Review: Day of Infamy

Day of Infamy by Walter Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a really valuable first generation World War II history- the kind which focuses very hard on eye-witness testimony and has done so much of the necessary interviews done while the participants in the events are not only still alive, but when the memory was still pretty fresh. The result is a vivid account of the day of the attack on Pearl Harbour, December 7th, 1941.

Walter Lord's writing is vivid, sometimes sensationalistic, but eminently readable. There is, of course, lots of American flag waving, but one has to expect that from both the genre and the era. It gives a really strong sense of the confusion, chaos and courage of the day and therein lies its principal value.

What I would wish for, and which has been supplied by the historians who have followed Lord, was more from the Japanese side (tricky because so many of the participants died) and more on the why the attack took place and why the Americans were caught so unprepared. But, as I say, there's lots of books which do that.

On the whole, this book is still well worth reading for its vivid account of a pivotal moment in World War II.

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Review: The Shortest History of Greece

The Shortest History of Greece by James Heneage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up from my library app because I'm about to go on a trip with 37 of my students over March Break and I wanted to refresh my memory on the history of Greece- not the ancient or Byzantine periods. I've been studying those for decades, but rather the Ottoman and modern history of Greece. I will say, in passing, it is really hard to find books on this period. I mean, surprisingly so. I know that reflects the tendency of modern North Americans to pay attention only to the ancient periods in Italy and Greece, but it is really glaring!

The book itself is good enough. I had to squirm and sigh all the way through the ancient and Byzantine periods, not so much because of inaccuracies, but more because the editorial stress on Greece as the origin of Western democracy really annoyed me. I mean, yes, it is one of the sources, but let's all remember that the radical democracy of Athens was not only a bit of a disaster, but also it really only involved 30 000 or the approximately 250 000 people in Athens. Modern representative democracy may not be as responsive on every single issue, but it has a wider reach and is usually more stable. This is a long way of saying that, when it comes to democracy in ancient Greece, it's complicated. More complicated that this book with its Western civilization lens misses.

I found the other periods easier to take, even though the tone never really eases down. The Ottoman period and the Revolution is told with the outrage you'd expected and, fair enough. The modern period has a strong anti-socialist lean and outlines with suitable horror the financial disasters of the 2010s. These are the periods I wanted to refresh my reading on and, editing for the editorial bias, it was really quite helpful.

This is a worthwhile book to read, but be cautious about the rather heavy axes the author likes to grind while telling the story.

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Review: The Shortest History of Greece

The Shortest History of Greece by James Heneage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up from my library app because I'm about to go on a trip with 37 of my students over March Break and I wanted to refresh my memory on the history of Greece- not the ancient or Byzantine periods. I've been studying those for decades, but rather the Ottoman and modern history of Greece. I will say, in passing, it is really hard to find books on this period. I mean, surprisingly so. I know that reflects the tendency of modern North Americans to pay attention only to the ancient periods in Italy and Greece, but it is really glaring!

The book itself is good enough. I had to squirm and sigh all the way through the ancient and Byzantine periods, not so much because of inaccuracies, but more because the editorial stress on Greece as the origin of Western democracy really annoyed me. I mean, yes, it is one of the sources, but let's all remember that the radical democracy of Athens was not only a bit of a disaster, but also it really only involved 30 000 or the approximately 250 000 people in Athens. Modern representative democracy may not be as responsive on every single issue, but it has a wider reach and is usually more stable. This is a long way of saying that, when it comes to democracy in ancient Greece, it's complicated. More complicated that this book with its Western civilization lens misses.

I found the other periods easier to take, even though the tone never really eases down. The Ottoman period and the Revolution is told with the outrage you'd expected and, fair enough. The modern period has a strong anti-socialist lean and outlines with suitable horror the financial disasters of the 2010s. These are the periods I wanted to refresh my reading on and, editing for the editorial bias, it was really quite helpful.

This is a worthwhile book to read, but be cautious about the rather heavy axes the author likes to grind while telling the story.

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Review: Miracle at Midway

Miracle at Midway by Gordon W. Prange
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm pretty sure this is a re-read, although it was so long ago that I read it that I feels new. The subject itself is pretty easy to figure out- the Battle of Midway, the turning point in the Pacific War. Prange and his co-authors take us through their account, based on exhaustive research and engagement with those who fought in the battle on both sides. The result is a compelling and detailed account of the battle- its leadup and aftermath as well.

This is still a very American book and you have to expect a certain American triumphalism. And, fair enough, this was a victory which was decisive as it was unexpected. The pummeling of the American fleet at Pearl Harbour and six months of constant victory made the Japanese complacent, but even with that, except for a crucial six minutes in which the Americans managed to unwittingly concentrate their dive bombers over the Japanese carriers, with all their fighters too low to intervene and carriers at their most incendiary, the Japanese were easily winning. Not the victory was all luck- the Japanese were sloppy and the Americans much less so. Be be warned about the tone.

Yet, this is still worth reading. It is a compelling underdog story and Prange brings the preparations and the battle to life.

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Review: Resurgence: Engaging With Indigenous Narratives and Cultural Expressions In and Beyond the Classroom (The Footbridge)

Resurgence: Engaging With Indigenous Narratives and Cultural Expressions In and Beyond the Classroom (The Footbridge) by Christine M'Lot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book from a workshop in my board on Indigenous Education. What this book is is is a collection of essays from Indigenous educators, artists, Knowledge Keepers about the theme of Resurgence. The essays are superb and are really useful for both educators in learning about the experience of Indigenous peoples, but also for use with students as a way of entering into this theme. They come with various reflections and questions for reflection as well as next steps, which are useful for teachers. The stories are moving and thoughtful, so will engage readers. Well worth reading!

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Review: The Prophetic Imagination

The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up to read largely because our youth minister was using it in their series on the prophets with the youth, so I figured it might be helpful to read it. I'm glad I did because this is one of those books whose influence goes well beyond people who have actually read it.

The basic idea of this book is to look at the Hebrew Testament prophets in light of their relationship to Israel and, especially to the kings.. Starting with Samuel and his very critical warnings about kingship before he appointed the first king of Israel, Saul, Bruggemann charts the role of the prophet in Israel in challenging the royal vision of God and giving hope as that vision continues to fail time and time again. The applicability of that critique continues to this day and is one of the reasons why this book resonates among contemporary, often progressive Christians.

I think my only caveat is that I think Bruggemann makes the distinction between the often syncretistic, power-driven royal religion and the prophets sometimes too sharply. Yes, there are an awful lot of abusive, unfaithful rulers in Israel and Judaea, but, every once in a while, either an unfaithful one shifts or a faithful ruler appears, and for a while, royal religion becomes faithful again. I think, if we take the Hebrew Testament as whole, the intention was that royal religion would coincide with the prophetic and, in the best of the kings, it does (David getting as close as anyone could). The failure of the kings doesn't change that.

But that disagreement aside, I think this is a superb book and well worth reading, not only for those seeking to understand the Hebrew Testaments, but also those contemplating a prophetic role in todays much different, yet no so different political realms.

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