The Rise and Fall of Communism. Archie Brown by Archie Brown My rating: 3 of 5 stars Simon Heffer’s cover quote on this title was “SUPERB… A hugely readable book”, and although I can’t quite get behind this lengthy history with as much enthusiasm, this book does provide you with insights from the earliest days […]
1776 by David McCullough My rating: 2 of 5 stars Knowledge of the American Revolution should be a prerequisite for all Americans. However, an understanding of that conflict should not begin with McCullough’s often praised and Pulitzer Prize winning history 1776. As is often the case with works which examines something expansive like the American […]
Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book called out to me the moment I saw it in the book store. There are numerous books which try to capture the feelings one has when visiting Japan for the first time. Few do […]
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell My rating: 4 of 5 stars What I enjoyed most about this novel is the language of the traders on Dejima. You’ll learn over 20 ways to describe the pain associated with gout and/or syphilis via the descriptive prowess of a 1800s English sea captain. […]