Category Archives: History

The Kennedy Imperative (Book One of a Trilogy: Berlin, 1961), by Leon Berger

Posted on October 23, 2014 by tom

Author Leon Berger’s “The Kennedy Imperative” throws the reader right into Cold War Berlin, where fledgling agent Phillip Marsden is given what seems to be a simple mission–to accompany Major Hank Leland to an international conference in East Berlin. East-West … Continue reading →

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Illogical Atheism: A Comprehensive Response to the Contemporary Freethinker from a Lapsed Agnostic, by Bo Jinn

Posted on October 23, 2014 by tom

“Illogical Atheism” is not a book of evangelism and preaching. Rather, it serves as a repudiation of Atheist movements from Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens–the modern Atheist triad–back through history. Author Bo Jinn does not attempt … Continue reading →

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (novel), by John Berendt (1994)

Posted on June 22, 2014 by tom

There’s something unique about the South. My mom and her ancestors grew up in the shadow of Lookout Mountain, where Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama intersect, where one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Civil War was fought. I remember feeling … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Books Read in 2014, History, Memoir or Biography, Mysteries/Thrillers, Non Fiction and/or Commentary | Leave a comment

The Kennedy Half-Century, by Larry J. Sabato

Posted on November 26, 2013 by tom

It was fifty years ago that John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The inevitable conspiracy theorists have argued yet again their notions of how Kennedy was killed—who and how many shooters shot from where, and who was behind the … Continue reading →

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Not in Your Lifetime: The Defining Book on the J.F.K. Assassination, by Anthony Summers (2013)

Posted on November 23, 2013 by tom

The other night, I was chatting online with my friend, Amanda. She asked what I was doing, and I told her I was reading a book about the JFK Assassination. There was a long pause while she thought and typed. … Continue reading →

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Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK, by Gerald Posner (rev. ed. 2013)

Posted on November 22, 2013 by tom

I wasn’t alive when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on 22nd November, 1963—my parents hadn’t even met. But soon they did, and there in the mid-1960’s, I came wailing into the world. Growing up, I heard about … Continue reading →

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Skyway: The True Story of Tampa Bay’s Signature Bridge and the Man Who Brought It Down, by Bill DeYoung (2013)

Posted on October 3, 2013 by tom

On Friday morning, May 9th, 1980, I was a student at Pine View School in Sarasota, Florida. School started at 8:15, and I think it was second period that I worked as a student aide in the school office. One … Continue reading →

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“You Can Tell Just by Looking,” by Michael Bronski, Ann Pellegrini, and Michael Amico (2013)

Posted on September 30, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss) Until recently, I worked for a company with a large percentage of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered (LGBT) employees. They were supervisors, floor employees, executives—literally, there … Continue reading →

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The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, by Jack El-Hai (2013)

Posted on September 10, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) Jack El-Hai’s latest book, “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist,” tells one of the lesser-known stories of post-World War 2: the psychological analysis of the infamous Nuremberg Trial defendants. … Continue reading →

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Skyway: The True Story of Tampa Bay’s Signature Bridge and the Man Who Brought it Down, by Bill DeYoung (2013)

Posted on September 9, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) The Bridge to Tragedy On Friday morning, May 9th, 1980, I was a student at Pine View School in Sarasota, Florida. School started at 8:15, and I think … Continue reading →

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