It is refreshing to read a story from the aggressor’s point of view, usually we get a sore look from the victim’s eyes. This aggressor, however, is justifying his acts, however horrendous. In war and under pressure, as well as mob mentality, regular people commit atrocities which weeks or even days before were unthinkable to them.
About: The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor is a novel which introduces the reader to Yael Azoulay, a high-level UN staffer. The book is marketed as being the first in a trilogy by Mr. LeBor who is, by trade, an author and journalist. The publisher is giving away one copy of this book –to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post. 368 pages Publisher: Harper Paperbacks Language: English ISBN-10: 0062208551 My rating for The Geneva Option — 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Adam LeBor Thoughts: The Geneva Option by Adam LeBor is a gripping thriller which introduces the world to a strong heroine. The world created by the author is raw and brutal, a world most of us would like to think does not exist. Yael Azoulay, the protagonist, is truly an international woman with no roots and no place she can call home. This is a fast paced book is entertaining on the surface but has a lot going for it in between the lines. The lose-lose deals Yael has to strike leave the reader feeling almost dirty but with the clear understanding that they must be made…
Ambush at Corellia is not a difficult read or particularly long. It simply felt slow because of the dragged-out storyline.
Article first published as Book Review: The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch on Blogcritics. About: The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch is a fictional book telling of a family’s struggle to survive. Mr. Clinch’s previous books, Finn and Kings of the Earth won awards and commendation from around the country. The publisher is giving away one copy to two winners of this book –to enter fill out the Rafflecoptter form at the end of the post. My rating for The Thief of Auschwitz – 5 Buy this book in paper or in electronic format* More Books by Jon Clinch More Recommended World War II books on Man of la BookStore Thoughts: The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch (website | Facebook | @jonclinch) is a fascinating and well written book. Even though short, Mr. Clinch is an excellent storyteller presenting a beautiful story and tight page-turner. The story portrays a Jewish family trying to stay sane in a world gone mad. The family is trying to salvage a bit of civility wherever they can in a place that could on be described as hell on earth. The story doesn’t have many twists, but several convenient plot points which, although a bit too convenient are central to…
Dr. John Petrie, a physician and our narrator, meets his friend Denis Nayland Smith who served as British police commissioner in Asia. Smith seems to know all things Asia and the innate ability to get all the support he needs from British government officials. Petrie is, of course, knowledgeable in medicine, forensics, chemistry and an ace with a pistol – for good measure.
Reviewed by Ren Zelen Buy this book in paper or electronic format While Vampires and Zombies have been jamming the highway to the bookshelves and multiplexes, Werewolves have largely been left to idle by the side of the literary road. With Glen Duncan’s protagonist, Jacob Marlowe, you get more than you bargain for: not just a man but a werewolf, not just a werewolf, but an existentially philosophical one. The novel is, ostensibly, a diary. The tale begins after a ‘feed’ “Two nights ago I’d eaten a 43-year-old hedge fund specialist,” Marlowe states with what will be his trademark insouciance, “I’ve been in a phase of taking the ones no-one wants.” We learn his backstory, a 19th-century costume tragedy, by means of his journal entries, composed in breaks between violent action and meaningless fornication. Two centuries of living have endowed him with a vast reserve of cultural expertise and a linguistic style that moves between the wisecracking cynicism of his noir namesake and the syntactical flourishes of the 19th century literary gentleman. Marlowe imparts the contents of his inner life and his impressions of the modern world in a series of dryly succinct verbal morsels: the topography of Wales is…
Today is the birthday of best selling author and leader of Tibet (or is it the other way around?) the Dalai Lama. This post was not as difficult as my other “fun facts” posts as the Dalai Lama had an interesting life and the difficulty presented itself by trying to find “only” 10 interesting facts. 1 ) Tenzin Gyatso was born in the northeastern Tibetan village of Taktser in 1935. His parents had 16 children but only 7 survived past infancy. 2 ) The two year old boy was marked as the reincarnated Dalai Lama when monks, dressed as traders, showed up in his village. The boy asked for a rosary which belonged to the previous Dalai Lama and identified the man wearing it as “Sera aga” (a lama from the Sera monastery). Later the boy also identified possessions of the previous lama. 3 ) Ma Bufang, a Chinese Muslim General ( who knew?), placed his men around the Dalai Lama’s house for “protection” effectively placing him under house arrest. It took 100,000 Chinese silver dollars to transport the Dalai Lama to Tibet so he could succeed his predecessor. 4 ) The Dalai Lama started his monastic education at…
Article first published as Book Review: Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Eric L. Haney on Blogcritics. About: Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Eric L. Haney is a memoir of the author as one of the founding member of the Army’s elite Delta Force. 336 pages Publisher: Delacorte Press Language: English ISBN-10: 0385336039 My rating for Inside Delta Force – 5 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Eric L. Haney Thoughts: Inside Delta Force: The Story of America’s Elite Counterterrorist Unit by Eric L. Haney is a gripping book which is hard to put down. Mr. Haney was privy to many of the group’s early events which, as time went on, became legendary within Delta Force, the Army and military lore. Mr. Haney had known Delta Force founder Colonel Charlie Beckwith whose vision it was to start the team and the guts to start it from scratch. The rough physical and mental entrance criteria are described as the new organization was based on the British elite Special Air Services (SAS) commando unit. This new team was truly made up of certain type of people, CIA operatives, soldiers, Secret Service and even criminals who brought in highly…
Q. Tell us about Lucinda Literary? What qualifies you to give such services? Why should authors pick you over the other players in the field? A. I’m a hybrid: I represent authors, but also consult on marketing and publicity for authors represented by other agents. I don’t believe in being territorial, so my company’s philosophy is strongly based on partnerships. As the publishing process becomes more intricate, where all of us are in the position are learning, and no one’s particular expertise is more meritorious than anyone else’s. We all bring different pieces to the table—and publishing’s new playing field, the internet, has become the ultimate leveler. My piece: I bring experience as an agent to marketing clients, which means: sales-mindedness, inside knowledge of the publishing industry, attentiveness and responsiveness to my clients while bearing the needs of all parties in mind because I’ve lived in all shoes—corporate marketing, publicity, and later on as a literary agent. I’m “insatiably” curious, as my profile states, in ePublishing and the digital opportunities for exposure available to writers, but my company brings authors both social media consulting alongside traditional publicity, which is still important to authors. (For all company services, see: http://www.lucindaliterary.com/marketing-publicity-4-0/) Another…
August 7 is the birthday of the character Dr. Watson. Created by Arthur Conan Doyle, Dr. Watson became almost as famous as the protagonist, Sherlock Holmes.
