A Bounty of Books

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Rogue Heroes: The History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit That Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War by Ben Macintyre is a fascinating look at the beginning of modern special forces as the western world knows them.

The men who created the Britain's Special Air Service were rugged, action oriented men who had little patience for bureaucracy that kept them from the battlefield. David Stirling was part of a unit that was supposed to act as a commando unit but was constantly standing down before actually going on missions due to one bureaucratic reason after another. Frustrated, Stirling sought and got permission to form a unit of his own. It was much smaller and while the hierarchy was sometimes murky at the beginning, operational control would at first remain with Stirling. This unit was formed specifically to attack Rommel and his forces from behind enemy lines. They were successful not only in causing physical destruction on the North African front, but psychological terror as well.

The specifics of how exactly that all came together as well as how the SAS transferred from North Africa to Europe is the content that makes up Rogue Heroes. Certain men who played a bigger role are given more space while others just have their name listed. However, there is a full honor roll in the back with the names and ranks of all the men involved in the original unit. Rogue Heroes also includes many photos of some of the main men as well as some from the SAS diary.

All in all, Rogue Heroes is a fast paced story about men who stood tall in WWII and changed the face of modern warfare. Macintrye's writing flows well and is easy to follow along with. He makes complicated topics easy to understand and allows the reader to almost feel as though one is part of the original SAS crew. Anyone interested in military, WWII, or special ops history will find Rogue Heroes a fascinating and satisfying read.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Dawn of Christianity: How God Used Simple Fishermen, Soldiers, and Prostitutes to Transform the World by Robert J. Hutchinson uses biblical and extra-biblical sources to historically trace the beginning of "the Jesus movement." Hutchinson starts from a bit before the birth of Jesus and goes through the Jerusalem council.

Each chapter is short and deals with one particular person or event in the formation of Christianity. The writing flows well and is easy to read and understand. There are numerous helpful end notes at the back of the book that provide either sources or more detail, some of which is very interesting.

There isn't really anything new in this book, but it does serve as a great introduction to an important topic for both believers and skeptics. It is organized and informative without going so deep into any one particular topic or scholarly controversy that someone new to the topic would become bogged down. Overall, I recommend The Dawn of Christianity to anyone interested in how Christianity was formed and took root.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alex Kershaw is a riveting story of the efforts of one particular family who was part of the French Resistance during WWII.

Dr. Sumner Jackson was an American who had served in the American Red Cross Hospital of Paris during WWI. He was married to a Swiss woman named Toquette and they had a 12 year old son named Phillip at the time of WWII. As the Nazi's marched toward Paris, Jackson was put in charge of the hospital as many of his colleagues decided to go home. Dr. Jackson helped the cause of the Resistance before the Nazis even got to Paris. He hid an American spy until he could escape under new papers.

I don't want to spoil what happens, so I'll stop there, but the rest of the book continues the story of this remarkable family and how each one contributed to the cause of defeating the Nazis. Kershaw tells their story in such a way that one feels one is reading a thriller. The suspense builds as the story unfolds.

Anyone interested in WWII in general, or the French Resistance in particular will find this a thrilling read. Even those who don't consider themselves history buffs will enjoy Avenue of Spies. It is a very entertaining story that has the bonus of being about true heroes.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Legend: The Incredible Story of Green Beret Sergeant Roy Benavidez's Heroic Mission to Rescue a Special Forces Team Caught Behind Enemy Lines recounts the story of Sergeant Roy Benavidez's life, focusing on one extraordinary mission during the Vietnam war. 

Originally written in 1986, this revised and updated edition contains the original text with more current statistics and anecdotes when a significant change has occurred. Otherwise, as Shipler states in the Foreword to the Revised Edition, "the descriptions from the mid-1980s contain many elements of today, and so remain useful as a look at what has been and, probably, what will be. This edition roves back and forth between then and now, for in the Middle East, the past is never past; old wounds never seem to heal."  As one reads the book, it is clear what is original material from the first edition, and what has been updated for this edition.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

When Lions Roar: The Churchills and the Kennedys by Thomas Maier is an examination of the relationship between two dynastic families of the twentieth century: the Churchills and the Kennedys. When two families as powerful as these two have as many connections and relationships as the Churchills and Kennedys did, it is bound to not just provide interesting fodder for gossip columns, but to be historically significant as well.

The relationship between the Churchills and the Kennedys spanned three generations, two continents, and one world war. While the families briefly met socially in the late 1930s, their relationship really started when Joseph P. Kennedy was appointed the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James. When Lions Roar gives some background information on the patriarch of each family, but the majority of the book centers on the official roles that brought these two families together, and how those roles and relationships affected the relationship of the U.S. and Britain. It chronicles both the public and private ups and downs of the relationships mainly among Joe Kennedy Sr., Winston Churchill, Randolph Churchill, and John F. Kennedy, though other family members and their interactions are also mentioned.

When Lions Roar is a fascinating read. It is very well written and though it is full of detail and quotes from both spoken and written texts, the pace never gets bogged down. Maier focuses on two main relationships throughout this book. The main focus of course is on the relationship between the two families. However, there is a secondary focus on the relationship within each family, particularly that of father and son. How the two fathers interacted with their children was quite different. Towards the end of the book, Maier briefly explores how these different types of interactions produced very different kinds of sons.

Anyone interested in either family will find When Lions Roar a satisfying read. So will those interested in the relationship between the U.S. and Britain, especially leading up to and during WWII.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

A Fifty Year Silence, by Miranda Richmond Mouillot, is the story of a granddaughter's search for the reason behind the breakup of her grandparent's relationship. As a child, there was such a separation between her grandparents, that it wasn't until she was twelve years old that the thought that her grandparents once knew one another, much less had once been married, crossed her mind. No one knew what happened between them, and her grandparents hadn't spoken in over fifty years. The feelings between them were so strong, that her grandfather wouldn't set foot on the same continent as her grandmother.

Mouillot grew up extremely close to her grandmother, and couldn't fathom never knowing about this huge part of her life. Her natural inclination toward history led her to figure out what happened. Mouillot moved to France after college to live in a house her grandparents bought together in a small village in France. She thought this would help her search for the truth. Using nothing more than her grandparent's official refugee documents from WWII and the few memories she could get her grandparents to part with, she pieced together the story neither one of them could, or would, remember.

Mouillot is an engaging writer. She easily draws the reader into the mystery surrounding her family history. Weaving together the past and her present search for her, Mouillot makes the reader feel as if he/she is a fly on the wall as she searches. I felt her frustration as she hit dead end after dead end. As she finally the realized the truth, I felt some of the wallop that she must have felt as she realized her family's history and happiness was simply another causality of war.

I recommend A Fifty Year Silence to any person interested in family history, the effect of WWII on European Jews who managed to stay out of concentration camps, or anyone interested in how the past influences and informs the present.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

My Battle Against Hitler: Faith, Truth, and Defiance in the Shadow of the Third Reich by Dietrich von Hildebrand and John Henry Crosby is a collection of memoirs and scholarly works by one of the staunchest intellectual opponents of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. Von Hildebrand was a respected Catholic philosopher who taught at the University of Munich. He was such a fierce opponent of Nazism, even before anyone outside of Germany was really paying attention, that he found himself on several Nazi death lists. In fact, his stance led to his having to flee from Germany, and later from Austria, because he was marked for death.

Crosby took memoirs written by von Hildebrand for his second wife, and translated and edited them into somewhat of a narrative style that covers von Hildebrand's life in the 1920s and 1930s. Crosby adds some historical context to von Hildebrand's memoirs, which helps the reader better understand von Hildebrand's words. The first half of the book is taken from von Hildebrand's informal memoirs and is broken down by year, with portions of context preceding each change in subject. The second half of the books is comprised of articles and excerpts of articles von Hildebrand wrote against Nazism and antisemitism. Most of these articles were originally written for Der Christliche Ständestaat (The Christian Corporative State) the journal von Hildebrand headed up while he was in Austria; the stated purpose of this journal was to combat Nazism specifically and nationalism in general on an intellectual level.

I am amazed that I had never heard of Dietrich von Hildebrand before reading this book. He seems to have been such an influential opponent of Hitler and Nazism, that I wonder why he isn't more widely known. I really enjoyed reading about his life in his own words. Crosby did a great job of adding just enough notes and context to make sense of von Hildebrand's words without adding anything unnecessary. He recognizes that von Hildebrand's work is strong enough to stand on its own. The second half wasn't quite as easy to read as the first, as it was written on more of a scholarly, philosophical level. I understood enough to know that he was brilliant and would be a worthy opponent of any ideology he didn't agree with.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII, philosophy, Catholic intellectual life, or Europe in the time between the world wars.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence by Karen Armstrong is a scholarly look at the correlation, or lack thereof, of religion and violence from the formation of the first primitive communities through today. Armstrong examines all religions, with a particular focus on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The first part of the book focuses on the formation of organized communities as well as the corresponding religion in various regions of the Eurasian continent. In every community, violence is first seen not when religion comes on the scene, but when people are organized into communities and resources become scarce, or a ruling group raises to the top and wants to keep their power. It was the forming of agricultural communities that allowed for a surplus of food, which allowed a small group from the community to control the surplus and in effect rule everyone else. It was only through violence that a surplus was maintained. Armstrong seems to find no direct correlation between religion and violence. Instead, in each community, both existed and fused and some later point.

Another key point is that religion as we see it now is not how it was viewed through most of history. There was no distinction between the sacred and the secular. All aspects of life were intertwined and therefore, while it may seem to us that there was a causal relationship between religion and violence, the ancient peoples who lived the events would never have seen things that way. The sacred was secular, and the secular sacred; to split the two and say strictly religious motivations, or strictly the competition for resources is what drove violence, would be as foreign a concept to them as the smart phone.

Fields of Blood is a thoroughly researched and well written examination of the topic of religion and violence. It is a scholarly work, and therefore may be a tad difficult to understand for the average man on the street. However, anyone willing to wade through it will undoubtedly learn something. Also, each religion is treated the same, without any of the reverence or acceptance of beliefs as truth that someone who practices that religion may have. This can be somewhat disconcerting for the devout reader. At the same time, being willing to think critically about one's own religion as well as others is a skill that can be useful in discourse and understanding. Armstrong shows no bias for or against any particular religion, so anyone willing to think outside his/her own box will benefit from her examination.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis is an enchanting story of the lifelong love of Gabe and Huck Alexander. Adam Colby, an estate broker, stumbles across albums filled with weekly postcards from the Alexander's sixty year marriage, each with an original poem written by Gabe on the back. Recently divorced and intrigued by a love that seems to eclipse anything he has ever experienced, Colby seeks out the only person who can help him fill in the gaps of the Alexander's story, their long time housekeeper's daughter Yevette Galloway.

The story of Gabe and Huck's love is told by Yevette to Adam in flashbacks told from both Alexanders' perspectives, though mainly through Huck's. Through this retelling, both Yevette and Adam discover some truth they've been seeking. Each chapter that tells the Alexander's story begins with one of the poems found on a postcard, as well as a place and date. Most of the story involves their early years, though the last four or five chapters cover stories that occur several years apart until Gabe's death.

I'm not generally a fan of romantic fiction of any sort, in any medium. However, the constancy of a man writing his wife a postcard every week for six decades intrigued me, which prompted me to request to review this book. I'm so glad I did. Forever Friday is a powerful story of the kind of love a man and woman can experience when they are completely devoted to one another and their relationship is founded in faith. This was a retelling of a simple, rich, and powerful romance without any of the sap and frivolity that ruins many other stories. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance stories, simple stories of how people relate to one another, or anyone interested in the history of the Houston area in the early 1900s as this is where the majority of the story takes place.

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers as part of their Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Hitler's Cross by Erwin W. Lutzer is  about the church in Germany during the rise and reign of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. It traces the historical, social, economic, and political circumstances that shaped Germany during the post WWI era and allowed Hitler to start WWII.  The church's silence and inaction during this crucial time in world history is examined in light of the aforementioned factors, as well as the spiritual climate that allowed such a shocking lack of engagement with the world.

Lutzer, a pastor and theologian, structures his book in a logical, chronological order. He examines the history of the German people and the German church which helps explain the state both were in when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis came on the scene. The book is set up as a conflict between two crosses and two saviors: Christ and the cross, and Hitler and the swastika. Lutzer shows how Hitler and the swastika came to reign over Christ and the cross in Germany for a period of time. However, he makes sure to point out that God was always in control and that He was and is the ultimate victor. The swastika may have "reigned" for a bit, but Christ and the cross were never beaten. This is mainly highlighted through the life and efforts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church.

Overall, the book was OK. I was a bit taken back by the preachiness of the commentary about modern day America and the parallels the author sees between now and Nazi Germany. I expected more of a straightforward historical account, and found the continual interjections somewhat disrupting. Other than that, Hitler's Cross contains good information, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in WWII, church history, or sociology.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers as part of their Moody Publishers Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Drinking a fine, aged wine. Hearing one of Chopin's sonatas played by a world class pianist. Seeing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in person. Smelling your favorite home cooked meal cooking on mom's stove after a long time away. These experiences can leave us with a sense of well-being, satisfaction, accomplishment, and sometimes as if we've experienced a small slice of something not quite of this world. Reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas left me with this kind of feeling.

Putting aside the content for a minute, Metaxas' use of the English language in this book is masterful. As someone who enjoys words and the power of language, I was consistently impressed, inspired, and honestly sometimes in awe of the elegance and power of Metaxas' prose. For example, while giving background information on Germany and the German church that shaped Bonhoeffer, Metaxas writes:

"Luther's influence cannot be overestimated. His translation of the Bible into German was cataclysmic. Like a medieval Paul Bunyan, Luther in a single blow shattered the edifice of European Catholicism and in the bargain created the modern German language, which in turn effectively created the German people. Christendom was cleft in twain, and out of the earth beside it sprang the Deutsche Volk" (p. 20).

Writing like this inspires me. It is a pleasure to read something of significance in both subject and style.

From a biographical standpoint, Bonhoeffer is on par with greats such as John Adams by David McCullough or The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Everyone is shaped by his/her environment to varying degrees, therefore any good biography will include information not just about the subject, but about the people and events that helped shape him/her as well. There is a fine line between giving too much information and too little; it is also sometimes difficult to filter through the vast amounts of information and present only those people/events of importance. Metaxas walks this line perfectly throughout most of Bonhoeffer. The early family history is a little heavy, but every other area is given just enough attention to better appreciate Bonhoeffer's life.

Bonhoeffer was shaped by his family and world events more than the average person; without being raised in such an extraordinary family and intellectually rich and diverse environment, Bonhoeffer would never have been able to walk the tight rope he walked so effectively in many areas. His incredibly nuanced thinking allowed him to maintain positions many found untenable. This was not due to clever mental gymnastics in order to justify whatever it was he wanted; instead, it was an ability to understand and consider ever conceivable side of an issue in such an effective way that his reasoning was always intellectually sound. In truth, though he was quite capable of such mental exercises, his view of the life and duty of a Christian would never allow him to go such a route. In a letter to a brother-in-law he once wrote,

"If it is I who determine where God is to be found, then I shall always find a God who corresponds to me in some way, who is obliging, who is connected with my own nature. But if God determines where he is to be found, then it will be in a place which is not immediately pleasing to my nature and which is not at all congenial to me. This place is the Cross of Christ. And whoever would find him must go to the foot of the Cross, as the Sermon on the Mount commands" (p. 137).

Metaxas helps the reader understand how such nuanced, yet at the same time disciplined, thinking was possible for Bonhoeffer, with his thorough description of the environment that shaped Bonhoeffer growing up. The description of his environment, and the environment itself, is so rich that after reading the first few chapters, the reader almost feels as though he/she has visited the house in Berlin's Grunewald district that was always full of music, people, culture, and intellectually stimulating discussion.

There is enough written in Bonhoeffer about the German people, their history, and psyche that those who are interested in Germany or the German people as a whole from WWI to WWII will also find Bonhoeffer an enjoyable read. History goes to the victor; because of this, many Americans have at least a slightly negative view of all Germans from this era, as if they all knew of and supported everything Hitler was doing. The truth is, many Germans were opposed to and actively fought against Hitler from the beginning; many millions more joined as the atrocities grew and the truth became known. Even the majority of the regular German soldiers fought in support of, and out of loyalty to, the German fatherland, not Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. The Nazi party and the German people are not indistinguishable, and Metaxas makes this very clear in Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer will also be of interest to those interested in Christian theology, specifically that of the 20th century. Almost on accident, Bonhoeffer became of the most influential Christian theologians of the 20th century. His writings, some of which were published after his death, are considered classics in the theological cannon, especially Discipleship and Life Together. Life Together, Bonhoeffer's thoughts on Christian community, continues to be one of the definitive works on the subject.

Metaxas shows that one reason Bonhoeffer's theological thought is so influential, is because it was grounded in the practice of daily life. Though Bonhoeffer was brilliant and seemed almost destined to a life of academia, he purposely chose to become a pastor instead. Not only did Bonhoeffer view living in Christian community as an integral part of Christian life, but as Metaxas says,

"He had theologically redefined the Christian life as something active, not reactive. It had nothing to do with avoiding sin or with merely talking or teaching or believing theological notions or principles or rules or tenets. It had everything to do with living one's whole life in obedience to God's call through action" (p. 446).

All of this action was based on a very conservative theological outlook. In a letter to one of his brothers-in-law, Bonhoeffer wrote,

"I believe that the Bible alone is the answer to all our questions, and that we need only to ask repeatedly and a little humbly, in order to receive this answer. One cannot simply read the bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself " (p. 136).

Of learning to read the Bible this way, he goes on to say, "I know that without this I could not live properly any longer" (p. 137).

This devotion to and grounding in God's Word is one of the things that made him a committed pastor even to the very end of his life. Hugh Falconer, a fellow prisoner of war during the last few months of Bonhoeffer's life, wrote a letter to one of Bonhoeffer's brothers-in-law in October 1945 and stated that, "[Bonhoeffer] was very happy during the whole time I knew him, and did a great deal to keep some of the weaker brethren from depression and anxiety." Bonhoeffer never missed an opportunity to encourage those around him. He was a true shepherd to whatever flock he happened to have around him at the time. His friendship was devoted, sincere, and life long. He wrote thousands of letters to friends and family throughout his life, most of which included something encouraging and often spiritually uplifting.

Much has been made of Bonhoeffer's death and the fact he was hanged for his part in the plot to assassinate Hitler mere days before his final location was liberated by Allied troops. Bonhoeffer himself was not disturbed by the thought of death. For him, death was the beginning of life. His view on the death of a Christian was made known in a letter he wrote to several of his former seminary students, early in the war. After mentioning the death of one of their fellow students on the front lines, Bonhoeffer wrote,

"Only in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ has death been drawn into God's power, and it must now serve God's own aims. It is not some fatalistic surrender but rather a living faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us, that is able to cope profoundly with death" (p. 384).

It was this confidence in the face of death that bolstered him as his participated in activities that he knew could lead to his death at any moment.

Overall, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy is easily in my top five books ever read. It holds appeal for those interested in biography, history, theology, WWII, or anyone who simply enjoys a great read. At times, Bonhoeffer was hard to read because of the weight of both the content and how it was presented. Bonhoeffer was a brilliant man with a multi-faceted personality and nuanced thought life. His contributions to his world and his effort to better the world that came after him are substantial; reading his words and about his life should be done with a measure of seriousness and respect. Bonhoeffer is not a book to be skimmed and quickly put away, but instead one that deserves a careful reading and thoughtful response. Not only Bonhoeffer's life, but the treatment Eric Metaxas gives it has earned at least that much.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright can be summed up in its tag line: "The Biblical Roots of the Inevitable Crisis in the Middle East." Wright discusses how the decision of one man - Abraham - to not trust God spread and multiplied into the crisis that is the Middle East. According to Wright, the fierce and unending fighting among the peoples who inhabit the Middle East are inevitable in light of biblical history, and will not end until Christ returns. He fleshes these ideas out in Seeds of Turmoil.

Based on the title and description, I was initially excited to read this book. As a Christian and a history buff I thought it'd be both interesting and informative. In was informative, but only on the most basic level. Seeds of Turmoil would be a good primer for people who have little to no knowledge of the Middle East and the people who inhabit it, or an understanding of the origins of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. While presented in a logical manner, the information given seemed to be repeated many times throughout the book. The author's obvious bias for Israel was almost overwhelming at times. In a topic such as this, it's natural to have a bias for one side or the other; however, when attempting to address the matter factually, the bias shouldn't take over as it did in this book.

Wright's handling of the Scripture used throughout is true to the Word, though some of his interpretations and extrapolations of interactions between people that weren't recorded are somewhat iffy. Nothing that causes a serious doctrine issue, but more poetic license than one would expect in a book like this.

Overall, there may be certain people I recommend this book to, but they would be few and far between. It's pretty fluffy and there are better works on the topic.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255