The Craft is a simple book written for Masons to understand the symbology of the three degree’s as the start and continue their journey along the masonic path.
What it does do is help a mason understand what each thing symbolizes. It doesn’t break down every secret of Masonry. If one is looking for each ritual that a mason endures, this is not the book. This just helps explain what each item represents along the path.
This is a wonderful book to give to a spouse or any family member that has questions about masons. For a mason, this is a wonderful tool to remind them on their journey and remember some of the symbols they may have missed on the path.
For those looking for more secrets, this is not the book. It’s a very easy and fast read.
The Ten Thousand Day War – Vietnam: 1945-1975- by Michael Maclear
1981/369 pgs
Vietnam, a war that changed everything about America and how the citizens trust the government. This novel is about the history of the war and when the United States got involved and why. As the title suggested, it starts with the United States’ support for Indo-China against the Japanese in 1945. It ends with the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975.
It’s a very well study of the war and hits all the major points in 20 Chapters. It dives into the infamous French loss at Dien Bein Phu that caused them to leave Vietnam. Like a snake, it weaves into our involvement with the South and how the cold war keyed our participation. From each administration that had a roll with Vietnam, from Roosevelt to Ford, Maclear shows the many times that we were projected to leave. He paints a shocking picture of the Assassination of the president of Vietnam and how it impacted JFK, who would be killed only a few months later.
He showed how Johnson wanted to win the war and create the Great Society only for all his ambitious plans for fall because of Vietnam. One of the great highlights is 1968 and how that impacted the United States starting with the Tet Offensive.
This historical tale was easy reading, and not every paragraph crammed with in-depth knowledge. I absolutely enjoyed reading this and would recommend to anyone that wants to know about Vietnam and why it still is an impact on the United States today.
History’s Greatest Hit’s is an attempt to pick the most significant hits out of history. However, sadly, it misses the mark widely because some of the events chosen bring to question why a specific event was chosen, and others were not.
For example, The Ancient World 250 BCE-500 AD section, highlights three events. All very important. Hannibal crossing the Alpes, Assassination of Julius Caesar, and the Fall of Rome. That’s it. Those are the only three events you should know from that time. Alexander the Great doesn’t matter. The burning of library at Alexandria. I can forgive leaving Greece’s impact on the world, or China’s, or Egypts…yes this book is very Eurocentric. However, missing the most important and critical event from Roman history…Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon 49 BC is unforgiving. If a historian narrates vital moments in Roman history for prosperity omitting that pivotal event and why it’s significant to Rome, it begs the reader to ask what else is forgotten. Cummins, however, commits an even more critical error that makes the omission of the Rubicon look minor and insignificant.
Waterloo. The final battle for Napoleon. A significant historical event. Cummins does an excellent narration of the struggle and why Napoleon lost. Sadly, as I read this story, it made me upset, thinking others are reading it and then having discussions about Waterloo and what they thought was factual information. In Cummins’s narration, he states the Seventh Coalition contained forces from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. With an army from Prussia. Causing a double-take on my behalf, re-reading the sentence, and a face slap.
For those reading this and are confused about why I state this, please allow me to explain. Belgium doesn’t become a nation until 1830 after the Belgium Revolution. Germany didn’t exist as a nation until 1871. Even if one wants to state that the forces would have come from what is Germany today, then they can’t say Prussia because Prussia no longer existed after the German unification of 1871 since the King of Prussia, Wilhelm I became the German Emperor or Keizer. The battle of Waterloo was in 1815. Using modern nation titles to describe old forces is wrong, and those that read history will falsely believe that nations have been around longer than they truly have. For those that would read this and say that’s minor, then why didn’t Cummins in the Ancient world section when talking about Rome state Italy? Yes, proper terms in history do matter.
Finally, as the book gets into the modern era, the 1900’s. Cummins narrates about the battle of the Somme and why it’s the bloodiest day in British Army history. Also, the disaster of Gallipoli and how it almost destroyed the career of Churchill. However, one fact not mentioned, the critical event that has shaped the world as we know it today….the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of the Austrian-Hungarian empire, is omitted.
There are many more events that Cummins left out. If he was trying to tell a story of events mostly forget, however, should be remembered. The Gettysburg Address, Kennedy’s Assassination, and many others shouldn’t have been in the book as most people in the United States know about those events. History’s Greatest Hits is not a horrible read.
I enjoyed reading it and took it with a grain of salt, as this is what Cummins views as the Greatest Events.
There are many more errors in the book, and that’s ok. Would I recommend this book, no. As I stated before, if I had time to correct the many errors and add in other events that are very significant, then I would. However, for a history book, this falls very short of its intent.
It’s been a while since my last posting. While it may look like I’ve stopped posting or even reading, the desire to pick up a good novel has been driving inside me more than before. As we all know, life gets in the way, and in my case, it’s Graduate School that is the subject of my affection for the last two years. Since I finished Salem’s Lot, I’ve finished writing my Comprehensive Exams and just completed, hopefully, my final class for my degree. Now, to pick a book to read and get lost in another world.
Now, to open the cover and devour another world and share it will all of you that enjoy my reviews. Until then…
Stay Safe in these challenging times, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and a good book!
What would happen if Dracula came into our current world. This is the infamous premises that Mr King built this story from. Although the book is a good read and I would recommend it to anyone, it’s not a very fast read. It doesn’t hook you in like It. The novel starts with a author returning to his home town, Jerusalem’s Lot, to write a new novel. The other reason was to face a childhood experience and nightmare that has haunted him about the Marsten house. The house is the infamous house that resides in every small town, the haunted house the murdered ghosts still roam today.
After our protagonist arrives in town and actually inquired about the house because he wanted to rent it, he discovers that it was recently purchased. The new owner and his partner also open a antique store in the town and soon after, people begin to disappear and come back to life to take the life of someone else by sucking their blood to ease the craving that is building inside. The infamous vampire has arrived.
If one has read Dracula, they can definitely see the influence Mr Stoker had on Mr King. The story is not identical and the plot is not the same. Howeve r in some of the plot ides’s you can definitely see Mr. King’s salute to the story that started it all.
As mentioned, I would recommend this book. It was a fun read, again, I never got to the point that I couldn’t put it down. It still is a wonderful story and in the end, it makes you wonder if there is more. Father Callahan is first introduced in this book.
Another year gone by and some wonderful books completed. I hope everyone got their reading goals completed. This year I personally will be adding 5 more books to my goal. 25. Also, another goal is to dedicate 1 hour a day to reading. This will be an interesting challenge.
In Search of the Forty Days Road by Michael Asher 1987 / 179 pgs
A very interesting novel about the journey that Michael took when he went to the Sudan originally as a teacher of English and searched out the 40 days road.
As an englishman, he learned that many thought he was crazy to look for a road that wasn’t used for many years. Also, he dealt with being arrested, interrogated, theft, and almost dying of thirst many times while in the desert.
It was a wonderful read, and again, this book was used for my graduate course.
Back in the King car this round and what an insane ride this was. After reading nothing but Grad work textbooks, it’s nice to sit and read a novel that takes you away from the daily grid. This one definitely accomplished that task. There was time I was flying and while devouring each word he used to paint events as they are laid out, I forgot I was even in a plane.
Using his Pennywise grips, he holds on to you and takes you on a ride that you won’t want to stop because you need to know how does this end! There are twists so well placed that when you though the story was going one direction, a hard slap on the face and you are now going on the other dark and twisted path. King winds you through his who done it/how can someone be in two places at the same time story that even at some of the climactic moments, it will leave you shocked how it all goes down.
Also known for his Game of Thrones guessing game on who is going to live and who will die, I lost this bet as I was sure I knew who was going down. It will keep you guessing until almost the end. An delicious read that I would recommend to anyone.
Is the American Century Over by Joseph S. Nye, Jr 2015 / 127pgs
A quick read, only 2 hours and 10 minutes. An analysis of is the American chapter of US influence over the world done. However, it doesn’t just look at it as the rise of China as an economic powerhouse. It looks at multiple factors like education, military, democratic influence vrs communist influence and more. A different take on where the US is in the world and as we can see, this was just before the Trump Administration took over.
nyghteulen 