Review: The Princes of Ireland

I've just finished The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd, the first in a duology about the history of Ireland. The book starts in the 400s and continues through the early 1500s and the reign of Henry VIII in England. The next book, The Rebels of Ireland, picks up where this one let off.

This book follows Rutherfurd's traditional style, tracing one or more families through the history of a specific place, in this case Dublin. Think James Michener, if you're familiar with his writing. I personally find Rutherfurd a more readable author than Michener, but I think that's really personal opinion. 

As I mentioned, this book starts out in the 400s (AD) when Dublin as a city does not exist; at this point, it's Dubh Linn, which apparently means blackpool. The book starts with an era of clan chiefs and druidism, which I personally find fascinating. I've seen other Rutherfurd fans say this is the least favorite of theirs, but I personally didn't feel that way. (Although, to be fair, I've only read his Russia book, Russka, so far.) 

The book goes on to cover the era of Saint Patrick and the Christianization of Ireland, the coming of the Vikings, and the rule of Brian Boru. It then heads into the long colonization by England with a discussion of the Strongbow era, up to the time of Henry VIII. 

I personally feel the book does a good job of mixing history with story. Rutherfurd allows his characters to sometimes meet and interact with historical figures, and he also manages to weave background historical information throughout the story where needed. However, the primary focus is the characters, with each chapter following a new generation of the families in his tale. He generally finds a quick subtle way to make sure you know who the current characters ancestors were in previous chapters - he often makes use of a gold-rimmed drinking skull for one family, for example. Each chapter follows the loves and struggles of the families during a set period in history, with real historical events and people for a backdrop. He does include a family tree at the beginning to assist you. In the background,we see Dublin itself evolve almost like a character in and of itself, going from the name for a particular crossing to a genuine (and important!) city through the course of the book.

I personally found all of this enjoyable, right through from the mythology of the druids and the old Irish gods, up to the struggle with the English. In a way, I found the bit about Henry VIII particularly interesting - I've read alot about the Tudor period in England, and it was interesting to look at this whole other struggle that is often a footnote in other tales of Henry. To think that he was dealing with this while also trying to get his annulment from Catherine is amazing. 

(Incidentally, if you're interested in more about Henry's struggles with Catherine of Aragon, I can very happily recommend Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir, the first in a six book series on the wives of Henry VIII. I picked it up on a sort of a whim, and it set off my interest in English history in general and the Tudors specifically.) 

So, overall I definitely recommend this as a board look over the history of Ireland, and I do intend to read (and review) the second book in the duology at some point, though not right away. I also plan to seek out some fiction that looks at some of these specific periods in Irish history more closely; I've already got some by Morgan Llywelyn on my Kindle that will probably do nicely. (To digress yet again with another recommendation, if you like historical fiction about strong women, you'd love Grania, about female pirate Grace O'Malley during Elizabeth I's reign.)

While this took me a while to read, it was well worth the trip.

Review: The Killers of the Flower Moon

I just finished The Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, which I read for a book club. This book ticked all the boxes for me; it was engaging and kept me reading, I felt for the people involved, and I picked up several more books I want to read from the bibliography.

The subtitle for this book is The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, but it really has so much more than that. The Osage Native American tribe wound up on a chunk of land that was later discovered to be chock full of oil. Through some good lawyering, the Osage's mineral rights were well protected and they became one of the wealthiest populations in the country. (How did I not know any of this before?!?) Human nature being what it is, this naturally led to a lot of jealousy and abuse.... and a spate of murders. And, human nature continuing to be what it is, for various reasons the local investigations stalled and the fledgling FBI became involved. This book is the story of the murders and the FBI investigation.

Mollie Burkart, one of the prime targets of the Osage Reign of Terror,
and her sisters Anna and Minnie. Photo credit: David Grann, from The History Channel.

One of the things I found most fascinating (and saddening) was the discussion of the abuse of the Osage people at the hands of the local whites (and the government). While the Osage rights to the wealth from the new oil fields was protected, the local whites found a work-around; many of the Osage were declared incompetent and given guardians - white men - to "manage" their money for them. Not surprisingly, this led to rampant abuse.

William Hale, a major player
in the Osage Reign of Terror

In an effort to protect the Osage rights the "headrights" to the oil fields could not be sold (although the surface land could be, if I understand correctly), they could only be inherited. Unfortunately, as Grann details in his book, this led to a string of murders in attempts to gain control of the valuable headrights and the payments form them.

J. Edgar Hoover
From the Library of Congress

Grann dives into detail into all of this - and more - in his insightful and sensitive story of what has come to be known as the Osage Reign of Terror. He also discusses some of the beginnings of the FBI, reminding me that I have been meaning to read a biography of J. Edgar Hoover for a while now.

It's clear that Grann did a lot of research for this book, including talking to many victims' family members and digging into archives and original reports as much as possible, making for (it seems) a well documented book. Yet he also manages to write in a way that is really engaging and compelling; at times the book almost reads like a novel. In my opinion, this is narrative non-fiction at its best.

As mentioned, this book really piqued my interest to dig deeper into some of these topics, and I added several books to my TBR list, including:

1. The World's Richest Indian: The Scandal Over Jackson Barnett's Oil Fortune
2. J. Edgar Hoover Goes to the Movies: The FBI & the Origins of Hollywood's Cold War
3. The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation
4. The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House & Tried to Steal the Country
5. Lincoln's Spymaster: Allan Pinkerton, America's First Private Eye
6. Deadly Times: The 1920 Bombing of the Los Angeles Times & America's Forgotten Decade of Terror
7. Hoover's FBI and the Fourth Estate: The Campaign to Control the Press & the Bureau's Image
8. Young J. Edgar: Hoover & the Red Scare

It also prompted me to bump the biography of Hoover that I already have on my Kindle up my list. 

Overall, I can safely say this is one of, if not the best, book I've read so far in 2019. 

Reviews: Chronicles of Narnia

I recently finished a re-read of a major fantasy classic: The Chronicles of Narnia. I seem to be taking on all some serious classics with my reviews lately. While the series by CS Lewis has always been popular, I think it's had a resurgence in recent years with a series of films, and it's generating buzz again now with the news last year that Netflix is going to make TV series! I'd been meaning to re-read the series as I had not read it since childhood, and now seemed like the time.

Maybe the biggest debate around this series is reading order. Publication order, or chronological order?

The original publication of the books is:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician's Nephew
7. The Last Battle 

Chronological order is:

1. The Magician's Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

The cover of the boxed set
I remember from childhood

Apparently people have strong feelings on this issue. I recently commented on a Facebook threat about it and hooooboy. I personally come down on the side of chronological order, as I like to see events unfold in order and to know the "back story" as I go. However, ultimately, the choice is up to the reader. 

The second most common controversy (is it a controversy?) I see is the allegation that it's a Christian allegory. I remember hearing that as an adult who hadn't read the books in years and thinking "is it? Hmmm... maybe a little." Re-reading it as an adult, I'm reading to acknowledge that it clearly is - especially The Last Battle. However, are most kids going to notice that? Does it disqualify it from being a good book? I don't necessarily think so. You just may be ready to have a conversation about it with your children if it feels necessary/appropriate to your family. 

You might also want to be ready to have discussions about cultural sensitivity and racism, as this book was clearly written in a different time period and doesn't exactly live up to today's standards of political correctness; the Calormenes are a not very sensitive or flattering depiction of Middle Eastern peoples and cultures, and the last book actually uses the phrase "darkies." Again, does this disqualify it from being a good book? Does this mean you shouldn't let your kids read it? Ultimately this is up to each individual family. I write professionally on the issue of intellectual freedom, so I am never going to come down on the side of censoring, but I definitely think parents need to be prepared to talk about it. 

So, is it a good read? I think if you want to see the evolution of fantasy novels and hit all the classics, it has to be on the list. It continues to endure as a classic, and it continues to be popular. Lewis creates a great world, and in the genre of children being pulled into a new magical world, it's hard to beat the yearning it generates - who doesn't want to visit Narnia and meet Aslan? What kid doesn't want to believe he can save the world? Lewis is a master at capitalizing on this, too; he knows how to put his characters in mundane situations readers will recognize - being bullied, being bored at a stuffy relatives house - that make being pulled into Narnia all the more appealing. 

On the other hand, if you're just looking for great fantasy reads, rather than a trip through fantasy history, there are probably more richly developed and immersive worlds out there today, and ones that don't carry the cultural insensitivity this series does. Ultimately, it really depends on what you are looking for and how much the over-handed allegory will bug you.  

Review: To Read or Not to Read? Wheel of Time

Alright, so I am less than 1/3 of the way through this massive series, but as it will be quite a while before I finish the series, and I see a great deal of debate on whether to read the series, I thought I'd post a review of the first few books.  Naturally, since I have a lot of the series left to read, my opinion could change.

One major argument for it - it looks like the television series really is coming, so if you prefer to read the book first (like me), now's the time!

I am not sure I've ever seen a book series with as much debate on whether or not it is worth reading as this one, other than maybe Malazan Book of the Fallen, which is also on my "to read" list. Peopel seem to either love Wheel of Time or hate it; so far, I fall into the "love" category.

Let me address some of the common critiques I see. First, that its a "rip off" of Tolkein. There's definitely some legitimacy to this, at least in the first book. Young man meets mysterious stranger and magic caster, goes off on a great adventure with his companions, while being chased by evil minions of a scary bad guy we don't really see yet. Sound familiar? However, I found this was a lot less true as you go through the books, so if you can bear with it for the first book, I think this particular objection can be overcome.

The second major critique I see is that they're overly wordy and/or that they drag. This is really a personal preference thing, in my opinion. This is definitely in the epic fantasy sub-genre of fantasy, and they're not quick reads. However, I think most people know that going in - it's a long series. Personally, I've yet to feel like it dragged, although I don't think I've hit the books that are traditionally considered the "worst" in this aspect. They're definitely long and heavy on description, but I personally like and expect that in my epic fantasy. If you prefer a more direct, action-paced narrative, I'll admit this might not be the series for you.

There is a similar point I have seen brought up that I have to say is totally correct - there can be some repetitive elements. I can remember reading a review that said that if Nynaeve tugged her braid one more time.... And I must admit, that particular sentence can get annoying. There is also a lot of smoothing of clothes. But to me, while it might be mildly annoying, this is a pretty small complaint.

I've also seen complaints that the characters are boring and one-dimensional. This particular critique I (mostly) disagree with. The characters often do fit fantasy tropes to some extent, but not to such an extent as to ruin the books. There are some cliches that are genuinely annoying - everyone is in love, the men don't understand the women, the women try to control the men, etc. etc. Again, though, I don't feel this ruins the books.

While some of these get more noticeable as the books go on - particularly the gender stereotypes - I also think the characters develop and become more interesting, which out weighs that irritation. It also seems like it's going to avoid some fantasy stereotypes, although it's hard to tell this early on. For example, I don't think Rand - the main character (as much as anyone is the main character) is going to be an all-"white" goody-goody character. That, for me, would be the one thing that would really bring the series down for me, and it doesn't seem like that is going to be the case. 

The primary positive, to me, is the world building. There are so many different cities and peoples, and some really great lore. It's dribbled out slowly, but it's worth reading just for that in my opinion. In the fourth, when we finally see more of the Aiel, it really starts to hit it's stride in this area. They have a pretty fascinating history.

Overall, I am really enjoying it and it will likely go into my pile of things I may even re-read some day. I think it's certainly worth giving a chance - you can always quit if you hate it. However, unless you really hate it, I do think it's worth reading at least through the second one; I think they pick up a lot after the first one. If you enjoy it, you're in for a rare treat!

I'll post another review after a few more books. 

Review: The Conqueror's Wife

Stephanie Thornton does it again, at least for me. I think The Conqueror's Wife was one of her earlier books, but I just got to it, and it's as good as the others. I'll admit it took me a little while to get into it, but once I did I couldn't put it down.

It's Thornton's story of Alexander the Great, but as with her Tiger Queens it is told from the perspectives of others in his life, particularly the women. Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, which is a narrative approach I love.

Stateira, one of Alexander's wives

All the women around Alexander are strong women in their own way, which in a way feels a little cliched - I doubt they were all badass women, but it makes for a great story. And while they're all (or mostly all) strong, they each have their own approach to life, from his wives Roxana and Stateira, his mother Olympia, his sister Thessolonike, or his sister-in-law the amateur engineer Drypetis, you'll definitely have opinions on these women.

However, my favorite character was Hephaestion, Alexander's best friend and second-in-command (and possibly lover). Without giving any spoilers away, Hephaestion is a great foil for Alexander, and their relationship is really touching. It's also the first time I can recall her using a male narrator, so that was an interesting change of pace as well.

Roxana and Olympias were an interesting contrast to Drypetis and Thessalonike. Roxana and Olympias were clearly the more ruthless half of the coin, while Drypetis and Thessalonike manage to be strong but still show compassion and love.

Alexander and Hephaestion
by Andrea Camassei
17th Century

As usual, this also really peaked my interest in this area of the world and this time period. I'm glad I've already got some other books on my Kindle, and even more on my TBR, that will satisfy that interest. Thornton herself recommends Mary Renault, so I might have to try something by her soon.

It also really piqued my interest in Persian history and culture; I've not ever encountered it before, and it seemed really interesting. While she doesn't get too deeply into the culture, the bits she does touch on - the Gods and the burial rights - definitely was intriguing.

Overall, this definitely confirmed my opinion that Thornton is one of the greats in women's historical fiction, and I hope she continues to write for a long time to come.

Review: Darwin's Ghosts

I finished Darwin's Ghosts by Rebecca Stott last weekend, but I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to review it! Stott's book originally caught my attention in a New York Times review, and a librarian it seemed like something I had to read. I was hoping it would give me some ideas on new approaches to talking to my students about plagiarism, and I think it did.

I loved that Stott addresses right off the bat whether or not Darwin intended to ignore his predecessors - it sounds like he did not. According to Stott, he was intimidated by trying to give credit to all of his predecessors; a feeling most students would identify with, I think. She also discusses his struggle to do so in later editions of his work.

Charles Darwin

Overall this was an interesting look at the evolution of the theory of evolution (see what I did there?), discussing each of Darwin's predecessors in turn. It gave mini biographies of some really interesting thinkers, but it also showed how theories gradually led to a full theory of evolution and how each theorist gradually added to our understanding of the history of species. 

Stott starts with Aristotle and his proteges and their collection of various species. It was really amazing to think about Aristotle prowling around taking fish from fisherman and asking them about their observations of sea creatures. 

Perhaps my favorite chapter was the one on Jahiz, which discusses the "House of Wisdom" and the Golden Age of Baghdad under the Abbasid Empire. I knew that there was a segment of history where the Middle East was far ahead of Europe in terms of culture and science, but I didn't know much about it beyond that, and this chapter really made me want to read more about this period. 

The House of Wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age. In the Public Domain, from Wikimedia Commons.

The book goes on to discuss Leonardo da Vinci, then Trembley and his discovery of the regenerative powers of the polyp (what we learned about in 7th grade biology as the hydra). She again leaves Europe to discuss Benoit de Maillet in Cairo in the early 1700s. I also loved this chapter, which discusses the realization by Maillet and others that parts of the Earth that are now land used to be underwater and the intellectual quest to figure out how that could be. 

Alfred Wallace

Stott then returns to Europe to discuss the Hotel of Philosophers in Paris, with greats such as Diderot and d'Holbach and the creation of the Encyclopedia. She devotes an entire chapter to Erasmus Darwin (Charles' grandfather!), then returns to Paris and the Jardin des Plantes. She also has a chapter devoted to Robert Grant, who knew Charles Darwin, and his fascination with the sea sponge. She wraps up with discussions of Robert Chambers and his Edinburgh Journal, with a final chapter devoted to Alfred Wallace, who arguably reached the same conclusions regarding sexual selection as Darwin before Darwin's theories were made public. (As a side note, I love that she also discusses at length Wallace's research companion, Ali.) 

One of my other favorite parts of this book was the discussion of the intellectual freedom of most of the predecessors of Darwin. She discusses in depth how difficult and dangerous it was for many of these great thinkers to make their theories and their work public; some had to use pseudonyms, others risked imprisonment for speaking out. Intellectual freedom is an area I am really interested in and passionate about, so I loved that she devoted a good chunk of the book to addressing it. 

Overall a really fascinating, intellectual stimulating read - I definitely recommend.