Splendid Tale of Incompetence
589340
One of the great screw-ups by "Bull" Halsey that was ignored revealed in all of its glory -- or shame, as the case may be. A must-read for any student of the Pacific War and/or the Navy.
2936055
Longitude is a delightful history, wonderfully told.  Despite its brevity, at fewer than 200 pages, I learned a lot from this book about the difficulties of determining longitude and the many attempts, both astronomically and horologically, including attempts by Isaac Newton and Galileo.  Dava Sobel is a master of narrative.  I have begun reading another of her books, Galileos Daughter, which I have not yet finished but which so far promises to be an equally good read, a nonfiction work about the life of Galileo.
4103114
The Forgotten Man is a detailed account of the government's fiscal and domestic policies from about 1925 up to World War II.  Wow!  The Federal Government was really incompetent.  FDR was simply making up the price of gold weekly from his bedroom based on his lucky numbers.  Hoover had some catastrophic tariff and tax laws.  After reading this, you'll realize that the Great Depression was great because of the government's incomprehensible economic policies.  What was fascinating is how FDR transformed from an honest (by political standards) yet incompetent meddler to the most successful political machine the country has ever seen.  The book is very readable and enjoyable.  It is similar in its theme to FDR's Folly but reads more like a sweeping historical novel than a history book or text book.
2065527
Wonderfully done. And, surprisingly well written.
4064002
Many aspects of this production are noteworthy. I gave it 4 stars because the editing seemed to get in the way of the storytelling, which is unfortunate. With the exception of the abrupt editing, the effect of which diminishes as the story progresses, I highly recommend it. It really shows the grittiness and inequality of 19th Century England. Dickens' more  exaggerated characters are portrayed  realistically and become recognizable as people rather than human cartoons, as is often the case .  The story centers around a seemingly endless lawsuit to resolve an estate and a quest for the truth about the parentage of a young woman. It is a wonderfully complicated story, with all of the twists of fate and coincidence that are the hallmark of Dickens. This is a notable, if imperfect production, worth the time of anyone who enjoys Dickens.
3171557
This is a delightful retelling of the well known story of the American Revolution. Their were fascination characters on both sides of the war and within the disputing parties of the Americans. The stories of the founding fathers and their antagonists are presented with the enthusiasm of an author who loves history. Philbrick provides details and facts I was unaware of (or I've forgotten) in ways that hold the reader's attention. He spins out the historical account and the character portraits with the talent of a great story-teller. (I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Scott Brick, was also excellent.)

The two characters Philbrick spends the most words are George Washington and Benedict Arnold, as you'd expect from the title. Arnold is not simply a treacherous rascal. He is that, but he's also a courageous and charismatic battlefield commander and brilliant tactician. Philbrick reveals Arnold to be a multi-faceted person, who had both hedonistic and spartan qualities. He valued his honor, yet he lied and connived. He gave everything to the cause of his country's fight for freedom, his wealth and health, and then schemed to be a war profiteer. Arnold came off reminding me in many ways of Donald Trump; narcissistic, possibly a sociopath, very talented, bold, self-confident to a fault, and extremely sensitive to any slight. Philbrick delves into Arnold's psyche to try to understand why he betrayed the cause of his country, and there is a complex of reasons. Most influential were 1. His belief that he had been screwed by the Continental Congress in its failure to duly compensate him for his losses and his services; 2. His honor was impugned by his rival general, Horatio Gates, who harassed Arnold and had him indicted for misuse of public funds; 3. His wife, Peggy Shippen, whose loyalties remained with the Crown. Peggy might have been the only person Arnold actually cared for as another human being, as opposed to a means to an end.

Washington is also a complex character and who was not the superb strategist and brilliant military mind we Americans like to credit. He actually kind of sucked as an army commander for at least the first two years of the Revolution. But Washington learned from his mistakes, and eventually grew into the job. He did have a stoical personality, which was absolutely necessary for him to survive and succeed in a cause in which the deck was stacked against him in many different ways. Washington lost his cool, made stupid mistakes, became depressed, but he persevered through the many early losses, blunders, and misfortunes. The command of his own person blossomed into the commanding general that inspired his soldiers to endure terrible conditions and eventually to out-fight the greatest military power the world had known in the British army and navy. As Arnold shares many qualities with Trump, Philbrick's Washington reminds me of Barack Obama. He's grown into the office of president, has learned from his mistakes, and has been served well by his stoical personality. In both cases Congress has been more an impediment than an aid in achieving worthy goals.

The politicians mostly come off as short-sighted, self-interested schemers, who were a constant thorn in the side of Washington. And, had they accorded Arnold with the honors and compensation due him, Arnold probably would not have become a traitor. Philbrick makes the point though, that Arnold's treachery gave Americans something they needed to unite more of them in the revolution - a villain to hate. Washington gave them a leader to love.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Hero-s-Journey-John-Ritter-the-Chip-Hilton-Goshen-Indiana-A-Memoir/dp/1530530180/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Hero's Journey: John Ritter; the Chip Hilton Goshen, Indiana; A Memoir</a>
4436637
Anyone that has worked in a government organization in an administrative capacity will quickly recognize the pathetic incompetence on the part of so many that are in positions of considerable responsibility. It's  particularly disturbing to read how it goes on even at our highest offices both political and military. Balancing things out is the flip side of the coin, the occasional official, both military and civilian, that is willing to stand and lean into the head winds, doing what needs to be done, pulling out the stops in an effort to better serve so many deserving citizens, from our wounded warriors to citizens in the street. I've sensed all along that America's security is often jeopardized by self serving politicians and military leaders, along with others whose incompetence and/or lack of initiative repeatedly leaves us so vulnerable. Duty illustrates such instances repeatedly. Secretary Gates is very impressive, particularly so because he demonstrates how he is a well grounded pragmatist, in spite of his lengthy history as a university president, an arena where political rhetoric usually defines reality.
995551
Still, there are some small flaws at the level of the narrative composition. Namely: some important events are left aside, when this should not have been the case. Also, some parts (among which the ending, imho) are a bit abrupt. But, nonetheless, this book is a wonderful read and I would highly recommend it.
1706782
This series, fleshing out a possible scenario of the future of the U.S., has great value as a cautionary tale and as a springboard for ideas of how we can move forward. As a literary work, it is a very well-told tale - with some bothersome grammatical errors and ventures into the preposterous. At first, I was badly distracted by, for example, constant misuse of apostrophes in plural nouns, or in the possessive"its" . Soon, though, I realized that the editorial mistakes perfectly counterbalanced the self-aggrandizement of the protagonist. Maybe the author put them there on purpose, so we wouldn't hate him for being too perfect, too prescient, and even, as a commanding officer, too humble.
4541216
Fountainhead is a very good story and should be enjoyed as such. Most people, including myself, have issues with the extreme individualistic views of Ms Rand. These views are sold heavily in this book too, but not to the same detriment of the tale and as irrationally as in Atlas Shrugged. Rather, in the context of the story - which is not completely unrealistic - the views do appear justified.

The story is beautifully written and moves along nicely. Most characters are intelligent and some of the dialogues and interactions between them are superbly drafted. While the book is long, it does not seem to be on account of tales stretched mercilessly. The author has many incident to narrate, many ground to cover and many years to recount.

The book's strongest feature is the psychological makeup of Dominique and her relationship with Roark. The strangeness of her behaviour by the conventional yardstick is jarring first but climaxes in to an enthralling swan song. The author intelligently makes up and develops Ellsworth, Gail and Peter as well.

The court cases are sizzling even though over-dramatic. The author's inability to develop tensions between the positive characters (much worse in Atlas Shrugged where all good guys were always in perfect sync) surfaces again towards the end. She simply cannot insert a wedge between Roark/Dominique and Gail which could have helped the book a lot more.

In the end, the book may be based on a deeply-flawed economic/life philosophy but it is a masterpiece in the way its characters interact and the way it is written. Certainly one for the ages.
845233
This is a terrific yet heartbreaking story, one that should be read by any work-obsessed and preoccupied parent.  You see a tale of public success (football coach) blended with private failure (distracted father).  What price public success?  It is at once a funny yet pathetic portrayal of a man who sacrificed everything on the altar of football glory.  I wonder if, in those final lucid moments before the veil descended, George Allen wondered if he should have spent yet more time on football or more time with family?  No one has ever been quoted on their deathbed as saying, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."  Even if you never played football or watched it, this is a cautionary tale of one man's career obsession and the poignant struggle of a daughter trying to win Daddy's love in an ultra-macho culture
4088345
There is a lot of great in this book... Characters, world, story... And those great components kept me from tossing the book aside in frustration. I expect a few errors to sneak past editors, but there are SO MANY mistakes that should have been caught. Like scones being breakfast foods, not candleholders. But, obviously with a four-star rating, I still enjoyed the story and am enough of a glutton for editorial punishment that I have book two queued up for my next read.
4947085
Rick Atkinson illuminates the American operations in North Africa with unsparing detail.  I must admit, even as a lifelong student of military history, I was largely ignorant of the minutiae of this phase of the battle against Germany and Italy.  Atkinson does dwell on the ineptitude of Allied commanders to the point where one can be left with the impression that the military leaders of World War II were mediocre, at best, and especially incompetent when viewed in the grand sweep of military history.  But the history of warfare is replete with lucky fools and brilliant losers. The passage of time, sentimentality, and the outcome of the battle or war are what ultimately bias our view of past commanders.  Atkinson's narrative peels back the rosy veneer and serves as a reminder that the storied Allied armies had to learn their combat skills the hard way.  There's no doubt that the battles in North Africa were a forge in which the U.S. and British forces were transformed into more efficient machines of war.  Just as with many other opening campaigns of previous wars, the generals were, in many cases, prepared to fight the "last war."  New weapons were underestimated, overestimated, or used totally incorrectly.  Tactics had to evolve. This book takes the reader through that process in vivid detail.
4732214
I found this a very easy read which I finished in one day. The book very carefully documents the general incompetence of the President and his Cabinet. While this is fairly obvious due to the condition of the economy and the nation, it is enlightening to see the failings in print to this extent.

What was very revealing to me is the lack of integrity of the President and his wife that the book exposes. She has influence greatly exceeding what she should have, and her financial excesses should enrage any taxpayer. While I think the general perception is that much of what politicians do is questionable from an ethics viewpoint, the book illustrates that this pair have reached a new plateau. It is also revealing that the book remains a best seller without any obvious challenge, which would certainly occur if there was a basis for doing it.

This book should be required reading for everyone who will vote in November. I fear the country cannot survive another four years unless the President and his Cabinet are replaced.
731378
Possibly the best-known and certainly one of the best-done unreliable narrator novels.  Deeply observed and perfectly written, we see a situation through the eyes of a man who thinks he understands it.  Over the course of the novel it becomes clear to us that the relationships and the couple are not at all what the narrator still thinks they are.  I don't want to say anything more specific, because the slow discovery should be yours as a reader.

Sure there are later examples of the unreliable narrator, but in nearly all of them the narrator is deliberately misleading the reader.  Not here.  But the story is no mere curiosity or structural tour de force.  It is a fully realized plot-and-character-driven novel.
470350
My Irish grandmother was a master storyteller. Her trick was to tell a straightforward story,  but to interrupt the narrative from time to time with a sort of eliptical essay creating the scene. The result was to turn an often mundane story into tale so rich that you could hear the horses clopping down the cobblestoned streets of turn of the century Brooklyn.

Mr. Dolnick pulls off a similar feat in his story of Hans van Meegeren, the Dutch art forger who sold a fake Vermeer to Hermann Goering. As Dolnick carries the story along, we learn a lot about Vermeer, forgery, van Meegeren, the occupation and the Nazi kleptocracy. The author writes well, has a solid grasp of the science involved and is scrupulous in noting where the facts end and the speculation begins. The experts who were fooled makes for a great moral lesson in the arrogance of experts. The centerpiece of the book is a step by step explanation of the forgery and sale of what became Vermeer's "signature" painting, as the Mona Lisa is to Leonardo da Vinci.

This is as much a work of psychology as it is of art, since a good forger must have a keen sense of how to manipulate the people who can make or break the scam. Van Meegerin wasn't a particularly good painter, but he and his henchmen knew how to run a grift.

The only disappointment is in van Meegeren himself. I had always thought that he was a great Dutch patriot who fooled the Nazis dozens of times. He wasn't. He was a common crook, a second rate artist who just happened to snare a Nazi while cheating the Dutch art world countless times. His goal was not to cheat the nazis, but to fool the Dutch art world. There was even one forgery for which donors raised funds so that the Germans didn't buy it.

It's sad that at the heart of a terrific story is the disillusioning reality that comes from realizing that bad guys tend to be bad guys.
4337429
The author may not be the best writer of his day, but what a wonderful tale! George Loher was a gnarly guy, reminiscent to some of John Muir. He describes an adventure that would be difficult for a casual athlete to accomplish today on paved roads with good equipment, yet he does it more or less as a lark with primitive equipment, little preparation, and extremely poor conditions. I enjoyed it both as an adventure tale and as an exposition of another time. I'm passing it around among cycling buddies, and might also recommend it to people who like reading about history.