Book Review: The Lazarus Men

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Christian Warren Freed https://christianwfreed.com has authored more than 25 fantasy and science fiction novels. His novel The Lazarus Men was just released in January. This is the first book of his The Lazarus Men Agenda series.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘R’ because of scenes of violence. The primary character is middle-aged Gerald LaPlant.

The novel is set far in the future, in the 23rd century. LaPlant is a low-level worker in the powerful McMasters business empire. He is thrust into a conspiracy when he accidentally witnesses a murder. That is compounded when he finds an alien artifact in his pocket. His only explanation for its origin is the man he saw murdered.

After surviving an attack by the murderers, he sees no course but to flee Earth and hide. He arranges a visit with an old friend on Mars. On the flight to Mars, he meets archeologist Charlotte Bailey. He is a bit attracted to the lovely Ms. Bailey. Before long, he has told her his story. After seeing the artifact, she concludes that it has something to do with the mythical treasure of Karakzaheim. Once they have arrived on Mars, they meet with Creeps, a childhood friend of LaPlant.

The Earth Alliance rules Earth, but they are weak. The Lazarus Men are a ruthless, secret organization controlled by Mr. Shine. He has developed an interest in LaPlant and the artifact. Likewise, Rolan McMasters wants to add the Karakzaheim treasure to his fortune. AsLaPlant, Bailey, and Creeps begin their search for the treasure they are pursued by a mixture of agents. The Earth Alliance, the Lazarus Men, and McMasters all have agents in play. They repeatedly find themselves in one dire situation after another. LaPlant can trust no-one.

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 276-page science fiction novel. I enjoyed the story, but the plot seemed a little rough around the edges. There seemed to be little in the way of relationships between the characters. I like the cover art used. I give this novel a rating of 3.7 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: Wolf

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Authors Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter https://alanwinter.com published Wolf in 2020. In addition to Wolf, Stern has published one other novel while Winter has published five.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘R’ due to scenes of violence and mature situations. The primary character is Friedrich Richard. The book is a work of historical fiction, but it incorporates many facts from the period.

The story begins in 1918 as WWI is ending. WWI German veteran Richard is in the hospital. It is there where he first meets another veteran calling himself Wolf. A man who is otherwise known as Adolf Hitler. It is there that they become life-long friends.

While Richard is not a true believer in the Nazis, he does become a close confidant to Hitler. He sees from the inside how the Nazis rise to power. Richard is present at many significant events and meets the principles within the party. He is also familiar with the young women who Hitler becomes close to.

The novel spans the period 1918 to 1934. Richard tells in the first person what he sees, hears, and experiences. Some of his observations are what the authors speculated to have happened. Much of it is historical fact.

I enjoyed the 12+ hours I spent reading this 552-page novel of WWII era historical fiction. I particularly enjoyed this novel because I recently finished reading Hindenburg, Ludendorff, and Hitler: Germany’s Generals and the Rise of the Nazis. That book covers roughly the same period from a strictly historical perspective. Many of the events covered in Hindenburg appear in this novel. I am glad that I read Hindenburg first. The cover art is very plain. I think something better could have been chosen. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Relive a Civil War battle at the Texas Military Forces Museum

On the weekend of March 12-13, B Company operating under the auspices of the Texas Military Forces Museum will present Battlefield 1863. B Company is part of the official living history detachment of the Texas National Guard. Officially the group represents B Company, Red River Battalion of the 4th Texas Infantry in Hood’s Texas Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.

Presentations will be made at 1PM on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and there will be ample free parking. Enter Camp Mabry through the main gate off of 35th street. Full directions are on the website. A photo ID for all adults is required for admission to the post.

The Texas Military Forces Museum will be open from 10AM until 4PM on both days. Come inside the museum and browse through 26,000 square feet of exhibits. The museum documents the military heritage of Texas from the 1830s through today’s operations in the Middle East. Outside the museum are nearly 50 more military aircraft and vehicles on display.

Book Review: The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Jan Slimming published The Secret Life of an American Codebreaker at the end of January 2022. She has published two books on women involved in WWII codebreaking.

In return for a fair and honest review, I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this book as ‘G’. While the biography of Janice Martin forms the core of this book, the scope is much larger.

Martin was recruited into the military in 1943. After graduation from Goucher College, she became an officer in the WAVES. She worked for three years in the US codebreaking efforts. The book covers the events leading up to WWII and the eventual involvement of the United States. It details the history of women in cryptography. It also tells about their role in the WWII military. Since Martin was stationed in Washington DC, there is substantial discussion of living in the capital during the war. Some of the cryptographic machinery is also described.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 295-page WWII history. I read and liked her first book Codebreaker Girls: A Secret Life at Bletchley Park. Both books are unique in that their subjects are connected to the author. This book is easy to read even though it is full of many details. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.

Further Information:

1. Podcast Series Bletchley Park
2. Codebreaker Girls: A Secret Life at Bletchley Park
3. Code Wars: How ‘Ultra’ and ‘Magic’ Led to Allied Victory
4. Images of the National Archives: Codebreakers
5. The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.

Book Review: Lord of Chaos

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author Robert Jordan published the sixth novel in his ‘The Wheel of Time’ series, Lord of Chaos, in 1994. He published more than 20 novels during his writing career.

I recently listened to this book on Audible. I had read it once several years ago. When we heard that a TV series based on the Wheel of Time novels would be on Amazon Prime, both my wife and I decided to read/listen to them again. I categorize this book as ‘R’ because of scenes of violence. The fantasy series spans 15 novels.

Rand al’Thor, The Dragon Reborn, has taken Tear, Andor, and Caemlyn. His influence extends even further. He has established the Black Tower where men who can channel are training as Asha’man. The Aiel clans other than the Shaido have pledged their support to Rand. They see him as the Car’a’carn, their chief of chiefs.

The Aes Sedai are split, though both factions seek an alliance with or the domination of Rand. He is well aware of what they want and does his best to keep his distance from them.

The Forsaken and the Dark One are still plotting against Rand. Somehow they have changed the weather. Causing severe storms at sea, with heat and drought across the land.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 41.5 hours I spent listening to this 720-page fantasy. I like the art selected for the hardback cover. I give this novel a rating of 5 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review: America’s Few: Marine Aces of the South Pacific

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Author & historian Bill Yenne https://www.billyenne.com published America’s Few: Marine Aces of the South Pacific last January. He has published ten novels and more than three dozen non-fiction books.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. This book looks at the aerial aces in the Pacific during WWII. Specifically, he focuses on the two dozen Marine Corps pilots who earned the rank as double-digit aces.

The author begins with a brief history of Marine Corps Aviation. He then lays out the story of each of the Marine Corps flyers who ended WWII with 10 or more aerial victories. He spends some time with the early life of each ace. The real focus of the book begins in 1942 on Guadalcanal.

As time moves forward, Yenne follows each ace and summarizes their achievements. Some, but not a lot, of details are given on their individual aerial victories. Mostly it is the day, mission, and general location where the Japanese aircraft was shot down. He follows up with each of the surviving aces noting their post-war careers.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 437-page WWII history. I learned a lot more about the Marine pilots in this book. This is the third book by Yenne that I have read. The other two are Aces: True Stories of Victory and Valor in the Skies of World War II and MacArthur’s Air Force: American Airpower over the Pacific and the Far East, 1941–51. They have all been readable, enjoyable, and informative books on WWII aviation history. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5.

Further Information:

1. MacArthur’s Air Force: American Airpower over the Pacific and the Far East, 1941–51
2. Air Apaches the 345th bomb group in the South Pacific

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest. 

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 570 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII.