Book Review Friday: Dead Wake

 

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
By Erik Larson


I thought I knew about the Lusitania.  Heck, we all learned about it in school, didn't we?  Now I know better.   Even though I knew the outcome I was caught up in Erik Larson's narrative. Told from the varying perspectives of the passengers and crew of the Lusitania, the German captain of the u-boat that fired the fateful torpedo, and the movers and shakers in the British, German, and United States governments, Larson does an amazing job of pulling all the facts together and weaving a tale of thrills and suspense out of an historic event.   I listened to the audio book narrated by Scott Brick, he was an excellent narrator.

If you liked Dead Wake you might like:

Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy and the End of the Victorian Age by Greg King and Penny Wilson
Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy by John P. Easton

Also by Erik Larson:
Isaac's Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Thunderstruck
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Book Review Friday: Death in Salem

Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt
By Diane E. Foulds

I'm a history buff and a descendant of Rebecca Nurse, one of the unfortunate victims hung for witchcraft in Salem in 1692, so I've read a lot of books about the trials.  Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt by Diane E. Foulds is an interesting addition to the canon.  Instead of focusing on the various theories on the whys and wherefores of the trials, Ms. Foulds' book offers short biographical sketches of everyone involved covering the stresses, personalities, and politics of life in a harsh and sometimes hostile environment.  Complete with an index and bibliography, this is a good resource for students, historians, and genealogists.

Book Review Friday: Destiny of the Republic

 

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President
By Candice Millard

Don't know much about History?  Here's the amazing story of the life and death of James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States.  Killed by an assassin's bullet only a few months after his inauguration. Except, as the assassin argued at his trial, the bullet didn't kill President Garfield, it was his incompetent doctor and the poor medical care he received that killed him.

Candice Millard displays an amazing depth of research in her writing and provides insight into the life and death of an almost forgotten President.  The post Civil War era was a time of turmoil in the United States as people tried to heal the wounds of the Civil War and chart a course through the murky world of politics. James A. Garfield rose from a poverty stricken youth to become an educator, a Civil War General, a Congressman, and finally a reluctant Presidential candidate. Meanwhile, his would-be assassin, Charles Guiteau, was charging through life convinced that he was destined for greatness.  Millard details Guiteau's delusions of grandeur, his family's attempts to institutionalize him, and his close encounters with Washington DC's political elite until the fateful day that he crossed paths with Garfield in a Washington train station.  Other lives touched Garfield's as well, from Doctor Joseph Lister in England to Alexander Grahame Bell in Boston, Millard describes the threads that formed a tragic tapestry that brought Americans together to mourn the death of a President for the second time in 15 years.

This was a great book, very readable and accessible, not a textbook history.  An excellent choice to recommend to History buffs especially Civil War buffs and those interested in Presidential assassinations.  Also a great recommendation for people interested in reading more about the history of medicine or politics in the United States.



 

Book Review Friday: Queen's Gambit

 

King Henry VIII to six spouses was wedded
One died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded

Queen's Gambit is Elizabeth Fremantle's debut novel. For a first book she definitely hit this one out of the park.  Queen's Gambit is a lush and lavish look  at the Tudor Court of King Henry VIII and his 6th, and surviving, wife, Katherine Parr.
The story opens with the recently widowed Katherine (Kit to her friends) returning to court at the summons of Henry's oldest daughter, Lady Mary.  But the request is just a subterfuge, it is Henry who is casting his eyes her way.  Having recently disposed of wife number 5, Henry is in need of a replacement.  And intelligent, strong-willed Katherine, who just nursed an older, ailing husband through his last illness might be just what the old and ailing king wants. Katherine finds herself plunged into the danger and intrigue of court as highborn ladies, lords, and underlings all jockey for position and power and men make the final decisions.
Thrown into the mix is Katherine's powerful attraction to the handsome, ambitious Thomas Seymour.  Rumor has it that he may be married off to Katherine's stepdaughter, Meg.  But Seymour has other ideas and bigger ambitions. 
The story is told through the eyes of Katherine, her servant Dot, and her personal physician Huicke.  The varying viewpoints let the reader see the sumptuous Tudor Court from all angles above and below stairs.  The period details are fascinating.  Although, from several Tudor purists I have discovered that Fremantle has taken some literary license with Katherine Parr's actual history.  Still, she doesn't stray far from the facts and the personalities she develops for each of the major players bring the story to life. 

For more palace intrigue try these authors:

Philippa Gregory
Hilary Mantel
Alison Weir


And for some more Tudor book reviews check out this list from The Tudor Enthusiast. 

Historical Archives online ... WooHoo

Check out this amazing database available from the National Archives.  Founders Online is still in beta, just launched last week on 13 June 2013.  It comprises over 100,000 searchable documents.  The correspondence and other writings of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.