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Category: Historical

Blog Tour & Giveaway: In My Father’s Country by Saima Wahab

[ 25 ] May 14, 2012

Please join Saima Wahab, author of In My Father’s Country, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours.

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy below!

Reviewed by Vera Pereskokova 

Saima Wahab was just a child when her father was taken away in broad daylight – likely sold out to the Soviets by his neighbors – never to return again. Although Saima and her two siblings had an amazing father figure in their Baba (grandfather), they grew up among flying bullets and mortar shells, in constant danger.

When Saima was fifteen, two uncles from Portland, Oregon sponsored her, her brother and sister, and three other cousins to come to the United States. Saima’s father, and later her grandfather, always told her that she was destined for something greater than the typical life of an Afghani woman, and she saw the move to the U.S. as a step towards that destiny.

In 2004, with a bachelor’s degree under her belt, Saima decided to return to Afghanistan as an interpreter, and to try and fulfill the destiny her father had in mind for her. He knew the risks but openly spoke out against the Soviet invasion and Saima thought that if she could help her people in some way, she could also understand his devotion to the country.

At the time of her arrival, Saima was the only college-educated female Pashto interpreter. She was also one of the very few females, American or Afghani, allowed into meetings with high ranking officials on both sides. Many interpreters claimed to know Pashto, but really spoke Farsi, only contributing to the misunderstandings between the U.S. soldiers and the Pashtun, who make up 40% of the population.

As a native of Afghanistan, Saima had the unique opportunity to bridge the gaps between the proud Pashtun and the soldiers who were often bewildered by their new surroundings. For example, few Americans on the ground knew of Pashtunwali, a way of life that extends to how Afghans treat their guests, their women and each other. Saima believed that winning the hearts of Afghans was just as important as military power, and worked tirelessly to improve the relations between the two groups.

Even as an interpreter, Saima was always risking her life and I applaud her courage, and her willingness to share her experiences in In My Father’s Country. I think she started her journey hoping to learn more about her own roots but the resulting book will bring a greater understanding of Afghanistan to many readers.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Hitlerland by Andrew Nagorski

[ 2 ] May 11, 2012

Reviewed by Sophia Chiu

Could you have seen Hitler coming? That is essentially the question Andrew Nagorski puts to Americans living in post-WWI Germany in Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power.

Hitlerland chronicles their impressions on Hitler, his party, and ‘the German people’ from the aftermath of WWI up to the United States entry into WWII, relying mainly on written testimonials of American diplomats and journalists. Some actually met Hitler before and after he came to power. Although not strictly necessary to read Hitlerland, some familiarity with the conditions in Germany between the World Wars will help make sense of the story.

Nagorski focuses on the American reaction to the events they witness, not necessarily detailing the broader context. For example, the Americans knew that Jews were becoming Nazi targets, but this figures mostly as eyewitness accounts of the Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), not a detailed account of what German Jews endured in Nazi Germany. Indeed, one theme is that Americans were somewhat privileged foreigners and only the most astute could foresee the threat that Hitler represented.

Hitlerland is immensely readable. Nagorski gently provides reminders about who the core characters are throughout the text. However, as much as the author wanted to focus on “telling their stories—and whenever possible, letting those stories speak for themselves,” there was a hint of judgment on those who foresaw what was to come and those who could or would not, and those who saw that America needed to become involved and those who wanted to remain isolationists. Perhaps that is unavoidable with the luxury of hindsight.

Nonetheless, Hitlerland gave me a more nuanced view of this moment in history. Although it inspired me to learn more about 1920s Berlin as a vibrant cultural capital, Hitlerland is an enjoyable read more about Americans living and passing through there than about Germany per se.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

[ 6 ] May 9, 2012

Reviewed by Alyssa Katanic

“Wow!” “Intense!” Blaine Harden’s Escape from Camp 14 is definitely both, and expertly written. Harden is an experienced journalist who has written for the Washington Post, The New York Times, and has worked as a reporter for PBS Front Line (among many other excellent credentials). He doesn’t leave journalism behind as he develops the story of Shin In Geun, the only known person to have been born in and escaped from North Korea’s toughest political labor camp.

As so many average Americans, I have to admit that I am very “my little corner of the world” focused – but I am nosey! Thus, I love the opportunity to take a look at other cultures via well written books. Sometimes these stories can offer us pictures that are hard to look at, and that makes them all the more important to face. This is true of Escape from Camp 14.

Shin In Geun saw many horrible acts of violence and killings from an early age; in fact, his first memory is that of witnessing an execution at the age of four. Until he escaped in his early twenties, Shin’s life was focused on finding enough food, working to keep out from under the guard’s club, and snitching on fellow prisoners in order to gain favor (aka more food). Being born there, he knew no other life, and sought no other life, until an older man entered the prison and told him of life (and FOOD) on the other side of the fence. Since escaping, it has been very hard for him to adjust to “being human” and gaining emotion and love for self and others.

With Harden’s vast experience and professionalism in getting the story right, Escape from Camp 14 not only tells the story of Shin, but also the story of North Korea. The entire country has become like a prison for its people, and the risks and adapting issues that defectors from North Korea face are immense. Though some scenes may be hard for us to face, Escape from Camp 14, as a whole, is an important look at the lives of those who are living it right now on the other side of this small world.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Alyssa is a wife and stay at home, homeschooling mother of five, with two boxers, two cats, a soft shelled turtle named after Bob the Builder, and 7 frogs (admittedly a homeschooling project gone froggy). In all her spare time, she loves to read and believes that there is no such thing as having too many books!

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Viking Adult. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Giveaway: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

[ 25 ] April 4, 2012

Enter to win a copy of Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden!

About the book

Escape from Camp 14 tells the unbelievable true story of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only known person born in a North Korean no-exit camp to have escaped and survived. In a starred review, Library Journal describes it as “a book that all adults should read,” Foreign Policy named it one of the 21 books that will matter in 2012, and BBC Radio 4 selected it for their prestigious Book of the Week series.

Although the world pays little attention, North Korea’s political prison camps, which hold between 150,000 and 200,000 prisoners and are clearly visible in satellite photographs, have existed twice as long as Stalin’s Soviet gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps. Shin, who was bred by guards to be a slave and a snitch and was expected to work and die anonymously in a camp that the North Korean government says does not exist, escaped when he was twenty-three years old and miraculously found his way to China, South Korea and finally the United States. Through this harrowing narrative of Shin’s life and remarkable escape, Harden offers an unbelievable glimpse into the world’s most repressive, totalitarian state.

This April, North Korea will celebrate its 100th anniversary celebration as a “great and prosperous” country. And with the world’s eyes on the new leader Kim Jong Eun—who happens to be the exact same age as Shin Dong-hyuk—now is as important a time as ever to focus on the truth of what’s happening in these camps.
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Review: Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography by Susan Cheever

[ 4 ] March 18, 2012

Reviewed by Christen Krumm

Louisa May Alcott has been one of my favorite American authors since I was ten. I loved Little Women and loved The Inheritance even more. As a writer myself, I am always very excited to get the chance to read biographies of other writers and explore their lives. Susan Cheever’s account of the life of this beloved author, while beautifully written, is a tad luke-warm.

Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography begins with the story of how Little Women came to be — out of necessity to feed her family and at the bullying from her publisher. From there, Cheever switches gears and begins the story of Bronson Alcott, Louisa’s father. We are thrown little tibbits of Abigail “Abba” Alcott’s, Louisa’s mother, life, however, it seems the main spotlight in these first few chapters, and ultimately the rest of the book, goes to Bronson.

I do understand that biographies, in general, touch on the lives of the parents and other family members in order to show where the subject of the biography came from — and these glimpses give the subject more life then simply just focusing on the subject themselves. However, the author needs to be mindful of the fine line of sharing family life to give their subject life and loosing site of the subject by writing the biography on the family.

Life for Louisa was nothing like what was painted in Little Women. While some critics will argue that Louisa was describing life of the Alcotts when she wrote Little Women, after reading Cheever’s account of her life, I would dare say that Alcotts account of the May family was what she dreamed life to be for her and her sisters. Cheever’s account of Alcott’s life brings light to the almost occult type lifestyle that Bronson desired for his family. It seemed Bronson was a bit of a dreamer and ruled his family with a sad dominance. Life was hard for Abba and her girls with Bronson, the dreamer, in charge. He rarely provided for his family, and often relied on others to pay his debts. I did find it interesting that the Alcotts were close neighbors with the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Thoreaus.

While Cheever has written a beautiful story of the Alcott family, this biography of sorts was just so-so for me. The bi-line “A Personal Biography” was a little strange to me. I am not sure if Cheever meant the bits of personal inflection throughout to be her biography within the story, or if she had something else entirely planned, but it just left me scratching my head. I wish it had a tad bit more of Lousia herself and less about her domineering father and his failed dreams.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Christen graduated from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith with a BA in English. She’s a coffee drinking stay at home mom by day and a freelance writer/editor by night. She currently resides in Arkansas with her husband and daughter and is excited to welcome a son in August.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: India Becoming by Akash Kapur

[ 7 ] March 14, 2012

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

Akash Kapur grew up between India and America. Returning to India decades later as an adult, he discovers a country with a bright future as a player in the world economy.

At the time of Kapur’s 2003 visit, India was in the process of reinventing itself with a vibrant energy of the new generation. People were replacing their outmoded ways of life with new tools (carts replaced with tractors), and improving things from deep within the country. People in the lower classes were able to take advantage of a new proprietary situation and were becoming entrepreneurs or newly minted business owners. They learned how to make money and generate passive income by developing family-based businesses for themselves. However, this newly acquired wealth sometimes came at a price for India. Opportunities for prosperity also created vast inequalities among the people of the region and led to violence.

India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India is split up into two sections. One section highlights the advantages of proprietary prospects in the region and the other describes the down side to the economic gains India has enjoyed in the last few decades. I enjoyed Kapur’s comparisons of India of his youth to India of today, and his discussions of new programs, trade, buildings and structures and evolving attitudes of the people.

India Becoming reads much like a travel diary while providing an analysis of socioeconomic change in the country, and will be a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about this emerging power in the world.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Learn more about Akash Kapur and India Becoming

Video | Facebook | Kapur’s article: India Is Burning

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Riverhead. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Edwardian Country Life by Helena Gerrish

[ 2 ] March 4, 2012

Reviewed by Poppy Johnson

As coffee table books go, Edwardian Country Life does not disappoint the reader yearning for photos of the English countryside.

Henry Avray Tipping lived for 1855 to 1933. He was a man who was best known as an academic, a writer and a collector. His hobby included visiting the great country houses in the UK and writing about his experiences in Country Life, a magazine of the time. Tipping wrote extensively as an authority on houses, furniture, landscaping, and gardening. He also restored older homes, and bought several estates in Middlesex, Oxfordshire, and Monmothshire.

Edwardian Country Life chronicles the contents of a diary which is a year in Tipping’s life as an Edwardian gentleman. He was born in France to cultured parents and lived in various chateaus during his childhood. His father was an educated man and he was encouraged to study architecture. Tipping’s mother, who was a Quaker, raised four sons with Henry being the youngest. After his other brothers died, he was the sole heir of his parent’s estate.

This book reviews Tipping’s impressions of his life and how he chose to influence others. He is described as the type of man who today would be on the board of directors of major corporations, and in his time he was a member of many local and prominent society organizations. He worked to ensure that people were able to enjoy open air spaces and what we now call “green spaces” in communities around the UK.

Edwardian Country Life is a coffee table hardcover version of the life of Tipping and includes photographs as well as quotes, anecdotes and stories of his life. I especially enjoyed the full color photos of the gardens, landscapes and copies of Tipping’s personal letters. His comprehensive work as a garden designer gained him recognition even after his death. His work at Country Life and his legacy in developing gardens was of enormous influence to other architects, landscapers, and natural designers. Edwardian Country Life is the perfect book for anyone interested in architecture and the history of the region, or anyone wanting to learn more about Tipping and his enduring legacy.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Frances Lincoln. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman

[ 3 ] March 1, 2012

Reviewed by Joanne Lakomski

About 2300 years ago, a 20-year old man set off to rule the world.

While reading Philip Freeman’s Alexander the Great, I compared Freeman’s descriptions of Alexander’s life with the current events and cultural norms of my life at 20. If I had been planning to conquer large chunks of the world, technology would have sped my efforts along. Even with satellites and modern communications, with the ability to connect to my minions and to spy upon my foes, my undertaking to conquer the world would have been a massive one.

Instead, at the age of 20, I left college and was living in the mountains of Colorado playing softball for Mike’s Rocky Mountain Liquor. Hmmmm…

The scope of history that encompassed Alexander’s life is fascinating and Freeman provides a strong foundation for knowing the man. His childhood tutor was Aristotle. The great orator Demosthenes was his foil in Athens. Alexander visited Troy seeking the echoes of the Trojan War he had learned about by reading Homer.

The author’s portrayal of Alexander feels plausible to me. There was an intelligence and drive. There was the ability to motivate and lead. And, there was the colossal ego enabling the belief that one could dominate lands and riches and peoples thousands of slowly traveled miles away from home.

Freeman has chosen details that summarize Alexander’s actions while providing some context to contemporary events that influenced Alexander, and, of course, that Alexander influenced. He includes two maps demonstrating Alexander’s travels. They are maps of regions we see regularly on the evening news; the regions still continue to be attractive to conquerors.

Reading Alexander the Great was engaging and fast. The era is one in which I am interested. I am especially appreciative of the detail about Alexander’s father – Philip of Macedonia. There is much less reference material available about him than about his son.

And for me, there is a huge benefit in reading history. It helps me question who we are today compared to yesterday. To reflect upon power and leadership and followership. To wonder, as I did throughout this book, with all of our technology and speed and assumption of sophistication and superiority, could a 20-something today conquer much of the ‘civilized’ world?

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Joanne is an organization development and human resources professional with a business background living in Ohio. She has lived in Europe, Africa (including her Peace Corps service in South Africa), and arround the United States. She loves to plays volleyball, read, write, and has a cat named Ender.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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