Cold War – Page 2 – Cannonball Read 17

Books and Spooks

Silverview by John Le Carré

January 4, 2024 by Zirza Leave a Comment

33 year old Julian Lawndsley (yes, he’s British, why do you ask?) has had enough of life as a hardcore stock broker in the City and decides to start anew in a nameless seaside town, where he opens a book shop. He’s not an avid reader and doesn’t know a lot about books, so when a quaint, older man named Edward starts frequenting his shop, offering him advice, he seizes the opportunity. He finds himself enjoying the older man’s company, so when Edward asks him […]

Rosenberg, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom….Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”

Act of War: Lyndon Johnson, North Korea, and the Capture of the USS Pueblo by Jack Cheevers

December 23, 2021 by ingres77 Leave a Comment

One thing I love about history is that no matter how much you think you know, there’s always something new to uncover. Such was the case, here. I think I have a pretty good handle on 20th century US history. I’m not an academic, by any means, but I’ve done a fair bit of reading. I’ve either never heard of the USS Pueblo, or had forgotten about it until reading this book. Technically speaking, the Korean War never ended. We were all reminded of this […]

The Weekend

Absolute Friends by John Le Carré

Are Snakes Necessary? by Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman

The Jedi Doth Return (William Shakespeare's Star Wars) by Ian Doescher

August 23, 2021 by Jake Leave a Comment

I really wanted to write separate reviews of these but life is incredibly busy right now so this will have to suffice… Absolute Friends *** This is another review I’m glad I slept on. I really wish I liked it more than I did. The beginning was great: two friends making their way across the chasm of time and space in the post-WWII Cold War Europe. Idealism mixed with low class status, the desire to create a better world but lacking in power to do […]

It’s a real life spy thriller! (And it’s really good!)

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre

February 6, 2021 by LaneyFace Leave a Comment

Oh boy, do I love a good espionage thriller. So, continuing with my “what’s free and available” method of choosing books, I picked up my father’s copy of Ben Macintyre’s The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War. This is the true story of a high-ranking KGB official who defected to MI6 during the deepest freeze of the Cold War. (KGB is Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti for anyone who plays trivia – it seems like a formidable bonus question). Macintyre interviews […]

Arguably, America’s Greatest General

George Marshall: Defender of the Republic by David L. Roll

September 27, 2019 by thewheelbarrow Leave a Comment

I remember learning about the Marshall Plan in AP US History class and how critical it was to repairing the world after WWII. I did not realize until years later that General George C. Marshall was individual who lent his name to the plan. I’ve been in the Army for thirteen years, as of yesterday, and I’ve developed opinions on many famous generals from our history. Most of those opinions are demonstrably leery of anyone who receives unadulterated hero worship. I am not a fan […]

Throwing a kitten out a window was only a warning shot.

April 29, 2017 by borisanne 2 Comments

Halfway through Moonglow, I caught myself with my hand over my mouth, trying to keep my breath inside my body because the prose was so exceptionally beautiful. I had my worries before reading this book. I have only recently discovered Chabon, and have only otherwise read The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, which was so stunning that it made me want to punch something. There is a lot of hype surrounding Moonglow, and even I only got it by accident from the library on a strict, one […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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