Will's Picks
The Lost Symbol- by Dan Brown
Dan Brown's newest thriller, The Lost Symbol has the familiar Robert Langdon who sped through Brown's last two novels, and has been played on screen by Tom Hanks, finds himself pursued by mysterious, malevolent forces. He manages to survive only with a combination of luck and smarts. The setting is Washington, D.C., where many of our nations buildings are used as the sets, both inside and out, along with the Society of Freemasonry, instead of the Catholic Church, heavily involved in the mystery. This fast paced novel follows the familiar theme - symbology and puzzles within puzzles.
My opinion: Good read with several unexpected twists and a real need for better prose.
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The Candy Bombers- by Andrei Cherny
In 1948, West Berliners were suffering and hungry, existing on food rations transported by trucks, trains and barges primarily by the occupying American forces. The Russians, trying to control the divided city, blockaded the transports on June 24, 1948, and American and British pilots risked their lives to airlift in 4.6 billion pounds of food and supplies until the blockade was lifted in May 1949. Pilot Hal Halvorsen won Berliners' hearts by secretly dropping his and his buddies' candy rations by parachute into the waiting hands of the city's children. In the process, says Cherny ("The Next Deal"), Berliners became devoted to democracy, and Washington foreign policy and military brass learned that the Cold War needed to be won not primarily with bullets but by appealing to hearts and minds. This book could have been cut by a third for better effect; Cherny's prose and his references to 9/11 are manipulative, and his subject, particularly the nuts and bolts of the airlift, will appeal primarily to WWII buffs, who should still find much to savor in this exhaustive, often absorbing and lucid account of America's successful standoff against the Soviets. 16 pages of b&w photos." (Apr. 17)" Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
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Paths of Glory- by Jeffrey Archer
Many people have their place in history guaranteed by their adventures: Charles Lindberg, Robert Scott, Sir Francis Drake to name a few. What if one man had an adventure, but once he fulfilled it there was no proof?
Such is the story of such a man - George Mallory (1884-1924), Englishman, teacher, mountaineer. In Jeffrey Archer’s new book Paths of Glory his story comes to life. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, below the summit of Mt. Everest. He was last seen just 600 feet from the top and it still remains a mystery if he ever reached the summit. Mallory is also know from his famous quote when asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. “Because it is there” was his reply.
But only after you’ve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallory’s name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed.
Dan Brown's newest thriller, The Lost Symbol has the familiar Robert Langdon who sped through Brown's last two novels, and has been played on screen by Tom Hanks, finds himself pursued by mysterious, malevolent forces. He manages to survive only with a combination of luck and smarts. The setting is Washington, D.C., where many of our nations buildings are used as the sets, both inside and out, along with the Society of Freemasonry, instead of the Catholic Church, heavily involved in the mystery. This fast paced novel follows the familiar theme - symbology and puzzles within puzzles.
My opinion: Good read with several unexpected twists and a real need for better prose.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Candy Bombers- by Andrei Cherny
In 1948, West Berliners were suffering and hungry, existing on food rations transported by trucks, trains and barges primarily by the occupying American forces. The Russians, trying to control the divided city, blockaded the transports on June 24, 1948, and American and British pilots risked their lives to airlift in 4.6 billion pounds of food and supplies until the blockade was lifted in May 1949. Pilot Hal Halvorsen won Berliners' hearts by secretly dropping his and his buddies' candy rations by parachute into the waiting hands of the city's children. In the process, says Cherny ("The Next Deal"), Berliners became devoted to democracy, and Washington foreign policy and military brass learned that the Cold War needed to be won not primarily with bullets but by appealing to hearts and minds. This book could have been cut by a third for better effect; Cherny's prose and his references to 9/11 are manipulative, and his subject, particularly the nuts and bolts of the airlift, will appeal primarily to WWII buffs, who should still find much to savor in this exhaustive, often absorbing and lucid account of America's successful standoff against the Soviets. 16 pages of b&w photos." (Apr. 17)" Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paths of Glory- by Jeffrey Archer
Many people have their place in history guaranteed by their adventures: Charles Lindberg, Robert Scott, Sir Francis Drake to name a few. What if one man had an adventure, but once he fulfilled it there was no proof?
Such is the story of such a man - George Mallory (1884-1924), Englishman, teacher, mountaineer. In Jeffrey Archer’s new book Paths of Glory his story comes to life. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, below the summit of Mt. Everest. He was last seen just 600 feet from the top and it still remains a mystery if he ever reached the summit. Mallory is also know from his famous quote when asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest. “Because it is there” was his reply.
But only after you’ve turned the last page of this extraordinary novel, inspired by a true story, will you be able to decide if George Mallory’s name should be added to the list of legends, in which case another name would have to be removed.
