Dave

Well constructed poems

Too angsty for me, but her structures are good and creative, unrequited love certainly forms the basis of many many poems, but it does t have to be all of them.

Like a lot of people I got into the Expanse series from the SyFy show. I was even reluctant to start that because I can't stand being invested in a world and then finding some almost inevitable disappointment at the end, and I just didn't have faith that SyFy had it in them. So it goes without saying I was wrong, the series is fantastic, so good it led me to read the books now.

Leviathan Wakes was even better than the series, and these days that isn't always true, we are in the Golden Age of series television for sure, but the book is so much more nuanced, and is able to delve deeper into the characters personalities than a small budget third string cable network was able to do in season one, so much so in fact that as I rewatched the series, I was irritated by a lot of changes that I now recognized from the source.

Without going into spoilers, the manufactured tensions between he crew of the Rocinante was so different than the immediate bonding the crew experiences in the book that I greatly prefer the way it works in the book. There are not many substantive changes in the end result, but the way we get there was better in the original I think.

Knowing the original writing team is heavily involved in the series makes it easier to digest, so at least we can rest our pitchforks in understanding that it's still their writing.

You can't go wrong with this series, and if you're like me and feel that you've been let down many times in the recent past by science fiction series, relax, this one is safe, it really follows through.

I enjoyed the idea that this is a raw narrative from the mind of a man on the opposing side of the greatest conflict in human history, however I just couldn't shake the feeling that it had been edited more than the author admits, and given the subject matter, and the authors allegiance to one of the most notorious fighting forces ever to exist, I completely understand why. My only wish is that he was more open about it. Perhaps I am wrong but that is the root of my 3 star rating.

I'm going to have to agree with the New York Times review that this book is “virtually flawless”. Having not lived through the events myself, and having no firsthand familiarity, I cannot say that it is 100% factually accurate, though it is extremely well regarded by historians, and even those who are portrayed within.

I have been on a sort of mission to enhance my understanding of World War 2 beyond the traditional school house narratives we all know, and much further than the Hollywood films have taught us. Books like this one, and “Japan 1941” by Ari Hotta have broadened my knowledge ten fold.

I found this to be an engaging read, with the personalities of even some larger than life figures made real, and tangible. I particularly enjoyed the even handed ness displayed with regard to the Japanese Generals and politicians, especially given that this book was published in 1967, before our current trend of revisionism.

Any serious student of World War 2 history, and particularly those seeking to understand the specific events at the end as they pertain to the Japanese, must consider this mandatory reading.

Five Stars for sure.

There is no one more qualified to explain this topic, and also probably no one better skilled to make it digestible. He gets a touch preach in the last few pages, but honestly, nothing he says is wrong.

It's nothing more then a fingernail scratch over the surface of these hugely deep topics, but Neil as alway makes them entertaining enough to remember, and to want to share with others. I can't recommend the book enough, for experts or neophytes, its holds something.

An interesting comparison

It's a stretch to say that the two events were truly comparable, but the author does a good job of finding parallels that pique the interest. It's a very quick read, with a casual tone, and I definitely appreciated the authors intimate knowledge of the people and places involved. I would recommend to a friend, but I would also recommend they have some basic knowledge of the geography and places in both wars. I stopped several times to check maps to familiarize myself with relative locations and borders.

Very solid narrative, detailed, and easy enough to follow. This book is focused on what happened, and it succeeds in telling that story well and without some of the anecdotal side stories that military histories are often guilty of. Mr Hart made clear to my mind the events of the days without it being dry y including just enough of the major actors thoughts and quotes to keep their personalities relevant. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, and only gave it less than five stars to preserve that rating for the very few truly stellar books out there.