Tag: war

  • The Phantom by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

    The reason there are so many World War II books is that there is still so much to be mined from the conflict. Case in point, I had never heard of Major Pierre “Pete” Ortiz until about 3 months ago, and now I have read the second book on him in the last 60 days.…

  • The Cauldron by Simon Sebag Montefiore

    Do you think the Middle East is a bit of a mess? You may be correct, but you are probably oversimplifying a bit. If anything, the Middle East is a perfect example of how not to build countries. Drawing lines on a map without the input of the people who live within those lines should…

  • Vanishing Point by Tom Wilber

    I am so happy a book like this exists. Tom Wilber documents a search for a B-24 bomber which disappeared on a training mission in the northeast U.S. during World War II. There is something so visceral about this story which had me captivated from the first page. It might be the veteran in me,…

  • The Nazi Ghost Train by Greg Lewis

    I am going to read a lot of books in 2026, but I doubt any will have a better title than The Nazi Ghost Train by Greg Lewis. I mean, come on! Yes, you might be holding back a little bit because of one word in that title, but I assure you they lose in…

  • Ortiz’s War by Nicholas Reynolds and Katie Sanders

    There is a lot of World War II literature. It is the nature of the game currently that they just sell better than most nonfiction, so the publishers pump them out. This is in and of itself is not a problem. There are plenty of stories from World War II which need to be told.…

  • Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn

    I think most people have wondered if their family is harboring a deep, dark secret. Rarely, though, does it ever include Nazi spies. For Christine Kuehn, it actually did mean Nazi spies. And a bunch of them at that! She recounts the story in her book, Family of Spies, which is quite literally correct as…

  • Defiance by Loubna Mrie

    Allow me to be ridiculously pedantic for a second. (If you just said, “Again?” then we are in a fight.) Memoirs worry me when I start them. I am always concerned that the author will make themselves either the eternal victim, or worse, the unsullied hero of their own story. If you call yourself the…

  • Empire of Ashes by James M. Scott

    I have a weird hesitation before I start James M. Scott’s books. There are thicker books while there are others which are going to be more emotionally fraught. It’s not either of those things, but rather that I know his books end up so immersive that I need to be in the right headspace to…

  • Days of Love and Rage by Anand Gopal

    Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Days of Love and Rage: It takes a city. Quick synopsis: The story of the city of Manbij, Syria during the Syrian Revolution. Fact for Non-History People: The revolution would last 13 years and result in over 500,000 deaths. Fact for History Nerds: In 2023, while the revolution was still ongoing,…