Five Books to Read: The Red Badge of Courage

After completing my own book (GetItHere), I thought it worthwhile to discuss books that shaped my mindset and style, those books that meant enough to warrant multiple readings and quiet reflection. One of those five books (all of which will be discussed in this blog but in no particular order) is detailed below...

Previous discussions:
Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen Ambrose.
127 Hours by Aron Ralston.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

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Just read it. I mean, I'm going to spend some time here discussing why you should read it and the impact it had on my reading/writing, but it's a freaking classic of American literature by one of our country's greatest novelists. I don't care if you think it's a book that feels like something you were forced to read in high school. In fact, you probably were. Even so... read it again.

This is a great American novel.

The Red Badge of Courage is one of the first books I can remember reading. As far back as I can recall, I've noted the impact it's had on my style. I've read it several times and come away with something different each time. The copy I have (one of my most treasured books) is dog-eared and torn. Excerpts have been highlighted and underlined. If one of my later classes in school asked for examples of imagery or character development, sentence structure or plot devices, I would use this book as a source... and a primary one, at that.

The main character is an everyman, and that's the point. Crane refers to him as the 'youth' more than he does his name. Even the other characters (the 'loud' solder... the 'tall' soldier) are more often described rather than named. Why? Does it take away from those characters in some fashion and make them more difficult for the reader to picture? Or, does it make them anyone and everyone we know? Does generalization serve a higher purpose here? It did for me.

For those of you living under a rock, the book centers on a young man in an unnamed battle of the Civil War. He's never fought before and fears he'll run from the enemy during the first battle. He does. Much of the rest of the first act is what he sees and does as he flees around the battlefield. Just as suddenly, though, he's returned to his camp. He fears scorn and ridicule. He fears the truth. But, a random injury conceals his cowardice, and the next day he picks up arms again. This day, he distinguishes himself in some of the most richly detailed battlefield prose you'll find. Crane is a master of it, and it's that masterful depiction of war that would eventually make him a war correspondent in Europe and Cuba. Strangely, Crane had never seen war. He knew little of it before writing The Red Badge of Courage, yet it is seen today as one of the most accurate and fair representations of war.

How much did this book affect me growing up? I recall choosing the book in an assignment in which we were told to find a piece of literature that described Nature as a being and played a considerable role in the development of the protagonist. I immediately jumped on Crane's work and was shocked when my teacher told me that she didn't think it held enough substance on the topic to be useful. As I read through it recently (remembering both the assignment and her words), I recognized the dozens of highlighted passages that I used in my paper. Crane is all about using Nature to help define and detail his characters. Nature herself is a character that frustrates and emboldens the youth in the story. She's a hindrance one chapter and a help the next, and the descriptive moments in the book give Nature as much of a presence as any of the other characters.

It's a great book. It's descriptive and detailed. It's general and far-reaching. Reading it now, I see how much of an impact it had on my writing.

The blow to the youth's head is strangely reminiscent of the bullet that Shawn Kidd takes in the temple.

His flight and stumble into the copse of trees where he finds the dead soldier are comparable to Kidd's flight from the chalet near my novel's end.

His inexplicable determination once he returns to his regiment are mirrored in Kidd's utter defiance of those around him and single-mindedness.

The Red Badge of Courage is a quick read... and it's a great read. For fans of military history, character evolution, and just good writing, it's a must-read.

_

Five Books to Read: The Catcher was a Spy

After completing my own book (GetItHere), I thought it worthwhile to discuss books that shaped my mindset and style, those books that meant enough to me to warrant multiple readings and quiet reflection. One of those five books (all of which will be discussed in this blog but in no particular order) is detailed below...

Note:
The first post on Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen Ambrose can be found here.
The second on 127 Hours by Aron Ralston can be found here.
The third on Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer can be found here.

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As I put The Catcher was a Spy down, I was supremely irritated. The first half of Nicholas Dawidoff's biography of Moe Berg was superb. I related to the character of Berg and felt that I had an 'in a previous life'-type relationship with the man. Then, I reached the second half, and the enigmatic hero detailed in the first half becomes a sad, likely-delusional caricature of the man he once was. I was pissed.

But, I had to get over it. The story was true.

Moe Berg was born in the early 20th century to a Jewish family in New York City. He played an astounding fifteen seasons of major league baseball.. astounding in that he was a solid catcher that always seemed to find a team to play with while being a below-average hitter that seemed uninterested in bettering himself.

But, he's also the only guy with his baseball card framed and housed at CIA headquarters. He graduated from Princeton and Columbia Law School... and could have written his ticket with any of a dozen law firms. He chose to play baseball. He toured Japan, picking up the language immediately and sharing baseball with the locals... possibly single-handedly developing the sport there. He'd sit in the dugout for the White Sox, Indians, Senators, Red Sox (he played for several teams) and explain calculus to the other players. He'd talk on subjects so antithetic to baseball that he was deemed the Strangest Player in Baseball by manager Casey Stengel.

So, what does the strangest baseball player ever do when he retires from baseball? Well, he joins the OSS and spies in Italy, of course. This man that spent nearly two decades playing baseball was suddenly sharing physics discussions with Werner Heisenberg and Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker. Berg spent the early '40s with the preeminent scientists of his generation and could hold his own in conversations with them. He even had orders to eliminate some (those behind the Nazi curtain) if they were found to be making progress on The Bomb.

He was knee deep in the beginning of the Arms Race and the Cold War. I was fascinated by this guy. He was eccentric and random. He told jokes one minute and completely ignored people the next. He was me... but Jewish. Then, the war ended. The mystique and aura of danger that his friends and family knew was gone. He had played his spy status for drinks and a warm bed to sleep on many occasions, but now what could he do? He still gave every indication that he was a spy. his friends assuming he was still in the employ of the CIA (the OSS's successor), but he wasn't. He was long gone from the CIA rolls. Still, he carried the act for years, possibly so caught up in his own lies that even he believed them. For decades, not even his closest friends and family knew what to make of the man. In hindsight, the story is depressingly sad, but he was treated as an eccentric while he lived. Relationships with his family soured, but he didn't seem to care, remaining aloof and apathetic about everything other than getting back into the field... though, it was the espionage and not baseball variety that kept his attention.

If one only reads the second half of his life, Berg was one closed door away from living on the streets. He was good-natured and friendly, and it won him dinners and spare bedrooms throughout his life. People kept him around because he was interesting. They certainly began to suspect that many of the stories he told were hyperbole, but no one cared. He was funny, exciting, and full of entertainment. Still, I wonder if he was alive today instead of 70 years ago if he would have been committed before his 60th birthday.

For the first 40 years of his life as chronicled by Dawidoff, I felt a connection with Berg and his interests. I saw the place he was in his life and saw my life reflected in it. And, as he made his decisions, decisions others saw as unusual, I thought I had found a kindred spirit given that I would have made the same choices. But, then Berg did something I feel was out of character: He chose to make something define him.

For years,he did what he wanted regardless of convention or society's definitions. If he liked it, he did it. If he was told to stop or it was seen as unacceptable, he stopped. It wouldn't matter if it was something he wanted. He'd just go find something else. He had limitless energy and interests, jumping at new topics and endeavors wholly and entirely. So, why did he latch so strongly onto the spy game that he made it define him so long after he was out of it?

I grab interests like a kid in a candy store, but it makes it so that - if one were no longer open to me - I could simply replace it with another. To find that Berg, a man I find eerily similar to myself, found something that he wasn't able to accept losing... made me question if such an activity/career exists out there that would do the same to me. What if someone told me that I couldn't run again? Couldn't write? Couldn't play baseball? Couldn't ruck? Could I accept that and move on?

Hell yes, I could... so what the hell happened to Moe Berg? The guy had everything and nothing.. and he combined the two into a strange amalgam of mystery and sadness. Read The Catcher was a Spy if you are a fan of baseball, espionage, or clinical psychosis. How's THAT for a recommendation?

_

Five Books to Read: #3 - Into Thin Air

After completing my own book (GetItHere), I thought it worthwhile to discuss books that shaped my mindset and style, those books that meant enough to me to warrant multiple readings and quiet reflection. One of those five books (all of which will be discussed in this blog but in no particular order) is detailed below...

Note:
The first post on Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen Ambrose can be found here.
The second on 127 Hours by Aron Ralston can be found here.

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I honestly have no idea how to write this entry. Few books leave you complete exhausted after reading them, and even those I feel have had a profound emotional impact on me rarely do so. Yet, I'm worn out. I've just read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer for a second time, and I am physically drained. I feel much like I expect Krakauer did at the summit of Everest, dizzy and confused to the point that I'm not sure I can do the book justice in this brief post. I encourage you to read the book itself rather than this fumbling account of how it affected me, as Krakauer is an infinitely better writer than I will ever be.

Into Thin Air is an account of Krakauer's 1996 assault on Everest and an extremely well-written and entertaining tale of adventure and tragedy. It's a fantastic story made more so thanks to the fact that it's true.

Krakauer details his assignment by Outside magazine to report on the ascent of Everest and the growing commercialization (guided expeditions, increase in climber-carried trash, and the like) of the mountain. The first half tells of his climbing history and the growing bonds he forms with the other climbers of his and other expeditions. Minor tragedies strike - climbers are stricken with high-altitude sicknesses and the dangers posed by amateur climbers are revealed - but it isn't until Krakauer reaches the summit and starts back down that the story descends with him to disaster.

Before it was over, eight people would be killed in a 24-hour period, their deaths scattered all over the mountain. A total of fifteen people would die in that '96 season, the deadliest year in Everest history.

Taken as it is, Into Thin Air, lives up to its billing as one of the greatest adventure books ever written. It's thrilling and emotional with moments of tremendous bravery and abject failure. And, it's all true. This actually happened... and it's remarkable. If you're looking for an amazing read, I urge you to look no further.

But, that's not what grasps me and wears me down. If you pick up a later version of his book (post-'99 should do it), Krakauer's post-script addresses controversies that emerged from that day's ascent and the books (Anatoli Boukreev's The Climb, in particular) of other climbers. Boukreev was a guide on the sister expedition to Krakauer's, and - though Krakauer paints Boukreev in a mostly positive light and commends him for saving two people's lives - Boukreev took offense to his portrayal and a heated relationship developed.

In summary -

Five climbers in the two expeditions died that day (the other three that make up the 8 were part of a Indo-Tibetan Border Police squad climbing up the other side). Two were clients and three were guides (including the two expedition leads, Rob Hall leading Krakauer's and Scott Fischer leading Boukreev's). Boukreev himself was a guide for Fischer and took heat for (1) climbing without oxygen and (2) descending ahead of his clients, those people that paid him to keep them safe. The storm that blew in immediately after was... unexpected.

The controversy comes from Boukreev's comments regarding a supposed plan that his boss, Fischer, had for Boukreev to descend ahead of the clients. However, interviews after the disaster indicate that no such plan existed. The discussion is compounded by the fact that Boukreev climbed without gas, an impressive feat though not uncommon. Indeed, Boukreev had scaled Everest before without gas. The problem is that he was a guide, and the guides have other lives for which they are responsible. Guiding without oxygen is universally accepted as unnecessarily risky.

Krakauer didn't spend much time on this aspect initially, because accounts varied. But, he felt the need to address it when Boukreev's book came out and flung inaccurate and flat-out untrue accusations at Krakauer.

THIS is what makes the story for me. Not the arguments. Not the emotional interactions between authors. It's the leadership lessons that can be plucked from the pages. Even without the postscript, questions fly off the pages that cannot and will never be answered thanks to the deaths of so many.

Why didn't Hall turn his clients around at the predetermined time of 2PM? Did the presence of a reporter on the mountain impact the aggressiveness of the guides or the actions of the other clients? Has the draw of Everest encouraged unskilled climbers to make attempts and those around them to assist... for a price?

These questions are all brought up if not addressed by Krakauer. The most likely explanation is a mix of numerous factors including the reason Krakauer was there - business. You don't get people to sign up for your expeditions if you never reach the top. Another likely culprit is the altitude. You and I weren't there. We don't know what it was like to have to rely on oxygen-starved brain cells to make cognizant decisions at the roof of the world. I'll defer to the judgment of those that were there in the same way that I'll let the soldiers in the trenches handle the enemy as they see fit.

Either way, the examples of leadership - both successes and failures - are numerous and noteworthy. Clients became saviors. Guides lost their senses. Boukreev's plunge into the early morning storm to save two lives is juxtaposed against his lack of forethought in climbing without gas. Hall's historically conservative nature is something to aspire to as a leader, so why did he contradict his experience and instinct by continuing to the top so late in the afternoon? At least two of the climbers were strong-willed, business-minded individuals with type-A personalities. Why, then, did they become the heaviest weights on the teams, and could it have been avoided? One client was a former SAS-member from Australia, a group not known for their passivity. Yet, little is said about any role the man played. Did he not have the opportunity to step up? I find it hard to believe he would sit idly by as people died a few hundred feet from him had he known.

There aren't answers to these questions. These are discussions points, and I would love for my friends and readers to take the time to read the book and allow for some discussions. I feel entire college courses could revolve around decisions such as these, and Into Thin Air could be a tremendous learning tool.

The thing that strikes me, though, and something that to my knowledge has never been discussed, is this: Much is made of Boukreev not using gas. Did this contribute to the disaster? Was it a poor decision? I think both those can be answered with a justifiable 'yes.'

But, if that is a danger... if Boukreev, as a guide, should have been on gas the whole time to ensure the safety of his clients... Why didn't his expedition leader, Fischer, make him? It was Fischer's responsibility to get his clients up and back. Why didn't he tell Boukreev that it didn't matter what the man wanted to do... their first duty was to their clients. It shouldn't have been Boukreev's decision in the first place.

I still rack my brain considering the variables and how things could have gone differently. Krakauer makes the point that they would have all made it back safely if the storm hit two hours later. He also notes that they would have all been dead if it hit an hour earlier. The countless variables and randomness of it all are what keep bringing me back to this story, much like it does with Ralston's 127 Hours.

Krakauer was saved because he was running low on oxygen and had to descend quickly.

Running low on oxygen saved Krakauer's life.

See? This entire book is fascinating. Pick it up, and tell me that I'm wrong.

_

Five Books to Read: #2 - 127 Hours

After completing my own book (GetItHere), I thought it worthwhile to discuss books that shaped my mindset and style, those books that meant enough to me to warrant multiple readings and quiet reflection. One of those five books (all of which will be discussed in this blog but in no particular order) is detailed below...

Note: The first post on Nothing Like it in the World by Stephen Ambrose can be found here.

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Let's get this out of the way first: '127 Hours' isn't a book to me. Neither is it an Oscar-nominated movie.

127 Hours is an experience.

A little background. I remember reading the first published reports in 2003 about a hiker that had to cut off his own hand and portions of his arm to save his own life. Reports were thin on detail and running over with hyperbole and sensationalism, and who could blame them? A dude CUT OFF HIS HAND to save his own life. It was graphic and heroic, visceral and amazing. Water cooler discussions as to whether or not we could do it if forced followed the next day. The hardcore people, those weekend warriors that were 'tough as nails' and thin on experience, said they certainly could but would never be dumb enough to get in that position in the first place. Others cringed at the merest thought of slicing into their own skin.

But, that wasn't the story. We were oversimplifying and posturing. We didn't know what happened to Aron Ralston that day. And, we certainly couldn't know what we'd do in his place.

Well, Aron wrote a book. I'll be honest - I was intrigued by the story but had about a dozen books on my 'to-read' list and wasn't interested enough to vault it to the top. So, I never did. Then, the movie - starring James Franco - was released in 2010. I like Franco. The movie looked well done. I checked it out.

No words can explain how that movie made me feel. You have to be the right 'type' of person in the right place in your life to be shaken by a particular movie. I was. It wasn't the scene of him performing the amputation. In fact, I recall little of the scene. But, the atmosphere Danny Boyle built for two hours was amazing. I spent the rest of the night texting friends explaining why they HAD to see the movie. But, more importantly, I walked right out of the theater, across to the bookstore, and bought Ralston's book.

Now, we all know books are better than movies. In fact, I can't recall one time where I read a book and was then more impressed with the cinema equivalent. I'm sure it happens, but I'd think that would be due more to the director changing the source material to meet filming conventions (which I wholly support). Either way, watching the movie affected me. Reading the book changed me.

The movie touched on some things that resonated with me: failed relationships, the inevitability of destiny, the need to have others in your life looking out for you. Hearing Ralston's first-hand account shook me to the core. The fact that the boulder had been sitting there for years (hundreds? thousands?) just waiting on Ralston to come along and dislodge it, to bring it crashing down on his hand, was fascinating. It wasn't personal, it just... was. He felt no animosity toward the rock. He couldn't hate it... not really. He screamed at it. He pounded on it. He cursed it.

But, it's just a rock.

Just a rock... but this simple rock forced him to analyze his life. So simple a thing but so deep a reaction. So many life-changing events require external action, even blame. But, who did Ralston blame? Certainly not anyone else. The rock? I doubt it. Himself?

Ah, there's the rub, isn't it. It's his own fault... but does fault equal blame? If he hadn't been so fiercely independent and traveled with a buddy, he'd have help. If he'd even told people where he was going, he'd have help. If he'd descended the cut six inches to the left he wouldn't even need help. So, it's his fault, but is he to blame? Fault belongs to whatever or whomever causes something. But, blame... blame is highly dependent on intent. Did he, knowing the possible outcomes of his actions, intentionally place himself in danger...? Hiking through a mountain cut, even alone and without friends' knowledge of your location, is hardly dangerous. This is especially true given Ralston's extensive experience with more difficult terrain. So, is he to blame?

I don't know Ralston, but I think he'd disagree. I know I would. Sometimes, fate has a plan for you, and things just... are. If he'd died out there that day, would he be to blame? When you make decisions for yourself that only affect you... can you be blamed for consequences?

See? Philosophical questions... And, such questions are found throughout his account. I'd love to spend a day discussing the ramifications of that day with Ralston. The thoughts that go through one's mind during such an ordeal must have been amazingly enlightening. This wasn't a life flashing through a man's mind during a fatal car wreck. Nor was it the surprise of a heart attack victim as they pass away. This was 127 hours of thoughtfulness and introspection, much of it caught on video and film thanks to the camera he brought. There was problem-solving as he tried to free himself and rigged harnesses to support the boulder and his own weight. There was hope for rescue and fear of what he'd leave behind. There was reflection on a life lived and regret on what future he'd miss. Hour after hour... day after day.

This wasn't the final thoughts of a grandfather passing away in a hospital bed surrounded by his family and thankful for the life he had. This was the slow death of a young man that had lived hard and well... and had decades of life ahead of him. Ralston talks of his own fears and hopes and dreams, but what would I think about? What would I do?

If I died today, would I consider my life complete? A 'success'? This isn't one of those 'if you had a week left, what would you do' questions. You don't get to live your life for the last seven days of it. You have to live your life EVERY day of it. If you can even answer that 'one week left' question, I might even contend that you haven't lived the last 20 years of your life. Bucket List? I don't even have a bucket list... I have plane reservations and race plans. I have hiking permits and endurance challenges already lined up.

Don't make lists. DO things.

The book engendered all these thoughts in me and more. It changed me.

After reading it - just as I did after the movie - I began wondering where my 'boulder' was. Was there a tree in the Maine woods waiting for some future visit to fall in my path that would direct me down some less-traveled trail to a fascinating fate? Was there a root hidden under a mountain stream that I would get tangled in while hiking through California next year? Would one of my nightly runs through the city turn me down a forgotten street? I firmly believe in destiny and fate, and the philosophical introspection that 127 Hours presented to me gave more food for thought than I would have possibly imagined.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time with it.

_

Act of Valor: Tribute or Recruitment Ad?

Act of Valor was released this past weekend to what was apparently a receptive public given its weekend gross of nearly $25M, beating out others starring considerably better known Hollywood celebrities. The only people I recognized from AoV were Roselyn Sanchez (Rush Hour 2) and Nestor Serrano (apparently in several movies but I couldn't name one of them... but I did, at least, recognize him).

AoV was an action movie but starred real heroes instead of Hollywood stereotypes. Active Duty Navy SEALS played the main roles in the movie, and the results were much as you'd expect. None will win awards for their portrayals, since they 'acted' just like normal people would given the situation. There was no 'high drama' or overly-strained dialogue. It was real people showing people what they do for a living.

And, that's the problem apparently. Had this been any other cookie-cutter Hollywood product starring Stallone or Damon or a squad of One Tree Hill alumni, critics would have simply given it 3 stars, commented on its lack of large-scale resolution, and moved on. But, the simple fact that these guys were actual soldiers turned AoV' into a political debate months prior to its release.

I've read comments disparaging the service. I've read articles discussing the fact that Hollywood is promoting a 'war agenda' and 'Republican ideologies.' I've read how people weren't going to see it, because it is a recruitment tool and nothing else.

I couldn't disagree more with that oversimplification. When has Hollywood ever promoted anything Republican? Put Jeremy Renner in the lead role, and no one even mentions anything. Then, it's simply an action movie.

In this day and age, anyone with a keyboard or a blog (coughcoughcough) feels they have the stage to spout hyperbole and hypocrisy. It's no more a recruitment ad for the Navy than The Expendables was for hired guns or S.W.A.T. was for LA policemen. Unfortunately, our society has reached the point that individuals throw their political agendas and leanings at every topic and assume the same of everyone else.

Don't get me wrong, I fully expect there are people on the other side of the political spectrum that support the movie solely because the other side hates it... or solely because active-duty service members are in it. These are just as faulty arguments in my eyes.

The movie has amazing action set pieces and serious moments regarding our soldiers and the trials they are made to endure. It makes you thankful for the members of our armed forces and gives you a glimpse of a small part of what they have to go through on a daily basis, often without any fanfare or media coverage.

There isn't a huge celebrity there to save the day. There isn't a huge, last-second save of a critical symbol of Americanism like the Statue of Liberty or White House. There are just guys, doing their jobs, and dealing with the aftermath.

If you politicize, marginalize, or assign some agenda to this movie, that's on YOU... not the movie, and you're doing yourself a disservice.

_

Review: 'Scarecrow Returns' by Matthew Reilly

Let me start off by repeating what a big fan I am of Matthew Reilly's books. I enjoy them the same way I'd enjoy a big action-adventure movie. But, his latest, 'Scarecrow Returns,' is a step backwards.

The book starts off well-enough with a bit of back story and character development for which Reilly isn't necessarily known. It introduces the new team at the same time letting us in on Scarecrow's psyche. Unfortunately, Scarecrow himself is still a rather one-dimensional character. Given the events of the previous, full-length book (don't want to ignore Hell Island), there is ample opportunity for introspection. But, Reilly doesn't really spend the time on it. In his defense, most of his books are 100 mph, explosion-filled testosterone fests. But, you'd like to see some growth and depth at this point for these characters you've become accustomed to reading about.

The plot, a doomsday weapon-fueled race against time, is intriguing and put to good effect. The explanation for the weapon's existence and science behind its function are sound and believable. The primary villain is... villainous. His background is well-established, though there is a significant gap in his history that isn't really explained. And, it's an important gap.

Note: Mild Spoilers Below

The Good

• The inclusion of the BRTE robot 'Bertie.' I had read some posts about the character and was ready to hate it. Instead... awesome addition and one that I came to care about more than a few of the under-developed human characters.
• The action. Reilly leaves little confusion as to what's going on in the scene. And, it's an impressive mental image with which to frame everything.
• The French chick. I was happy to see Reilly blow up yet another French Sub. Destroying French stuff is fun. But, I could picture this girl as I read the story, and I enjoyed the character.
• Baba. He's an interesting, fun character, and I was happy to see him used liberally.
• Fairfax. Having David back in the mix was a good choice.
• Connections to previous books. The connection to Ice Station's Luc Champion character was nice. Also, having the bounty on Scarecrow's head because of the 'French incident' and having that be the reason he is stationed up in the Arctic... nicely done.
• Consistency. If you liked his previous books and the characters he built, Reilly won't let you down with this one.
• The last page. A nice way to end it that offers more than the usual 'tidy bow' wrapped around the crisis.
  

The Bad

• Character development. Scarecrow, as the main protagonist, could use more levels to him, but the real failings are in the other team members, notably Billy 'the Kid,' Emma, and Mario.
• The book reads like Area 7 (the 2nd Scarecrow book) but set in Ice Station (the 1st Scarecrow book). The pacing is almost identical and there is little to make us think that there are differences between the two. Heck, Reilly even included deranged polar bears as a frequent, 'gotcha' enemy roaming the island. [see: Ice Station's walruses or Area 7's... well.. entire section of deranged test animals]. It's not bad... just the same.
• Crazy set-ups. Look, I get that Reilly is going for 'over the top,' but sometimes a scene plays out in a completely illogical manner solely in order to get the story to the next action set piece. It's difficult to get in the mind of central characters when nothing they do makes sense or is how a normal person would react in similar circumstances. The attraction of the Scarecrow character is his impulsiveness and brazen action. Unfortunately (and I don't remember this from previous installments), the justification for most of his choices here seems to be an 'ah screw it' approach. Kind of a 'why not?' reasoning. It's used multiple times, most with Scarecrow actually saying 'F#$& it.' It seemed simplistic, and I expected more.
  
• (Spoiler!!!!!!) America is the bad guy. In Reilly's other series starring Jack West (an Australian), there are American forces going up against the hero. In the final book, Reilly (an Australian himself) eventually inserted a minor American character to help the Australian. But, I didn't mind the fact that Americans were on the other side of the battle. However, in the Scarecrow series (and I didn't consider this until reading this book), every story has Americans as the bad guys in some fashion... and Scarecrow is a US Marine! It's either a secret intelligence agency that's infiltrated all aspects of the armed forces, or it's a rogue general, or it's a Cold War CIA operative... Scarecrow may be American, but he spends most of his time fighting Americans.
• (Spoiler!!!!!!) Mother is invincible. Now, I like the character of Mother Newman, and I'm happy she stays around. But, just like Ice Station, she miraculously survives after being left for dead. Raise your hand if you read the book and ACTUALLY thought Mother was dead... yea... that's right. No one. We all knew she'd show back up at the end. You're getting predictable, Matt.
• Lots of exclamation points and one sentence paragraphs. It reads like a screenplay... which might be what Reilly is going for.

In the end, 'Returns' is an entertaining read, especially if you liked his previous books since it mirrors much of their pacing. If you didn't like them, you'll hate this. Unfortunately, the previous book, 'Scarecrow,' was extremely well written and globe-spanning. I was disappointed in that this novel seemed to take a step back for Reilly. It's good, but 'Scarecrow' was great. And I was hoping his Return would be better.

3* out of 5

***New Matthew Reilly book*** Who's excited?

Well, the latest Matthew Reilly book, Scarecrow Returns, has hit American shores. First off, I have to say how much I admire Reilly's story-telling. Somehow, he manages to fit character development, previous book events, and the current crisis all in the first few pages. No one writes action like Reilly. If you want to *read* an action movie, his stuff is for you. The highly descriptive scenes are amazing and let you picture what's going on without any problem. And, the little graphics he throws into the beginning of chapters are perfect.

Thanks to my desire to save money, save the earth, and cut down on clutter, I've tried to keep most of my fiction purchases on my Kindle (I still buy random historical books to read... though the shelves are filling up fast). But, I always buy the new Reilly releases ASAP in hardcover, because I re-read them like a fiend. The latest, released as Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves down under, is no exception. Why they changed the title for American audiences, I have no idea.

I'm three chapters in and already loving it. The new characters are individualized and unique, and I'm particularly interested in Emma Dawson and the foreshadowing/plot points Reilly dangles.

Scarecrow is getting over his last girlfriend, Fox. Is Dawson a possible new love interest? it helps that she's a civilian. Having Fox as a fellow Marine made for good story, but it made Reilly split them up tactically due to fraternization rules. Coming up with reasons to bring them back together for novels would have seemed forced. The end of their relationship in the last novel (full-length anyways... pick up Reilly's short story starring Scarecrow, Hell Island, if you haven't... good book) was almost a necessity and could prove interesting for future relationships.

The introduction of the robot character seems to be a favorite in early reviews. I'm not far enough along to feel the impact, yet, but the detailed explanation of its (her?) capabilities makes my mouth water with possibilities.

The insight into trouble on the homefront for Mother is interesting, too. For the most part, though I love the character, she's been very one-dimensional. It'll be interesting to see where, if anywhere, this plot thread goes.

Two more important points before I get back to reading it (you know... the reason I bought the book).

First, when the doomsday weapon is revealed and explained, I can't tell you how proud I was to hear that the thermobaric weapon had characteristics eerily similar to the (very real) explosives I used in my own novel, Number 181 (GetItHere). This somehow validates my big-timey explosions and at the same time inflates it to a level that I sure as Hell hope isn't possible. You never know with those pesky Soviets, though.

And, second, word has come out that Reilly's wife passed rather unexpectedly in early December. She was 36. I can't imagine having to deal with that at so young an age. I love his work and hope he gets back to it as soon as he can... but I hope he waits until he feels he's able.

To the book!

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Five Books to Read: #1 - Nothing Like It in the World

After completing my own book (GetItHere), I thought it worthwhile to discuss books that shaped my mindset and style, those books that meant enough to me to warrant multiple readings and quiet reflection. One of those five books (all of which will be discussed in this blog but in no particular order) is detailed below...

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There are noteworthy decades in our county's history when great things occurred: the 1770s, the 1800s, the 1930s. Few have defined our nation more than the 1860s. The entire world watched as the United States spent four of the bloodiest years in history fighting for its future. It was horrific and fascinating, and the countries of the world watched to see how the globe would be shaped. Warfare blossomed into the modern era as weapons and strategies evolved. Our nation came out of the war stronger and with a solid identity, and the world anxiously waited to see how we would put our mark back on the planet after so much internal strife. Were we a warring nation on the hunt for new enemies? What should they expect?

The answer came in the guise of a road, a special road of gravel and iron. Railroads were nothing new to the world, the system having thought to have been perfected by Europeans decades earlier. The Civil War showed the importance of the rails, though. Where we were once tied to waterways that offered trade and transport, we now were anchored to the Iron Horse.

But, where the Europeans came up short was their vision of the possibilities. In 1863, while the war still raged on, Abraham Lincoln signed the authorization of a railroad to stretch from coast-to-coast, a transcontinental railroad that would connect Sacramento with Omaha and turn a 6-month journey by carriage into a 6-day journey by train.

Nothing Like It in the World by Stephen Ambrose is the compelling story of key participants in the endeavor from both sides, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, as they churn toward each other on the crest of a wave of metal. As he does in all his historical novels, Ambrose opens the door on a fascinating time period in all its grim detail. The keys to the story are the characters, though, and all but the most learned of scholars will be unsure of the fates of those involved. Visionaries key to the construction of the railroad such as Grenville Dodge and Theodore Judah are detailed in a way that allows you to root for them against the blatantly corrupt methods practiced by the businessmen of the era.

For those that are interested in the time period or the construction of the railroad, the book goes into great detail on the people and techniques of the time. Hardships are extreme, successes rare. The poorly treated Chinese in the west fight their way through walls of rock in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the east, hordes of union and confederate soldiers, fresh from the battlegrounds of Virginia, breed hate and discontent as they lay rails and pour grade next to each other along the open ground in the Midwest. The technical achievement is unrivaled, but the biggest takeaway from the book is leadership, the benefits to great and the disasters due to a lack.

The lessons to be gained are countless. Modern students of leadership can learn the evolution of leadership from 150 years ago to now. The aspects that defined the day are markedly different than those currently utilized, for numerous reasons, and each can be a teaching opportunity. Examples of the dangers of naivete rear their heads, most notably in the story of Judah, a brilliant engineer that found himself far out of his element when dealing with the Big Four backers of the Central Pacific Railroad, a group including Leland Stanford of university acclaim.

How do you convey your vision to others?
How do you ensure that your vision holds when others become involved?
How do you persevere when setbacks occur each day, any one of which would be proper justification for abandoning the task?

It's a testament to the men of the day and the spirit of a nation that such a creation was begun during the darkest times of our country, only to be joined by the hardened men of both sides who came together to complete a world wonder. By 1869, the two railroad groups were laying track alongside each other as politicians debated where to lay the connecting spike. One hundred years before the world would sit together and watch Americans land on the moon, they were running to stores for newspapers detailing the joining of two sides of a nation. It was THAT big a deal.

And, Stephen Ambrose does an amazing job of making sure the reader is there for every bit of it.

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A second, more practical review of my novel, Number 181...

We all have our measuring sticks for acceptance and approval. My previous post with comments from an Air Force Captain really speak to the intended audience for the book and what I hope people get from it. Then, there are those that see things from a different view. I received the following review from a long-time friend of mine...

"It was so good that I wanted to keep reading it, but my legs fell asleep so I really needed to get off the toilet."

More touching words have never been spoken...

First Review of my novel, Number 181...

The first comments are coming in for my book, Number 181 (grab a copy here!), and I couldn't be more pleased.

I received a note from Air Force Captain Amber Smith, who really enjoyed the book, saying it made it "easy to picture the story as it's happening" with "some beautiful analogies... It's a novel, but it made me think a lot of real-life scenarios."

Anytime a writer puts thoughts down on paper, he has an image in his head of what he's trying to convey. I, for one, was curious to hear how others interpreted my words... what pictures would be painted on each of my readers' individual imaginations. Having such a strong military theme pervade the novel, I was especially sensitive to the thoughts of our military community once they had finished it. To hear such kind words eases some of those anxious thoughts.

And, then I read something from her that really struck a cord with me.

Early in the book, there is a scene that really seeks to personalize the attacks that are central to the story... a strong comment on how individual feelings are overshadowed by media and hype, sensationalism and posturing. "This phrase really made me put the book down and think about it," Amber says. "We've had several incidents in the Air Force this year that really stood out in light of this phrase. When the helo went down in Afghanistan with all the SEALS on it, everyone focused on them. We had 4 special operators on there as well, but they were barely mentioned in the small print on the news. We also lost 9 folks at the Kabul airport shooting in April."

"It just makes me wonder if that's how the NOK [next-of-kin] feels when their loved one is killed among others."

"I loved that part," she says. "Really made me think."

There are few kinder words for an author to hear than that your novel caused a measure of philosophical introspection or self-reflection. She felt strongly enough on the subject to offer up a contact in Afghanistan that expressed interest in the novel, as well. It'd be nice to get some copies over to ground forces in the Middle East or to the USO to share...

It's all about getting the word out. The more press there is, the more the books sells. More sales.... more money to the Green Beret Foundation. Let's keep it going!