A review of The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians, by Peter Heather. @@@ (3 out of 5). Revisionist history, rejecting Gibbon’s assertion that the Empire fell because of its internal weaknesses.
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A review of The Redbreast, by Jo Nesbo. @@@@ (4 out of 5). Someone has paid a fortune to acquire what is described as the assassin’s rifle of choice, and Norwegian detective Harry Hole is determined to discover who bought it, and why. His investigation opens up a window on Norway’s troubled World War II history, when many young Norwegians volunteered to fight for Nazi Germany.
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A review of Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power, by Seth Rosenfeld. @@@@@ (5 out of 5). Relates the campus-based conflicts of Berkeley in the 60s, with a focus on the roles of J. Edgar Hoover, Ronald Reagan, Clark Kerr, and Mario Savio.
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A review of Notorious Nineteen, by Janet Evanovich. @@@ (3 out of 5). The 19th in the series of humorous novels featuring Stephanie Plum, the lingerie-buyer turned incompetent bounty hunter.
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A review of The Round House, by Louise Erdrich. @@@@@ (5 out of 5). A National Book Award-winning novel about a brutal crime and its consequences on a Chippewa reservation in the Upper Midwest.
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Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review,
with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review,
with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.
Mysteries & Thrillers Tuesday includes my latest mystery and thriller book review, with links to other science fiction content.
Nonfiction Wednesday includes my latest nonfiction book review, with links to other nonfiction content.
The Weekly includes summaries and links to all the previous week’s three to five book reviews, including some that don’t appear in any of the other newsletters.