Recently Finished
Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon ***** - SciFi/Fantasy
The Course of Empire by Eric Flint & K. D. Wentworth **** - SciFi/Fantasy
The Poker Bride by Christopher Corbett *** - History
Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle *** - SciFi/Fantasy
Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle ***** - SciFi/Fantasy
The Egyptians by Cyril Aldred *** - History
more detailed reviews later if I have the time
Reading Now
Dracula by Bram Stoker - Fantasy/Horror
Ancient Peoples of the Great Basin & Colorado Plateau by Steven R. Simms - History/Anthropology
In the Queue
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly - Horror/Fantasy
Bunch of stuff by H. P. Lovecraft - Horror/Fantasy
Misadventures of the Most Favored Nations by Paul Blustein- Current Events
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Book Review - Persian Fire
Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West, by Tom Holland
This book came very highly recommended and it did not disappoint. It is the story of the Persian Empire's attempt to conquer Greece in the 5th century B.C. Holland is a very good writer and the story unfolds almost like a novel.
He starts off with a history of the fall of the Assyrian Empire to the Medes from the highlands of Iran, and then of their conquest by the Persians further to the east. He explains how Cyrus ruled his new empire and was succeeded ultimately by Darius, who ordered the first invasion of Greece.
He also explains the history of both Sparta and Athens and their different paths toward a government system that would provide stability for their citizens. Only halfway through the book do the Persians and the Greeks meet on the field of battle.
The first invasion in 490 B.C. is foiled by a surprise victory by the Athenians over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. Holland explains how the Spartans refused to fight because of a conflict with their religious festivals.
Ten years later Darius' son, Xerxes, returns in person with a larger army and fleet to reattempt the invasion. The famous Battle of Thermopylae sees the death of the Greek contingent, lead by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, guarding the pass between Thermopylae and Athens. Athens is sacked and Sparta and the Peloponnesian states blockade the Isthmus of Corinth and prepare for a Persian attack. However, in the end, the Athenians, who had in ten years time built up a substantial navy from scratch, lead an naval battle at Salamis, just south of Athens, and cripples the Persian navy forcing Xerxes to withdraw.
Holland points out repeatedly the importance of these Greek victories. Democracy as a legitimate form of government was begun by the Athenians only a few years before the Persian invasions. Had the Persians successfully conquered Greece the history of the world would have been quite different indeed.
He also points out more subtly, the parallels between this bit of history and the modern conflict between the West and the Middle East. Holland implies a great deal of similarity between Darius' professed devotion to Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrian monothesism, and the professed devotion of the rulers of modern Muslim nations to Allah. There is also a parallel in the contrast between the autocratic rule of the Persian Empire versus the relative freedom enjoyed by the citizens of the Greek city-states.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone with even a remote interest in history.
This book came very highly recommended and it did not disappoint. It is the story of the Persian Empire's attempt to conquer Greece in the 5th century B.C. Holland is a very good writer and the story unfolds almost like a novel.
He starts off with a history of the fall of the Assyrian Empire to the Medes from the highlands of Iran, and then of their conquest by the Persians further to the east. He explains how Cyrus ruled his new empire and was succeeded ultimately by Darius, who ordered the first invasion of Greece.
He also explains the history of both Sparta and Athens and their different paths toward a government system that would provide stability for their citizens. Only halfway through the book do the Persians and the Greeks meet on the field of battle.
The first invasion in 490 B.C. is foiled by a surprise victory by the Athenians over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. Holland explains how the Spartans refused to fight because of a conflict with their religious festivals.
Ten years later Darius' son, Xerxes, returns in person with a larger army and fleet to reattempt the invasion. The famous Battle of Thermopylae sees the death of the Greek contingent, lead by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, guarding the pass between Thermopylae and Athens. Athens is sacked and Sparta and the Peloponnesian states blockade the Isthmus of Corinth and prepare for a Persian attack. However, in the end, the Athenians, who had in ten years time built up a substantial navy from scratch, lead an naval battle at Salamis, just south of Athens, and cripples the Persian navy forcing Xerxes to withdraw.
Holland points out repeatedly the importance of these Greek victories. Democracy as a legitimate form of government was begun by the Athenians only a few years before the Persian invasions. Had the Persians successfully conquered Greece the history of the world would have been quite different indeed.
He also points out more subtly, the parallels between this bit of history and the modern conflict between the West and the Middle East. Holland implies a great deal of similarity between Darius' professed devotion to Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrian monothesism, and the professed devotion of the rulers of modern Muslim nations to Allah. There is also a parallel in the contrast between the autocratic rule of the Persian Empire versus the relative freedom enjoyed by the citizens of the Greek city-states.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone with even a remote interest in history.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
MotionX-GPS for the iPhone
I took my first hike today in a long while. My son, Alan, went with me and I tried out the GPS feature built into the iPhone for the first time in any serious way. I bought MotionX-GPS at the iTunes app store and tried it out on the hike. It is a pretty neat feature and works very well with the iPhone.
One disadvantage is the battery use. It was a short hike and I started with the battery at about 75%. By the time we were at the turn-back point 1:15 later the battery was at 25%. I probably could've done much better by turning off the 3G and some other features, but this was still a significant drain on the battery. Undoubtedly much of the drain is due to the app being in contact with either cell phone towers or GPS satellites almost constantly. This produces really cool tracks, but they may not be worth it for longer hikes. If I am going to use this for longer hikes or backpacking, I will have to turn off the phone between stops and only take waypoints.
You can either take just waypoint data, or you can also take a snapshot of the spot using the iPhone's camera. This automatically sets a waypoint at the same time. Once you are done you can email yourself the waypoints and/or the track data. These come in .gpx and .kmz formats, the latter of which imports easily into Google Earth.
A sample kmz file with both the track and the waypoints from today's hike can be found at this link . The file is 1121K in size and includes photos taken with most of the waypoints.
All-in-all the app worked great. As long as I am willing to strictly manage the battery drain I think this is a suitable substitute for a stand-alone handheld GPS. At least for the type and amount of hiking I plan on doing.
One disadvantage is the battery use. It was a short hike and I started with the battery at about 75%. By the time we were at the turn-back point 1:15 later the battery was at 25%. I probably could've done much better by turning off the 3G and some other features, but this was still a significant drain on the battery. Undoubtedly much of the drain is due to the app being in contact with either cell phone towers or GPS satellites almost constantly. This produces really cool tracks, but they may not be worth it for longer hikes. If I am going to use this for longer hikes or backpacking, I will have to turn off the phone between stops and only take waypoints.
You can either take just waypoint data, or you can also take a snapshot of the spot using the iPhone's camera. This automatically sets a waypoint at the same time. Once you are done you can email yourself the waypoints and/or the track data. These come in .gpx and .kmz formats, the latter of which imports easily into Google Earth.
A sample kmz file with both the track and the waypoints from today's hike can be found at this link . The file is 1121K in size and includes photos taken with most of the waypoints.
All-in-all the app worked great. As long as I am willing to strictly manage the battery drain I think this is a suitable substitute for a stand-alone handheld GPS. At least for the type and amount of hiking I plan on doing.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Using the iPhone
I got the income tax refund this last Friday and I went and bought myself a new iPhone 3G. I already have At&T service and was up for a phone upgrade, but it was expensive nonetheless. I've been getting to know it since then and have the following observations.
Things I Dislike:
1) The battery charge does not last very long. This is well-known, but it is surprizing how quickly it depletes. I've discovered that if I turn off the 3G, GPS, and other bells and whistles when I am not using them, the battery does quite well. Since it is pretty easy to turn these on when I need them, I expect the battery life to be adequate. The phone came with a car charger and that may help.
2) The phone will not take videos. It takes decent still shots for a camera phone, but won't do video. There are some 3rd party apps that will allow you to shoot video, but they require "jailbreaking" the iPhone and most likely void the warranty. This seems a very odd omission.
3) It does not come with multimedia messaging. That is, you cannot send photos or other such things to other people's phones. Fortunately, there are free apps available that allow you to do this, you just need to download them from the iTunes store.
4) The phone uses alot more data than a regular 3G phone, so the coverage is $30 per month for unlimited data, as opposed to the $15 per month with my old phone. This seems a bit steep to me, but I did agree to pay for it, so it must be worth it.
Things I Like:
1) I love the seemless integration of my email through BYU's MS Exchange Server. It took a little while figuring out how to configure it. I'm sure BYU's tech guys could've told me how to do it in a few minutes, but it was the weekend and I didn't want to wait. You have the option of syncing your contacts and calendars when you sync the iPhone over its USB connection or wirelessly the same way you sync your email. Beware if you switch from one method to the other all the old contacts are erased and rewritten. You won't lose any information, but all your custom ringtones will need to be reset.
2) I love the photo storage. In fact I will probably use it as much or more than I will the music player. Uploading is simple and the screen size is big enough to see things very clearly.
3) I like all the extra apps. I am hoping to try out some of the GPS apps on my next hike or campout just to see how much it helps. The free apps only give your coordinates, but if you have a good topographic map of the area that helps a ton.
4) I like all the internet specific apps that are available. I've already installed the ones for Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Pandora Radio. They speed things up greatly over using the standard Safari browser that comes with the phone.
Overall I am very glad I bought the phone and think it will turn out to be a good purchase.
Things I Dislike:
1) The battery charge does not last very long. This is well-known, but it is surprizing how quickly it depletes. I've discovered that if I turn off the 3G, GPS, and other bells and whistles when I am not using them, the battery does quite well. Since it is pretty easy to turn these on when I need them, I expect the battery life to be adequate. The phone came with a car charger and that may help.
2) The phone will not take videos. It takes decent still shots for a camera phone, but won't do video. There are some 3rd party apps that will allow you to shoot video, but they require "jailbreaking" the iPhone and most likely void the warranty. This seems a very odd omission.
3) It does not come with multimedia messaging. That is, you cannot send photos or other such things to other people's phones. Fortunately, there are free apps available that allow you to do this, you just need to download them from the iTunes store.
4) The phone uses alot more data than a regular 3G phone, so the coverage is $30 per month for unlimited data, as opposed to the $15 per month with my old phone. This seems a bit steep to me, but I did agree to pay for it, so it must be worth it.
Things I Like:
1) I love the seemless integration of my email through BYU's MS Exchange Server. It took a little while figuring out how to configure it. I'm sure BYU's tech guys could've told me how to do it in a few minutes, but it was the weekend and I didn't want to wait. You have the option of syncing your contacts and calendars when you sync the iPhone over its USB connection or wirelessly the same way you sync your email. Beware if you switch from one method to the other all the old contacts are erased and rewritten. You won't lose any information, but all your custom ringtones will need to be reset.
2) I love the photo storage. In fact I will probably use it as much or more than I will the music player. Uploading is simple and the screen size is big enough to see things very clearly.
3) I like all the extra apps. I am hoping to try out some of the GPS apps on my next hike or campout just to see how much it helps. The free apps only give your coordinates, but if you have a good topographic map of the area that helps a ton.
4) I like all the internet specific apps that are available. I've already installed the ones for Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Pandora Radio. They speed things up greatly over using the standard Safari browser that comes with the phone.
Overall I am very glad I bought the phone and think it will turn out to be a good purchase.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Book Review - Napoleon in Egypt
Napoleon in Egypt, by Paul Strathern
I finished this book today and enjoyed it greatly. Obviously, the book focuses on Napoleon's invasion and occupation of Egypt in 1798. This is not a period of history about which I knew much and I found this well-researched book quite interesting.
Strathern discusses all aspects of the venture, including the scientific accomplishments. But the focus of the book is clearly on Napoleon and the what, how and why of the invasion. He makes a very good case that Napoleon was intent on following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and establishing an empire based in Egpyt founded on French culture and science. The large number of "savants" he recruited for the mission is just one piece of evidence supporting this idea.
Strathern discusses the major military engagements as well as the political maneuvering between and among France, England, Austria, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and other states.
My favorite chapters were 18 & 19 which document the pursuit of Murad Bey, one of the previous Mameluke rulers, south along the Nile into Upper Egypt by Napoleon's general, Desaix . This was country through which few, if any, Europeans had traveled and the ancient temples and other ruins they passed were unknown to European historians. The artist, Donon, accompanied the soldiers on this campaign, and the hundreds of sketches he brought back were instrumental in sparking European interest in ancient Egypt and establishing modern Egyptology.
Ultimately, the French were expelled from Egypt by the combined forces of Britain and the Ottomans. Napoleon abandoned his army and returned to Franch before this, however, in 1799, after a failed invasion of Palestine.
The parallels between Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the US war in Iraq are many, though by no means perfect. This gives the book a lot of contemporary interest beyond the history.
Strathern notes that, "between 1o,000 and 15,000 Frenchmen were probably killed or died of disease during the occupation of Egypt, as well as many times that number of Muslim warriors and Mamelukes -- all in the vain attempt to impose European civilization upon a backward people whose religion encouraged them to regard all change and all foreigners with the deepest suspicion." Regardless of how accurate that assessment is, the book still documents a very good historic example of the limits of military power.
I finished this book today and enjoyed it greatly. Obviously, the book focuses on Napoleon's invasion and occupation of Egypt in 1798. This is not a period of history about which I knew much and I found this well-researched book quite interesting.
Strathern discusses all aspects of the venture, including the scientific accomplishments. But the focus of the book is clearly on Napoleon and the what, how and why of the invasion. He makes a very good case that Napoleon was intent on following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and establishing an empire based in Egpyt founded on French culture and science. The large number of "savants" he recruited for the mission is just one piece of evidence supporting this idea.
Strathern discusses the major military engagements as well as the political maneuvering between and among France, England, Austria, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and other states.
My favorite chapters were 18 & 19 which document the pursuit of Murad Bey, one of the previous Mameluke rulers, south along the Nile into Upper Egypt by Napoleon's general, Desaix . This was country through which few, if any, Europeans had traveled and the ancient temples and other ruins they passed were unknown to European historians. The artist, Donon, accompanied the soldiers on this campaign, and the hundreds of sketches he brought back were instrumental in sparking European interest in ancient Egypt and establishing modern Egyptology.
Ultimately, the French were expelled from Egypt by the combined forces of Britain and the Ottomans. Napoleon abandoned his army and returned to Franch before this, however, in 1799, after a failed invasion of Palestine.
The parallels between Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and the US war in Iraq are many, though by no means perfect. This gives the book a lot of contemporary interest beyond the history.
Strathern notes that, "between 1o,000 and 15,000 Frenchmen were probably killed or died of disease during the occupation of Egypt, as well as many times that number of Muslim warriors and Mamelukes -- all in the vain attempt to impose European civilization upon a backward people whose religion encouraged them to regard all change and all foreigners with the deepest suspicion." Regardless of how accurate that assessment is, the book still documents a very good historic example of the limits of military power.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Book Review - Meltdown
Meltdown: The Inside Story of the North Korean Nuclear Crisis, by Mike Chinoy
I started this book last Thursday and finished it this morning. It is a fascinating look at US policy toward North Korea during the Bush administration (up through early 2008). There is also some good background on US-North Korean diplomatic relations. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the documentation of the internal warfare in the US foreign policy bureacracy over what the correct US policy ought to be. The book is meticulously researched and would be a good read for anyone interested in North Korea, or in the mechanics of US foreign policy.
Chinoy is obviously a supporter of negotiations with North Korea, but he makes a good case. For the most part the book is historical documentation of what actually happened with little or no editorializing. The fact of the matter is that, despite a hard-line attitude toward North Korea, the Bush administration eventually ended up with pretty much the same deal that the Clinton administration had, but North Korea acquired several addition nuclear bombs in the meantime.
North Korea is run by a reprehensible ruling elite with an awful human rights record, but Chinoy makes a very good case for the US talking with them anyway.
I started this book last Thursday and finished it this morning. It is a fascinating look at US policy toward North Korea during the Bush administration (up through early 2008). There is also some good background on US-North Korean diplomatic relations. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the documentation of the internal warfare in the US foreign policy bureacracy over what the correct US policy ought to be. The book is meticulously researched and would be a good read for anyone interested in North Korea, or in the mechanics of US foreign policy.
Chinoy is obviously a supporter of negotiations with North Korea, but he makes a good case. For the most part the book is historical documentation of what actually happened with little or no editorializing. The fact of the matter is that, despite a hard-line attitude toward North Korea, the Bush administration eventually ended up with pretty much the same deal that the Clinton administration had, but North Korea acquired several addition nuclear bombs in the meantime.
North Korea is run by a reprehensible ruling elite with an awful human rights record, but Chinoy makes a very good case for the US talking with them anyway.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Book Reviews
I like to read; mostly for entertainment. But there are those rare occasions when I do read something educational. Recently my "serious" reading has been mostly history. Here are some of these books I've liked:
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford.
This book is a history of the Mongol conquests of Asia & Europe during the 1200's. It is an excellent look at many of the modern issues in international relations, but from the historic perspective of the Mongol Empire. The Mongols ruled over a very diverse set of cultures and peoples. Their rule was characterized by many institutions and practices we associate with the modern world. They were strong proponents of free trade, for example. The book is well-written and is a fun read.
Basilica, The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter’s, by R. A. Scotti
An enthralling account of the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during the renaissance. The challenges of Bramante’s initial vision of putting the dome of the pantheon on top of the Basilica of Maxentius nearly bankrupt the church in Rome. This lead to increased sale of indulgences and ultimately to the Protestant reformation. The book is a fascinating recounting of the politics of renaissance Europe and the powerful personalities of the popes and architects who worked on the basilica. It is also an interesting description of the technical challenges and how they were overcome.
New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann
Almost everything you learned in school about the Americas before Columbus is wrong. For example, the Americas were not sparsely populated. Indeed, there were probably more people living here than in Europe. Civilization (i.e. city dwelling) was well established in the Americas before the pyramids were built. Native Americans in the Amazon “farmed” the rain forest for centuries and sustained huge populations while doing so. The huge herds of buffalo roaming the plains that white explorers encountered as they travelled west were probably not the “natural” state of the land. European diseases preceded the Europeans themselves and wiped out huge portions of the human population. This left the buffalo woth no check on their population and the herds increased dramatically in size. This book is very well written and quite thought provoking.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner
A very interesting rundown of the history of the CIA and some of its more colorful personalities. Wiener shows in example after example how the agency bumbled and bungled almost every facet of intelligence from its formation to its call of WMD in Iraq. Almost from the begining the CIA violated its charter to be a supplier of information and placed a much stronger emphasis on covert operations, most of which failed. Presidents tended to become quickly disillusioned with the advice and analysis they got from the CIA, particularly if it was in conflict with their preconceived view of the world. This often led the agency to tailor the information it sent to the president to conform to his views in order to avoid having the CIA marginalized. Weiner is often critical of presidents for ignoring the intelligence the CIA provided them, but this seems a bit unfair given the large number of intelligence failures he documents. An interesting, but somewhat depressing read.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford.
This book is a history of the Mongol conquests of Asia & Europe during the 1200's. It is an excellent look at many of the modern issues in international relations, but from the historic perspective of the Mongol Empire. The Mongols ruled over a very diverse set of cultures and peoples. Their rule was characterized by many institutions and practices we associate with the modern world. They were strong proponents of free trade, for example. The book is well-written and is a fun read.
Basilica, The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter’s, by R. A. Scotti
An enthralling account of the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome during the renaissance. The challenges of Bramante’s initial vision of putting the dome of the pantheon on top of the Basilica of Maxentius nearly bankrupt the church in Rome. This lead to increased sale of indulgences and ultimately to the Protestant reformation. The book is a fascinating recounting of the politics of renaissance Europe and the powerful personalities of the popes and architects who worked on the basilica. It is also an interesting description of the technical challenges and how they were overcome.
New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann
Almost everything you learned in school about the Americas before Columbus is wrong. For example, the Americas were not sparsely populated. Indeed, there were probably more people living here than in Europe. Civilization (i.e. city dwelling) was well established in the Americas before the pyramids were built. Native Americans in the Amazon “farmed” the rain forest for centuries and sustained huge populations while doing so. The huge herds of buffalo roaming the plains that white explorers encountered as they travelled west were probably not the “natural” state of the land. European diseases preceded the Europeans themselves and wiped out huge portions of the human population. This left the buffalo woth no check on their population and the herds increased dramatically in size. This book is very well written and quite thought provoking.
Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner
A very interesting rundown of the history of the CIA and some of its more colorful personalities. Wiener shows in example after example how the agency bumbled and bungled almost every facet of intelligence from its formation to its call of WMD in Iraq. Almost from the begining the CIA violated its charter to be a supplier of information and placed a much stronger emphasis on covert operations, most of which failed. Presidents tended to become quickly disillusioned with the advice and analysis they got from the CIA, particularly if it was in conflict with their preconceived view of the world. This often led the agency to tailor the information it sent to the president to conform to his views in order to avoid having the CIA marginalized. Weiner is often critical of presidents for ignoring the intelligence the CIA provided them, but this seems a bit unfair given the large number of intelligence failures he documents. An interesting, but somewhat depressing read.
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