Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
Book and Dagger-How Scholars And Librarians Became The Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham (2024) - Drawn from declassified documents from official sources, and many personal documents of those involved, the author details the input of a wide range of non-professional spies who played vital roles in the Allies victory in Europe.... Continue Reading →
MK Ultra (2022) Based on actual events, the CIA enlists a psychiatrist to lead illegal experiments using psychedelic drugs on mental asylum patients. Eventually, he will face decisions about the work he’s doing. Directed by Joseph Sorrentino Starring Anson Mount, Jason Patric, Jaime Ray Newman Why I Liked It – I didn’t. There’s no way... Continue Reading →
The Field of Blood-Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War by Joanne Freeman (2018) - A look at violence within the halls of Congress and the streets of our nation’s capitol in the decades leading to the shelling of Fort Sumter and beyond. The divisions that would push the Union to the breaking... Continue Reading →
Honorable Treachery- A History of U. S. Intelligence, Espionage, and Covert Action from the American Revolution to the CIA (2014) by J.G.A. O’Toole An in-depth look at the history of intelligence in the history of the United States. The book begins with the action leading up to the Revolutionary War and carries the story through... Continue Reading →
Sex, Jazz, and a Serial Killer Empire of Sin – Sex, Jazz, Murder and the Battle for Modern New Orleans by Gary Krist (2014) Long before Las Vegas carried the name of “Sin City”, that “crown” might have belonged to New Orleans, Louisiana. Crime flourished in a city with a lax police force and politicians... Continue Reading →
The Catcher Was A Spy (2018) - Based loosely on the life of major league baseball catcher Moe Berg. It’s the story of an intelligent, well-read baseball oddball who goes to work for American intelligence during World War II, including an assignment to assassinate the head of the Nazi atomic bomb program.Directed by Ben LewinStarring... Continue Reading →
Mr. Christian!Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - A brutal ship’s captain spurs his first mate into mutiny. Based on a best-selling novel of the historic events.Directed by Frank LloydStarring - Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, Franchot ToneWhy I Liked It - A reminder of how great the older movie can be. Epic scenery and brilliant acting.This... Continue Reading →
Who Killed Nancy? (2009) - The question of who killed Nancy Spungen, the girlfriend of punk icon Sid Vicious is examined in the context of the punk rock scene of the 1970s. Why I Liked It - An insider look at the punk rock scene of the '70s through the life and death of an... Continue Reading →
A Bite-Sized History of France - Gastronomic Tales of Revolution, War, and Enlightenment by Stéphane Henaut; Jeni Mitchell (2018) - A husband and wife team of a French cheesemonger, and an American ex-pat academic lead the reader through French history one bite at a time. France is all about food, and food is woven deeply into... Continue Reading →
The Islamic Enlightenment: The Struggle Between Faith and Reason, 1798 to Modern Times by Christopher Bellaigue (2017) - This is the book that everyone in the West needs to read if they want to begin to understand the Middle East. A careful examination of the effects of the collision between the "modern world" and Islamic... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 