Hannibal's Oath: The Life and Wars of Rome's Greatest Enemy by John Prevas

4 Stars

Vincere scis, Hannibal, Victoria uti nescis.

You know how to win, Hannibal, but not how to use victory.



I love reading about history and war because it makes me feel better about how deplorably we as humans are doing, right now. There's something about the never-ending cavalcade of conquest, unbridled greed, and violence that soothes me. 



For the non-experts and forgetful, all the ancient geographical names and political/ethnic groups are given their contemporary names as well so that it's easy to follow along how much we have NOT changed. Bless us humans. Additionally, the writing is that of a friendly confidential, eminently readable and filled with snippets of gossip and what not to liven up the bare facts. Want to tell me about the scurrilous rumors surrounding great leaders' sexuality from Alexander the Great to Hamilcar to Julius Caesar with charming old world insults--Absolutely yes, thank you. 

"[H]usband to many a woman and wife to many a man." re: Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great had much the same reputation. 



And frankly, human sacrifice never gets old. I'm not talking about the noble kind, but rather the good ole appease the gods with blood and flesh of the pre-substantiation kind. It wasn't always symbolic. And that's just the beginning! I mean Hannibal's adherence to his oath makes the Godfather movies look unfocused and soft by comparison. 

Spoiler, not spoiler: Italy 2200 years later is still a collective of semi-autonomous city states. Again, supply chain management--this is how wars are lost. Best part is how each player looks at the chessboard and sees a totally different game. No one imagined the Alps were passable. 

Plus, we are blessed with gems like this: 

It was no longer a battle, it was a massacre--un sanguinoso--a bloodbath, lending its name to a nearby town, Sanguineto.

Best yet, as every good soldier knows--you need an exit strategy. And at the end, Hannibal was prepared. If you're looking for a hard academic read or military science breakdown, then this is probably not your book, but the interested layperson is going to find this a quick and informative read. 

One of my favorite generals

Leo Loves Aries by Anyta Sunday

3 Stars

This was cute. At one point I wanted to smack someone's head, but I think that's because the premise felt a bit drawn out. On the other hand, this totally reminded me of the best Olympic op-ed I've ever heard: Mary Carillo's Backyard Badminton Rant. 

To say I recommend watching the entirety is an understatement. I have never felt so in sync with a commentator in my life, and don't expect to ever again. Seriously, I laughed just remembering it.

So yeah, badminton. It's a pretty crazy sport when you transcend the backyard birdie in a tree style of play. And this competitiveness between Theo and Jamie is funny, totally something I related to. Obliviousness is adorable, but maybe that's just me--actually, I am oblivious. 

OR 

What's a salad sandwich? I lean towards the sprout version, but I have no clue. Apparently, very popular.

Overall, a sweet friends to lovers' story.

Down for the Count by Martin Holmén

4 Stars

Darker and grittier.

'You can't get away from a promise', I remind myself. 'It's always honour and glory all the bloody way, but when you think about it, those are the only things the poor have.'

Harry Kvist just can't catch a break. It's enough to make you believe in curses. Yes, much of his problems are self-inflicted, but there's an undercurrent that keeps tugging him down. This time we see him pushed to the edges. Kvist is not a good man, but he has a code and compassion. As bad off as he is, he never forgets those on the lower rungs. 

Kvist is on the case, and it's got a body count. 

Mid 1930s and Stockholm is bleak. Kvist is scrabbling harder than ever. The Nazi presence is becoming more evident and there's a definite underscore of the beleaguered being dragged down harder. Life is getting tougher, but even so there are moments of humanity that can make a person an optimist. 

Only hope that he catches a break that doesn't involve his body. 

The Monet Murders by Josh Lanyon

4 Stars

Worth the wait for a crazy little thing called love... and murder.

Jason West is working a case of art fraud when a calling card is left by the Santa Monica pier. 



Not far from the swanky hotels. A call for his expertise brings him back into contact with Sam Kennedy. That fire has been banked while they each pursue their respective careers separated by a continent. Will it be stoked?

So, this was a lovely installment in the Sam/Jason story and the mystery was good and gruesome. Higher flying with art world money front and center and we learn a bit more of Jason's background, which is definitely more rarified than most. This one's a roller coaster so hold on tight. 

Shark Island by Chris Jameson

3 Stars

Solidly entertaining summer scare yourself silly.

Naomi, Naomi... Naomi

Let's say you happen to wander along and spy this magnificence of nature. 


What do you do? 
A) Stop at a safe distance and takes some pictures
B) Jump off your boat to swim closer and take "nature shots"
C) Keep driving, you have better things to do and the garlic festival is waiting

Anything but B is correct. B is wrong, so wrong. This is not a spoiler, chill. 

As far as thrillers go, this is pretty good. Going in you know the people are going to be shark chum, but the events leading up to it and the taking of various characters and the play of group dynamics was good. I'll leave you to decide if karma was served.

There's a lot of this:



For my friends looking for diverse characters, this is excellent. Multiracial, neurodiverse, range of sexualities, and features some kickass women. That said, they're people, not just an amalgamation of genetics. You like or dislike them as people, which is the way characters should be written. 

Winter (The Haunted Heart #1) by Josh Lanyon

3 Stars

Perfect title. 

For Flynn, life is this long dark of sadness where nothing is warm or alive. In this old cluttered house that seeps with the cold of a Connecticut winter he busies himself sorting the affairs of his uncle and meets two individuals who change his life. Kirk is the steady soul who gets pulled into Flynn's sphere and Ines, well, she's a bit of a mirror of Flynn, but unrepressed. 

This is definitely creepy. It is also emotionally taxing as a great deal of what is happening relates to Flynn and his well-being. Lanyon has kept up the tragically-flawed character with Flynn. If you're looking for a chilling thriller than this is a solid choice.

With a Weapon and a Grin: Postcard Images of France's Black African Colonial Troops in WWI by Stephan Likosky

4 Stars

Pictorializing race for political advantage. 

Propaganda is a blunt weapon used in fear mongering and ego stroking. During World War I, the French utilized African colonial subjects in the ranks of soldiers fighting Germany. This books attempts to frame this through a review of postcards wherein the stereotypes of Africans are being used and recast for the glory of France.



The imagery display a mix of fearfulness and civility, balancing the need to reassure French citizens of African soldiers' naiveté so they don't pose a threat, especially to white women and their savagery in battle to embolden Allies' forces against the Germans. The spectrum from smiling childlike soldier or injured soldier amongst the general populace clearly incapable of posing a threat to the crazed soldier with mutilated body parts that he nonchalantly displays to the horror of white female audience or gleeful holds up for the postcard viewer. 

There are interesting examples of propaganda aimed at humiliating the enemy. The insinuations of sodomy with German forces and bayonet imagery that are also discussed in reference to a political/military scandal highlighted the immorality of German soldiers' homosexuality. Feminizing the enemy was a popular tool to negate them as equals. Finally, the issue of cannibalism is sensationalized with a soldier refusing to eat bad-tasting meat of pig Germans playing off the Muslim dietary prohibitions which in the context of the Turkish-German alliance during WWI is a twist in the divisive issue of religion. 

The postcards themselves are well preserved and the imagery runs from photographs to cartoons with a sliding scale of historical solemnity to crude humor. The material uses French, English, German and petit nègre, which highlights a condescension and corralling or limiting aspect of African inclusion with an inferior form of French taught that would be easily ridiculed.

Overall, both sides used their colonial forces during World War I for their advantage, framing the rhetoric to degrade the enemy or valorize themselves. The focus is France's use of African troops in Europe, but as you view the extensive selection of postcards it becomes apparent that other ethnicities and races were caught up. Ironically, here we are 100 years later and the same powers are in friction again: Germany, Britain, France, Russia, and Turkey. The ancillary religious differences between muslim and christian countries and how they were exploited are particularly interesting due to current events. Definitely, an interesting read.

Schiffer Publishing book page link

The Shield of Heracles by Hesiod

3 Stars

Lovely battle scene with Herakles and Iolaus versus Ares and Cycnus. Brothers against father and son with the requisite god meddling ahead of time. Nicely done if brief. I wandered over to read it after The Seven Against Thebes because I was so enamored with the shields' descriptions in it and so totally worth it. The shield itself is a set of stories. But it ends with a nice bang:

Even so, the son of Amphitryon, unsated of battle, stood eagerly face to face with Ares, nursing courage in his heart. And Ares drew near him with grief in his heart; and they both sprang at one another with a cry.