Cuba vs South Africa: A Hot Battle in a Cold War

Polack, Peter.  Last Hot Battle of the Cold War: South Africa vs. Cuba in the Angolan Civil War.

         Philadelphia: Casemate, December 2013.  ISBN: 9781612001951.

In The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War, Peter Polack offers the military aficionado a short examination of the Cuito Cuanavale campaign between the FAPLA/Soviets/Cubans and the UNITA/South African factions during the Angolan civil war.  Polock provides an overview of the campaign, but concentrates on the confrontation between the South African Defense Force and the Cuban Army "volunteers" at Cuito Cuanavale siege.    

Polack opens with short, detailed overview of the opening fight to set the stage.  He then introduces the various factions, providing units, commanders, etc. and what role each played in the battle and beyond.  The latter half of this short book covers the Soviet led FAPLA attack that failed disastrously, the UNITA/ South African advance that led to the Cuban sealift for the defense of Cuito Cuanavale with its bridges and strategic location.  The siege is covered in a single chapter that discusses some of the tactics along with any losses from the South Africans or Cubans as they occurred.  The results of the campaign are summarized along with a list of casualties (dead, wounded or prisoners).

Overall, The Last Hot Battle of the Cold War started out quite interesting, but went downhill due to many extraneous details that could have been covered in footnotes and/or appendixes rather than in chapters interrupting the flow of the campaign.  It does cover all aspects of the campaign and is one of the few titles on this topic, so it receives tentative approval.

Sing Songs of America

Shaw, John.  This Land That I Love: Irving Berlin, Woody Guthrie, and the Story of Two 
          American Anthems.  NY: Public Affairs, November 2013.  ISBN: 978-1-61039-223-5

John Shaw masterfully entwines the lives of two songwriters (Irving Berlin and Woody Guthrie) and two of their most famous songs (God Bless America and This Land is Your Land) in This Land I Love.  He explores a number of parallels in their lives in regard to poverty stricken early life, early success, etc.  He also contrasts their differences in background, politics, and success in life. 

However, not satisfied with entwining the songwriters, Shaw also compares the songs, looking into the textual history of each, tracing the myriad changes until we arrive at the finished product that we listen to or sing.  Shaw provides the context that shaped each song, taking the reader on an exploration of American musical history that deepens our appreciation of each song.  Shaw also kindly provides a recommended list of Berlin's and Guthrie's works.

If you enjoy exploring musical history or just American history, This Land That I Love will provide plenty of pleasure.

Why She Reads Seriously.

Lesser, Wendy.  Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books.  New York: Farrar, Straus and
          Giroux, 2014.  ISBN: 9780374289201

Wendy Lesser attempts to explain in her latest book why she considers reading books a pleasure in seven short chapters.  She hits the usual categories such as character, plot, and novelty of setting.  She also considers issues of grandeur, authority, intimacy and genre fictions (mystery, science fiction and fantasy).  She talks quite at length about the interaction of the author and the reader.  She also provides a list of books to be read for pleasure.

The major issue I have with the book is that the author spends more time discussing literary studies issues (plot, author/reader interaction, etc.) rather than why she likes to read.  Reading the book, you can see that she loves spending time in books, but it is not until the Afterword that she directly addresses the pleasure she has in holding, smelling, and immersing herself in books.   Thankfully, the list of books Wendy Lesser provides is not prescriptive, but rather a launching point for the reader to explore the authors/titles she enjoys.  

If you are looking for a book that discusses how reading can be a pleasure, read on.  Just do not expect a complete answer.