Time for a Two-fer book review

Today I review two books: Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends (Paperback) and Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods (P.S.) (Paperback)

Now, these books are very different. Antia Diamant talks about how one converts to Judaism as the wife of a Jew by choice, she has a certain insight. Michael Wex offers a fun book about Yiddish, a fun language that has loads of insults :)

Both aspects are important in being religious. To choose a faith, you need to make a plan and know the rules, but you also have to have fun and joke with Hashem (joking with Elokim may prove risky). Yiddish is also a language of Ashkenazic Jews, like my wonderful Sara (or Suri as her name is pronounced in Yiddish).

Both books have very different goals, but both are informative and worth the read.

Time for Book Review!!!

Now, I have been slacking on my reviews, but today's book is Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and the shortest summary I can give is: wow!

This is a truly remarkable woman. She was born in Somalia to a basically feudal culture, but one that made an attempt at modernization and failed. She describes her ordeals and traveling through various nations and the Islamic indoctrination she received, as well as her ability to overcome it and to flee to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage.

Once in the Netherlands as a refugee, she has the strength to avoid the trap of the welfare state and get a job, as well as go to College and even get elected to Parliament. Unfortunately, she has some mishaps along the way, as she loses a friend and her citizenship, but she does not yield to the pressure as she moves to the United States and joins a think tank.

Her tale is still told as she speaks and will not be silenced. And since she speaks at risk to herself, I heavily encourage you to listen. I feel that I put on a uniform and risk my life for defenders of liberty like Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She understands being an American far more than Michael Moore, Noam Chomksy, or Jimmy Carter ever could.

My project is complete!! Now, most of you are wondering what the Hell I am talking about. Well, it is a project inspired by the daily parsha portions and Psalms readings done by Chabad. Now, I decided to break down the Prophetic and Writing books of the Tanach (sans Psalms which is already in a good order) by chapter and verse so they can be read over the course of a year, starting with Rosh Hashana, but excluding the leap month of Adar I.

Now, for daily portions of Torah and Psalms, click here. The rest is on an excel spreadsheet that I will email to interested parties, but I don't know how to upload it, myself.

Today is World Capitalism Day.

What is that, you ask?

Most simply put, it is a day to celebrate capitalism :)

In fact, the Celebrate Capitalism website discusses various ways to celebrate capitalism, including learning just what capitalism is, and that it's not just for the rich.

In one part is a study of seven philosophers that are credited for capitalism, first being Aristotle, but also Adam Smith, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Ayn Rand, Frederic Bastiat, and Ludwig von Mises, an interesting mix of philosophers, economists, and a statesman.

The PRODOS Institute also offers information on celebrating capitalism, along with their flag, SARA.

In other news, I can offer a book review to go along with today:

The Early Ayn Rand: Revised Edition: A Selection From Her Unpublished Fiction

This book is special to me not just for who wrote it, but who gave it to me. For those of you who read a past post, I am in a relationship with Sara with no H, and she introduced herself to me by giving me this book. Little did I know how she felt about me fully, but I only wished I started chatting with her sooner, as her paypal has her email address, but I am not always as good at doing the obvious. This book I will treasure just because she gave it to me <3

Now, the stories inside are also interesting. They show a trend in Ayn Rand's writing from the late 20s to the late 30s. Her first one is about a woman who ends a marriage and lives by herself in seclusion, which is pretty radical a concept in the 20s. The second one is about a reporter who kidnaps a debutante to make it into a story only to have a real gangster take over, but the kidnapped girl outsmarts everyone involved.

The next ones involve her story We the Living, including an excerpt and a love triangle that is later refashioned in We the Living. In addition to two plays is a story that is similar to The Fountainhead in characters as well as the latter stories which are parts of the Fountainhead that wound up on the cutting room floor.

Overall, this is an excellent book if you like Ayn Rand's writing,a s it gives insight into her evolution as a writer and it's fun to read the "director's cut" of The Fountainhead :)

May 2007 Reading list:

Infidel

Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods (P.S.)

Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends (Paperback)

Living a Life That Matters (Paperback)

How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness

The Early Ayn Rand: Revised Edition: A Selection From Her Unpublished Fiction

Books read for May: 6
Total read for 2007: 24

This will be my last blog post until Thursday evening. I have a Field Training Exercise tomorrow (with sarcasm: oh joy oh joy) until Thursday and may it be over early on Thursday, rather than later. I have everything, but toiletries and some other materials packed and I am ready to endure this exercise.

In the meantime, I present another April review:

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew about Judaism (Paperback)

Now, this book is worth reading if you do not know much about Judaism. However, I didn't learn too much new from this book, but that makes me feel great. It means I am learning the basics, as basic Judaism books are becoming redundant for me. It means I am ready to enter the world of intermediate Judaism, though I have yet to fully master the aleph-bet, but I will in time. Now back to the book. I do admit I should have probably made this one of my first books to read as it is excellent for anyone with questions about Judaism. If you're curious or if you're Jewish and still learning your heritage, get this book. If you're a rabbi, then you probably know everything the book would have to teach you :)

Now on to my final book of April: Exodus, by Leon Uris

Now, this book is historical fiction so I have no doubt liberties were taken. Obviously Yosef Trumpledore, David Ben Gurion, and Lord Balfour are real. Conversely, Adolf Hitler, Haj Amin El Husseini, Adolf Eichmann, and pro-Arab British officers are also real (and some of those schmucks may still be alive).

I do suspect the main characters are not, but I'd love to see if I am wrong. This book was powerful and passionate. Britain's prison camps and the cruelty of keeping a persecuted people behind barbed wire is not mentioned in history class, but it should be. I also love how each character is given a biography as we are first introduced to the reporter and his childhood friend, a nurse looking to replace her lost husband and child. Next are the contrasting tales of Karen Clement and Dov Landau, along with their own experiences of the Holocaust and their unlikely pairing.

The prison camps (I won't call the Concentration Camps as the British didn't actively try to kill the Jewish refugees) were run by a British General who is in fact Jewish, but it isn't until much later that he embraces his heritage fully (at the beginning he is pro-Jewish). His aide is a nasty Amalekite named Freddie Caldwell, a petty and vindictive man who will eventually meet justice through the Maccabees.

The plan is very basic. Under the Mossad and Ari Ben Canaan, a ship overflowing with children will ram the blockade and make international news, putting much needed pressure on the British to allow the Jewish refugees to emigrate to Palestine, where the Jewish Yishuv contains the only democracy in the region.

The tactic works and the next part of the book details the land that will become Israel and the British operations there. In addition is the background of Ari Ben Canaan's father and brother as well as his fiery and lovely sister Jordana. The tale of the gangster Haj Amin is given as his family proved the worst dons in the Levant and used threats and extortion to make Haj Amin Mufti of Jerusalem.

Also, a more enlightened sheik is mentioned and he works with and befriends the Ben Canaans as long as they promise to teach his Arabs the same techniques. Unfortunately this noble figure is murdered by the other dons and his son is a good, but weak leader, failing to stop Egyptian forces from taking over his town.

The story doesn't end with the modern state of Israel. One final tale is told of a roguish fellow and a daredevil pilot who seek to make a quick fortune rescuing Jewish refugees from Yemen, which leads to a certain amount of humor as Jews still living in the time of Solomon are taken aboard a plane and start a fire on board. These rogues become heroes as they continue their missions and join the Israeli community.

I highly recommend this book. I am not a man known for emotions or passions but it stirred up more than a few in me. I highly recommend this book, though remember it is not 100% accurate. A style I love, but the caveat is needed, as it is based on real events :)

Forty years!!!

Forty
has a strong meaning in Torah.

And today is Yom Yerushalayim (יום ירושלים), the 40th anniversary of the day that the IDF won the Old City and Jews had the right to worship at the Temple Mount, plus the Six-Day War is like many wars where rogue nations try to wipe out Israel only to expand her borders. Now, they just use UN condemnations.

In other news, Irina has a great summer job and will hopefully start a nice network from contacts.

Now for a review:

My thoughts on Leviticus.

Well, to be honest, Leviticus is not an exciting read. This is also my first time reading it, so it was interesting to learn all about what can be one of the most controverssial books of the Torah, as the laws may seem draconian by today's standards (we are talking about a late Bronze Age culture, so modernists can cut them some slack here). Also, it was sad reading about Aaron losing his two sons, plus Hashem cutting down his shivah time, but no one said being Kohen Gadol was easy.

I do admit that while I read the commenatry, I would like to read my portion with a group and have soem dsicussions and debates for the future, but I am in many ways impressed to have read it and hope that I get something out of each annual reading. Next time I rad Leviticus I will be deployed. That should definitely add something to my perspective.

Time for another review.

Time to keep catching up with my reviews. And for today I review a highly amuisng one, What Would Machiavelli Do? The Ends Justify the Meanness (Paperback)

This book may be a legitimate how to book, though I suspect it was for humor. Of course, I don't know for sure. I thought it was extremely funny as it gave advice on how to be petty, vindictive, and cruel in order to succeed.

Now the author has a series of book sin this mold that are hopefully meant for humor, which is why I bought this book. The very title was amusing, especially since Machiavelli himself was not such a bad guy, he just trained them :)

Here is a question. While I have no doubt I can read more than 50 boosk this yuear, I was wodnering if you would include Torah books I have been reaidng in my weekly parsha readings among the books. So far, I have finished Exodus and Leviticus this year, though they are not exceedingly long, but I also read the Commentary in my Chumash. I was just curious about any opinions.

Time for a Book Review. My first one in April.

Homeward Bound by Harry Turtledove

This is it! The final book in the WorldWar series by Harry Turtledove. It begins in 1972, where the Emperor summons Atvar to return to the home planet. Five years later, Sam Yeager is part of an experiment to freeze a human and transport them to the Lizard planet. In about ten years or so, Kasquit opts to be frozen along with Ttomalss, her father/researcher. In 1994, Jonathan and his wife are frozen and Reuven Russie is the Chief Doctor in Jerusalem. The downside to this prologue is that many other characters will no longer matter as events go far into the future. Penny and Rance will die of old age or excitement. Dutourds will no longer get any mention, nor will the Goldfarbs and their other friends in Alberta. I would have liked a tying up of loose ends. At least some mention is made of other characters, like Mordecai's grandchildren and Drucker's son, plus the sad news that Reuven Russie has a son named Dr. Chaim Russie who is killed by an Arab bomb. It was very sad to hear that, but at least not everyone beyond the main cast was completely written off.

Now, on the mission, we have four astronauts and a doctor piloting the ship once they awake from cold sleep as well as the Yeagers and four new faces, the DelaRosas, Maj. Coffey, and Henry Kissinger (though he is known as the doctor). Kisisnger was intended to be the diplomatic leader, but he dies in cold sleep, making Sam Yeager the new leader.

The first part of the book discusses life on the lizard home world, how hot it is and how even their south pole is like a wintry Los Angeles. Not too much to note, though it is interesting how the cities and the attitudes of the people are described, plus the two other subject races, Rabotevs and Hellesi, are shown as well as some interesting talk of evolution that helped me understand why the lizards were so advanced so early on. Earth and Home are not that different to an extent. On Earth reptiles evolved into mammals and within mammals further evolution led to primates, leading up to humans, while reptiles evolved into sentience on home granting at least a few million years of a head start. One big difference is that the lizards were every conservative and careful about technology causing evolution at a much slower pace than humans, which is why they were conquering outer space before bronze weapons were forged on Earth, but by the end of the tale, American scientists learned how to travel faster than light speed, traveling 10 light years in five weeks.

To be honest I felt disappointed by the book as I wanted more follow through on other characters, but I realize a story must conclude eventually. The Emperor was an interesting and wise character, but it seemed like he was a parody of a human leader, and much of lizard society seem to be like human society but with differences.

I only wish Turtledove will make short stories in the future to flesh in details about the other people mentioned, but I do need to realize that this is a fantasy world and cannot go on forever. I still recommend this series, but I am glad i checked out these books instead of buying them.

One more book review for March. Boy am I a slacker!!

The final book to review for March is The Rebels

This is the second book of the Kent family Chronicle and takes place during the American Revolution, detailing not just the story of Philip Kent, but also Judson Fletcher, an ill-tempered, self-destructive, dilettante son of a prominent Virginia planter possessing a modicum of decency, but not often.

Philip Kent is married to Anne Ware and she bears him a son while he is off at war. During the time leading up to his son's birth, Anne's father Abraham dies. Anne uses the inheritance to invest in two treasure hunting ships, a considerably risky venture, and at the same time she encourages Philip to re-enlist in the Continental Army.

In Virginia, Judson is prompted by his brother to take his place in the Continental Congress, but he proceeds to take on a binge of drinking and whoring much to the chagrin of Thomas Jefferson. During his time there, he drinks heavily and is eventually expelled from the Congress for his lewd behavior. At the same time, Alicia has degenerated form the loss of her husband and being rebuffed by Philip to a streetwalker and Judson's bed mate, until her wealthy uncle finds her and challenges Judson to a duel. Judson easily wins the duel and Alicia kills herself.

Philip lives history as he crosses the Delaware with Washington and spends the winter at Valley Forge learning drill and ceremony from Baron Von Steuben, as well as reuniting with the Marquis D'Lafayette, and even meeting General Washington.

Anne is in Boston with little Abraham being watched by a neighbor, but also by a lecherous ship captain who is ripping off the returns the Kents should be receiving from their ships. The Captain eventually kidnaps Anne to rape her aboard his ship, and he manages to do this many times until she manages to fight him to a draw killing them both.

Philip hears nothing from Anne and is concerned but he is not allowed to leave until he is later wounded, but by then he is too late as his wife is dead. During this time, Judson returns to Virginia and sleeps with Peggy Ashford McLean, an old love of his, but then moves on to seek a new life out west in the Appalachian Frontier following his childhood friend George Rogers Clark (as in the Clark of Lewis and Clark).

Peggy is pregnant, and hides away to Boston to have her daughter, Elizabeth Fletcher. While there, she meets Philip, and they wed.

Now that is a brief and unhelpful summary, but I don't want to give too much away. I enjoyed this book as a I am a fan of historical fiction, but I find events a bit fanciful as Philip experiences so many battles of the American Revolution. part of what shocks me is that with all this combat experience he remains a Private. Even if his friendship with Marquis D'Lafayette yields no perks, his experience should have eventually made him a Sergeant, but I do not know promotion structures at that time. I also liked the tie in of Alicia as a prostitute, closing a thread from the first novel, as well as Judson's redemption.

Once I finish a few more books, I look forward to reading the next book in the series to learn about Philip Kent and his children as well as step-daughter Elizabeth.

Today is a day of many events. First it is Lag Ba'Omer along with the Salute to Israel Parade in NYC (a pity I am back in Texas already). In addition, France has just elected Sarkozy who bears a resemblance to Charles Krauthammer, just like Jacques Chirac bears a resembalnce to Ehud Ohlmert

Check for yourself

Now for a much overdue review:

Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories (Paperback)

This was a great book, to say the least. I loved the stories each convert told. Some stories were not as relevant to me, while others spoke to me, especially Arthur's, as I was at one time a fairly devout Catholic, before that oatmeal-rich foudnation collapsed.

Each story gives a detailed profile of each convert as well as one woman who didn't convert, though not everyone is called. It also remidns me of stumbling blocks people, especially Christians would have if converting while their old belief system is still intact. For me, it was no problem as I for one hate Christmas and have since I was 12, and Easter is neither here nor there, though the progroms caused by Easter week is very unsettling.

On the downside I did not learn too much new information, though this is a good sign as I am learning the basics of Judaism and may be able to start on Intermeidate and eventually advanced topics. I definitely recommend this book to proselytes like myself and others with questiosn about why someone would want to convert.

Readings for April

I know I have two reviews for March pending, but for now, I will add my roundup of books for the month of April:

Judaism for Dummies

Homeward Bound

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew about Judaism

What Would Machiavelli Do?

Exodus

Books for April: 5
Total for 2007: 18

Book Review Time

First of all, I want to let Bagel Blogger know that the series I am reading is the same one and the picture of Mao, Hitler, and Stalin together is a chilling triumvirate of 20th century evil.

To Sara, feel free to email me at tmlforsyth@gmail.com if you want me to pay you a visit when I'm up in NYC from Apr 17-May 3. If not, no biggie.

Now, for the review:

Colonization: Aftershocks is the conclusion of the Colonization trilogy and the second to last book of this time line. This book also reveals a huge secret. Who slaughtered the lizard ships?

Now, Shiplord Straha defected back in WWII and has been living in exile in Los Angel es. Sam Yeager has recently discovered the truth about the attack on the colonization fleet and gave Straha copies as a precaution only to be opened if Sam disappears. Sam's son is aboard a lizard ship giving lizard-raised human Kassquit adult education lessons and thoroughly enjoying them. Jonathan's girlfriend Karen will not be happy.

The Lizards have wiped the floor with Nazi Germany and forced them to grant France independence, and Lt Colonel Drucker was promoted, but also captured by the lizard ship that Jonathan and Kassquit are aboard.

Now, from back in the WorldWar series, Col Drucker was one of the men working for Col Jaeger and he in fact helped Mordecai Anielwicz in releasing him. Now, Mordecai and Drucker team up again as they search for their families after the war's end. Luckily for them, the new Fuhrer is Drucker's old Commander, and he helps both Drucker and Mordecai find their families, which they do. Also, Col Drucker is promoted again to Major General and in charge of helping to rebuild Germany.

Sam Yaeger is captured for being nosy, but his abduction prompts Straha to head off to the Lizard Consulate in Los Angeles and give Atvar the much needed information. The nation responsible for the mass murder is in fact the United States, and Earl Warren's response is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. In retaliation the lizards nuke Indianapolis and Earl Warren commits suicide.

In France, Monique is free of the SS goon, but he brother is captured by the lizards, but Monique plea bargains by acting as a historian to help the lizards, though she needs her brother to act as translator.

After Sam is released and Jonathan and his girlfriend make up and get married, Straha's driver attempts to kidnap Sam, only to be surprised by Sam speeding and colliding with a pick up truck knocking the driver unconscious, all on the way to his son's wedding.

Straha returns to live with the lizards and decides to write a book about his adventures to support himself, along with being a nuisance to Fleetlord Atvar.

Another thread involves Rance and Penny who are now in Marseilles, as well as Basil and David, along with David's cousins in Jerusalem and Jane Archibald, who was Reuven Russie's shiksa goddess girlfriend. Rance and Penny use their connections to get Basil killed so he can no longer harass David. David uses his own hand at evil by inventing furbies, while Jane moves up to Edmonton and treats David's injuries as well as marrying David's boss. Reuven menawhiel works with his dad and begins courting an attractive widow who's son is one of his patients.

This is a rough summary of what went on in Aftershocks, but only a small amount as I encourage everyone to read the series. In some ways it seems too completed, though luckily there is one more book Homeward Bound, and I will be checking that out of the library asap...well tomorrow. Once again I enjoy how the characters are interconnected and the small world effect Turtledove uses, even if it can be predictable at times.

Book Review for March. Unfortunately, the book reaidng is lighter as I may be off to Warrior Leadership Course. So here goes:


Colonization: Aftershocks

The Rebels (Kent Family Chronicles

Converting to Judaism - Choosing to Be Chosen : Personal Stories

Books read for March: 3
Books for 2007: 13

Book Review Time. First I want to thank Sara with no H for sending me a book. I can't wait to see what it is :)

Now time for the last book on my list, but one that drew me to it by name: Turbulent Souls:: A Catholic Son's Return To His Jewish Family

Now, when I saw the book, I was curious to say the least. I myself grew up Catholic. My mother is from a mostly Irish family with some German, though her maiden name is Worthington, but thankfully they were originally Normans. Besides, the Worthington's moved to America (well NYC to be more specific), because a Joseph Chapman Worthington married an Irish Catholic and the Brits didn't look too highly on an Anglican marrying an Irish Catholic. MY father's side is Scottish and French, and this is true for centuries as Forsyth was DeForsyth, but in the first goyim millennium, they emigrated to Scotland...probably towards the end of that millenium, as Scotland was Calydonia until the Irish conquered it..this is why Mc and Mac are so similar and why both nations are Gaelic. Those Franco-Scots eventually became Barons and sold out the British, and this group includes Logans who were DeLogans until King James came about. That group settled in the American South and were Episcopalians. My father's mother was French from New Orleans and her family was exiled from France for being polite to tourists :) They were a combination of Canadians who didn't like the outcome of Abraham Plain and aristos settling in New Orleans.

Well, that is my family, and also why I was brought up Catholic. Now the author Stephen Dubner has a very different background. For me to be Jewish, I will convert, though this may be after I move to New York City, where I will not have too much trouble finding a Synagogue :) Stephen's case is different, because his mother is Jewish, even though she converted, so he just needs to embrace his birthright, which he does, but more on that later.

Now, Stepehen's parents were both Jewish and grew up in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, their parents didn't provide them the best religious upbringing. Solly (Stephen's father) was raised by a very devout father, who was not the most personable father, and Solly lost his mother as a young man, which gave him a tremendous emotional blow. During WWII, Solly joined the Army and served in the Pacific, where he would convert to Catholicism, perhaps hoping Mary can fill the void left by his mother Gittel's death. Florence, Stephen's mother had a different background. She grew up in Brooklyn, but in a very secular background, as opposed to Solly. As a young adult she took up ballet and was instructed by a Russian expatriate who had converted from Russian Orthodox to Catholic. Florence would follow in a similar path, but she became a much stricter Catholic. Needless to say, their parents weren't pleased. Florence's parents were disapproving and understandably dismayed to find a holy water dispenser or crucifix, while Solly's father sat Shiva and mourned the "death" of his son. Another prominent change was the names. Solly became Paul and Florence became Veronica. The two met after the war ended and after marriage they moved to a rural area in Suffolk County. As Catholics, they were actually very devout and zealous (which I once was) and had eight children. With all the children, the house in Suffolk proved too small, so they moved to a suburb of Albany, in a farmhouse that was dubbed Eden.

At 10, Stephen was lose his father, which had many effects on him, including an aversion to the Charismatic Catholics his parents had begun flocking to, but his questions about his faith would come much later in College where he would meet his first wife and start a band.

Now, his Catholic faith had lapsed and he had married his first wife in an Episcopal ceremony. They lived in Greenwich Village, where Stephen met his wife's instructor and role model, an Orthodox Jew who, while not advocating any specific faith for Stephen, encouraged Stephen to find absolutes to his life and determine his identity. Through this connection and a search for his parents' family that even leads him to Poland, Stephen re-connects to his Jewish roots. Also, after hi first marriage ended, he remarried a Jewish women and now has two kids, continuing a strong, but knowledgeable Jewish tradition. Ironically, this may have only been possible due to his parents' conversion as he was the youngest of eight kids.

Now, I did not know the story in advance and in some ways I can relate to it, but not too much, as the only non-Catholics in my family are Episcopalians. Also, my parents are not overly devout or the least bit zealous. One other factor affecting Stephen was his initial resentment at his par nets for abandoning their Jewish roots, until it was his ex-wife's mentor who helped him understand that his parents were following their hearts as he was following his, and the fact that if his parents became nonobservant Jews instead of zealous Catholic, they would never have had eight kids, so no Stephen to return to his Jewish roots.

Granted, I have only covered a portion of what the book is about, but if I give too much away, you won't get curious and read the book for yourself :) I thought the book was very good, and of course I also loved Freakonomics, which he wrote more recently. As a Jew in training, I love stories about conversions, and while this book is not a conversion story formally, it still has a great story to it, and I can sympathize with some of Stephen's journey as I am learning Hebrew and will eventually learn how to use a tallit and tefillin, though I will have the benefit of conversion classes and instruction while much of it had to be self-taught, as he accidentally ripped his tallit while davening in one chapter.

I highly recommend the book, especially if you enjoy learning about journeys.

Book Review

Today is a double header, as they are the first two books of a trilogy:

Second Contact (Colonization, Book 1) and Down to Earth (Colonization, Book 2).

Now, the story starts with the Worldwar Series, where lizards attempt to conquer Earth during WWII. The lizards are a very conservative race that progress at a slow and gradual pace. A probe of Earth (or Tosev 3 as they call it) taken 800 years ago shows a knight in rusty armor, leading the lizards to believe that Earth is still in the same position it was during the High Middle Ages, but are they in for a shock!

The invasion interrupts WWII and forces all human forces to unite against the invaders. One minor league ballplayer named Sam Yeager enlists in the Army while his coworker Bobby Fiore is kidnapped and forced to mate with a Chinese peasant, Liu Han.

A Jewish resident of the Warsaw Ghetto was medical student until the Nazis arrived. The lizard invaders destroy the barriers to the Warsaw Ghetto, and nuke Berlin, which starts a good alliance with Moishe Russie (the medical student) and Mordecai Anielwicz along with most of Poland's Jews. Russie becomes a radio spokesman for the lizards, much to the dismay of his cousin David Goldfarb, a radar worker for the RAF, and son of Polish Jews who fled turn of the century progroms for a better life in East London.

The relationship is soured when Washington DC is nuked next and Moishe seeks Mordecai's help in escaping Warsaw, along with his wife and son. Eventually Moishe is captured and imprisoned, but rescued by his cousin David courtesy of the Royal British Navy. Later on, the Russie are sent on a mission to Israel (though then known as Palestine), but are captured by the Stern Gang and later by the lizards, but Moishe becomes a chief advisor for them.

In the US, Same Yeager is a sci fi nut and when two lizards are captured, he volunteers to guard them and study them, which leads him to Chicago and the wife of a physicist working on the Manhataan project. The physicist has dissapeared and is presumed dead, so the wife Barbara and Sam marry enroute to Denver where the project is continued.

In China Liu Han and Bobby Fiore wind up joining Mao's guerrilas in fighting lizards, especially after their daughter is captured and later retaken, but Bobby is killed before the daughter was born.

In the midwest near Denver a Cavalry Captain Rance Auerbach meets a lively farmgirl named Penny Summers and they become lovers, though Rance is severely wounded by a lizard machine gun, whcih will affect him later.

Mordecai eventually settles into Lodz, but in the meantime befriends Wermarcht Colonel Heinrich Jaeger and his later wife Ludmilla Gorbudnova a Senior Lieutenant for the Red Air Force, and together they prevent an atomic bomb from exploding in Lodz, Poland, where they all settle.

These are the major characters from the first trilogy along with Atvar the Admiral of the Conquest fleet and Straha a Captain who defects to the United States. By the end of the first trilogy, Atvar negotiates a stalemate with the three remaining superpwoers, the US, Nazi Germany, and the USSR, while Japan and the UK are independnet but reduced in power. Africa, Latin America, Australia, the Middle East, China, Southeast Asia, and Poland are held by the lizards, while a section of the South pacific known as Free France exists as a convenient neutral ground for illegal deals as well as ginger selling (ginger is a spice that has narcotic effects on the lizards).

Now, in the second trilogy, it is the early 1960s. On the downside Nazi Germany still exists and is headed by Heinrich Himmler. Even worse is that they are a strong influence on the UK which is bad for David Goldfarb and his family. Eventually he and his family will flee to Canada, but he has some misadventures in the meantime where an old "friend" extorts him into taking a mission to Marseilles, part of the Reich.

In Marseilles, it is shown that France is still occupied by Germany and one history professor is courted by an SS Officer trying to find her brother an independent smuggler. The Professor Monique is eventually forced to become teh SS Officer's lover and eventually flees to live with her brother in the seeider parts of Marseilles.

In Fort Worth Rance Auerbach is a broken and grouchy old man suffering form his wounds and living on a meager pension. Penny Summers returns to his life after having cheated ginger dealers from Detroit, and after they are visited by two hitmen, they flee to Mexico, which is under lizard control, to sell ginger, but are arrested and forced to capture the Marseilles smuggler, where they run into David Goldfarb.

The plan fails as David, Rance, Penny, and Pierre the smuggelr are capture by the Reich. The lizards extradite Rance and Penny, along with David because he is Moishe Russie's cousin. Penny and Rance are sent to South Africa where they plot a major ginger operation and will eevntaully flee to Tahiti in Free France.

The Russies are considerably better off than in the first trilogy as Moishe is an adivsor to Atvar and has a Medical school named after him in Jerusalem, which his son Reuven attends. The Middle East is not that peaceful as Muslims led by Kohmeni and others lead uprisings against the lizards in Baghdad and other places, over resentment at lizard rule and the fact that the lizards favor the Jewish residents.

The USSR is now ruled by Molotov, Stalins Foreign Commissar, who was briefly deposed by a coup but later regains power and takes his revenge on the NKVD (the KGB never evolved in this timeline), but has to be careful not to let the Red Armyhave too much power.

In Lodz, Heinrich is dead, but Mordecai has considerable influence as he is a friend of the lizards in charge, especially with one sub-administrator Nesseref who was part of the colonization fleet.

Now, the Colonization fleet arrived, but an unknown enemy wiped out all of the Imperial administartion ships, plus the colonists and conquering forces have vast conlficts as the colonists expected a conquered world, and cannot relate to the soldiers at all.

In the US, Earl Warren is President, and Straha along with Sam Yeager both live in Los Angeles. Sam is now a Major and will later be promoted to Lt Colonel by President Warren. His son is a College studnet and he has a girlfriend of teh same age. Due to the lizards' prescence, both he and his girlfriend mimick the lzards' ways as a typcial youthful game.

In China, Liu Han and her daughter live as stalwart Communists, but the lizard who cpatured Liu Han's child, captured a child later on and named her Kassquit. Kassquit lives as a lizard in a human body, feeling very marginalized though she eventaully dsicovers sam Yeager posing as a lizard and meets both him and his son.

Nazi Germany is ruled by Himmler until his death, where a less sane leader takes over and goes to war with the lizards over Poland, only the lizards completely wreck Germany and force them to free France.

During that war, Jonathan Yeager, Sam's son, and Kassquit are aboard the lizard ship doing a study as Kassquit and Jonathan engage in sexual experientation for several weeks.

This ends the first two books with more to be learned in the final book of the series, which I am currently reading.

Books read for February:

Second Contact (Colonization, Book 1)

Down to Earth (Colonization, Book 2)

Conversion to Judaism: A Guidebook (Paperback)

Your People, My People: Finding Acceptance and Fulfillment as a Jew by Choice

Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return To His Jewish Family

Books read in February: 5
Books read for 2007: 10

So, anyone detecting a theme? :)

Book Review: Last book read in January.

Now for my final book review in January: The Bastard

Now, for those who don't know, I love history. I also love historical fiction and alternate history. The Bastard is historical fiction about Phillipe Charbonneau, the bastard son of the Duke of Kentland. The story starts in rural France with Phillipe living with his mother, a tutor, and a maid in an inn owned by his mother. In the beginning, Phillipe is 17 and meets the Marquis D'Lafayette and is seduced by the maid, much to his mother's dismay. She then explains his legacy and how she wants him to find the daughter of a British noble or a woman from a wealthy working family.

After his legacy is explained, Phillipe's mother Marie learns of the Duke's illness and takes her son to Kentland, where they are not well received by the Duke's wife and legitimate son, along with the son's fiance, Alicia. They are not welcomed and attempts are made to pay them off so the inheritance claims would be dropped. After being led to believe that the Duke is dead, the Charbonneau's have no more money, and after Phillipe damages his half-brother's hand and has an affair with his fiance, they flee to London being pursued by hired thugs sent by the Duke's heir.

In London, Phillipe and his mother look for places to stay but run afoul of some beggars and are taken in by the Sholto family, deeply religious publishers and whigs. Phillipe is apprenticed by the Sholto patriarch and learns a trade, until his half-brother hires a one eyed assassin to kill him. After this, Phillipe and his mother flee to Southampton and to Boston, much to his mother's objections.

When they arrive in Boston, the mother has died and Phillipe is left with no one. He wanders in Boston trying to look for work and lodging, until he runs afoul of two British officers, but is rescued by separatists who admire his spunk. one of the seperatists is an innkeeper who gievs him lodging and work, where he will eventually meet Samuel Adams and Samuel's cousin John. He also falls in love with Anne Ware the daughter of a separatist and a fiesty indepndent woman in her own right, especially for 1775.

During this time, Phillipe (now Philip Kent) rusn afoul of his half brother, who has purchased a Lieutenant Colonel's commission and is in Boston. Eventually they confornt each other again and Philip runs his sword through his brother, eventually killing him.

That is a brief summary and I may have spoiled too much of it. In a nutshell I like the story. The only issue I have is that Philip's life is too fanciful as he meets the Marquis D'Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, John and Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere, plus he is the illegitamte son of a Duke. Perhaps that is overkill, but this is fiction, and I admit I enjoy the connectiosn, because they spark an interest in the historical characters. This book is also the first of seven books about a family heriatge in America and definitely worth looking at.

New book review....

Well, I should be talking about my trip up to Austin, but more on that later. I have just finished another book, and I thought I should make another review. This one is on Mary Cheney, who could make for a good Congressional candidate in Wyoming.

Now It's My Turn: A Daughter's Chronicle of Political Life, by Mary Cheney.

This book was not the greatest book I ever read, but I didn't find it that bad either. Mary Cheney discusses her dad's House career made possible by the 1976 victory of History's Greatest Monster, and how it eventually led to him being Bush's second choice for Secretary of Defense. Personally, I am not in favor of a Secretary of Defense having no military experience, and I think the requirement that a Defense Secretary be out of the military for so many years asinine. I even favor active duty soldiers being elected to office (including President) as long as they keep their military salaries and forgo the elective one, but that is not what the book is about.

The book is primarily about Mary Cheney's role as her father's Campaign Manager in both elections, as well as her position on same-sex marriage. Now, I won't give her any flak for not being more criticial of the bush administration's policies at the time. Family comes first, and she looks to the future with hope, instead of acting like a militant, or some other alienating posture that will do no long-term good.

In fact, when the flushable johns (Kerry and Edwards) commented about Mary Cheney's sexual orientation, I was curious to know how Mary felt. John Edwards is a millionaire ambulance chaser who preaches populism, but lives in a mansion. Mary pegged him pretty accurately as a slimy demagogue, and I liked how she mentioned Gephardt as a better choice for VP, but went after Kerry for taking the easy choice.

The book is not objective and Mary has a very positive view of her father, and I frankly have no doubt Dick is a great father, regardless of how I feel about him as VP. I wasn't overjoyed at being reminded that James Baker was a friend of her family, but that is how politics goes. Aside from such awful friends, I'd like to see Mary look into politics herself in Wyoming. The West still has a rugged individualist streak that doesn't care about sexual orientation too much, but more about property rights, guns, and government intrusion. I don't know where she falls on all issues, but she could be very helpful to the Goldwater wing of the Republican party and to help combat the Evangelicals, but somehow I doubt she has any interests in office, herself.