Book Reviews — www.ddmcd.com

Website copyright © 2002-2025 by Dennis D. McDonald. From Alexandria, Virginia I support proposal writing & management, content and business development, market research, and strategic planning. I also a practice and support cursive handwriting. My email: ddmcd@ddmcd.com. My bio: here.

All in History

Christopher Kemp’s FLOATING GOLD: A NATURAL (AND UNNATURAL) HISTORY OF AMBERGRIS

Jan 14

Jan 14 Christopher Kemp’s FLOATING GOLD: A NATURAL (AND UNNATURAL) HISTORY OF AMBERGRIS

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Science

It’s an oddly touching book. The author bounces around modern day buyers and sellers, lone wolf secretive ambergris “prospectors,” whaling museums, and frequent trips to walk along the beach after high tide. It seems disjointed but is worth a reading if the unusual interests you.

Drew Gilpin Faust's “THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING: DEATH AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR”

May 29

May 29 Drew Gilpin Faust's “THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING: DEATH AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR”

Dennis D. McDonald

Book Reviews, History, Non Fiction, War, Medicine, US Civil War

This book addresses all aspects of death from the vantage point of the U.S. War Between the States, a massive orgy of carnage that took place on U.S. soil between 1861 and 1865.

David E. Hoffman's THE DEAD HAND: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE COLD WAR ARMS RACE AND ITS DANGEROUS LEGACY

Apr 11

Apr 11 David E. Hoffman's THE DEAD HAND: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE COLD WAR ARMS RACE AND ITS DANGEROUS LEGACY

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Politics, War, Cold War, Nuclear

In the mood to read something scary? This book will make your hair stand on end.

Barrett Tillman's “WHIRLWIND: THE AIR WAR AGAINST JAPAN, 1942-1945”

Jan 28

Jan 28 Barrett Tillman's “WHIRLWIND: THE AIR WAR AGAINST JAPAN, 1942-1945”

Dennis D. McDonald

Aircraft, History, Non Fiction, Pacific War, War

The author provides a very good overview of the role of aircraft in bludgeoning Japan into submission. While never minimizing the role of seapower in strangling Japan’s WWII economy, Stillman documents Allied land and sea originated aair war efforts, the centerpiece being the role of the Boeing B-29.

Max Hastings' RETRIBUTION: THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN, 1944-45

Jan 15

Jan 15 Max Hastings' RETRIBUTION: THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN, 1944-45

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Pacific War, War

Hastings tells the story of the final year of the Pacific War from multiple perspectives, much of which will be new to people whose awareness of Chinese, British, and Russian action against the Japanese is low.

Richard Holmes' THE AGE OF WONDER: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

Dec 13

Dec 13 Richard Holmes' THE AGE OF WONDER: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

Dennis D. McDonald

Astronomy, Biography, Biology, History, Non Fiction, Science

This book covers the development of British science from the time of Cook’s famous voyage (which stopped at Tahiti) up to Darwin’s Beagle voyage. It concentrates on a few key luminaries (the Herschels, Davy, Mungo Park, Farady, Banks) and at the same time explores the relationship, sometimes synergistic, between art and science.

Bernard Cornwell's AZINCOURT

Jul 23

Jul 23 Bernard Cornwell's AZINCOURT

Dennis D. McDonald

Fiction, History, War, Historical Fiction

Nick Hook is an archer in Henry V’s army. The events in this novel go from 1413 to 1415 and follow Hook as Henry’s army invades France to assert his claim to the French throne.

Len Fisher's WEIGHING THE SOUL: THE EVOLUTION OF SCIENTIFIC BELIEFS

Aug 23

Aug 23 Len Fisher's WEIGHING THE SOUL: THE EVOLUTION OF SCIENTIFIC BELIEFS

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Science

The theme of this book is that scientists do sometimes believe things that seem opposed to reality or common sense.

Conor Cruise O’Brien's FIRST IN PEACE: HOW GEORGE WASHINGTON SET THE COURSE FOR AMERICA

Jun 25

Jun 25 Conor Cruise O’Brien's FIRST IN PEACE: HOW GEORGE WASHINGTON SET THE COURSE FOR AMERICA

Dennis D. McDonald

Biography, History, Non Fiction, Politics

This little book is organized around George Washington’s first and second terms as U.S. President. The first chapter concentrates on the relationship between Washington and his Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. The second focuses on the visit to the U.S. by Edmond-Charles Genêt, also known as “Citizen Genêt,” whose job it was to secure support from the American people for the French Revolution.

Herman Wouk's THE LANGUAGE GOD TALKS

Jun 5

Jun 5 Herman Wouk's THE LANGUAGE GOD TALKS

Dennis D. McDonald

Autobiography, History, Non Fiction, Philosophy, Religion, Science

At first I thought this book was both meandering and annoying. It wasn’t till page 69 (out of only 183) that I finally figured out what it’s about.

Andrew Williams' THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC

Jun 1

Jun 1 Andrew Williams' THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Submarines, War

This war history book about the U-boat war in the Atlantic during World War II has one of the best balances of strategy, tactics, and firsthand experience that I’ve read.

Guy Delisle's BURMA CHRONICLES

Apr 21

Apr 21 Guy Delisle's BURMA CHRONICLES

Dennis D. McDonald

Autobiography, Graphic Novel, History, Non Fiction, Politics, Delisle

This comic strip depiction of Delisle’s year in Burma as a “house-dad” while accompanying his Doctors Without Borders wife is simultaneously touching, funny, and scary.

Osamu Tezuka's BUDDHA (volumes 1-8)

Mar 4

Mar 4 Osamu Tezuka's BUDDHA (volumes 1-8)

Dennis D. McDonald

Biography, Graphic Novel, History, Philosophy, Religion

My knowledge of Buddhism and the Buddha is minimal. I approached this 8-volume manga series purely out of curiosity when I saw it sitting on the shelf in the graphic novels section of the Alexandria Public Library.

Richard Corfield's THE SILENT LANDSCAPE: THE SCIENTIFIC VOYAGE OF HMS CHALLENGER

Nov 4

Nov 4 Richard Corfield's THE SILENT LANDSCAPE: THE SCIENTIFIC VOYAGE OF HMS CHALLENGER

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Science

In 1872 the HMS Challenger left England on a two year voyage of scientific discovery.

Chiara Frugoni's A DAY IN A MEDIEVAL CITY

May 14

May 14 Chiara Frugoni's A DAY IN A MEDIEVAL CITY

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction

If all you know about the Middle Ages consists of warfare, popes, and kings, and you want to know what daily life was really like, this is the book for you.

Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar's CODE-NAME DOWNFALL: THE SECRET PLAN TO INVADE JAPAN AND WHY TRUMAN DROPPED THE BOMB

Mar 21

Mar 21 Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar's CODE-NAME DOWNFALL: THE SECRET PLAN TO INVADE JAPAN AND WHY TRUMAN DROPPED THE BOMB

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Pacific War, War

Allen and Polmar convincingly demonstrate Truman’s justification for dropping the atom bomb on Japan to end World War II.

Oliver Sacks' SEEING VOICES: A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF THE DEAF

Oct 5

Oct 5 Oliver Sacks' SEEING VOICES: A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF THE DEAF

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Science

This 3-part book by Oliver Sacks from 1989 reviews the history of deaf education and language, the neurological underpinnings of language acquisition and deafness, and the student uprising at Gallaudet College in 1988.

Anthony Lewis' FREEDOM FOR THE THOUGHT THAT WE HATE: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

May 18

May 18 Anthony Lewis' FREEDOM FOR THE THOUGHT THAT WE HATE: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Law, Non Fiction, Politics

This little volume is packed with an amazing amount of readable information about the history of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, libel, privacy, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.

Helen Nicholson's THE CRUSADES

Apr 23

Apr 23 Helen Nicholson's THE CRUSADES

Dennis D. McDonald

History, Non Fiction, Religion, War

I assigned three tags to this book review:

Lisa Jardine's INGENIOUS PURSUITS: BUILDING THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

Jan 19

Jan 19 Lisa Jardine's INGENIOUS PURSUITS: BUILDING THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

Dennis D. McDonald

Astronomy, Biography, Biology, History, Non Fiction, Science, Exceptional

Late 17th Century London and the Royal Society provide the setting for this book. It concentrates on the “great men” who created modern Western science.