A Summons To Perdition is not a happy book. It is, as it’s subtitle states, a “novel of suspense.” John Work did a lot of research in writing this book and one can only hope that the dire picture he paints about the degree to which radical Islam has infiltrated American society and government is merely Work’s construct for the purposes of making a good story. If not, Work had best watch out for himself.   Read the rest of this entry »

This is a something worth reading more than once. It was on this this reader's list for at least 20 years, before finally getting around to it. Epictetus and his stoic philosophy figures prominently in Admiral Stockdale's book about his experiences as a P.O.W. There is a lot to be admired in the stoic philosophy.   Read the rest of this entry »

The following are some observations on chapter 6 of Richard Weaver's "Ideas Have Consequences," along with a few on Nassim Taleb's book Anti-Fragile. Weaver ponders, "The worship of comfort, then , is only another aspect of our decision to live wholly in this world. Yet here man encounters an anomaly: the very policy of living wholly in this world, of having no traffic with that other world which cannot be “proved,” turns one’s attention wholly to the temporary and so actually impairs his effectiveness. We may feel satisfied to be damned for not producing great art or for not observing ceremony, but what if it is shown that addiction to comfort unfits us for survival? "   Read the rest of this entry »

Prejudice is now interpreted as a nasty word. It shouldn't be. Here's why.   Read the rest of this entry »

There are some interesting themes in this book. One of these is that there are some things worth dying for, and if you're not willing to compromise your principles, you may end up dying for them.   Read the rest of this entry »

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a fun play, and this LibriVox reading was enormously enjoyable and easy to listen to.   Read the rest of this entry »

I have always loved this poem since I was first acquainted with it in an English Literature class in college, many years ago. Anyway, I listened to each of the 12 versions of this and found a jewel in the midst, version 8. Give it a listen and see what you think.   Read the rest of this entry »

According to this biography, Balbo was Fascist more because it suited his own personality and desire to evince heroic characteristics and ultra patriotism, more than any deep seated attachment to the finer points of a political belief. In later years, after the bloodless "march on Rome" that saw the Fascists come to power in Italy, Balbo became very disillusioned with the direction that Mussolini was taking the country and with the cult of personality cultivated by Il Duce's dictatorship.   Read the rest of this entry »

My Daughter wrote this when she was 14, I recently happened across it.   Read the rest of this entry »

Afloat and Ashore has much to offer a modern reader at least one with interests like this reviewer. First and foremost, Afloat And Ashore is a good story with good character development. The story takes place of the formative years of its hero’s ascendancy to both adulthood and manhood. As the reader quickly ascertains, the the attainment of years is not necessarily the same as maturity. There is more to being a man than reaching a certain age. The innocent immaturity of childhood is nothing to be ashamed of, but a man learns to accept responsibility and behave accordingly.   Read the rest of this entry »