by Martin
by Martin
We offer our apologies in advance for the atrocious puns employed in the clues for this puzzle. As per the usual, the words for this puzzle are taken from the text below. In this case we are featuring the resignation …
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by Martin
Winfield Scott was one of America’s greatest generals—a war hero many times over and a man whose struggle to professionalize the United States Army shaped much of the nation’s early history. His achievements were considerable and his tenure long: he served 14 presidents. But he had the misfortune to serve in two conflicts—the War of 1812 and the controversial Mexican-American War—bracketed by the far more significant American Revolution and Civil War. Since his death, Scott has faded into the background of American history.
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by Martin
If you’re a naval history buff or a Patrick O’Brian fan, put this book at the top of your list. Tim McGrath’s biography of John Barry is excellent. McGrath gives a wealth of detail without being tedious.
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by Martin
by Martin
Daughan tells the story of American Navy Captain David Porter in a way that takes the reader from admiration to, if not disdain, disappointment in the foibles of a man obsessed with reputation. Porter’s story is sad in some ways. He had many virtues and talents, but these were ultimately cast in the shadow of overwhelming ego, ambition, and a convoluted sense of entitlement. But for all that, Porter was an American hero who left a legacy that included his adopted son David Farragut, Civil War admiral David Dixon Porter and commodore William D. Porter.
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by Martin
And now for something completely different.
On a whim, a few months back, I bought some tickets to see Vince Gill. I’ve always liked Gill, but was never a fan in the way I am a fan of Suzy Bogguss …
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by Martin
Mr. President is Unger’s best book to date. Unger doesn’t make a single faulty step in his project to show how Washington framed the office of the president. His research shows through in his writing and he supports his contentions with footnotes as well as logic. Unger credits Dr. John P. Kaminsky at the onset, for his help on the project. Kaminsky is a scholar of some considerable renown that this reviewer had the honor of interviewing a few years ago. In any case, this, like each of the last several of Unger’s books has been better than the last.
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by Martin
Sons of The Father is a collection of essays written mostly by academic historians. The scholarship of the authors is readily apparent in the quality of the writing. But the essays were not the dry academic prose one might expect from snooty academics. They were uniformly interesting and each culminated in a very useful bibliography tied to the footnotes that the writers used to support their various theses.
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by Martin
The government shutdown may have just cost me $300.
If I thought we could get rid of Obama's signature piece of legislation, I, and a lot of other people would happily pay ten times that amount.
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The posts are coming!
