No comments about Letters of a Civil War Surgeon.

1 comments about The Land of My Fathers: A Son's Return to the Basque Country.

1. Nevada writer Robert Laxalt's "The Land of My Fathers" is a description of life in the French Basque Country in the 1960s. Laxalt -- the son of Basques who immigrated to Nevada about 1910 -- spent 1960-61 and 1965-66 getting to know his parents' ancient homeland. Making use of his family ties, he succeeded in breaching the "impenetrable wall of Basque reserve" (in Rodney Gallop's words) in a way only a few outsiders have been able to do.

   The book is not a straightforward narrative and Laxalt writes about much more than his own experiences. A collection of vignettes, histories, and folk-sayings, it is an exploration of the Basque character. We read about everything from "Basque troubadours" to the humanization of German soldiers stationed in the Basque lands during the occupation of the Pyrenees. Trying to capture the essence of this ancient people, Laxalt gives us glimpses of the "poetic truth" of the Basque land and Basque history, the emotional truth gleaned from "the language of the eyes." Of course the approach is not without its drawbacks, but for a book like this, "The Land of My Fathers" is remarkably free of immigrant-son's-come-home romanticism.

   In addition to Laxalt's vivid prose poetry, many of his vignettes are interesting as anthropological descriptions of life in the "Pays Basque". Here, we encounter aspects of Basque folklife such as pigeon-hunting, contraband, dancing, the unique brand of "shepherd justice", and the "bohèmes" (literally "Bohemians", they are a poorly-known group of shunned outsiders -- not unlike the Gypsies -- who have lived in the Basque country for years). A couple of these "ethnological vignettes", in fact, appeared in the August 1968 issue of "National Geographic".

   Although throughout one is struck by the Basques' indomitable ability to overcome adversity, unfortunately the beautiful culture described by Laxalt is rapidly slipping away -- if it has not, for the most part, slipped away already. The Spanish sector of the Basque lands has long been one of the most heavily industrialized in Europe and the French sector, although still largely rural, has seen the same kinds of cultural changes places all over the world have seen with the onslaught of globalization. Many things have changed for the better, and Laxalt certainly doesn't claim the past was perfect, yet it is difficult not to agree with him that "something of the romantic past has been lost." For all that, his many books are even more important, small safeguards against a rapidly deteriorating humanity.

   If there were ten stars, "The Land of My Fathers" deserves them.

1 comments about Hazel: A Life of Lady Lavery, 1880-1935.

1. Ms. McCoole does a wonderful job in accurately portraying the life of Hazel Lavery. She has gone to great lengths to uncover the truth about her relationships with historical figures, one being the Irish icon Michael Collins. What many people may not realize is that Hazel was a painter herself before she met her famous husband, John Lavery. Hazel's story from the suburbs of Chicago to the face on the Irish pound note is a truly enjoyable read.

1 comments about The Triple Myth.

1. "The Triple Myth" is Stella Alexander's seminal 1987 biography of Croatia's World War II-era Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac. A difficult subject, as anyone familiar with Yugoslavia knows, precisely because he has been shrouded in myths for decades, myths that are rooted in the same conflicts that made the fighting of World War II and the 1991-95 wars in Yugoslavia so atrocious. "The Triple Myth" is not pro- or anti- Croat or Serb, but a careful study of a controversial figure. Alexander's Stepinac is neither saint nor monster, but a "brave man, of piety and intelligence but with a blinkered world view". Stepinac's story, and the myths it evoked, have been fundamental to the development of modern Croatia. The book was recommended to this reader by both Croat and Jewish scholars in Zagreb as the most balanced examination of his life.
   
   The "triple myth" of the title conveys the fact that Stepinac was manipulated to a variety of ends. There was the communist myth (that he was a separatist Croat who sought to undermine Tito with allegiance to the Vatican and fascism), the Serb myth (that he was responsible for the slaughter and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Serbs), and the Croat myth (that he was a saint who championed Croatian independence and saved thousands from death at the hands of the fascists). Like all effective myths, these are blends of fact, fiction, and propaganda. They appeal to those predisposed to believe them and have metastisized into "facts" for those who still fight these battles. Thus the myths, and the prejudices that underlie them, continue to wield tremendous power.

   Stepinac was born to a prosperous farming family in 1898 and was once engaged, but his fiancee called it off due to his excessive piety. He studied at the Vatican and returned to Croatia in 1931, a time of turmoil as the democratic experiment in Yugoslavia was failing and nationalists, labor unions, and Serbian royalty vied for support. Though young and reluctant, Stepinac became archbishop of Zagreb in 1937 while the Belgrade government vainly sought to balance the Orthodox Serbian church against the Catholic church in Croatia. Alexander's description of the maneuvering behind the unsigned concordat in 1937 and how it stoked Serb/Croat tensions are fascinating. Stepinac was devoted to the church and to Croatia, which he conceived as tightly linked. These passions, and his visceral hatred for communism, left him tragically myopic about broader world affairs. When the fascist Ustashe regime entered Zagreb in 1941 and declared an independent Croatia allied with Nazi Germany, Stepinac rejoiced both for Croatia's independence and for the regime's militant anti-communism, as well as the fact that they, like him, viewed the church as an integral element of Croatian identity.

   The Ustashe quickly began to brutalize Serbs and Jews, organizing death camps and mass deportations to ethnically-cleanse Croatia. Some Catholic clerics participated in these atrocities, though Stepinac's role was more ambiguous. During the first year, he not only failed to object to the atrocities but suggested ways to make them more efficient. In a July 1941 letter to the government he wrote: "The measures undertaken would have their full effect if they were carried out in a more humane and considerate way". By contrast, he opposed measures targetting Jews and Serbs who had converted to Catholicism, for once they became Catholics (and thus Croats), they were members of his flock. By mid-1942, Stepinac had split with the regime, no longer believing Croatia was truly independent -it was a vassal of Nazi Germany- nor that the church benefitted from the slaughter of Serbs and Jews. Yet he was slow to denounce the regime, feeling he would be more effective if he retained some influence and remained in Zagreb, trying to "save what could be saved".

   Tito's communists took power in post-war Yugoslavia, beginning a relationship of mutual distrust with Stepinac that played out over many years, as each side needed but despised the other. In his 1946 show trial Stepinac was convicted of collaborating with the Ustashe. Noting that Tito was most interested in controlling the Catholics as all other institutions, Alexander comments that there would have been no trial had Stepinac been willing to sever ties with Rome and set up an independent Croatian Catholic church. Sentenced to sixteen years in prison, he was released into house arrest in 1951. The prosecution raised some valid questions that emphasized how differently Stepinac welcomed the fascists in 1941 and the communists in 1945. Stepinac had been seduced by the fact that the fascists were Catholics. His narrow worldview, focusing only on the church and Croatian independence, blinded him to the evils of the Ustashe until too late. In 1952, Stepinac was elevated to cardinal, remaining a symbol of obstinate opposition to the communists until his death, still under house arrest, in 1960.

   Stepinac's legacy is complicated. Alexander's book does not end the debate but helps us sort facts from myths. Perhaps history can be no kinder, nor more cruel, than to conclude that Stepinac was devoted to the church and to Croatia but was tragically flawed, a victim of his own naivete and narrow-mindedness. He failed to be great, and his failing at such a critical historical moment makes that failure so much more tragic.

No comments about British Teeth: An Excruciating Journey from the Dentist's Chair to the Rotten Heart of a Nation.

1 comments about Lunar Men.

1. What's so interesting is to learn
   about the intellectual excitement in investigating
   sciences that hadn't yet become the provinces of
   academics and professionals. It makes me think of the
   enthusiasm surrounding digital and computer
   technologies--most of the interesting stuff in those
   areas is done outside of academia. Innovations can
   come from anywhere. It's also interesting to learn
   that these 18th century folks from the midlands lived
   so large and traveled so much abroad. I suppose they
   weren't just ordinary people, but still it's
   surprising. I suppose the innovations of the midland
   potters and "toy" makers were the iPods and mobile
   phones of their day.
   
   There are also some writing gems in this book. I like
   this about James Watt on page 101: "Standing on the
   Green, which on weekdays was white with linen laid out
   to bleach, the realization 'flashed on his mind at
   once, and filled him with rapture'. But it was the
   Sabbath, and no good Presbyterian could work. The
   grass was bare of cloth and Watt had to wait."

1 comments about A Place To Stand: The Word Of God In The Life Of Martin Luther (Leaders in Action).

1. Part of the Leaders in Action biography series that would appeal to those who do not read much but want to be introduced to great leaders and their Christian influence.
   
   Nothing profound about the writing, but it dips into the key aspects of the Luther's life enough to give the reader an impression of this Reformer in action.
   
   The Leaders in Action bio on William Wilberforce is much better. The one on Teddy Roosevelt was much more fun to read as well.
   
   In a day and age when most kids reference "Martin Luther" to the 20th century civil rights leader rather than the 16th century spiritual reformer, this book should be read by all young people so they can learn that is "a place to stand" that does more than establish human rights, but redeems hearts and reforms history.

3 comments about The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English.

1. You can't find a better study on the topic, and the author is mistress of the sources like few other living historians. The only thing left to do is to look more at the gender issues raised by the whole issue, but this book is so good and thorough there is absolutely no use criticizing it for what it is not intended to be!



2. This is a great book about a wonderful woman, who got lost in the shuffel. As there isn't very much written about Matilda, the first almost English Queen in her own right, the author deserves applause for their ability to put together such a checkered past. The thrown was stolen out from under her by her cousin Stephen, and they began the civil war that English people discribed as the time when "Christ and his saints slept." Speaking of which, if you like this book, you'll love "When Christ and His Saints Slept" by Penman.



3. I found this book fasinating. The beginning is a bit jumbled, hard to follow, but soon it launches the reader into the world of Empress Matilda. The author has done an excellent job of bringing the empress, her father and sons back to life for me espcially, she and son Henry are my ancestors. What better way to get to know them!

1 comments about Bloomsbury and France: Art and Friends.

1. My Aunt wrote this book so you should buy it!!! She's really cool, and her co-author's (Mary Ann Caws) son is the lead singer of Nada Surf, a really cool band. If you buy this book then you're cool, too!!!

4 comments about Race of Angels: The Genesis of U2.

1. This book may only be good to the simple-minded, short attention span folks, as it was a waste of time for me (and I'm not in MENSA). Don't waste your money, give it to the drunk homeless guy instead.



2. This work aims to trace and muse on the experience of being Irish as reflected in the work of U2. As such, it is not an easy-read band bio, and is written at let's say college level. However, the long interviews, especially of Bono, cover material that is just not found anywhere else; U2's remarks here have an uncensored, just-between-Irishmen feel that is rare.

   The book, as hard as it is to find, is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in U2's Irishness, in their literary/cultural connections, or in their spiritual history -- it's full of amazing insights on all three. Generalist fans of the band should, of course, look elsewhere.




3. There are only specious connections to U2's music in this book. Don't be fooled by the nice cover.



4. This book is an accessible biographical work. It doesn't get bogged down too much in the details which is good for people who have short attention spans (like me).

   I liked it. I've read it a few times.