History – Page 6 – Ryan's Book Blog

Madam Speaker

September 25, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2021, Madam Speaker is the biography of the first female Speaker of the House in America, Nancy Pelosi. The story begins with her grandparents, parents, and finally through the events of her life.

My Thoughts

I am not a Nancy Pelosi fan. I find her politics to be far too partisan and left leaning for my tastes. However, I was surprised to hear a number of facts about her. For example, I didn’t know she grew up on the East Coast and that her father was the mayor of Annapolis Maryland. The book made a point that most folks believe she was a product of her district (San Francisco) and I have to admit I was one of them.

I can respect she is the first female speaker of the house and that she is a hard worker. However, not much else was endearing to me. (I did enjoy reading through the section when “the Squad” showed up and caused all kinds of issues.) She strikes me as a busybody social elite who thinks she knows how the rest of us are supposed to live. Unfortunately, she has the power to make that happen.

Recommendation

It wasn’t a bad read and had some surprises. However, I suspect it won’t change anyone’s mind about who she is. Read if you are interested.

The Audacity of Hope

September 23, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in 2006, The Audacity of Hope was then Senator Obama’s start for his bid to the Presidency. The book lays out his political opinions and reads somewhat like a speech. To say it was popular would be an understatement. It was a best seller for 30 weeks, endorsed by Opra, and even won a Grammy for the best spoken word book.

My Thoughts

Remembering the groundswell at the time, I recall thinking, “who is this guy?” He pretty much came from nowhere and people loved him. It turned out that wasn’t a flash in the pan response.

I was struck by how similar some of his statements were to President Trump and how others would be deeply unpopular today. (Emphasis on families, and so on.) He seemed forthright and honest in his communication. However, it was very interesting to compare what he wanted to do in this book and with what actually happened in his presidency.

Recommendation

Worth your time if you are interested in history.

You Are Worth It

September 22, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in October of 2015, You Are Worth It is the story of the youngest medal of honor recipient, Kyle Carpenter.

My Thoughts

This is an inspiring story of a Marine who never gave up. The book is simply his story told in a forthright and honest way. Kyle Carpenter is a clean cut, honest, thankful, and all around good person. He is someone to look up to in this world.

Recommendation

A great read but has some grisly parts.

1491

August 21, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published back in 2005, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, is a compilation of information of American life before the Europeans started visiting.

My Thoughts

My thoughts are all over the map on this book. The narrative is so different from that which I was taught that I find myself questioning the sources. However, if true, the information is pretty amazing. The notion of the Americas as a completely settled land and that it was domesticated by the native peoples is pretty amazing. After confirming with my sons in High School, this is indeed what is being taught in the school curricula. I will have to find some supporting information but I did enjoy the book.

Recommendation

An important read.

McMafia

July 26, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published back in 2008, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld is a look at the criminal elements going on throughout the world.

My Thoughts

Very interesting book and definitely shined some light on when I lived in Bulgaria in the 90s. While I believe much of the book, it almost seems too much and it just kept on going. Criminality is everywhere but I hate to think it is going on at such a scale throughout the world.

Recommendation

A good book that will give you 2nd thoughts about ever leaving the United States.

On Call in Hell

May 15, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in 2007, On Call in Hell is the story of a man who served a tour as a Marine officer and later became a Navy doctor. He shares his journey and juxtaposes those two perspectives as he served in Iraq.

My Thoughts

I’d never met a Marine who went into Navy medicine so this was an interesting read. Still, I’ve met a number of Navy Corpsman and the attitude was pretty close to what I would have expected. I would have preferred it be read by the author since some of the saying didn’t quite come out correctly. I felt like there may have been a bit of humble brag going on but hey, it’s his book.

Recommendation

A very interesting look at a relatively unknown field. If you have interest in military medicine, I feel this book would be a good place to start.

What it is Like to Go to War

May 12, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in Sep of 2011, What it is Like to Go to War is a book about the psychological impacts of war and becoming a warrior. The author (a Vietnam veteran) makes the argument that we should do a much better job preparing our warfighters for what they will encounter in theater.

My Thoughts

Certainly, a thought-provoking book and one set in its day. It had been 10 years after the 911 era and the author draws a number of parallels to his time in Vietnam. The more I learn about that war and how our warfighters were treated, the sadder it becomes. It is interesting that the trend of remote war is becoming more and more prevalent as the Marines are deactivating their tanks and towed artillery batteries. There have been so many changes that it is only natural we won’t be able to adjust. Particularly, as we’ve all had a year of being sequestered from others. The term I hear most often these days is “resilience.” We say it is important but I’m not sure we know how to get there…

Recommendation

It is an important topic but the content is dated.

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

May 4, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in April of 2020, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is a study on the meditations of Marcus Aurelius and stoicism in general. The book guides you through the history of stoicism and through some of it’s main tenets.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and it was a compelling read. I felt the author did a great job of going through the histories and linking them to the present day. I also enjoyed that the author had come to my University and one of my employees had filmed him talking about the book. So I got a little bonus.

Recommendation

Great read and worth the time

Like War

April 22, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in 2018, Like War gives the terrifying truth of how social media has been weaponized and will continue to be going forward. It shows us how we are starting to lose track of who we can trust and how bad we are at sussing out what is real and what is fake.

My Thoughts

This book was suggested as a possible course to help Marines think about what is going on in social media. It is a great book but the subject matter changes so much that I could feel it was 3 years out of date. The book also feels unbalanced. Sections of it read like an indictment of the Trump administration and other “alt-right” organizations yet, there was no mention of anything negative on the left. Coupled with President Biden in office, and the fact his administration hasn’t changed anything, it feels more out of date. However, I really enjoyed the book and feel the concepts covered are relevant and important to understand.

Recommendation

Great book but take the political commentary with a grain of salt.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

April 6, 2021 by Ryan

Background

Published in November of 2015, Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates gives the story of one of America’s first conflict overseas. It details how we went from paying ransoms to fighting in our own self-defense putting us on to the world stage.

My Thoughts

This was a very interesting book. Given that I work with Marines, you would think I would have been more familiar with this story but there was a lot that surprised me. I knew we paid off the pirates to leave our ships alone until we were ready to defend ourselves but I didn’t know how close that struggle was or the real story. This was a pivotal moment in our history and could have gone very differently.

Recommendation

Great read. I highly recommend it.