Category Archives: Book Reviews

Lionel Thomas Biography of Willibald Alexis

Book Review Title: Willibald Alexis: A German Writer of the Nineteenth Century Author: Lionel Hugh Christopher Thomas Publisher: Basil Blackwell: Oxford Date: January 1, 1964 ASIN‏: ‎ B0000CMATN Thomas’ forward sets the tone for this evaluation of Willibald Alexis’ literary … Continue reading

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James Hilton’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Book Review Title: Goodbye, Mr. Chips Author: James Hilton Publisher: Bantam Books: New York Date: February 1963 (orig. June 1934) ASIN: ‎ B0BVKBH39Y It’s been said a million times, but yes, the book is charming. Hilton is a great writer, … Continue reading

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Mark Cousins’ Story of Film

Book Review Title: The Story of Film Author: Mark Cousins Publisher: Thunder’s Mouth Press: New York Date: 2004 ISBN: 9781560256120 Mark Cousins shows both a massive breadth of knowledge and a deep microscopic detail of knowledge: in film history, technique, … Continue reading

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Andrey Platonov’s book Chevengur

Book Review Title: Chevengur Author: Andrey Platonov Publisher: New York Review Classics (NYRB Classics) Date: January 2, 2024 (first full-text publication 1972, first in English 1978, written in 1928) ISBN: 978-1681377681 Platonov’s epic saga Chevengur is set in a fictional … Continue reading

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Thomas Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus

Book Review Title: Sartor Resartus Author: Thomas Carlyle Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: August 1, 2008 (original book publication 1836) ISBN: 978-0199540372 Structure of the book: an Editor-Biographer writes about a German Professor-Autobiographer (Herr Teufelsdröckh). The background is that the … Continue reading

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Jean Findlay’s Life of C. K. Scott Moncrieff

Book Review Title: Life of C. K. Scott Moncrieff Author: Jean Findlay Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Date: March 10, 2015 ISBN: 978-0374119270 They say hereditary talents sometimes skip a generation. In this case it skipped three or four generations. … Continue reading

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James Kirke Paulding’s The Dutchman’s Fireside

Book Review Title: Dutchman’s Fireside Author: James Kirke Paulding Publisher: College & University Press Date: 1966 (first published June 10, 1831) ASIN: ‎ B00QOB429E Paulding’s 1831 novel has two distinct, overlapping story arcs: In the first, the hero is initiated … Continue reading

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Lottman’s Flaubert: A Biography

Book Review Title: Flaubert: A Biography Author: Herbert R. Lottman Publisher: Little Brown & Co Date: January 1, 1989 ISBN: 978-0316533423 This biography of Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880) is a great story and Herbert Lottman is a great storyteller. Flaubert finished … Continue reading

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Remarque’s book All Quiet on the Western Front

Book Review Title: All Quiet on the Western Front Author: Erich Maria Remarque Publisher: Turtleback Books Date: January 1, 1975 (orig. November 1928) ISBN: 978-0881039825 [SPOILER ALERT] This review tells you how it ends. The story begins near the beginning … Continue reading

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Thomas Friedman’s book Thank You for Being Late

Book Review Title: Thank You for Being Late Author: Thomas Friedman Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Picador) Date: October 24, 2017 ISBN: 978-1250141224 The title of the book comes from a lunch meeting when the other person arrived about twenty-five … Continue reading

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Stanley Turkel’s book Built to Last

Book Review Title: Built to Last: 100+Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi Author: Stanley Turkel Publisher: AuthorHouse Date: September 5, 2013 ISBN: 978-1491810071 Stanley Turkel’s book offers a unique window into the past via the history of the most illustrious … Continue reading

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Lee Edwards’ book William F. Buckley

Book Review Title: William F. Buckley Jr.: The Maker of a Movement Author: Lee Edwards Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute Date: April 8, 2019 ISBN: 978-1610171557 The book’s subtitle, “The Maker of a Movement,” is perfectly à propos of Buckley’s life, … Continue reading

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Christopher Alexander’s book A Pattern Language

Book Review Title: A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction Author: Christopher Alexander, et al Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: January 1, 1977 ISBN: 978-0195019193 “No social group…can survive without constant informal contact among its members” (p. 618). Alexander’s book highlights … Continue reading

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David McCullough’s book Brave Companions

Book Review Title: Brave Companions: Portraits in History Author: David McCullough Publisher: Simon & Schuster Date: November 1, 1992 ISBN: 978-0671792763 David McCullough gives us a stimulating summary of several interesting historical figures, mostly 1800s–1900s. The figures made significant contributions … Continue reading

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