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.