And I have now read it too. So very good.
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As much as he irritates me, he knows film quite well, and itās immediately obvious how fundamental his love of film is. Well worth a read if you like any of the films discussed, and have a less than encyclopaedic knowledge of the films of the era.
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He really irritates me as well, but Iāve been considering this since it came out. I wish the library had this so I didnāt have to buy itā¦
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Definitely worth a loan. See if your library will get it in, theyāre usually happy to buy or inter-library loan books (speaking as a former librarian).
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I couldnāt justify buying this for a while, as my investigators are balls-deep in a very long campaign right now, and thereās no way for me to involve Japan or move things there, but in the end my resistance crumbled, I picked it up, and Iām glad I did. 400 pages of information, plus multiple packs of maps and handouts, means you are well supported if you try to run an adventure in 1920s Japan, which is a fascinating-enough setting to involve anyone who has even the slightest curiosity about it. The book has three scenarios in it, and they make a wonderful change from the usual Sengoku or modern eras that Japanese scenarios usually get. Even though I am well acquainted with Japanese history, I still discovered some new information, and the detail about locales (especially outside of Tokyo) is completely my jam. The Japanese art throughout is choice.
Of particular delight, as a former aikidoka, was to see the founder of the martial art and his far-right ties to militarists, fascists, organised crime, and secret societies, all get a mention, however minor. Iām going to crowbar all this stuff in somehow, later rather than sooner, but still.
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I am listening to āEmpire of Painā as audiobook, absolutely brilliantly written (and read) in the German version, but I assume the English version is of the same qualityā¦ an absolute must read if you are somehow affiliated in the medical fieldā¦
I am far from through with it, but I am just blown away of how well this book is written and researchedā¦ Broadly speaking, it is addressing the corruption of politics, FDA, physician, media, through the pharma industry, from the early beginning of industrial pharmaceuticals post WW2, up until our modern days and the opioid crisisā¦ It is written in a very captivating way, as if you were reading a crime story, only based on real people and events.
Edited for minor language corrections
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Still the book on Dien Bien Phu, as far as Iām concerned. An epic battle and pure feat of endurance on both sides. Highly detailed, well-researched, and captivating.
Kind of a prequel volume to his earlier volumes on Hitler, this time taking a more general view of the boiling-over bullshit pressure cooker that was Weimar Germany. The numerous failed coups, hundreds of political assassinations, extensive political reforms that first showed promise and then turned nightmarish. Very approachable, surprisingly deep.
Not the most in-depth work, but engagingly written. There is some overlap and repetition, which is unfortunate, as the book isnāt simply a narrative progression through the years, containing some otherwise well-constructed digressions on figures like Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem.
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Finally finished the Expanse series and really enjoyed it. The only thing that sucks about finishing a long series like that is Iāll miss the characters. I read all nine books over the last couple of years, so itās going to be kind of weird to not read about those people any more.
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Agreed. Double-edged sword, for sure. On the plus side, at least it A) actually finished and B) stuck the landing.
Iād much rather feel the loss at journeyās end than deal with the crap that the likes of Martin and Rothfuss give us.
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