History Book Reviews

Review: Israeli Settlements: Land Politics Beyond the Geneva Convention by Martin Blecher

Israeli Settlements: Land Politics Beyond the Geneva Convention by Martin Blecher

In these times of intense attention focusing on the state of Israel from all portions of the political spectrum, a Swedish political scientist examines what seems to be the most contentious issue: the country’s settlements in Palestinian territory.

In Israeli Settlements: Land Politics Beyond the Geneva Convention, author Martin Blecher calls this issue “an infected question,” while taking on himself the challenge to examine it thoroughly. Most people, influenced by common sources, are convinced that the Palestinian settlements are illegal, but Blecher would rather refer to them as “imprudent,” beginning with the assertion that what are usually considered Palestinian […]

2019-01-21T12:39:51+02:00December 17th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , , |

Promises of Betrayals: The History that Shaped the Iranian Shia Clerics by Fazle Chowdhury

Promises of Betrayals: The History that Shaped the Iranian Shia ClericsPromises of Betrayal: The History that Shaped the Iranian Shia Clerics by Fazle Chowdhury tells the story of the fall of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in 1979, which altered the course of the second half of the twentieth century up to the present day.

Partly due to internal factionalism, Chowdhury asserts, Iran and its oil reserves were traditionally an easy target for outside domination – Ottoman, British, Tsarist, Soviet, and American. After long centuries of oppression as a minority sect of Islam, the Shias finally rose to prominence after their successful 1979 rebellion. But Shia leaders now face major internal […]

2018-12-05T10:49:05+02:00December 3rd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Serendipity by Thomas J. Thorson

Serendipity by Thomas J. Thorson

The big picture that we’re taught in school is rarely the completely accurate picture, and curiosity can bring you down some fascinating and unforgettable rabbit holes. In Serendipity: Seemingly Random Events, Insignificant Decisions, and Accidental Discoveries that Altered History by Thomas J. Thorson, readers are welcomed into a long and disparate list of historical tales that exemplify the uncertainty of life, and the unbelievable ways that luck has influenced our common existence.

The book is a series of stories about well-known historical events and figures, but these are stories that few have ever heard before. Did you know that Handel, […]

2021-12-22T03:32:20+02:00December 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Review: Shot Down by Steve Snyder

Shot Down by Steve Snyder

In Shot Down: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, author Steve Snyder tells his father’s story in World War II in a riveting and unforgettable peek into the past. When Lieutenant Snyder and his crew are shot down over Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, hope of survival is grim, and the brutal nature of wartime is fully revealed.

Based on hundreds of unique accounts, letters, interviews, and intensive research, Shot Down pieces together a profoundly compelling story of survival and perseverance. With such a strong body of material and […]

Generous Fruits: A Survey of American Homesteading by Barbara Bamberger Scott

Generous Fruits: A Survey of American Homesteading Generous Fruits: A Survey of American Homesteading by Barbara Bamberger Scott is a fascinating history of the homesteading movement, from early settlers in America up to the modern day. Written from a “walked the walk” perspective, Scott shows an obvious passion for her subject, unearthing the challenges, successes, and missteps that American homesteaders have faced over the centuries.

There are a great number of books on homesteading that cover the nuts and bolts of going “off the grid” – how to maintain an organic garden, how to generate electricity, and so on – but few, if any, cover the storied […]

2017-06-28T09:13:29+02:00June 28th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Stories of Yesteryear: Horse & Buggy Days by Harry H. Brown

Stories of Yesteryear

Stories of Yesteryear: Horse & Buggy Days by Harry H. Brown is a charming reprint of Harry Brown’s tales of Halifax, Massachusetts and New England at the turn of the century and earlier. Harkening back to days before cars, or even electricity, these vignettes are in turns amusing and moving, as it tells an important story about a bygone era. Much of what Brown writes about is lost to history, which makes this reprint by his family and important and worthy enterprise.

At only a page or so apiece, these stories are easy to read and ingest, and have a […]

2019-02-11T09:18:32+02:00May 1st, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |

From Canaanites to Israelites by Rudolph C. Evans

From Canaanites to Israelites by Rudolph C. EvansFrom Canaanites to Israelites: The Journey of Ancient Near East History from Realism to Idealism by Rudolph C. Evans is an overview of the Canaanites contributions to theology, as well as their cultural and historical achievements. The Canaanites have gotten short shrift in the historical narrative, and Evans aims to alter that perception in this comprehensive work of scholarship.

Beginning a prospective work of history with “It is my belief that…” perhaps makes it less persuasive than just outlining the facts, but the research in the book is solid and thorough. Evans describes his book as a “Nietzschean interpretation of […]

2017-02-08T08:41:50+02:00February 8th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Bridget’s Hanging by Sheila Duane

Bridget’s Hanging by Sheila Duane

Bridget’s Hanging by Sheila Duane is the author’s presentation of the historical account of the life and times of Bridget Deignan (a.k.a. Durgan or Dergan) who was sentenced to hang in the town of New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1867. An Irish immigrant from a Catholic upbringing ousted from her home at the age of 22, she became a domestic worker for Coriell in 1866, and she would be charged with the murder of Mrs. Coriell the following year – a crime of which the local community would unerringly find her at guilt for, with or without substantial evidence.

The […]

2019-02-11T09:32:47+02:00October 11th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: |
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