Category: Biographies
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The World of Yesterday
Stefan Zweig‘s The World of Yesterday recounts the personal experiences of the author amidst turbulent world events. A notable writer who emerged in the 1920s and 30s, Zweig insightfully categorizes his life into epochs that brought about significant change in Europe. Beginning with his musings on life as an upper-class Read more
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Bolivar: American Liberator
Marie Arana‘s Bolivar: American Liberator provides a thorough examination of the life of Simon Bolivar. While popular culture often mythologizes “The Liberator” as being a great and faultless leader, the author closely examines his immaculate successes and political shortcomings. Beginning with an overview of Bolivar’s upbringing amid the tense political Read more
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Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945
Barbara Tuchman‘s Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945, details the life of General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell. The majority of the narrative focuses on his tedious assignment of managing Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in an effort to advance the Allied cause in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater during WWII. Tuchman Read more
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The Immortal Irishman
Timothy Egan’s The Immortal Irishman recounts the life of Irish nationalist and Union Army brigadier general Thomas Francis Meagher. Although he could’ve embarked on a comfortable life within a well-off family in Waterford, Ireland, Meagher chose to actively protest the Acts of Union between Great Britain and Ireland. His actions Read more
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The Great Betrayal: The Great Siege of Constantinople
Originally published in 1967, Ernle Bradford’s The Great Betrayal: The Great Siege of Constantinople describes the key actions and results of Fourth Crusade. Led by a predominantly French-led Crusading army alongside a Venetian fleet, this military force combined to topple Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire in 1204. While this Crusade Read more
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The Last Imperialist
Bruce Gilley‘s The Last Imperialist supports many of British diplomat Sir Alan Burns’ arguments that decolonization was mismanaged and sped up irrationally by political forces after WWII. To justify these claims, Gilley explores the life and colonial activities of Alan Burns including posts in the Caribbean, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Read more
Evan Schwed
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Where the Sea Breaks Its Back
Corey Ford’s historical narrative covers the discovery of modern day Alaska. The author utilizes the journal of naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller to recount the perilous Great Northern Expedition. Throughout the book, Ford explicitly focuses on how Steller’s personality flaws and intellectual strengths allowed him to access and document incredible findings. Where Read more
Evan Schwed