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. 

More Than A Battle Tale

Keith, Philip.  Fire Base Illingworth: An Epic True Story of Remarkable Courage Against 
        Staggering  Odds.  New York: St. Martins Press, 2013.  ISBN: 978-1-250-02495-4

In Fire Base Illingworth, Philip Keith provides a window into the chaos that was the Vietnam War in 1970.  Keith sets the scene with chapters discussing the strategy of using fire bases as magnets for the North Vietnamese Army and the remnants of the Viet Cong.  These chapters provide the information needed in concise, easily-understood terms.

Keith next provides a brief life story for Private Illingworth, the namesake of the fire base along with a summary account of what happened at Fire Base Jay a few days before the attack on Fire Base Illingworth.  But the heart of the book is the tale of the defense of Fire Base Illingworth.  In describing the defense Keith provides an almost minute by minute account of the heroic actions of the many heroes that barely managed to hang on when confronted by a strong, reasonably planned and decently executed attack by the NVA.  When reading the account you can almost picture the action as if viewing a movie, except that neither video  nor prose can place the reader in the midst of the action as does the voices of those involved.

The one gripe I have with the book is the lack of a map of the fire base which would allow the reader to easily place the players and follow the action.  But with that one caveat, I would highly  recommend this title for anyone interested in the Vietnamese Conflict.

A Great Lakes Hurricane?

Schumacher, Michael.  November’s Fury:The Deadly Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913.
        Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, November 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-8166-8719-0

Coming out on the 100th anniversary of the storm, November's Fury provides a narrative account of one of the most destructive storms to hit the Great Lakes.  On November 7-10, 1913, two fronts collided to generate hurricane force winds that lasted for hours.  Twelve ships were sunk (eight in one day), thirty-one others were grounded on beaches and rocks while other boats were severely damaged.  Over 250 men and women died as a result of the storm which also isolated Cleveland, Ohio in a blizzard that cut train service, disrupted food supplies and wracked the city with storm surges.

Michael Schumacher provides a day by day account of the storm as it hits Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, then spreads to Lake Huron and Lake Erie. The author uses diaries, contemporary newspapers, official reports, and secondary sources to bring to life the tales of the men, women and ships involved.  The reader is also provided many photographs of the ships named in the narrative, which also helps set the tone of the tale.  Readers are introduced to ship captains and crew as they make their struggle against the storm and lake.  We cheer and groan as disaster is averted or strikes with deadly consequences.  The author provides closure by letting the reader in on what has been discovered since 1913 in regard to the wrecks.  He also provides an appendix which summarizes all the ships involved with details regarding cargo, size, deaths involved, etc.

Despite growing up near the Great Lakes, I had not heard about this storm.  I found the book to be an interesting, informative and, despite the subject matter, an enjoyable read.  The narrative tone is  spot on to involve the reader in the story while providing just enough details to not overwhelm us.  I highly recommend this book for those interested in maritime and Great Lakes history.

The King in the Car Park

Langley, Philippa, and Michael Jones.  The King's Grave: The Discovery of Richard III's Lost 
         Burial  Place and the Clues It Holds.  London: John Murray, 2013.  
         ISBN: 9781250044105

The King's Grave is two short, intertwined books sharing a common cover.  The authors alternate chapters with Philippa Langley focusing on the search for the grave and Michael Jones the history of Richard III.

Philippa Langley opens the book by laying out how she became obsessed with Richard III.  She takes the reader with her as she walks the car parks in Leicester and experiences the feeling that she is standing on Richard  III's grave.  The whole process of arranging the funding, getting the permissions, finding archeologists willing to conduct the dig, etc. is all detailed.  Philippa Langly provides an immersive  experience for the reader  as she attends the dig, with all the emotions of finding bodies, disappointment regarding dating and placement, the thrill of possible identification and finally the acknowledgement that Richard III had been found and seeing the reconstruction of his features.  

Micheal Jones provides a more scholarly tone to the book with his chapters on the life and death of Richard III.  He provides a setting for Richard's life, placing him in his time rather than viewing him in isolation.  He takes the time to walk the reader briefly through Richard's life looking at the experiences that shaped and molded his character.  Micheal Jones then sets the scene for Richard's taking the throne after the death of his brother.  Richard III's brief reign is examined leading to the climax with the Battle of Bosworth Field.  The chapter on the battle provides one of the clearest account I have read of the fight and clarifies how and probably why Richard III ended up a loser in the battle. 

I found the two entwined tales interesting for the first-hand look at how archeology is done in modern England and the careful summarization of Richard III's life.  The two appendices were the only disappointing part of the book.  The first was an argument between the two authors regarding the fate of the princes in the Tower of London and Richard's role.  The second is a summarization of an article on the psychological profile of Richard III which had appeared in the March 2013 issue of Richarian Bulletin.  If you have an interest in Richard III or are intrigued by the finding of his grave in 2012, read The King's Grave to satisfy your itch for knowledge.

 

American Culture and Christmas Songs

Lankford, Jr., Ronald D.  Sleigh Rides, Jingle Bells, and Silent Nights: A Cultural History of  
       American Christmas Songs.  Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, October 2013.

Ronald Lankford, Jr., does not provide a standard history of Christmas songs.  He does not discuss in detail who wrote a particular song.  That type of history can be found in books such as Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins.  Lankford instead studies how Christmas songs fit into and reflect American culture especially in relation to movies and television shows.

After an introductory essay on the American Christmas song tradition, Lankford examines Christmas songs in relation to nostalgia for earlier times, Santa Claus and gift giving, Christmas as carnival time, the poor and hard times in relation to American celebratory practices, and Christmas satire songs.   Lankford finishes the book with a return to nostalgia beginning in the 1980's.

If you are interested in the culture of Christmas, Lankford will not disappoint.  He provides plenty of evidence to back his claims, using movie stills and reference material to illustrate the book.  He provides a serious, yet entertaining look at a  timely topic.