The recommendation of a friend spurred the timing of my reading of The Outpost but I intended to read it for some time. It’s written by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and made me a fan of his for life. This is why it was originally a part of my to-read list: In 2009, I was deployed to Iraq. I’d been in the Army almost three years and I spent the majority of my deployment on a staff in Baghdad. I worked the night shift that […]
Ocean of Testosterone
I bought this book for the title. What I got was an insightful look at the human condition as seen through the eyes of a fellow service member. I joined the Navy at a young age and it’s very different from the Army. Yet many of the experiences William’s describes are similar to those I’ve encountered in my career. Reading this book felt like I was both watching the early years of my career and learning about a whole new world that is the Army. […]
Shark Repellent Was Designed to Act as a Placebo
The past few years I have been working slowly but surely through the works of Mary Roach. I find her style to be intoxicating, even if her subjects seem a little outside my own personal interests. When announced that her latest book would be about the science of war I was immediately wondering how her light-hearted and comedy heavy style would work with this subject. Once I realized that she was, as usual, going to focus on the weird eddies of science and discovery. In […]
The Forgotten War need not be forgettable.
I finished this book last weekend, but haven’t really had the time to review it. Both my wife and son are taking a nap, and I’m in the middle of Hurricane Matthew, so I figured now is as good a time as any. The Korean War isn’t called “The Forgotten War” for nothing. I’ve been a history buff as long as I can remember, and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book or seen a documentary about it. Other than M*A*S*H*, I don’t think […]