John Tenniel (28 February, 1820 – 25 February, 1914) was a British illustrator and cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of England’s 19th century. These days Mr. Tenniel is remembered, in part, as the illustrator for Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Tenniel’s father, John Baptist Tenniel, was very athletic and worked as a dancing-master. The son learned fencing, dancing, riding and more from his father. However, at age 20 he suffered a cut which blinded his right eye. Tenniel concealed the injury from his father to spare him the guilt. At age 16 Tenniel’s paintings started to be exhibited at galleries. One of Tenniel’s first commissions was a fresco for the House of Lords. Tenniel had a photographic memory. John Tenniel worked as chief cartoon artist for Punch and his images were considered funny and radical. Tenniel drew 92 drawings for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Tenniel attended the Royal Academy but left in disgust at the quantity of teaching he received. Tenniel’s political cartoons played up the racial stereotypes of the time (Jews with hooked noses, Africans with thick lips, etc.). Tenniel was…

The Angel: Ashraf Marwan, the Mossad and the Surprise of the Yom Kippur War by Uri Bar Yosef is a non-fiction book in which Professor Bar Yosef outlines why he believes Marwan was the best spy who worked for Israel, ever. Mr. Bar Yosef is a professor in The Department for International Relations of The School for Political Science at Haifa University, specializing in national security, intelligence studies and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Erma Louise Bombeck (21 February, 1927 – 22 April, 1996) was an American writer, columnist, author and humorist. Ms. Bombeck’s newspaper column, which described suburban life, was very popular for decades.

About: Road to Reckoning by Robert Lautner is a western novel taking place in 1837 This is Mr. Lautner’s debut novel. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 256 pages Publisher: Touchstone Language: English ISBN-10: 1476731632 My rating for Road to Reckoning – 4 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format* Thoughts: Road to Reckoning by Robert Lautner is the story of Thomas Walker, a 12 year old boy who is caught between world’s, is not a boy and not a man, and he doesn’t get to decide which one. The boy, still vulnerable, wants to be a macho man but is not match for the shysters and rough men he meets. The book is dark, violent but also very enjoyable. The characters are complex, interesting and engaging, the story is very good and, due to the dark nature of the book, I didn’t know if it will have a happy end or not. One of the most interesting aspects of the novel, for me, was the relations of the elder Thomas with his dead father, since the story is told in hindsight by an older Thomas…

In fact “Inferno” has gathered all necessary conditions for good edition: cine plot, fashion for medieval, religious theories, Robert Langdon. Filmmakers are going to screen the book and of course it will be interesting to watch. “Inferno” is really interesting, fascinating and worth reading, if you like mysteries, puzzles and unexpected plot twists.

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan is a fictionalized account of the relationship of famed author Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne . This is Ms. Horan’s second novel, her first, Loving Frank, was a bestseller and well received.

Israel Zangwill was a British writer and humorist who dedicated his life to causes of the oppressed, from women’s suffrage to Jewish emancipation.

I truly enjoyed the fact that the author pays attention to history and imagines what it would have been like for his protagonists to prepare for battle and death. Mr. Pressfield understands the notions of honor in the context of ancient Greece and writes about it in a moving, serious way.

About: No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen is a nonfiction account from one of the man in the Navy SEALs unit who were tasked with raiding the compound in which it was thought that Usama Bin Laden is hiding. 316 pages Publisher: Dutton Adult Language: English ISBN-10: 0525953728 My rat­ing for No Easy Day – 4 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format* Thoughts: No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen is a fast, exciting read which gives the reader a small glimpse of these elite units, their culture and attitude. The author, a SEAL for 10 years before going on the mission, makes good use of the page and the narrative and does not question the kill-and-capture he and his fellow soldiers have been sent on. Much of the book tells about the author’s training, SEAL culture and missions he went on (most in Iraq and Afghanistan). The author provides many details, despite a disclaimer that he, for obvious reasons, cannot compromise security or identities. The narrative is sweeping, fast and personal, the author goes into details of other missions to make the reader realize that…

Charles Dickens (7 February, 1812 – 9 June, 1870), prolific English author, is known to this day as the quintessential Victorian author.