The Reich’s brainwashing of racial purity was so successful many didn’t question it. If you wanted a job or a promotion you “did your duty” even if that meant mass murder. However, this is not an excuse, in war time perception of “right” and “wrong” get muddied, but that usually occurs on an individual scale, not when it comes to the assist and/or participating in genocide or a bastardized form of euthanasia (killing your own soldiers who were left mentally or physically injured in battle).

Mr. Shapow survived several labor camps and even Rikenau. How did he ever survived the Nazi killing machine, especially due to his habit of stealing food (a crime punished by execution, even if it’s moldy bread) is a testament to the human spirit.

How to Lose a War at Sea edited by Bill Fawcett is a fascinating collection of more than 30 short essays about naval warfare and oceanic disasters. The book spans decades, there are essays ranging from the days of the Spanish armada to naval blunders from the 1960s.

An account of the assassination of President James A. Garfield. Mr. Garfield was the 20th President of these US and the second to be assassinated in office.

A non-fiction book which tackles the history of camouflage, lies, bluffs and tricks which helped the British win World War I and World War II.

An easy to read narrative of two doctors from two completely separate lives who work together by performing cataract surgery in the Himalayas.

About: Rocking the Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert that Changed the World by Erik Kirschbaum is a non-fiction book about a 1988 Springsteen concert in East Berlin, Germany. Mr. Kirschbaum got the idea for the book in a taxi coming back from a 2002 Springsteen concert in Berlin, when the cab driver told him about the incredible night which changed the country. 144 pages Publisher: Berlinica Publishing LLC Language: English ISBN-10: 1935902741 My rating for Rocking the Wall – 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tor­nic format* Thoughts: Rocking the Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert that Changed the World by Erik Kirschbaum is a short book and a fast read. It is especially poignant for those of us who actually remember a place called East Berlin. I call New Jersey my home state, it’s understandable that Bruce Springsteen is a mega star there, heck, I knew people who went to school with him. What’s amazing is that this local boy became a huge mega star not only in the country, but for a while was the biggest rock star on the planet. The first few chapters give an overall, and quick, history of East Berlin and the…

About: A Survival Guide for Life: How to Achieve Your Goals, Thrive in Adversity, and Grow in Character by Bear Grylls is a self-help / motivitional book written by the template of all men himself. Mr. Grylls is the host of Man vs. Wild, a successful TV show, and is the ideal outdoor survival expert brand. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 288 pages Publisher: William Morrow (July 2, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 0062271954 My rat­ing for A Survival Guide for Life — 3 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format* More Books by Bear Grylls Thoughts: I usually don’t read many self-help books or the dime-store psychology type, but I figured I’d give this one a shot because I know Mr. Grylls has lived an interesting and fascinating life. A Survival Guide for Life by Bear Grylls (website | Facebook | @BearGrylls) is a series of short narratives (75 in all), many telling anecdotes from the life of the authors tailored and/or manipulated to accommodate the bullet point the narrative tries to make. While this book is not really a “guide” to anything,…

About: Quotes Every Man Should Know edited by Nick Mamatas is exactly what the title describes it as. This is a small book, but with lots of great content. The editor is giv­ing away one copy to 3 winners of this book –to enter fill out the Raf­fle­copt­ter form at the end of the post. 144 pages Publisher: Quirk Books Language: English ISBN-10: 1594746362 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic format* More Books by Nick Mamatas Thoughts: How do you review a quotes book? Some quotes are great and useful, some not as much but I cannot review each and every quote. That’s why Quotes Every Man Should Know edited by Nick Mamatas is a challenge to write about. The book is small, pocket size, so one can put it in the pocket, walk around and use it on demand. Or simply keep it in a convenient place (desk drawer, glove compartment, etc.) to be easily accessible. In this day and age, where information can go ten times around the world before being verified, it is nice to have some sort of verified resource for information. Actually it is a hobby of mine to piss off my ultra-conservative and ultra-liberal…

Arti­cle orig­i­nally pub­lished as Book Review: 1776 Year of Illusions by Thomas Fleming on Blogcritics.org About: 1776 Year of Illusions by Thomas Fleming is a non-fiction book about the tremulous year. Mr. Fleming is a historical novelist and historian with special interest in the American Revolution. 525 pages Pub­lisher: Book Sales Lan­guage: English ISBN-10: 0785807241 My rat­ing for 1776 Year of Illusions — 5 Buy this book from Amazon.com* More Books by Thomas Fleming Thoughts: 1776 Year of Illusions by Thomas Fleming (website) does not pull any punches when describing the political crisis in North America and how each side was seeking a resolution. For every person who was committed their whole heart to a revolution, there was another who could not fathom being separated from the English crown. The book mainly focuses on the military campaigns of 1776, however the fascinating political developments in Philadelphia and London are also addressed. The author follows the American rebels from the disastrous attempt to take over Quebec, Canada to the amazing victories at Trenton and Princeton. Mr. Fleming makes it clear that the colonial society was anything but united behind the rebels, but somehow they still managed to wing. Loyalists, those who favored British rule, where everywhere and, according to the…