a fascinating look at Colonial America and the life of an 18th Century regular people without the wealth and genealogy of many of our Founding Fathers. The second part is more of a scholarly essay about uses and methods of history.
About: Good Morning, Mr. Mandela by Zelda la Grange is a memoir of Mr. Mandela’s private secretary. This is Ms. la Grange’s first book, which I understand caused some controversy as it is the first such memoir to come out after Mr. Mandela’s death. 384 pages Publisher: Viking Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0525428283 My rating for Good Morning, Mr. Mandela – 5 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* Thoughts: Good Morning, Mr. Mandela by Zelda la Grange is a heartfelt memoir in which Ms. la Grange shares with the reader her intimate and personal knowledge of Mr. Mandela. The author confirms what we already know; Mr. Mandela was a great humanitarian, an excellent leader and simply, a wonderful human being. Ms. la Grange was very close to Mr. Mandela, in fact he called her his “adopted granddaughter” and was handpicked by Mr. Mandela as a young Afrikaan girl. At first Ms. la Grange was skeptical, being brought up to think blacks were inferior, however Mr. Mandela changed her mind as he changed the whole country. I really liked the way the book is laid out, not only chronologically but by relevant sections within each timeline. For example the…