As par the course, I've gotten a late start on book reading/reviewing in 2015. Taking three classes and being stymied by coursework and course reading has greatly slowed my progress thus far. But never fear; I feel a resurgence coming on strong so stand by for much more to come!
In Colossians 3:1, the Apostle Paul encourages believers to seek heavenly things when he says, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Some Evangelical Christians have taken this perhaps a little too far with a genre of books that is becoming increasingly popular to both Christians and Non-Christians alike: the ascension-into-heaven genre. Pastor Todd Burpo, for example, is making millions off of his child's claims that he went to heaven, first penning a book, "Heaven is for Real" and, more recently, a feature film. Even more recent, last week the publishing company "Tyndale House" (who publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction alike) pulled the book "The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven." Kevin Malarky wrote the book, after his son (who is now a quadriplegic after a tragic car accident) visited heaven. After a story leaked from the boys mother that both she and her son protested against the facts of the book, Tyndale pulled it from their shelves. There are others: 90 Minutes in Heaven, 23 Minutes in Hell, To Heaven and Back, among other. Clearly American is consumed with the afterlife. According to a poll in 2013, over 74 percent of Americans believe in Heaven. But this is the problem with this simple 'belief" and these stories: are they real? As you can see, the subtitles for most of these books include a sentence that says, "a true story."
If you know me at all, you will know that Dr. John MacArthur has heavily impacted my life, and I often attribute my salvation to his ministry. In this book, he delves into these miraculous occurrences and debunks these accounts by expounding on what the Bible tells us Heaven will be like and then compares this to the model that these writers have described. It is no small wonder that after reading this book, these accounts of Heaven are superficial, dangerous, confused, and little Biblical support.
While I don't want to regurgitate all the problems of these books, I want to stress an interesting point that Dr. MacArthur makes: very few people in the Bible see Heaven. When God does give man a glimpse into Heaven, the notion isn't one of irreverence as most of these books portray. I haven't read any of them personally, but from reading snippets, one can see that most people treat Jesus as their "buddy" and God is in the form of some kind of man or light. The picture of Heaven in the Bible when men do see in it is one of extreme reverence and even fear. For example, Issaiah glimpses into Heaven in chapter 6 of the book of the Bible with the same name, and after seeing the glory of God, he says,
"And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
None of the characters in these books ever has a reaction like this, and yet this happens also to the Apostle John when he sees Heaven in Revelation. The point is that Heaven is often a place that people trivialize and fail to see what the Bible actually says about it. Even when you say the word "Heaven" out of it's context ("That [insert whatever] was so heavenly), we often times use it to describe the most wonderful thing we can imagine. And while that is what Heaven will be like, it will not be full of things that make us happy in this life.
No, Heaven will be much more grand for the Christian. Not only will we be in new, glorified bodies, but we will do nothing wrong, have no evil thoughts: indeed, we will be perfect. What is even more awesome than this, is that we will be with God, the creator of the world where there won't even need to be a sun because of His glorious light. And we will, for eternity, glorify Him.
There is a lot more to it than that, but if there's anything that Dr. MacArthur brought to my attention, it was that people like the Apostle Paul were Heaven minded. As he says in the Epistle to the Philippians, he longs to be in Heaven! The Heaven of the Bible will not be a boring place or a place where all our selfish desires are fulfilled, but it will be a place where the truest desires of the Christians heart will be fulfilled. As the Westminster Catechism puts it, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." That will become a reality in Heaven someday.
I strongly recommend this book for both Christians and Non-Christians who desire to know what the real Heaven will be like.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
2 - Here I Stand: A LIfe of Martin Luther, Ronald Bainton, 336 pages
When I first became a Christian, I remember being recommended a book by Tom Nelson of Denton Bible Church called, "What Did Christianity Ever Do For Us?" by Jonathan Hill. In this book, one topic he speaks of is the legendary Martin Luther. This vignette (that I will share with you later) swept me smitten into loving the man of Martin Luther. Not only was he a great man, but if it were not for him, it is very possible the nation of America and it's mighty ideals may not even have ever been.
So I read this book on Martin Luther. Luther was born into a Catholic family (as all people in Europe did in those days) and his father was a miner. They prayed to God, Mary, and St. Anne, a saint who was thought to protect the miners. Luther's life changed one day as he strolled through a meadow on a cloudy day. At the time, he was going to school to become a lawyer. But after a fierce thunderstorm (for some reason, Luther was deathly afraid of thunder), he made a pact with God that if he survived, he would dedicate his life to the service of the church. He did indeed survive and to the chagrin of his father, he became a monk in the Augustinian Cloister.
While a monk, Luther had two awakenings: the first had to do with the excesses of what the monastic life had become after a trip to Rome. He saw the debauchery of the monkery and was astounded by the superficial nature of what had become of the monastic life. The second awakening he had was to the idolatry of indulgences.
At the end of the Medieval times, the Catholic Church believed (see: fabricated) the idea of purgatory. This was a place one went to after he died to make penance for unforgiven sins. After awhile here, that person would then ascend into heaven based on the severity of the crimes in your life. the indulgences were twofold: 1) They were items that were from the times of Christ like strands of hair or the bones of Peter. One could see these items and have his time in purgatory reduced. 2) They were payments made to the church to reclaim a lost soul from purgatory.
Luther received a doctorate degree in theology and soon became a professor at a seminary in Wittenberg, Germany. There, he encountered a scoundrel named John Tetzel. This man sold indulgences, and is said to have come up with the rhyme, "when a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs." This enraged Luther, who had recently studied the book of Romans and believed that the only way to heaven was through justification by faith. As a result, on the eve of "All Saints Day," Luther posted the famous 95 theses' that changed the world.
He was summoned by the Pope to Wurms to stand before a Diet where he they wanted him to renounce his theology and his books. Failing to do so, Luther spoke these words:
"Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me, Amen!"
So I read this book on Martin Luther. Luther was born into a Catholic family (as all people in Europe did in those days) and his father was a miner. They prayed to God, Mary, and St. Anne, a saint who was thought to protect the miners. Luther's life changed one day as he strolled through a meadow on a cloudy day. At the time, he was going to school to become a lawyer. But after a fierce thunderstorm (for some reason, Luther was deathly afraid of thunder), he made a pact with God that if he survived, he would dedicate his life to the service of the church. He did indeed survive and to the chagrin of his father, he became a monk in the Augustinian Cloister.
While a monk, Luther had two awakenings: the first had to do with the excesses of what the monastic life had become after a trip to Rome. He saw the debauchery of the monkery and was astounded by the superficial nature of what had become of the monastic life. The second awakening he had was to the idolatry of indulgences.
At the end of the Medieval times, the Catholic Church believed (see: fabricated) the idea of purgatory. This was a place one went to after he died to make penance for unforgiven sins. After awhile here, that person would then ascend into heaven based on the severity of the crimes in your life. the indulgences were twofold: 1) They were items that were from the times of Christ like strands of hair or the bones of Peter. One could see these items and have his time in purgatory reduced. 2) They were payments made to the church to reclaim a lost soul from purgatory.
Luther received a doctorate degree in theology and soon became a professor at a seminary in Wittenberg, Germany. There, he encountered a scoundrel named John Tetzel. This man sold indulgences, and is said to have come up with the rhyme, "when a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs." This enraged Luther, who had recently studied the book of Romans and believed that the only way to heaven was through justification by faith. As a result, on the eve of "All Saints Day," Luther posted the famous 95 theses' that changed the world.
He was summoned by the Pope to Wurms to stand before a Diet where he they wanted him to renounce his theology and his books. Failing to do so, Luther spoke these words:
"Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me, Amen!"
It is said that the words that form the title of this book, "here I stand," Luther did not actually say. But I don't care; it makes the story much more interesting!
From this started a revolution that would change the world. The Protestant Reformation is one of the most important events in recent history, if not the most important, particularly for Christians. But, more of this discussion to come: I am finishing up a book on the Reformation as we speak!
Much more could be said about this great man Luther, but I think this is enough for now. If you would like to know more, you'll just have to pick the book up yourself!
Edit: I almost forgot to write what Jonathan Hill said about Luther. Well, check this out: the other quirk about the Medieval Church was they only had the Bible in Latin. It was forbidden to read or translate in anything else (even though the original is in Greek in Hebrew.. Awkward..). Well, Luther thought this to be very wrong since God spoke through the Bible and thus everyone should have the ability to read it. So he translated the Bible into German. This translation proved to be the basis of the German language that is spoken and written in Germany today. Pretty cool!
Edit: I almost forgot to write what Jonathan Hill said about Luther. Well, check this out: the other quirk about the Medieval Church was they only had the Bible in Latin. It was forbidden to read or translate in anything else (even though the original is in Greek in Hebrew.. Awkward..). Well, Luther thought this to be very wrong since God spoke through the Bible and thus everyone should have the ability to read it. So he translated the Bible into German. This translation proved to be the basis of the German language that is spoken and written in Germany today. Pretty cool!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
1 - Culture Shift: The Battle for the Moral Heart of America, Albert Mohler, 208 pages
Well, the start of the new year has begun, and I am getting a head start on reading. As of this writing, I've already read 3 books with another half-way completed! The first book of the year is a man I discovered just about a year ago and has come to be one of my most favorite authors, bloggers, and theologians: Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Seminary.
Dr. Mohler (or "Al" as I like to call him) has a daily podcast, Monday through Friday, that looks at a few news headlines and comments on them from a Christian worldview called, "the Briefing." This is an incredible resource and only takes about 20 minutes of your time. I typically listen to it in the morning when I'm getting ready for work or driving somewhere. I highly recommend Christians download just a few: you will be hooked!
The book, "Cultural Shift" reads a lot like a daily edition of "the Briefing." The message that is coherent through the book is the massive departure of Christianity from our culture. Early on, Dr. Mohler talks about how a few individuals would like to secularize politics, meaning that every political decision that is made must be from the lens that is without a religious background. This of course, as he states, is absurd. It is impossible to have a stance on controversial issues like abortion without a worldview that works in tandem with your religious beliefs (or lack thereof).
Dr. Mohler's book is less like a conventional book and more like a series of essays on many various issues that plague our culture as "controversial" but that also demonstrate the massive shift in political and social thought away from a Christian worldview and into that same secular agenda. For example, one of the most interesting "essays" was on our youth: Dr. Mohler cites many professionals who believe that Americans make weak 18 year olds, but strong 30 year olds. He uses bloated GPA scores form colleges to affirm that parents today are interfering with so much in their childrens lives that they are part of the problem in the weakness of tomorrows leaders: kid gets a "C" in math class, parents are on the phone the next day with the college professor, telling him he must have made a mistake, for example. He talks about how important it is for children to make mistakes, get hurt, learn from doing. The departure from this conventional wisdom, (where parents used to sit on park benches, now they are playing with their kids to ensure they will not injure themselves) he says, makes weak 18 year olds and in a lot of ways, I agree with that. The reason why we make great 30 year olds is because once children or young adults are outside of their parents influence, they do make mistakes in our dog-eat-dog, capitalist society; not only do they make mistakes, but they learn from them.
This is just one example (with way more citations and way more eloquent) of the various issues Dr. Mohler looks at: it speaks to the vast hole we are digging ourselves into as a culture and how that culture has shifted away from God so much, that is crumbling from the inside. With all the statistics and arguments Dr. Mohler makes, it's hard to disagree with him. I highly recommend this book!
Dr. Mohler (or "Al" as I like to call him) has a daily podcast, Monday through Friday, that looks at a few news headlines and comments on them from a Christian worldview called, "the Briefing." This is an incredible resource and only takes about 20 minutes of your time. I typically listen to it in the morning when I'm getting ready for work or driving somewhere. I highly recommend Christians download just a few: you will be hooked!
The book, "Cultural Shift" reads a lot like a daily edition of "the Briefing." The message that is coherent through the book is the massive departure of Christianity from our culture. Early on, Dr. Mohler talks about how a few individuals would like to secularize politics, meaning that every political decision that is made must be from the lens that is without a religious background. This of course, as he states, is absurd. It is impossible to have a stance on controversial issues like abortion without a worldview that works in tandem with your religious beliefs (or lack thereof).
Dr. Mohler's book is less like a conventional book and more like a series of essays on many various issues that plague our culture as "controversial" but that also demonstrate the massive shift in political and social thought away from a Christian worldview and into that same secular agenda. For example, one of the most interesting "essays" was on our youth: Dr. Mohler cites many professionals who believe that Americans make weak 18 year olds, but strong 30 year olds. He uses bloated GPA scores form colleges to affirm that parents today are interfering with so much in their childrens lives that they are part of the problem in the weakness of tomorrows leaders: kid gets a "C" in math class, parents are on the phone the next day with the college professor, telling him he must have made a mistake, for example. He talks about how important it is for children to make mistakes, get hurt, learn from doing. The departure from this conventional wisdom, (where parents used to sit on park benches, now they are playing with their kids to ensure they will not injure themselves) he says, makes weak 18 year olds and in a lot of ways, I agree with that. The reason why we make great 30 year olds is because once children or young adults are outside of their parents influence, they do make mistakes in our dog-eat-dog, capitalist society; not only do they make mistakes, but they learn from them.
This is just one example (with way more citations and way more eloquent) of the various issues Dr. Mohler looks at: it speaks to the vast hole we are digging ourselves into as a culture and how that culture has shifted away from God so much, that is crumbling from the inside. With all the statistics and arguments Dr. Mohler makes, it's hard to disagree with him. I highly recommend this book!
Friday, January 2, 2015
End of the Year Review
Well the end of the year has come and I have fallen just two books short of my goal! Either way, this was an eye opening experience no doubt. This year I read over 20,000 pages, mixed books of both fiction and nonfiction, gotten better at reading, immersed myself in interesting topics and books, and expanded my already rather large (considering I am only 25) library. I also fell only 11 or so book reviews short of my goal and I hope to remedy this next year as well. The following is my list of books read this year:
1) Cross of Christ
2) Washington
3) Strange Fire
4) When We Were a Consuming Fire
5) Starship Troopers
6) Mao
7) Refugee
8) The Story of Christianity II
9) Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
10) Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers
11) The Courage to be Protestant
12) Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
13) Total Truth
14) The Japanese and Christianity
15) First to Fight
16) Strange Glory
17) Black Hawk Down
18) Rainbow 6
19) Why We're not Emergent
19) The Last Stand of Fox Company
20) Without Remorse
21) John Macarthur: Minister of the Flock
22) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
24) I heard my Country Calling
25) Animal Farm
26) 1984
27) Fight Club
28) Mission at Nuremberg
29) Lion At the Gate
30) A Good Spy
31) Those Who Are Dead and Those Who Are Dying
32) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
33 ) Daniel Commentary
34 ) Titan: John D. Rockefeller
35 ) The Automobile
36 ) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
37)- American Sniper
38)- No Easy Day
39)_ Level Zero Heroes
40)- A Christmas Carol
41) The Giver
42) The Aviators
43) American History
44) Debt of Honor
45)- The Hobbit
46)- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
47)- My Men Are My Heroes
48)- The Last Battle
49)- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
50)- Saving Leonardo
51) S. - done
Altbough I say I fell two books short, this is not exactly true. Some of the books I read (including books for school and others I did not put on my list or forgot about) I have not included here. So suffice it to say that this is a monumental accomplishment in my short life that I am pretty proud about. My goal for this next year is to start completely over and I hope to read at least 60 books this year!
Thanks for everyone who took time to read my blog on book reviews. The most popular was ironically also my first: the Strange Fire book review by John MacArthur with over 51 views. The second most seen was the book, The Cross of Christ by John Stott with over 30 views. Altogether, over 890 views have been recorded on this blog. That is fantastic! I never thought I would even see 100 views so thank you again for reading! A happy New Year to all!
Saturday, December 13, 2014
40 - S., Doug Dorst and JJ Abrams, 472 pages
I started S nearly a year ago and just got around to finishing it. I have to say: it is one of the most intriguing novels I have ever personally read.
The plot of this whole project (I hesitate to call it merely a "book") is this: think of leaving a treasured book on a library rack by accident one day, to pick it up the next only to find someone had written in it, admiring your notes from when you were 16. Not only this, but this particular book was written by a man with a mysterious past. He never revealed to the world who he really was. This is the premise of S.
There are two connected stories taking place: the book itself is called "the Ship of Thesus," written by V.M. Straka. Straka's past is veiled but there are clues to his identity from various people, including the translator of "Ship" who also writes footnotes throughout the book (that are also threaded with codes). The book reads like a normal book, but in the margins are pen marks from two different individuals talking back and forth between each other. One is disgraced graduate student Eric, who's work was stolen by a professor and who claimed he was a fraud. He prints in block letters that are easily discernible. The other is Jen, an undergraduate student who is struggling admidst the pressures of school and life. She writes in a cursive scrawl that is sometimes hard to read. They write to each other about the solving the mystery of Straka, point out poetic lines and relate them to their lives, their parents, their backgrounds, meeting up, school, love, etc. all of this is made even more confusing because they write in different colors that represent different times. At first, Jen writes in a blue ink and Eric black. About half way, you start seeing gold (Jen) and green (Eric). Towards the end you see red (Eric) and purple (Jen). Last, you see black and black. Finally, this is not a conventional book in one other way: throughout their time corresponding together, they communicate also by including various items into the book. There are newspaper clippings, a strange device (that I
haven't figured out yet) that seems to be some kind of de-coder, postcards (Eric goes to Brazil at one point), pictures, longer notes about their lives, etc. These are all inserted and made reference to in the margins.
Ship of Thesus is essentially about a man who wakes up and cannot remember his past at all. He is simply known as "S." He meets up with various people throughout his travels, figuring out who he is and more importantly, trying to reconnect with a woman he see's and feels pulled towards. Her name is "Sola." He finds himself in the middle of a chase after a bomb explodes, only to jump into the sea and onto a strange ship. The ship's crew has an odd air to them, made worse by the fact that they all have their mouths sewed shut. They communicate by a whistle. The ship's captain, Maelstrom, is the only one who talks (not very well I might add). There is much more about the plot that I do not want to reveal, but suffice it to say S becomes involved in an organization that has vast implications for Jen
and Eric as their families and lives become endangered. Somehow it is all connected in an incredible
interplay that reminds me of the complexity of an orchestral masterpiece.
In short, this book is crazy. There a websites out there dedicated to carrying on the questions of the book, like this one that also features a "how to read guide." This is a book that will probably leave you more questions than answers how ever. JJ Abrams urged the readers to "dig deep." What is most confusing is trying to figure out wha to read. Do you read the book first and then go back and read the drama between Eric and Jen? Or do you try to do it all at once? I tried the latter because I just don't have the time to read all of that twice. Further, you REALLY have to dig in this book. It ends with as much mystery as it began with. As you may see from the linked website, there are a lot of theories on what the resolution is. This can be a little frustrating but for our detectives out there, this might be a welcomed challenge. One more note about the book: the characters that surround Straka are often times of a heritage that is not American. This sometimes is confusing because you have all these strange words and no recollection of who is who. I must pay more attention the second read!
Please pick this book up. It is truly ingenious. Can you go wrong with JJ Abrams? (I guess we will see next December!)
The plot of this whole project (I hesitate to call it merely a "book") is this: think of leaving a treasured book on a library rack by accident one day, to pick it up the next only to find someone had written in it, admiring your notes from when you were 16. Not only this, but this particular book was written by a man with a mysterious past. He never revealed to the world who he really was. This is the premise of S.
There are two connected stories taking place: the book itself is called "the Ship of Thesus," written by V.M. Straka. Straka's past is veiled but there are clues to his identity from various people, including the translator of "Ship" who also writes footnotes throughout the book (that are also threaded with codes). The book reads like a normal book, but in the margins are pen marks from two different individuals talking back and forth between each other. One is disgraced graduate student Eric, who's work was stolen by a professor and who claimed he was a fraud. He prints in block letters that are easily discernible. The other is Jen, an undergraduate student who is struggling admidst the pressures of school and life. She writes in a cursive scrawl that is sometimes hard to read. They write to each other about the solving the mystery of Straka, point out poetic lines and relate them to their lives, their parents, their backgrounds, meeting up, school, love, etc. all of this is made even more confusing because they write in different colors that represent different times. At first, Jen writes in a blue ink and Eric black. About half way, you start seeing gold (Jen) and green (Eric). Towards the end you see red (Eric) and purple (Jen). Last, you see black and black. Finally, this is not a conventional book in one other way: throughout their time corresponding together, they communicate also by including various items into the book. There are newspaper clippings, a strange device (that I
haven't figured out yet) that seems to be some kind of de-coder, postcards (Eric goes to Brazil at one point), pictures, longer notes about their lives, etc. These are all inserted and made reference to in the margins.
Ship of Thesus is essentially about a man who wakes up and cannot remember his past at all. He is simply known as "S." He meets up with various people throughout his travels, figuring out who he is and more importantly, trying to reconnect with a woman he see's and feels pulled towards. Her name is "Sola." He finds himself in the middle of a chase after a bomb explodes, only to jump into the sea and onto a strange ship. The ship's crew has an odd air to them, made worse by the fact that they all have their mouths sewed shut. They communicate by a whistle. The ship's captain, Maelstrom, is the only one who talks (not very well I might add). There is much more about the plot that I do not want to reveal, but suffice it to say S becomes involved in an organization that has vast implications for Jen
and Eric as their families and lives become endangered. Somehow it is all connected in an incredible
interplay that reminds me of the complexity of an orchestral masterpiece.
In short, this book is crazy. There a websites out there dedicated to carrying on the questions of the book, like this one that also features a "how to read guide." This is a book that will probably leave you more questions than answers how ever. JJ Abrams urged the readers to "dig deep." What is most confusing is trying to figure out wha to read. Do you read the book first and then go back and read the drama between Eric and Jen? Or do you try to do it all at once? I tried the latter because I just don't have the time to read all of that twice. Further, you REALLY have to dig in this book. It ends with as much mystery as it began with. As you may see from the linked website, there are a lot of theories on what the resolution is. This can be a little frustrating but for our detectives out there, this might be a welcomed challenge. One more note about the book: the characters that surround Straka are often times of a heritage that is not American. This sometimes is confusing because you have all these strange words and no recollection of who is who. I must pay more attention the second read!
Please pick this book up. It is truly ingenious. Can you go wrong with JJ Abrams? (I guess we will see next December!)
Friday, December 12, 2014
39 - Visions Of America: A History Of The United States, Volume I, Jennifer Keene, Saul Cornell, and Edward O'Donnell, 436 pages
This September, I took an American History class. It was.. interesting. I think I like history and I have come to accept that fact by adding a minor in history to my degree. My American History class was just one of the classes needed for my minor. And, conveniently, I just had to read a book to complete it. So I decided to add it to my 52 books list.
American History is unique in a couple of different ways. Most obviously, American history does not stretch for thousands and thousands of years like the Chinese with one solidified culture that has been built around it. The indigenous people who were here before us, Native Americans, have a consistent culture, but with immigration of Europeans from the East, they brought over their own cultures, customs, and religious beliefs. But things don't get really interesting until the Revolutionary War, where the American colonists revolted against their British masters.
An interesting note is that the colonists really didn't have anything to complain about. The Stamp Act was so miniscule that it hardly affected daily life. It was the fact that the colonists weren't represented that really boiled their blood. Further, I think the romantic visions of colonization and subsequent sidestep of the King united the colonists, because fighting the Revolutionary War was not a pleasant experience. George Washington's army barely won following the harsh winter at Valley Forge. But they found a way against the odds to defend against their British overlords.
This American History book covers just up to the events that followed the Civil War. So there is a lot to say in between. Suffice it to say that my most favorite section was on the Revolutionary War. Sure, there was the Barbary Wars with Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian ideology, The Spanish-American War, the Civil War and others. But the brilliance of the founding fathers in the construction of our Represented Republic system are too powerful to spend just one semester on.
This book reads like a textbook and in reality, was pretty dry. There were these boxes that looked at particular situations in depth that I thought took away from the text. If it was important enough to look at closer, why not just include it in the dialogue? It seems the writers did whatever they could to "spice" up a textbook, but they failed miserably in their task. I would not recommend this book unless you are taking a class that requires it!
American History is unique in a couple of different ways. Most obviously, American history does not stretch for thousands and thousands of years like the Chinese with one solidified culture that has been built around it. The indigenous people who were here before us, Native Americans, have a consistent culture, but with immigration of Europeans from the East, they brought over their own cultures, customs, and religious beliefs. But things don't get really interesting until the Revolutionary War, where the American colonists revolted against their British masters.
An interesting note is that the colonists really didn't have anything to complain about. The Stamp Act was so miniscule that it hardly affected daily life. It was the fact that the colonists weren't represented that really boiled their blood. Further, I think the romantic visions of colonization and subsequent sidestep of the King united the colonists, because fighting the Revolutionary War was not a pleasant experience. George Washington's army barely won following the harsh winter at Valley Forge. But they found a way against the odds to defend against their British overlords.
This American History book covers just up to the events that followed the Civil War. So there is a lot to say in between. Suffice it to say that my most favorite section was on the Revolutionary War. Sure, there was the Barbary Wars with Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian ideology, The Spanish-American War, the Civil War and others. But the brilliance of the founding fathers in the construction of our Represented Republic system are too powerful to spend just one semester on.
This book reads like a textbook and in reality, was pretty dry. There were these boxes that looked at particular situations in depth that I thought took away from the text. If it was important enough to look at closer, why not just include it in the dialogue? It seems the writers did whatever they could to "spice" up a textbook, but they failed miserably in their task. I would not recommend this book unless you are taking a class that requires it!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
38 - The Last Stand Of Fox Company: A True Story Of U.S. Marines In Combat, Tom Calvin, 355 pages
When I was at the School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I took special liberty to Texas to go to my good friends wedding. I had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina and sat down (exhausted) next to a young man. On the ground he had a book that he was reading through entitled, "The Last Stand of Fox Company" with this iconic image in it. I turned to him and asked, "are you a Marine?" Turns out, he was also on his way to Texas for a wedding, and he was a Marine Aviation Officer. When the stewardess (who saw me clutching my big browed white cover in my hand) realized I was a Marine, she told me to get up and sit in first class. I resisted at first, looking to the higher ranking individual next to me. With a nod, he smiled and said, "go ahead!" I sat in first class for the first and only time that day. The best part of the story is I left my saxophone back in the bin above my seat. As I was waiting for people to vacate the aircraft to return to claim my saxophone, I saw the man lumbering forward, weighed down by my saxophone!
Ever since that encounter, I have always wanted to read "The Last Stand Of Fox Company." This year, I finally got it and read it some time ago (I thought I had already written a book review but I guess I was wrong!).
In the 1950's, the United States went to war when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. At first, the North Koreans pushed the US and Korean forces deep into South Korea, before the famous daring puncture into North Korean lines, by way of the Chosin Reservoir, made them retreat. The United States Forces then went on the offensive, chasing them deeper and deeper into North Korea. But the Marines encountered an unknown enemy along the way: reinforcements that were wearing garments that the Marines had never seen before. The Chinese, under the command of Mao Zedong (whom I read a biography about here) came to the rescue of the North Korean's.
This sets the stage for the heroic acts of Fox Company. They were charged to hold Toktong Pass in the cruel Korean winter. They hunkered down in defensive positions, under the command of Captain William Barber. Little did they know they were surrounded by perhaps over 100,000 Chinese soldiers.
The book details the harrowing accounts of each of the hellish nights Fox Company spent defending Toktong Pass. They not only had to battle the Koreans and the Chinese, but also the cold: at night time, the temperature plummeted into the negatives. Battle Worn and running low on men to defend the pass, I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the fight was the reinforcements attached to Fox Company. They recruited members of the Headquarters Battalion (cooks, postal Marines, etc.) to help the grunts. This is possible because all Marines are riflemen and are able to answer the call of duty when the time comes.
The most notable member of Fox Company was one Private Cafferata. On the first night, the Chinese attacked relentlessly and the members of Fox Company had to repel their offensive. Cafferata batted down grenades during the skirmish, all the while protecting wounded Marines, and singlehandedly held the line. Captain Barber in the book mused the next day that Cafferata must have killed 60 Chinese, although he is only credited with 15. I have included the citation from his Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company F, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division(Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 28 November 1950. When all other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company's hill position, Private Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing fifteen, wounding many more and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded Marines, Private Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of one finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper's bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment. Stouthearted and indomitable, Private Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Ever since that encounter, I have always wanted to read "The Last Stand Of Fox Company." This year, I finally got it and read it some time ago (I thought I had already written a book review but I guess I was wrong!).
In the 1950's, the United States went to war when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. At first, the North Koreans pushed the US and Korean forces deep into South Korea, before the famous daring puncture into North Korean lines, by way of the Chosin Reservoir, made them retreat. The United States Forces then went on the offensive, chasing them deeper and deeper into North Korea. But the Marines encountered an unknown enemy along the way: reinforcements that were wearing garments that the Marines had never seen before. The Chinese, under the command of Mao Zedong (whom I read a biography about here) came to the rescue of the North Korean's.
This sets the stage for the heroic acts of Fox Company. They were charged to hold Toktong Pass in the cruel Korean winter. They hunkered down in defensive positions, under the command of Captain William Barber. Little did they know they were surrounded by perhaps over 100,000 Chinese soldiers.
The book details the harrowing accounts of each of the hellish nights Fox Company spent defending Toktong Pass. They not only had to battle the Koreans and the Chinese, but also the cold: at night time, the temperature plummeted into the negatives. Battle Worn and running low on men to defend the pass, I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the fight was the reinforcements attached to Fox Company. They recruited members of the Headquarters Battalion (cooks, postal Marines, etc.) to help the grunts. This is possible because all Marines are riflemen and are able to answer the call of duty when the time comes.
The most notable member of Fox Company was one Private Cafferata. On the first night, the Chinese attacked relentlessly and the members of Fox Company had to repel their offensive. Cafferata batted down grenades during the skirmish, all the while protecting wounded Marines, and singlehandedly held the line. Captain Barber in the book mused the next day that Cafferata must have killed 60 Chinese, although he is only credited with 15. I have included the citation from his Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company F, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division(Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 28 November 1950. When all other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company's hill position, Private Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing fifteen, wounding many more and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded Marines, Private Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of one finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper's bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment. Stouthearted and indomitable, Private Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Pretty amazing. I would definitely recommend "The Last Stand Of Fox Company."
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