The Happy Return (CS Forester)

Horatio Hornblower, a fictional British naval hero created by C.S. Forester, was featured in 16 stories written between 1937-1967 (they are set between 1794-1848).  The Happy Return (published as Beat to Quarters in the USA) was the first written (though not the first chronologically).  This review contains spoilers.

Set in 1808, here Hornblower captains the frigate Lydia off the west coast of Central America.  His original mission, to harry Spanish dominance in the area by supporting a local warlord set against the Spanish rule, takes an amusing turn when he finds that the warlord has deified himself and now goes by El Supremo.  Horatio reluctantly continues the alliance, turning a captured Spanish warship over to the warlord so El Supremo can continue his personal quest for dominance in the area.  Immediately thereafter, Hornblower receives word that Spain and England have formed an alliance to combat Napoleon in France, and thus he has new orders to track down and destroy the very ship he just turned over.  He does so, at great loss to his own ship.  As an aside, before the great battle, he's compelled to take a woman on board (Lady Barbara, of the powerful Wellesley family) to return her to England, and romantic urgings between the two develop on the journey home- urgings that go unfulfilled, for Hornblower has a wife at home.  The book ends as the two part ways, wondering what the future will hold.

I like this book, and especially the hero.  Hornblower is an introspective and self-critical captain, questioning himself at every turn.  Immensely concerned with how his crew views him, he does many things to look like a good captain and be an example, whether or not he feels it.  He deals with doubt and insecurity while successfully maintaining a seemingly calm, collected demeanor (with the occasional cross attitude or harsh word befitting a ship captain). He makes decisions based on the overall greater good- even if that means swallowing his pride (or his country's) in the face of madmen like El Supremo.  Hornblower's a good leader- but he doesn't think himself to be so.  You see, in turn, his flaws and his victories, as does he.  This sort of hero is unusual in literature, and I found it appealing.  You also see him struggle with his feelings for Lady Barbara, and the fact that he doesn't give in is unusual (and heartening).  All of this is very positive.

There's not much to say against the book, though it is a bit hard to follow at times, with all the references to ship components and routine, which were unfamiliar to me.  It's not "epic," as it tells the tale quickly (in 240 pages), and skips entirely what modern writers spend dozens of pages detailing.  You do learn a lot about nuances of ship life, from the food rationing to battle, to the means of repairing a damaged ship at sea.  I didn't like it enough to read the entire series, but anyone interested in high seas adventure of the 1800s would enjoy this (and each) Hornblower tale.

Rating: A-

The October Resolutions

Largely Irrelevant Background
In college, I was fanatically devoted to fitness.  Six days a week, several times a day, I'd be doing something.  Specifically:

Running: 3 miles (Monday and Wednesday), 1 mile (Thursday), 1 hour-long run (Saturday)
Lifting weights: 3 times per week (Tuesday/Thursday/Friday)
Stretching: after runs, and every evening (except Sunday) for 20 minutes
Dumbbells: every evening (except Sunday)- biceps, triceps, shoulders
Push-ups: 4 sets every day (except Sunday), spread throughout the day
Those things you squeeze to build your forearms: every day (except Sunday)

Needless to say, I was one buff dude.  I routinely received looks of adoration and envy.  It wasn't uncommon to be blown kisses or receive spontaneous marriage proposals*.  Those familiar with my current countenance may be asking, "what happened?"  Time, laziness, children, you name it.  My body rebelled against me after a particularly difficult semester, where I had to slow down the workout pace in favor of academic responsibility.  In that short time frame, my body quickly grew accustomed to sloth, and went into outright rebellion when I attempted to re-institute my former routine.  But, back to the golden years.

In the midst of my near-fanatical devotion to physical perfection, I noticed something.  Around January, the gym got a lot busier. Hordes of well-rested, seemingly determined undergrads descended on the gym, my gym, and affected the efficiency of my workout.  I couldn't jump from machine to machine, or from bench to bench, without running into some noticeable neophyte pacing aimlessly, or worse, sitting on a machine and talking to someone**.  Who was this heathen horde?  Who dare disrupt me and other loyal fitness aficionados?  "Resolutioners", that's who.  People who, on holiday break, looked at their morbidly obese, hideously deplorable selves and said "something has to change."  Then, these same people proceeded to gorge themselves in a deliberate attempt to increase their aforementioned deficiencies, because apparently logic dictates it to be so.  "I need to climb a mountain," they say, "so throw me a shovel."  But I digress.

My point is this: there were more people in the gym because of a resolution.  A New Year's Resolution, which many make.  About 60% of Americans do at one point or another, according to this website, of which, in keeping with responsible journalism, I have made no attempt to verify the validity.  It claims, reasonably, that most resolutions focus on self-improvement, money, weight, and relationships.  These categories imply that we waste time and ability, spend too much, eat too much, and treat each other like garbage.*** 

Though the new-found gym throng bothered me, I didn't worry- it never lasted.  One week into the semester, there was a noticeable decline; two-three weeks in, it was back to the normal crowd.  What a relief- it was one of the many times in my life I found myself secretly cheering for my fellow humans to be irresponsible****.  In keeping with my observation, the website above claims that only 8% of people actually achieve their resolution.

What does this reveal about humanity?  Three things, really:
1) we know we need to make changes
2) we choose January as a time to make those changes 
3) most of us revert to our original, knowingly flawed selves after a short time

Why January?  "It's a new year, of course," some of you are saying.  I get that, but why do we wait until a new year?  Isn't that arbitrary?  Yes.  That's why, this year, I'm choosing another arbitrary date, and starting my resolutions in October^.  I get a three month head start on you average people- wallow in your inferiority.

The October Resolutions
1) Eat no store-bought sweets.
The only dessert I can consume is home made, or freshly made, at a home or restaurant.  I'm tired of being mistaken for Jabba the Hutt while out in public.
2) Drink only water.
Exception- I will drink scotch with a certain crowd, if they offer, but only as part of an extremely scientific taste test.  I may also accept an occasional cider if it's forced on me- but not in my house. 
3) Do push-ups every day (except Sunday).
Giving no predetermined number makes this more attainable.
4) Never play video games in the house.
Video games are great, but they waste time.  Instead, I'll spend more time in valuable pursuits, like taking a more active role in discouraging my children from defecating in the living room. I can still play video games on trips, where it provides a welcome alternative to interacting with people.
5) No spending my own money on entertainment.
Note that I can spend other people's money.  The obvious example is gift certificates or, preferably, untraceable cash gifts.  I admit this one will be tough; it will be easier if you, the reader, kindly donate some money to my cause.  Judging by readership statistics^^, if you each donate $500, I should make it through my resolution year (October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013).
6) Don't eat animals that you could reasonably expect to see on safari.
This includes (but is not limited to) monkeys, elephants, hippos, rhinoceroses, and the dreaded Land-Octopus of Zanzibar.
7) Try to determine who's been stalking me at work.
Leaving notes, upturning desktop items, there's no end to the harassment I receive.  I suspect it's because I'm a ginger.  I need to buy a deerstalker hat and pipe for this one, but I'm confident that, once appropriately attired, I can figure it out.
8) Actively protest immutable scientific laws by sending strongly-worded letters to congressmen of districts in which I do not live.
"Dear Senator, I write to you today in utter anguish.  I don't know why you, or anyone, would willingly choose to represent, and hence reside in, Oklahoma, but I do know that I can no longer stand the gravitational forces affecting my property in Pennsylvania.  9.8m/s/s is ridiculous is these difficult times of heightened fiscal restraint.  I demand an immediate reduction to no greater than 6.7m/s/s.  You will not get my vote otherwise.  Sincerely, the Right Honorable Horatio Helvetica III (Mrs.)"
9)  Combat evil by banning Dallas Cowboys paraphernalia.
This is something we all agree needs to happen.  The Cowboys are the scourge of society.  "Freedom and Philadelphia" is my cry.  Who's with me?
10) Stretch every day (except Sunday).
I forgot to mention this in the half-serious section.

A Final Note
There are two ways to live life: by the letter of a law, or the spirit.  My resolutions will be carried out to the latter, meaning, for example, that if I'm held hostage and the only sustenance offered is Land-Octopus, I'll make an exception.

Will I do it?  Who knows- my guess is no, though item 6 looks promising.  In 2000, I made (and kept) a resolution to eat no chocolate, soda, or ice cream for a year.  Ever since, whenever I consume a carbonated beverage, I immediately get the hiccups (seriously), but it was worth it, I swear.  Enough; I'm off to gorge myself on chocolate candy and zebra meat, while I still can.


*it still isn't
**sorry, ladies, but these people were, without exception, female.  If you want to talk, go to Starbucks.  The gym is for grunting only.
***and some believe we're inherently good
****if you think me evil, you're right, but I bet you do it, too, which, in our warped human logic, seems to make the abhorrent acceptable.
^it took a long time to get to my point, didn't it?
^^4, though 3 are probably my mom or a spam robot

Hay-on-Wye (& Arthur's Stone)

Hay-on-Wye- "the town of books."  The description says it all.  Just over the border in Wales, Hay-on-Wye is a wonderful little town with 23 second-hand and antiquarian book shops (not to mention 2 bookbinders).
The town is small- population under 1500- and the bookshops are all within close proximity.  As you'd expect, you can find anything and everything related to books.  You have specialty shops, general shops, strange shops, you name it.  It's amazingly awesome for bibliophiles.  If you're not a book lover, your time would be better spent elsewhere, though it is still a charming town.

Walk in any of the bookshops and you can pick up a town map that shows where each shop is located (along with a brief description of the specialty of each).  On Sunday (when we went), some of the shops are closed, but it's still a worthwhile experience.  I was able to visit 6-7 of the stores (and had to be dragged out of each one); my favorites are:
 - Hay-on-Wye Booksellers (#13 on the map)
- The Addyman Annexe (#15)
- Hay Cinema Bookshop (#21); the largest shop I've ever seen, stocking over 200,000 secondhand books

Outside of Thrift stores, I had never been to secondhand bookshops in the States, and it is a great experience.  It's not just about finding a given title- it's about finding a certain edition of a given title.  To maximize your enjoyment of the day, I recommend writing down a few titles you'd like to buy, then go through the shops looking at the different editions of those titles available in each one.  Prices are generally low, if you don't want the first-edition signed copies, but can vary widely- so check several stores first.

Entering the town

Books!

Hay Castle

The town clocktower

Looked promising, but it was closed :-(

The cinema bookshop- largest I'd ever seen

Note the stone set between the two middle windows- "stone house."  Very helpful- I had mistook it for a bridge.

While you're in the area, check out Arthur's Stone- just 10 miles east of Hay-on-Wye, in England.  It's a neolithic burial chamber.  It's pretty cool, for a pile of rocks.  Like many ancient remains in the area, legend has tied it to Arthur, though Arthur is believed to exist around 500 AD, some 3500 years after the chamber was built, so I'll leave it to the reader to judge the potential accuracy of the claim.

Arthur's Stone

Rating: A

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)

The plot of The Picture of Dorian Gray is well known to most- the title character is young and beautiful, and realizes (through conversations with Lord Henry) that said beauty is temporary.  Basil, Dorian's friend, paints a wonderful portrait of him, and Dorian wishes that the painting would age in his stead.  His wish comes true, and as time passes, his beauty remains unblemished; the man in the portrait, however, shows signs of both age and sin.  Eventually, Dorian regrets his situation, and decides to destroy the painting.  When he attempts to do so, instead it is he who perishes, and the painting reverts back to its original form.

Critically, the book is viewed as fantastic and well-loved; I agree, though I had a few problems with it.  The overall theme deals with the place of beauty in life, and its fleeting nature.  Dorian idolizes beauty and feels the bad effects of so doing.  He (unintentionally, perhaps) isolates himself and causes pain in others.  Nothing wrong with that point- it's a good study on the effects of being self-centered in our lives.  My problem is with the myriad of other (minor) themes, most of which are introduced by Lord Henry.  He speaks with great wit and says outrageous things, with the reader (and other characters in the story) uncertain whether or not he's serious.  I found Henry's epigram-a-minute commentary amusing, entertaining, thought-provoking, but occasionally annoying.  It's like anything in life, no matter how good- if you're bombarded with it, you tire of it after a while.  That's my main fault with the novel- stopping to contemplate each witticism would draw the experience out and break the flow of the story, so for the sake of "getting through it" I felt as though I had to glide through without fully exploring each point.  I'm sure there are layers of goodness there that I'm too lazy to unpack and enjoy. 

That said, Wilde clearly has a great wit, and it's an enjoyable, recommended story.

Rating: A-

On Collectible Games

image from here

A new Star Wars collectible game releases today- the X-wing Miniatures Game from Fantasy Flight Games.  Collectible games are a great genre, and deserve a bit of explanation for the uninitiated.  So allow me to share with you the background on these wonderful games.

In 1993, Wizards of the Coast published the first collectible card game in Magic: The Gathering.  It took off soon thereafter, and its success launched a wave of games in the same vein- the collectible gaming genre was born.

What's a collectible card game?  It's a game where you and your opponent each build a deck of cards, and use your respective decks to battle each other until a victory condition is met.  The rules of the game will tell you about the types of cards, how the cards interact, the turn order, etc.  A generic turn order generally goes like this: you draw a card, play cards on the table, and use those cards as their abilities state to further yourself to victory.  Then, your opponent follows the same process.  You continue alternating turns until one side wins.  There are overall game rules, but each card, once played, specifies certain rules or abilities that will hold true only while the card is in play.  For this reason, the cards you choose as you construct your deck are the key to victory.

How do you construct a good deck?  Your deck (which is kept secret from your opponent until you play) can have any cards you want, as long as your deck follows the specified construction guidelines.  Most games have cards that are resource cards, which must be played to give you the ability to 'pay' for your other cards- cards like characters, weapons, or effects.  Generally, more powerful cards cost more to play, so you have to find a balance between:
- resource and non-resource cards
- types of cards
- low and high cost cards
Achieving an effective balance can get quite scientific, but for overview purposes, I just introduce the concept.  To help visualize what I mean, let's make up a card game- I'll call it the World War II game.  In this game, you have to produce infantry, tanks, and aircraft to fight your opponent, who is doing the same.  As you build your deck, you need to put in some of each type of unit, plus resource cards like metal ore, food, and gunpowder to 'pay' for your units.  A tank, for example, might cost 3 metal ores, whereas an infantry unit might cost 1 food to play.  A tank costs more- but is more powerful, and harder to destroy.  A simple illustration, but hopefully it's helpful.

So what makes these games collectible?  It's how you obtain the cards.  Cards are available in 'booster' packs, which contain some number of cards, but you don't know which ones.  Think baseball card packs- it's the same concept.  They call this a "blind buy."  You could strike it rich, and get very powerful cards- or you could get garbage.  Either way, these games are set up to keep you buying, with sets (or "expansions") of cards released every few months, each of which can contain hundreds of new cards.  Collecting all the cards in a given set can get quite expensive, as the cards are distributed with a varying rarity- generally common, uncommon, and rare- and the rare cards in particular can be quite pricey to obtain.  If you insist on having complete sets, be prepared to spend a lot of money.  Magic, the longest running game, has 73 expansions to date (yes, you read that correctly), each of which contains several hundred cards.  Simple math tells you that's a lot.

a Magic tournament; image from here

What makes these games popular?  Variety and strategic depth.
1) With so many cards, no two games will ever be the same, giving near infinite variety.  Even if you use just one deck for years, the randomness of the draw will produce a fresh experience.
2) You have to build a good deck, and execute it well.  Fail at either, and you'll likely lose.  A military analogy is helpful: you have to construct a good army (with the right equipment), then deploy that army correctly and implement good tactics.  This game-within-a-game makes for great strategy on several levels- and its mathematical, cost/benefit relationships make for an experience that really appeals to some.  Building a deck is almost as fun as playing with it.

What are the downsides to such games?  Cost is the obvious detriment.  It also can be quite time-consuming, as it takes time to construct a good deck, and time to store and organize the cards. 

How many collectible games have been produced over the last 19 years?  Hundreds.  I don't know the exact number, but the list here gives you an idea.  Of these, I've played five regularly, and sampled five or so more (perhaps a review will come later on some of the better ones).  After card games found a niche market, they've since come out with Collectible Miniatures Games- quite similar to their Collectible Card Game neighbors, just with miniature figures rather than cards.  They're also good, fun games.

What does the future hold for the genre?  It will continue to go strong, most likely, as Magic has demonstrated, running for 19 years and counting.  There are two major future trends, though, that will slightly alter the landscape: online games and living games.
1) Several card games, including Magic, have been released in purely online form, so you can maintain a digital card collection and digital decks.  Shockingly (to me), you have to pay the same amount for the digital cards that you do for the paper versions, so playing online won't save you any money- just the (physical) storage space.
2) Like the idea of a collectible game, but don't have the budget to participate?  A new trend may be for you.  Fantasy Flight Games has tweaked the genre and produced several "Living Card Games" (see here).  These games are similar to Collectible Card Games, in that you build a deck of cards, and sets are released regularly to expand the card pool.  They differ in eliminating the 'blind buy' concept.  In a Living Card Game, you buy complete sets when they release, meaning you're guaranteed one of every card.  This cuts costs down significantly, while keeping the game fresh by continually introducing new cards.  The format has been quite successful, and promises to continue to be.

Are Collectible Games for you?  Only you can decide, of course, but I have the following recommendations if you're considering getting into this hobby:
1) be responsible.  These games are addictive- I've had several friends politely refuse to join game nights, not because they weren't interested, but because they were too interested.  Know your limits- count the cost- and be responsible.  I need to pay attention to that myself.
2) see if other players are in your area.  It doesn't matter how much you, personally, like a game, you can't play with just one person. 
3) try before you buy.  If you can find players, sit with them and use their cards.  It's a great way to try before committing yourself.

In the end, these are great games, and I'm happy the genre exists.  If you get a chance, I recommend you sample a game some time.

The Radical Disciple (John Stott)

Unfortunately, in today's world, the term 'radical' invariably brings to mind negative images.  Acts of terrorism and other forms of extremism are what immediately comes to mind.  Thus, one may look at the title of this book and subconsciously tense.  What is Stott advocating?  Thankfully, there's no calls for wanton destruction here, though reading this will make you uncomfortable, because it will take you out of your comfort zone.

The premise is straightforward: we are called to be followers (disciples) of Christ in every area of life.  Stott rightly laments that today's Christians too often pick and choose ways in which we follow- we commit when and where we please.  His call to radical discipleship is simply saying "follow God with your entire heart;" it is, after all, what we're called to do.  Jesus is Lord of everything- not just what we want to give Him.  Stott proceeds to examine, in detail, eight aspects of Christian life he feels are particularly neglected: nonconformity, Christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death.

This book is convicting, challenging, and humbling- more so than any book I've read in recent memory outside the Bible itself.  Stott's call for simplicity (living non-materialistic, generous lives) hit me especially hard, but other areas were equally convicting.  I am such a selfish person, and I need to die to that to truly represent Christ.  In that respect, the book is indispensable.  It loses some marks for (by Stott's own admission) being arbitrarily selective- he picks ones that mean the most to him, and ends by encouraging the reader to make their own list of aspects of calling.  As a result, the book felt a tad meandering or unstructured at times, and more like a collection of wise principles than a cohesive unit.  Still, I highly recommend it.  He passed away shortly after writing this, and he knew it would be his last book.  He'll be missed.

Rating: A-

York Book Fair

Once a year, for two days, York hosts the largest antiquarian book fair in Britain.  Having never been to such an event, I was filled with excitement and anticipation.  I wasn't let down; the following narrative recounts the adventure.  First, though, here are some pictures:

Preparing for a book fair
1) Don't bathe for at least a week beforehand.  At least, I believe this to be true; I doubt the BO I "enjoyed" from those around me was the result of exercise.

2) Don't trim your head or beard hair* for at least six months prior.  It lends an air of credibility- kempt patrons scream "suckers" to the veteran vendors, who will immediately charge double if your tresses have been noticeably combed.  The homeless look is always in.

3) Learn to feign intense interest in the most minute, trivial details of a book.  Not just the binding- the molecular makeup of it, for example.  Be prepared to drone on for hours to other seemingly interested bibliophiles.

At the book fair
1) Remember that vendors determine prices for their books by spinning a 'wheel-o'-ripoff.'  Thus, what costs 600 pounds in one stand may be used as toilet paper in the next.  Look around first!

2) Be prepared to haggle.  It's easier in England, where the average politeness and physical frailty of the bookselling populace makes for easy pickings.  I had my eye on a book- the vendor asked for 25 quid.  I glared; he immediately said 20.  I left and came back a short time later, and told him I'd give 15.  Dejectedly, he accepted, while commenting that he had paid 40 for the same volume a short time earlier.  Immediately realizing his comment could be construed as ingratitude, he promptly recanted, gave me 15 for taking it from him, and begged to wash my car.

3) If you get taken in by that "old book smell," remember that what you're detecting is "mildew," or a powerful "fungus" in many cases.  "When 400 years old you reach, smell so good, you will not."  If, upon reaching home with such a volume, you develop a headache, there may be a connection.  If unsure, consult your spouse, who will undoubtedly give you the straight scoop.

4) Remember that many books have been republished and have more current editions.  The Bible, for example, has been published several times since 1605.  You'll see people fawning over copies this old; while beautiful, in the end, you can get a nicer, odor-free version for much cheaper.  

5) Due to censorship and threat of death** prevalent in the days of yore, you'll find that a disproportionate number of books for sale are about butterflies and moths.  It appears to be the only safe topic for a good hundred years or so.

Other observations
- I was taken aback by some of the titles I saw.  I thoroughly enjoyed them; next year, I'll bring a pen and paper just to write them down.  The ones I remember:
Biggles and the Gun Runners
Gay Agony
Romances of the Fungus World***

- A line I overheard as I passed by a booth:
Vendor <completing a sale>: "I guarantee this is the cheapest you'll find this book in this show; it's also in the best condition."
Customer <looking immensely pleased>
I happened to glance at the book as I went by.  The title?  Plant disease.  I was consumed with jealousy.

- I enjoyed seeing the first editions of several classics, to include an autographed copy of Churchill's multi-volume set on World War II.  That tempted me, until I saw that it cost over 5,000 pounds.  Another shocking deal: a beautifully-bound Lord of the Rings Trilogy for 6,000 pounds.  As a final example, a vendor told me, excitedly, that someone at the fair had a first-edition, signed copy of Stoker's Dracula for 100,000 pounds.  "You could probably get it for 95,000," he told me, totally serious.  I realize my looks and demeanor imply wealth, but I spend that kind of money only on Star Wars action figures.

- Irony: an antiquarian book dealer, at a fair, reading his Kindle.  See below if you doubt my claim.

Conclusion
All kidding aside, I enjoyed the fair.  The books truly are works of art.  I succeeded in my goal of not succumbing to temptation; I came out of the fair, physically, with only T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which was on my reading list.  Emotionally, I came out feeling that I'm not nearly as strange as everyone thinks I am- go to a book fair and see what I mean.



*this holds for both men and women
**for publishing controversial works, like "Our Round Earth" or "Women as Equals"
***I'm dead serious.  I double-checked that one.

Crosscurrent (Paul S. Kemp)

Star Wars books are rarely classics, but they're my literary junk food.  Crosscurrent, by Paul S. Kemp, is a tale that encompasses several eras of the Star Wars galaxy.  The book begins by oscillating between the far past (5,000 years Before the Battle of Yavin, or BBY) and present (41 years After the Battle of Yavin, or ABY).

In the past, it's a time where Sith are many and the Jedi are at war with them.  A lone Jedi has boarded a Sith ship with powerful cargo- cargo capable of turning the war in the Sith's favor.  This Jedi, Relin, sabotages the hyperdrive of the ship, but isn't able to completely destroy it.

In the present, Jedi Jaden Korr (a character from a video game series) receives a powerful force vision of someone on a distant moon in distress.  His search for the moon leads him to Khedryn and Marr, two salvagers operating in the Unknown Regions.  They help him locate the moon, and as they approach it, the aforementioned Sith ship from the past catapults 5,000 years into the future due to a botched hyperspace jump- right on top of Jaden and crew.  Several battles ensue; eventually, the Sith ship is destroyed, and Jaden finds an abandoned research station on the moon.  He unwittingly sets free a group of insane Jedi clones (created by a Thrawn-era research project), setting up a second book.

The book was okay.  I enjoyed the way it mentioned events from the past and present of the Star Wars galaxy, incorporating characters from the books, comics, and video games of years past.  I will note, though, that the author doesn't really explain any of the characters mentioned in those time periods, so he assumes you have a good knowledge of the Star Wars universe, and have immersed yourself in it for years.  On the downside, the time-traveling Sith ship didn't tie in as neatly as it could, one main character turned out to be irrelevant, and Jaden's quest for enlightenment (a theme throughout) was poorly done.  The ending of the book was also rather poor, in my opinion, and while the potential for a great story was there, in the end, it just didn't execute that well.

Rating: C

Azincourt (Bernard Cornwell)

As previously posted, I've been working through my British reading list for over a year now.  Actually, I've been cheating a bit, and counting any British book I've read in the last 3-4 years, before I officially started my quest.  Since this blog is only six months old, it means there are lots of books I've read on my list that haven't been reviewed here.  I'm currently slogging through a few long (but good) historical works, and in this 'lull,' thought I'd post some reviews from books I've read in the recent past.

Azincourt is a work of historical fiction, covering the battle of the same name (it's also been called Agincourt).  Fought in 1415 (during the Hundred Years War), Azincourt was a major victory for the numerically inferior English over the French.  Led by Henry V, the English made extensive use of the longbow, and Cornwell covers not only the battle, but also this interesting technology in-depth.

The story is told from the perspective of Nicholas Hook, a fictional archer in Henry V's army.  It begins a few years before the battle, and follows Hook (and the English army) as they make their way across the channel into France, also covering the battle of Harfleur (which immediately preceded Azincourt).  The English captured the city, albeit after a month-long siege, and after many fall victim to a dysentery outbreak.  After the victory, they make to escape back to England, but are stopped by the French at Azincourt.  The French are the superior force, and have many knights, but the battleground (and conditions) favors the archers, and the English (shockingly) defeat the French soundly.  The longbow was an amazing weapon, taking about ten years (and a tremendous amount of strength) to master.  It's incredible to think that an arrow could pierce knight's armor, but with the standard pull-weight of the longbow being over 100 lbs, it's within the realm of possibility. 

This is a great book.  You learn a lot about the battle and the longbow- it was so inspiring that I wanted to take longbow lessons immediately after reading.  The pace and depth are good; the writing clear.  I highly recommend it.

Rating: A

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

To date, I've given only a high-level recommendation of the Holmes stories I have read.  This time, I felt a slightly more in-depth review was warranted, as it's not fair to gloss over so good an author.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is, like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a compilation of short stories.  Here, there are eleven.  Each is given an extremely brief overview below, with rating for each:

Silver Blaze: A champion horse goes missing, his trainer murdered, just days before a big race.  Can Holmes find the horse and solve the mystery in time? Rating: A

The Yellow Face: A devoted wife acting suddenly strange; a nearby cottage with new, mysterious inhabitants.  Can Holmes help a distraught husband make it all clear? Rating: A (S)

The Stockbroker's Clerk: As a recently unemployed clerk prepares to begin a new job, a better offer from a new company turns up out of the blue, but all is not as it seems.  Will Holmes unravel the mystery? Rating: B+

The Gloria Scott: Holmes' first case (while he was studying at college), it put him on the path to become a professional consulting detective.  His lone friend at university has a father with a long-buried secret- a father who dies of shock when receiving a strangely-worded letter.  Will Holmes decipher the real message in the correspondence? Rating: A- (S)

The Musgrave Ritual: A mystifying manuscript, missing butler, and scorned lover.  Can Holmes connect the dots? Rating: A (S)

The Reigate Squire: A lawsuit among neighbors; a series of odd burglaries in an otherwise peaceful countryside.  Is there a connection?  B+

The Crooked Man: A happily-wed couple has a sudden and violent argument, with the husband dying immediately thereafter.  Is there foul play involved?  Rating: A- (S)

The Resident Patient: A new doctor, struggling to establish a practice, has his dream come true when a stranger asks to become his business partner and fund his work.  But is there more to his partner than meets the eye?  Rating: B+ (S)

The Greek Interpreter: This story introduces Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, who has similar (if not more honed) deductive powers, but lacks Sherlock's energy or dedication.  A Greek interpreter calls on the brothers to find two prisoners for which the interpreter had recently been kidnapped to translate.  Rating: C

The Naval Treaty: A diplomat has a critical document stolen.  His livelihood depends on its recovery.  Can Holmes deliver?  Rating: A-

The Final Problem: Holmes determines that a Professor Moriarty has been behind many heinous crimes in London.  Close to springing a trap to arrest him, Holmes retires to Switzerland with Watson to await the end.  Moriarty follows, and it appears that both he and Holmes perish in Reichenbach Falls.  Rating: B+
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Overall impressions:

The stories are good- no question.  Not quite as intricate or complicated as I would have liked, but given the length (only about 10 pages each, in the version I was reading), there's not a lot you can do.  You'll see five of the eleven stories marked with an (S) above- in these, there is a recurrent theme of a long-concealed personal (or family) secret.  Each story was enjoyable, but I felt the repetitive theme was a tad tiring.  I also found similarities between stories here and in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes- for example, The Stockbroker's Clerk was rather like The Red-Headed League story.  As a final criticism, Moriarty is set up as Holmes' perfect opposite, a villain mastermind equal to Holmes in every way, and yet is never even mentioned until the very story where he and Holmes (supposedly) perish.  I felt his introduction could have come earlier in the saga.

Criticisms aside, you can't go wrong with Conan Doyle or Holmes.  Even on an off-day, they're fantastic.  I enjoy the non-linear storytelling present in these short stories- some take place before Watson's marriage, some after.  Each gives you a piece of the overall Holmes story you didn't previously know (in addition to the main point of a given short story), and it is enjoyable.  The world's greatest detective comes through again.

Rating: A-

Your Mind Matters (John Stott)

I love John Stott.  A preacher in London for many years, he produced many books, and was recognized by Time magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2005.  In Your Mind Matters, Stott lays down a challenge: use the brain God gave you.

"Knowledge is indispensable to Christian life and service," Stott writes.  He goes on to explain how every aspect of our lives- faith, worship, discipline, love, and more- is (or should be) rooted in knowledge.  He disparages things based solely on emotion, while acknowledging that emotion has a crucial role to play in our lives- it just needs to be in its proper place.  Similarly, he warns against hyper-intellectualism- focusing solely on intellect to the detriment of other aspects.  He quotes Scripture liberally throughout to back up his arguments, and in the end, his basic point is "don't disregard the brain and cognitive ability God gave you."  The Spirit is necessary, emotion is necessary, and the mind is, too.

The book is quite short- only 85 pages- and is based on a talk he gave.  It's an easy afternoon read*, and highly recommended.

Rating: A+

*Assuming you don't have two young kids screaming their heads off for hours on end, resting only to summon more energy to continue their respective tirades.  But I digress.