Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Second World War: The Hinge Of Fate
Winston Churchill
1950
How the power of the Grand Alliance became preponderant.
The tone of the writing moves from defiant and determined in the previous volumes, to confident and deliberate in The Hinge Of Fate. After the US and Russia align with Britain, Churchill sees winning the war as certain, provided the allies move forward together. Accordingly, this volume documents a shift in which Britain moves from a series of ceaseless loses and defeats, to a unbroken crusade of successive victories.
Book one, dealing with the first half of 1942, shows Britain at its weakest and most forsaken. Germany is marching ever forward and fortifying the positions the already hold, while Japan has seized on the preoccupation of Britain and the derelict state of the US Pacific fleet (after being decimated in Pearl Harbour) to march unchalleged as occupiers onto vast ranges of Pacific islands. These assaults included the devastating loss of Singapore to the British Empire, taken to be the largest capitulation in British history. Meanwhile, Britian, unable to battle Germany anywhere in Europe, commits itself to clearing the Nazi's off the North African coast. Even this modest effort is resisted as Field Marshall Rommel holds out against first Auchinleck, then Alexander. These defeats, including the loss again of Tobruk shortly after the fall of Singapore, were the low point of British strategic prestige worldwide.
Fortunes begin to turn early on in book two. American and British planers put together the invasion on North Africa from the West, resulting in such a successful campaign that Italy is soon seen to be the natural next step. Again telegrams and minutes carry much of the narrative, but Churchill does intervene periodically to recounts certain riveting episodes, particularly the death of Admiral Darlan.
Churchill continues to demonstrate his mastery of seeing the war as one interconnected conflict. His vision never tunnels towards only the most pressing issue, as even in times of severe distress he is able to balance the proportionality of every outcome. His one goal is the defeat of Nazi Germany resulting in a peaceful Europe, and throughout the book he recounts how through countless meetings, both international and domestic, and countless telegrams, he never wavers from the goal and works always to strengthen and put to use the ow solid alliance.
Winston Churchill
1950
How the power of the Grand Alliance became preponderant.
The tone of the writing moves from defiant and determined in the previous volumes, to confident and deliberate in The Hinge Of Fate. After the US and Russia align with Britain, Churchill sees winning the war as certain, provided the allies move forward together. Accordingly, this volume documents a shift in which Britain moves from a series of ceaseless loses and defeats, to a unbroken crusade of successive victories.
Book one, dealing with the first half of 1942, shows Britain at its weakest and most forsaken. Germany is marching ever forward and fortifying the positions the already hold, while Japan has seized on the preoccupation of Britain and the derelict state of the US Pacific fleet (after being decimated in Pearl Harbour) to march unchalleged as occupiers onto vast ranges of Pacific islands. These assaults included the devastating loss of Singapore to the British Empire, taken to be the largest capitulation in British history. Meanwhile, Britian, unable to battle Germany anywhere in Europe, commits itself to clearing the Nazi's off the North African coast. Even this modest effort is resisted as Field Marshall Rommel holds out against first Auchinleck, then Alexander. These defeats, including the loss again of Tobruk shortly after the fall of Singapore, were the low point of British strategic prestige worldwide.
Fortunes begin to turn early on in book two. American and British planers put together the invasion on North Africa from the West, resulting in such a successful campaign that Italy is soon seen to be the natural next step. Again telegrams and minutes carry much of the narrative, but Churchill does intervene periodically to recounts certain riveting episodes, particularly the death of Admiral Darlan.
Churchill continues to demonstrate his mastery of seeing the war as one interconnected conflict. His vision never tunnels towards only the most pressing issue, as even in times of severe distress he is able to balance the proportionality of every outcome. His one goal is the defeat of Nazi Germany resulting in a peaceful Europe, and throughout the book he recounts how through countless meetings, both international and domestic, and countless telegrams, he never wavers from the goal and works always to strengthen and put to use the ow solid alliance.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
J. K. Rowling
2007
This book met all expectations. It was a thrilling adventure/fantasy novel on it's own, and it was a forcible finale to an exceptional series. The loyal reader of the 6 other novels is rewarded in spades in this installment as events both major and minor from all previous books reappear with varying degrees of surprising importance.
Both the story and Rowling's writing have matured over the ages. The humour from the first two volumes is nearly absent. In fact, previously funny terms or situations, such as the name "Diagon Alley", seem strangely out of place in the now fully dark and serious world of wizards. They are a relic from an era more carefree and simpler, both in Potter's world, and Rowling's. Rowling is no longer writing a children's novel. Her readers have grown up. Anyone who first got started on the books as a child is now in their twenties. And, any kids who begin reading Potter now will do a lot of growing before they get around to the last one. Rowling is no doubt conscious of this and adapts her writing appropriately. She is a much more confident and experienced author by this last book. The words move by at a frentic heavy pace, which is a striking contrast to the silly wizards-are-so-cool style of her first book. Rowling has a point to get to and a story to tell, and she wastes few words getting there.
Every page offers serious plot developments. The knowledge that millions of readers worldwide know the previous volumes in detail has allowed Rowling to dispense with cumbersome back story and repetition. The imaginative and creative details are given full freedom to soar and Rowling can take the story anywhere knowing that readers will be able to stay with her.
At the end of the sixth book the scene is so bleak that war is unavoidable. The conflict between good and evil builds to such a climax that is can only be resolved through massive destruction. In the final book this destruction happens as the conflict explodes into a battle worthy of any fantasy novel. The battle is so vivid and powerful that Rowling seems almost to be rewarding the reader for staying with her so long. It runs multiple chapters and is unquestionably the most thrilling part of any Potter novel. All characters return and in a Hobbit style Battle Of Five Armies, anyone who can fight, fights. The book is a worthy cap off to a tremendous series, and and the final battle if a spectacular finale to all of it.
J. K. Rowling
2007
This book met all expectations. It was a thrilling adventure/fantasy novel on it's own, and it was a forcible finale to an exceptional series. The loyal reader of the 6 other novels is rewarded in spades in this installment as events both major and minor from all previous books reappear with varying degrees of surprising importance.
Both the story and Rowling's writing have matured over the ages. The humour from the first two volumes is nearly absent. In fact, previously funny terms or situations, such as the name "Diagon Alley", seem strangely out of place in the now fully dark and serious world of wizards. They are a relic from an era more carefree and simpler, both in Potter's world, and Rowling's. Rowling is no longer writing a children's novel. Her readers have grown up. Anyone who first got started on the books as a child is now in their twenties. And, any kids who begin reading Potter now will do a lot of growing before they get around to the last one. Rowling is no doubt conscious of this and adapts her writing appropriately. She is a much more confident and experienced author by this last book. The words move by at a frentic heavy pace, which is a striking contrast to the silly wizards-are-so-cool style of her first book. Rowling has a point to get to and a story to tell, and she wastes few words getting there.
Every page offers serious plot developments. The knowledge that millions of readers worldwide know the previous volumes in detail has allowed Rowling to dispense with cumbersome back story and repetition. The imaginative and creative details are given full freedom to soar and Rowling can take the story anywhere knowing that readers will be able to stay with her.
At the end of the sixth book the scene is so bleak that war is unavoidable. The conflict between good and evil builds to such a climax that is can only be resolved through massive destruction. In the final book this destruction happens as the conflict explodes into a battle worthy of any fantasy novel. The battle is so vivid and powerful that Rowling seems almost to be rewarding the reader for staying with her so long. It runs multiple chapters and is unquestionably the most thrilling part of any Potter novel. All characters return and in a Hobbit style Battle Of Five Armies, anyone who can fight, fights. The book is a worthy cap off to a tremendous series, and and the final battle if a spectacular finale to all of it.
