Watching The Pacific? Read The Pacific Too!

If you are enjoying the HBO series The Pacific, the story of 5 men whose lives intersect in the Pacific theater during World War II, there are several books that might interest you.

The first book is The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose ($26.95) (Yup, Ambrose…Hugh is  Stephen Ambrose’s son). A companion to the TV series, this fascinating and inspiring book tells the stories of  four US Marines and one US Navy carrier pilot whose lives intersect in the Pacific theater during WWII.

For more information about the individual men involved, here are some books you might want to consider:

A Helmet For My Pillow: From Parris Island To The Pacific by Robert Leckie ($16.00) Robert Leckie, one of America’s greatest military historians, recalls his own story from boot camp in Parris Island to the bloody war in the Pacific.  Leckie experienced it all–the booze, the brawling, the loving on sixty-two-hour liberty; the courageous fighting and dying in combat as the U.S. Marines slugged it out, inch by inch, island by island across the Pacific to the shores of Japan.

I’m Staying With My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC by Jim Proser ($14.99)  Sgt. John Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops at Guadalcanal after his 15-member unit was reduced to three men.  Killed during the war, he was the only Marine in World War II to have received the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart and is arguably the most famous Marine of all time.  I’m Staying with My Boys is the only family-authorized biography of Basilone, and it features photographs never before published. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is told in the first person, allowing readers to experience his transformation, forged in the horrors of battle, from aimless youth to war hero known as “Manila John.”

With The Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge ($16.00) In The Wall Street Journal, Victor Davis Hanson named With the Old Breed one of the top five books on epic twentieth-century battles. Studs Terkel interviewed the author for his definitive oral history, The Good War. Now E. B. Sledge’s acclaimed first-person account of fighting at Peleliu and Okinawa returns to thrill, edify, and inspire a new generation.

An Alabama boy steeped in American history and enamored of such heroes as George Washington and Daniel Boone, Eugene B. Sledge became part of the war’s famous 1st Marine Division-3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Even after intense training, he was shocked to be thrown into the battle of Peleliu, where “the world was a nightmare of flashes, explosions, and snapping bullets.” By the time Sledge hit the hell of Okinawa, he was a combat vet, still filled with fear but no longer with panic.Based on notes Sledge secretly kept in a copy of the New Testament, With the Old Breed captures with utter simplicity and searing honesty the experience of a soldier in the fierce Pacific Theater.

(If you haven’t started watching the series because you don’t get HBO…good news! They have the whole first episode available online!) http://www.hbo.com/the-pacific/index.html#)

[Via http://titcombsbookshop.wordpress.com]

In Hovering Flight

In Hovering Flight is Joyce Hinnefeld’s first novel, and of particular interest to me because Dr. Hinnefeld is a writing professor at the school I attend, Moravian College.  I’ve had her for a poetry writing class and she runs the school writing center where I work, so I was very excited to experience her first novel.

The main character is named Addie, and the book centers around her, her husband Tom, her daughter Scarlet, and Addie’s best friends Cora and Lou.  In the very beginning we find out Addie has just died of cancer, and the novel that follows is a series of flashbacks from the perspectives of various characters.  We get to know their personalities, hardships, and relationships in bits and pieces as the story progresses.

Addie is a bird lover and an artist, who later becomes an activist.  She meets her husband Tom when he teaches a “Biology of the Birds” class at her college, and their love of birds and nature brings them together.  At times it is difficult to relate to the strong feelings the characters have towards these birds, but the lengths that they go to in order to fight for what they love is both moving and somewhat frustrating.  The character of Addie is certainly a frustrating one.  We want to like her but her actions are sometimes so extreme that is difficult to do so, especially when we see how these actions affect her family.

One thing that is really apparent in this novel is that Hinnefeld certainly has a way with words.  Her writing is beautiful and descriptive, making her prose seem almost poetic.  She manages to create a delightful atmosphere of mystery, constantly leaving you wondering what the next piece of the puzzle is going to be.

However, the novel is very slow to start and difficult to get into until around page 50.  The biggest flaw is the way that the flashbacks are handled.  They happen sporadically, with little or not introduction to the fact that it is a flashback, and they don’t happen in any particular order.  Without some sort of time line or more definitive way to keep track of time, the reader is left with some confusion about the events.  While Hinnefeld has some wonderful characters here, their growth and our appreciation of them is somewhat stunted by the fact that we mostly see them through inconsistent flashbacks.  Addie in particular is introduced as a rather quiet, innocent, sweet young girl, who we see later camping out in protest for weeks or running from the law.  Though we see a little bit of her change through her pregnancy and Scarlet, it is still not enough to completely understand her character.

Despite the flaws, if you can get past the slow beginning the book becomes engaging and is a fairly quick read.  If you’re a bird lover, nature lover, or artist, I would especially recommend this novel.  Though it might not be a life changing read, it is well written and is at times emotionally touching.

[Via http://bythbook.wordpress.com]

Muslim American Girls Magazine [Magazine Review]

Very recently I came across the Muslim American Girls Magazine and I was quite impressed with the content and layout of it. It is an online magazine geared toward girls and young women up to age 16. The website contains excerpts from articles in the magazine and information about how the magazine began. To read the magazine you have to subscribe to it by sending an email to the editor (subscription is free).

The magazine’s founder and editor is a young woman in the United States who started the writing articles when she was only ten years of age. For several years she published monthly issues online but this is the first “magazines format” being issued. According to the editor, “the goal of the magazine is to promote reading and writing among Muslim girls.” In addition, she writes that “Muslim girls have a fun, informative and halal magazine to read.”

The March/April issue is filled with everything that would appeal to a preteen and teenage girl (maybe because many of the contributors are themselves preteens and teens). The features and columns range from recipes and crafts to book reviews and a page for fashions. Readers are shown how to live an Islamic life by being conscious of those less well off than themselves, by learning the fears and hopes of someone adopting the hijab for the first time and through various inspirational Islamic quotes. Also included are a beauty/health column, a fun corner (with riddles and challenges) and information on adopting a hobby. These are all interspersed with beautiful photography and poetry. This magazine is not only professionally done but it is relevant and eye-catching.

Talking Points: Young girls may find reassurance in reading about the views and experiences of others like themselves in this magazine. Schools can benefit from a subscription to this magazine in the classroom or library and use the ideas as a starting point for discussions and to encourage writing projects among their students (which could then be submitted to the magazine for publication).

Now what I would like to see is a magazine for Muslim boys and teens! Anyone up to the challenge? Anyone knows of such a magazine?

[Via http://muslimkidsbooks.wordpress.com]

Book Review - #1 - "Master's of Rome" *5 stars out of 5*

It seems appropriate for the first book review be of the greatest series of novels that I’ve ever read. As the family story goes, the Master’s of Rome series started with Uncle KC maybe 10 years ago. He read it through and passed it along to Granny, who never quite finished as it got too bloody. Uncle Jon was next, reading all 6 (#7 released in 2007) books straight through, often calling into work sick so he could read at home. Last summer, Jon told me it was my time.

The works are Historical Fiction – detailed research of historical facts woven into a story.

From Wikipedia:

Masters of Rome is a series of historical fiction novels by author Colleen McCullough (b. 1937) set in ancient Rome during the last days of the old Roman Republic; it primarily chronicles the lives and careers of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, and the early career of Caesar Augustus. It spans from January 1, 110 BC through to January 16, 27 BC.

I love the stories of ancient Rome. I loved this series. Obviously, most of the main characters were male, and the author, Colleen McCullough, did such an incredible job or writing from the male perspective you’re forced to wonder where she got her insight.

Each book is thick – 700 to 1,000 pages – so plan to avoid all other books for at least 8 months…and trust me, that won’t be a problem. It took me roughly 7 months to finish, a month of which was while I was in Thailand.

Tips: Try used book stores to piece the series together, and READ THEM IN ORDER, don’t skip.

I never read a book more than once (feel the same way about most movies), but I do plan to revisit this series at some point in the future.

Rating: Easy….5 stars out of 5

[Via http://jessefowler.wordpress.com]

Wines of the World. Your Essential Wine Handook

Wines of the World

Susan Keevin et al.

Eyewitness Companions

DK Publishing, New York

2004

 

If you are at all like me –and I think I am an average Vancouver denizen- you probably own a lot more books that you have never read than the ones you have. It is a bit embarrassing to confess this, coming from me, and I am supposed to be a writer. Writers are supposed to read or to have read a lot. When I became more interested in wine I started to collect wine books, thinking “now, I have a real passion here, so I will read all these books.” 

Of course I was fooling myself. We are animals of habit and now, looking back, I should have known that, just as with my other books, I would only read a fraction of them. I must also say, however, that although I have not read most books front to back, I have definitely used them for reference, both for my fiction and wine writing. Just in case you started thinking “why should I read this blog? This guy is cranking wine stuff out of his head.” 

In any case, what I wanted to say on this one is, if I had to choose one book, I have had the money and space on my shelf for only one wine book I would pick the one that gives name to this posting.  Wines of the World provides all the basic information you need in a mere 672 pages. It is compact, it has beautiful photographs, it’s made with nice, thick paper. Plus, it packs condensed, quality information on the world wine regions, grapes, wine people, top producers, history. If that were not enough, you will find handy maps too. 

I don’t know how they managed to pack so much into such limited space but that shows craftsmanship. (Should I write craftswomanship to be gender correct here? Just kidding). These guys knew what they were doing. I also find the language simple, accessible to all, avoiding the excessive industry jargon that drives the wine curious back to beer and rye. Nothing wrong with those two, don’t take me wrong. If you just read the first chapter “Introducing Wines of the World” (it’s ok if you skip the old stuff and go straight to the 20th century) you will have already a pretty good grasp on the wine areas, who is making what, more (or less) and who is drinking it.  For instance, on page 13 there is a neat table of production and consumption. For the year 2001, the consumption in liters per capita put Canada on place 15th, after France, Portugal, a long list of etceteras and even tiny Switzerland and beer oriented Germany. What they don’t say is that Vancouver drives the Canadian consumption up, with West Vancouverites downing a staggering 90 liters per head a year. That is a whole lot, and yes, this is fresh info that is not in the book. But that is why you come to this blog, see? Now, seriously, I have the 2004 edition, so expect updated info on the current one. You still need to come to Winecouver though. 

Pages 24 to 35 will make you a quasi-expert in terroir, vineyard soil and grape varieties. Knowing red from white and having Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay only in your wine knowledge arsenal doesn’t cut it any more, bud. The terroir explanation text is wittingly accompanied by cool illustrations that will cut through that looming boredom. Then you have the main grapes, both black (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir) and white (Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) explained in detail, as it should be. Most wine drank today still comes from those main driving grapes. Then you have shorter descriptions for other grapes that are becoming more popular. Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, for the dark ones and Viognier, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer among many other whites. Stuff you should know to help you understand and appreciate better your new choices. 

The continuing pages until the end of the introduction chapter give some insight on vineyard management and vinification. I find this latter one is quite relevant, as it relates directly to the stuff you are putting in your mouth. Oaked vs unoaked, blending, bottle aging, malolactic fermentation, these are all areas in which you want to have a working knowledge, for your drinking’s sake. Huh! Talking about sake, this book doesn’t include a Sake chapter, which makes complete sense. I still don’t get why wine people have got into the idea that Sake should be included in wine books, wine courses, wine tastings and wine shelves on stores. Even the Playhouse International Wine Festival has a Sake section! C’mon. Sake may be very tasty but is not grape wine. 

Pages 42 to 45 complete the introduction and are essential. They are about wine styles, meaning sparkling or still, light, medium or full bodied, red vs white. Here, as you go through the styles, you learn the basic wine lexicon associated to each style, plus a few aromas and flavors you may typically expect. To close this smartly put together chapter, pages 43, 44 and 45 have an inset each, telling you about stuff you definitely want to know: Tannin, old vs young wine and the building blocks of wine. I am talking about sweetness, acidity, tannin and alcohol, the properties you assess when answering two essential questions: do I like the wine? Is this quality wine? I must really like this book Have you noticed how many times I used the word “essential”? 

By the time you finish reading through the first 40 pages you will feel a lot more confident. You only have 630 more to go! ; ) You have now all these sections to explore on the wine regions, from Burgundy in France to the top producers in Lebanon. Yes, they do make wine in Lebanon, as they do in Israel. This a really good section for reference, both for when you want to take a quick look or when you find a wine you like and want to know more about the region. It is also fun to look for the “top producers” segment at the end of each wine region. Chances are that you will recognize some of the wines you have seen at your local store. 

The last bit of the book has some wine tasting technique tips, basic wine and food matching and main aromas and flavors you will easily identify in your wines. There is a very solid index, which I deem truly essential in any good wine book. And, huh, there is a glossary near the end too.  You should look at it. In case someone asked you what Qualitatswein mit Pradikat is. No. Seriously. I totally recommend this book. 

Cheers

Ivan Alfonso

 

[Via http://winecouver.wordpress.com]

Middle-of-the-night reflections…

I haven’t been riding… or writing… much this week due to having the cough/cold/crud yet again. I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be stress-related: I’m simply not getting enough time or good weather in which to ride! That’s it!

Of course today I felt almost a hundred percent whole and functional again, yet now I can’t sleep. This will not help the healing that my body is craving. I’ve been awake since 6:00 a.m. — yesterday — and it’s now almost one a.m. — today (although my body thinks it’s not quite midnight). Ravenously hungry, I’m eating tortellini with peas, butter, and freshly grated parmesan.

I’m probably awake because I fell into bed too early and without my nightly dose of reading. I am traveling with Neil Peart along the healing road in his book, Ghost Rider. Not only are his words recalling to me places I have traveled (albeit before I had a motorcycle), but they are also recalling to me dreams I had when I was a younger person. Dreams that I let inadvertently fade, dreams that got lost in the rush and scramble to simply survive.

My brain is a-buzz with the work that is before me, bringing the old dreams back into focus, and adding them to the new dream, which is to live my motorcycle passion, in both work and for pleasure.

But right now, I really must get some sleep!

[Via http://lilredridingliz.wordpress.com]

Sex markets and trades

Sex markets and trades; (Mar. 19, 2010)

            Thailand is the prime sex tourist attraction.  About 15 millions flood the Capital Bangkok every year.  Many girls are connected by internet to their favorite regular tourists who visit yearly for a two-week vacation: one week with the girl (who consider this period as vacation time on beaches, all expense paid) and another week for touring Thailand. It is estimated that over 3 millions in Thailand practice sex business, supposedly with the consent of their folks to feed the remaining members of the family. The government enacted laws proclaiming sex business as illegal; it had completely forgotten this law: this particular tourist appeal generates 14% of GNP.

            The American soldiers fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia targeted Bangkok for relaxation breaks and then opened bars and sex businesses. After the war in Vietnam, ex-soldiers resumed their preferred tourist activities to their accustomed destination. Obviously, drug trade was a major catalyst for targeting Bangkok.

            The next destination for the northern Europe and England hard working population is the Capital Riga of Latvia. Every weekend, dozens of charter planes at low cost land in Riga for a relaxing time. Morocco is the favorite destination for southern Europe.

            As for the sources of the human sex pool it is the new Republics of former Soviet Union and Africa. Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldavia are prime sources for the mafias in that trade. For example, Moldavia insures the availability of 10,000 sex slaves a year; the slaves principally land in the city of Antalia in Turkey and then to Europe; Cyprus used to be the first landing location of these girls, who had secured due legitimate papers for other jobs; but the law in Cyprus required medical check up on contagious diseases; thus the mafias shifted the target location to Turkey;  Cyprus has now cancelled this requirement: it cannot afford to lose a large proportion of its 7 millions tourists.

            Sex slave business mafias have reformed their techniques in hiring slave sex to circumvent tighter regulations. Currently, the mafias promise a sex slave freedom, after working several years in abject conditions, by luring and expediting fresh replacements.  At first, the girl is promised freedom for hiring one replacement and then this number is increased gradually for one reason or another. The replacing girls know that the final job is sex but are never aware of the conditions of the work as slaves; they work non-stop and barely have time to feed and sleep. As the fresh slave girl board the plane then the doors are shut on her freedom; when she reaches destination she is gang raped, beaten and humiliated to give her the proper taste of what to expect.

            Nigeria and Cameroon are the main African sources of sex slaves.  In Nigeria, mafias organize witch ceremonies for the hired girls called “Djudju” where the girl promises complete secrecy on the bosses and organization.  Many mafias set up faked “Queen Beauty contests” and then photos are taken in bikini and brochures are sent to select rich elite customers; first the girls are sent to work in hotels and bars and then are coerced to upgrade into sex business.

            There are 400,000 whores in Germany and as many in Spain; 85,000 in England and as many in Italy; 20,000 in Holland and as many in France. Over 80% of the whores are foreigners from Romania, Bulgaria, and Africa.  Sex slave charges between 300 and 400 in developed European States while it cost between 30 to 50 in their home States.

            Many European States have tried alternative approaches to cut down on sex trades.  Holland enacted laws to legalize this business as long as the sex provider applies legally. Unfortunately, only 4% opted to formally legalize their trade.  Sweden has proven to have the most efficacious method: apprehending the customers for illegal activities.

[Via http://adonis49.wordpress.com]