Kiowa Trail

Title: Kiowa Trail

Author: Louis L'Amour

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: September 1964

Genre: Western

Pages: 160

I love westerns. Then again, in my reading, I tend to love a lot of things, but I must say I really love westerns. Especially a western in the hands of a master. Louis L'Amour is just the master I was looking for when I started reading westerns about 12 or so years ago. My main draw to the genre was the price (really, four bucks at Wal-Mart is hard to beat), but I was also looking for something different. I wanted something that did not entail swords, blasters, or monsters. So in the words of John Soule (to be popularized by Horace Greely) "Go west young man" seemed to fit. Besides, I did not have far to go in the bookstore, it was just across from the Sci-Fi/Fantasy aisle. And if you are going to start reading westerns, you start with L'Amour. I think it's like a law or something.

So in my quest for the west, I started with Kiowa Trail by Louis L'Amour. It is the tale of Kate Lundy, owner of the Tumbling B, and her brother Tom. The rules were explained to Tom. Cowboys do not go north into town. Sure, the town's people like the money the cowboys bring in, but the northern part of town is off limits. But when Tom meets Linda McDonald, a daughter of one of the towns leading citizens, all bets are off! Ending up with the death of Tom Lundy. Kate swears revenge against not only the people responsible for the death of her brother, but the entire town. But when an army of hired guns come on the behest of Aaron McDonald, Linda's father, the men of the Tumbling B wonder if they have bittern off more than they can chew.

If you want a good tale of revenge, then this is a good place to start. If you are new to reading westerns, then again this is a good place to start. For a short book, it has everything you could want in a western. Love, action, revenge, retribution.

4 out of 5 stars (it could have been a bit longer)

Re-readable factor of 3 out of 5 (with all of L'Amour's other books you may not want to revisit this)

War of the Rats

Title: War of the Rats

Author: David L. Robbins

Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: June 2000
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 512

I've always been fascinated with World War II. I get that from listening to the stories my grandfather used to tell me about his time on the U.S.S. Cogswell in the Pacific Theater. I love to read the history of the war as well as reading fictional accounts of the war. I became interested in the Battle of Stalingrad after seeing the move Enemy at the Gates. If you get the chance, see the movie. However, if you should see the movie, you MUST read War of the Rats. Yes, it is that much better.

As much as the book is about the Battle of Stalingrad, it is more about a duel between two snipers, Zaitsev (a Russian sniper) and Thorvald (a German sniper). You will learn everything Zaitsev knew and taught to his class on the battlefront of Stalingrad. You will become so wrapped up in this book that you will feel as though you are leading their lives. You will feel the devastation of the bombed out city of Stalingrad. You can taste the fear, and anger as you turn each page.

David L. Robbins did his homework on this one. The history is accurate, the biographical sketches of the characters is accurate save one. Nikki Mond is the only fictional character in the book and he is the summation of the German troops. Please do not think that this is a boring fictional account of one of World War II most intense battles. Far from it. Once you pick it up, I guarantee that you will not want to put it down. This book should have come with it's own warning label. something like "WARNING: DO NOT START IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO"

War of the Rats is David L. Robbins finest moment and not to be missed!

5 out of 5 stars
Re-readable factor of 5 out of 5

Ending President's Week

I am ending president's week a day early and with All The President's Men. The Main reason is that I have not read any biographies on any president after Richard Nixon. I tried to give a list of books dealing with presidents from the beginning of our country to current times. Hopefully, next year, I will have some more contemporary presidents in my library.

Thank you for joining me on this first theme week at It Is Written. I will try to do a theme week each month. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see, please let me know.

All The President's Men

Title: All The President's Men

Author: Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 1975; Re-issue 2005

Genre: History

Pages: 480

When I was a kid, there were two news stories that really got me interested in watching the nightly news. The first was the Moon Landing with Neil Armstrong. The other was the Watergate Scandal. If you think of it, both stories changed our world. The first showed us that we can do anything as long as we put our minds to it. The second showed us that we really have to be careful in who we trust.

I remember the morning headlines in our newspaper during the Watergate Scandal. I also remember my father taking the time to explain to me what the Watergate Scandal entailed and what it meant to our nation.

In high school, I read All The President's Men for my senior history class (I wanted some extra credit to bump up my grade, and it impressed the teacher that I chose something so contemporary). I re-read it in college, and one other time after college for pleasure reading. Yes, it is that good!

All The President's Men starts with a simple investigation into a burglary at the Democratic headquarters. It then snowball's into a tale of conspiracy and dirty tricks, that inevitable brings down a president. Woodward and Bernstein, reporters for the Washington Post do an incredible job relating the story that changed the way we look at politics and our presidents.

4 out of 5 stars (just because it ends abruptly and open ended)

Re-readable factor of 5 out of 5

Truman

Title: Truman

Author: David McCullough
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 1993
Genre: History/ Biography
Pages: 1120

There were two reasons that I read this book. First, I wanted to learn more about Harry S. Truman. The second, I have really come to admire the writing of David McCullough. At the time of it's release, Truman had gotten critical praise. I am not normally swayed by such things, but it helped in my decision to buy a book that was over one thousand pages long. Let's face it, if you're going to invest that much money on a history book, and that much time in reading said book, you also want a couple of other opinions backing up your decision.

Make no mistake, it will take you a while to read this book. It is packed with information, almost too much information, but coming from David McCullough I've come to expect nothing less. His research is extensive and detailed. However, if you want to get to know Harry Truman, this is the book to read. As you read it, your appreciation for the man will grow all the more. Not only is this a study of Truman's life, it is a study of his character and personality. You see Truman as a schoolboy, a farmer, a soldier, a merchant, a county judge, a senator, a vice president and as a president. You will come to appreciate how he got his reputation for honesty, reliability and common sense and in the process beat back the stigma of debt and business failure.

Even more than that, you will appreciate his accomplishments as the 33rd President of the United States. Among those accomplishments are halting communism in Turkey and Greece, ordering the atomic bomb to be dropped, desegregating the armed forces, establishing the CIA and the defense department, initiating the Marshall Plan, and firing General Douglas MacArthur.

4 out of 5 stars (I found myself getting bogged down in a lot of details)
Re-readable factor of 2 out of 5 (once was enough for me)

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Title: The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Author: Candice Millard

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday

Publication Date: November 2006

Genre: History/Biography/Adventure
Pages: 432

At the onset I have to be upfront and honest when I say that Theodore Roosevelt is a hero of mine. I can go on and on about why I appreciate TR so much, but I really do not want to bore you to death either. The problem I ran into is which TR biography to choose for President's Week.

After much consideration, I chose The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey. I know, you would think that I would have chosen something based on his years in the White House, but this one really spoke to me. This book is adventure with a capital "A". Indiana Jones before Indiana Jones. I think you see where I am going here.

The River of Doubt is a tributary of the Amazon River that winds its way through some of the most dangerous jungle on the planet. Anything from piranhas to Indians with poison tipped arrows can be encountered here. The river is also strewn with boulders that can pummel a boat to pieces, much less a man. You would basically have to be insane to say you even want to attempt such a voyage, and yet that is exactly what Teddy Roosevelt did.

After his defeat for the Presidency in 1912, Teddy Roosevelt wanted a challenge. He wanted to push himself to the very boundaries of his endurance. To do this, he chose to explore a rapids choked tributary of the amazon River. This area has not been mapped out before. It is a first descent for anyone outside of the Amazon to attempt. Along with Roosevelt went his son Kermit and Brazilian explorer Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon. Together they did the incredible and changed the face of the western hemisphere forever.

If you love adventure, this is the book for you. If you want to see how a man not only lives life, but really LIVES life, this is the book for you. It is a prime example of how Theodore Roosevelt attacked life and the challenges it presents.

4 out of 5 stars (sometimes you get bogged down in details)
Re-readable factor of 5 out of 5

Washington: A Life

Title: Washington: A Life

Author: Ron Chernow

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: November 2010

Genre: History/Biography

Pages: 928

Okay, I will be the first to admit that I may a a tad biased when it comes to reading books about George Washington. He has been a hero of mine since I was a kid and just learning about him in school. With all of the books written about him, do we really need another one? Has the subject of his life been done to the point of boredom and turning him into the wooden figure people think of when they think of people from our past?

Let's face it, after a while the figures from our past become nothing more than facts and figures and run the risk of becoming wax mannequins than the vibrant people they were when they were alive.Well, to answer my first question, yes, we do need another book about George Washington, especially when written by Ron Chernow (author of 2005 best seller Alexander Hamilton). To answer the second question, Ron Chernow brought back to life our nations first president and did it in a way that makes you feel as if you are there with George Washington during his life.

In Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow brings George Washington to life and dissolves the god-like facade that many Americans have given him. You will experience all of his life, his loves, his passions, his vibrancy, his faults, and his ability to inspire those around him. This book is more than a biography of our first president. It is also a biography of our very country and the growing pains we have experienced. This is a must read for any one who is the least bit interested in just how our country was formed.

I can go on and on about each chapter, but I do not want to take away from you the re-discovery of our first president and the shaping of our nation. I also do not want you to feel as though I am pushing you into reading this. It is your choice, as always, but I will say if you do pass on this, you will be missing out on a really enjoyable reading oipportunity. Ron Chernow has indeed brought history to life!

5+ out of 5 stars
Re-readable factor of 5 out of 5