Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War (Stephen Platt)
I've got two books about the Taiping rebellion, and I think I should have read God's Chinese Son first; I didn't realize from the subtitle that Platt's book is all about the Western view of the Taiping rebellion. This is a very strange choice to make - Platt ends up super fast-forwarding through the entire first half and the last bit of the rebellion, instead focusing on the stretch of the war when the Western powers interfered. This makes for a searing indictment of England's misguided intervention, but as a actual "Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War", well, no, not really. I guess I could recommend this if you've already read a nice book about the conflict and are looking for another perspective on it, or if you're writing a research paper on the subject of foreign intervention in Qing China, but otherwise, take a pass. Very disappointing.
Grade: D
Bonus: Link to Amazon review that sums up my feelings pretty well.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
A Quick Note About Scheduling
Here at Bite Size Book Reviews we aim to serve you, the readers - both of you - so here's a quick post about update frequency. To avoid situations like June 2012 where there's only three reviews because I'm reading a massive book, I've taken to scheduling a review to be published every five days, starting from the first of the month. This lets me stay ahead of schedule thanks to books that I don't finish and graphic novels. A few months ago, I ended up with about six months of reviews in the can, to the point where when a review was being published, I'd have almost forgotten reading the book. September and most of October, as a result, had a review every three days until the backlog was cleared - now that I've almost run out of material, it's back to a review every five days. From here on out, you can expect a review every five days, with a burst of a month or month and a half of three day reviews once or twice a year. (There may also be two reviews in a row on the 30th/1st of two new months, and there might be a six day gap if the month ends on the 31st - tomorrow's review is Tampa).
** Update **
Whoops, I forgot it was actually Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom. Well, stay tuned.
** Update **
Whoops, I forgot it was actually Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom. Well, stay tuned.
Friday, October 25, 2013
"The Banner of Battle"
The Banner of Battle: The Story of the Crimean War (Alan Palmer)
A short little hardcover about (checks title) the Crimean War. Palmer focuses more on the diplomacy surrounding the war than the battles themselves (Chapter Six: When's the Fighting Going to Begin?) - this is probably a wise choice since the actual fighting was rather limited, with most of the war being a long siege. Thinking back, I liked this book better than The Crimean War - but since that book focused more on the military aspect, and since both books are on the short side, I'd recommend just reading both (The Crimean War first, but skip the too long epilogue, then this one) - there's a little repetition of material, but you'll get a very nice view of the conflict.
Grade: B+
A short little hardcover about (checks title) the Crimean War. Palmer focuses more on the diplomacy surrounding the war than the battles themselves (Chapter Six: When's the Fighting Going to Begin?) - this is probably a wise choice since the actual fighting was rather limited, with most of the war being a long siege. Thinking back, I liked this book better than The Crimean War - but since that book focused more on the military aspect, and since both books are on the short side, I'd recommend just reading both (The Crimean War first, but skip the too long epilogue, then this one) - there's a little repetition of material, but you'll get a very nice view of the conflict.
Grade: B+
Monday, October 21, 2013
"The Rise and Fall of the British Empire"
The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (Lawrence James)
I'm not sure what to make of this book; On the one hand I was never bored reading it, but on the other it's tough to recommend. I think the problem really just boils down to scope. The author has set himself quite an audacious task here, and I'm sad to report that it falls a bit short, on length if nothing else - chronicling the rise and fall of the worldwide British empire is a massive undertaking, and even coming in at over 600 big pages, what you have here is mostly a very high-level overview. Subjects like the Raj that could take up entire volumes themselves are distilled down to under 200 pages. The result is a good, but unfortunately shallow; I would recommend this as a first read before seeing which parts of the history described whet your appetite, then looking for books that cover those areas in more detail.
Now, to be fair, aside from not getting enough of it, what you do get is pretty good; its brevity (well, relative brevity; it's still massive) keeps the book moving very quickly. The only other complaint I can muster is that there are a few bizarre errors in the text - numerous typos, words left out, and my personal bane, quotation marks that begin and don't end, as well as one case where there's a set of ending quotation marks without a beginning. Add this all up and you've got an interesting but not essential book. (Also works well for flatting out curved Magic cards)
Grade: B-
I'm not sure what to make of this book; On the one hand I was never bored reading it, but on the other it's tough to recommend. I think the problem really just boils down to scope. The author has set himself quite an audacious task here, and I'm sad to report that it falls a bit short, on length if nothing else - chronicling the rise and fall of the worldwide British empire is a massive undertaking, and even coming in at over 600 big pages, what you have here is mostly a very high-level overview. Subjects like the Raj that could take up entire volumes themselves are distilled down to under 200 pages. The result is a good, but unfortunately shallow; I would recommend this as a first read before seeing which parts of the history described whet your appetite, then looking for books that cover those areas in more detail.
Now, to be fair, aside from not getting enough of it, what you do get is pretty good; its brevity (well, relative brevity; it's still massive) keeps the book moving very quickly. The only other complaint I can muster is that there are a few bizarre errors in the text - numerous typos, words left out, and my personal bane, quotation marks that begin and don't end, as well as one case where there's a set of ending quotation marks without a beginning. Add this all up and you've got an interesting but not essential book. (Also works well for flatting out curved Magic cards)
Grade: B-
Friday, October 18, 2013
"Scatter, Adapt, and Remember"
Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction (Annalee Newitz)
I was really looking forward to reading this, and it starts out pretty well - the first half explores the history of Earth, and later the human race, with an eye towards various disasters over the years, and how species succeeded or failed to adapt and survive. I found this quite interesting, and I guess a little bit reassuring, in that the cataclysm that destroys 90% of life on Earth has already happened and paved the way for us. It'd be easy to recommend this book based just on the first half, but unfortunately once Newitz catches up to the modern day, the second half of the book starts and it's a complete mess.
First we hear about Newitz' favorite science fiction author for no reason I could see (unless Newitz really think that tentacle aliens from another dimension are going to come to Earth, I really don't see the point of including this part); then Newitz travels around from place to place, meeting with people who are working on future technology like a living city you can grow. This is frustrating because Newitz just scratches the surface on these ideas, never digging deep into what, for example, a living city would look like, instead telling us how the scientists who are working on these concepts dress or what they drink in the break room. I would also advise taking this entire section with a grain of salt - it all looked plausible enough to me when Newitz was recounting subjects I don't know much about, but when she got to the space elevator, which I have a little knowledge of, she comes off as wildly over-optimistic about the chances of it ever being built (there's a reason that the material at the core of the space elevator is often referred to as "Unobtainium"). Even if you can overlook this issue, none of these ideas are tied together; some of them are mutually exclusive, and they aren't shaped into a coherent whole, instead reading more like a list of all the places Newitz was able to get an interview.
So all in all, you've got half a stinker and half a good (not great) book; I'd recommend getting it out of your local library, reading the first half, and then returning it.
Grade: C-
I was really looking forward to reading this, and it starts out pretty well - the first half explores the history of Earth, and later the human race, with an eye towards various disasters over the years, and how species succeeded or failed to adapt and survive. I found this quite interesting, and I guess a little bit reassuring, in that the cataclysm that destroys 90% of life on Earth has already happened and paved the way for us. It'd be easy to recommend this book based just on the first half, but unfortunately once Newitz catches up to the modern day, the second half of the book starts and it's a complete mess.
First we hear about Newitz' favorite science fiction author for no reason I could see (unless Newitz really think that tentacle aliens from another dimension are going to come to Earth, I really don't see the point of including this part); then Newitz travels around from place to place, meeting with people who are working on future technology like a living city you can grow. This is frustrating because Newitz just scratches the surface on these ideas, never digging deep into what, for example, a living city would look like, instead telling us how the scientists who are working on these concepts dress or what they drink in the break room. I would also advise taking this entire section with a grain of salt - it all looked plausible enough to me when Newitz was recounting subjects I don't know much about, but when she got to the space elevator, which I have a little knowledge of, she comes off as wildly over-optimistic about the chances of it ever being built (there's a reason that the material at the core of the space elevator is often referred to as "Unobtainium"). Even if you can overlook this issue, none of these ideas are tied together; some of them are mutually exclusive, and they aren't shaped into a coherent whole, instead reading more like a list of all the places Newitz was able to get an interview.
So all in all, you've got half a stinker and half a good (not great) book; I'd recommend getting it out of your local library, reading the first half, and then returning it.
Grade: C-
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
"The Mark of Calth"
The Mark of Calth (edited by Laurie Goulding)
This is a short story collection following on from Know No Fear. Where Know No Fear was a pleasant surprise, this book is more of a letdown; despite contributions from some of the better Black Library authors, it's kind of a muddle. The book is brought down by the fact that a few of the stories don't really go anywhere. The first story is interesting enough but doesn't seem to really have a point or ending, and ADB's contribution (spoiler alert) is just a dream, which renders it completely pointless. Beyond this, the book also runs with Ultramarine fanboyism (at one point they kill 600 Word Bearers without a single casualty), and lavishes more attention on THE PERPETUALS, a weird new concept in W40K about people who are immortal because (loud cough) that doesn't seem particularly interesting or well thought out. The best short story is about a magic knife and is interesting both because it spans thousands of years and uses a weirdly refreshing second-person style where the narrator is telling you, the knife, about your own life. Otherwise, I'd recommend a pass on this; it's not the worst Horus Heresy novel out there, but it's not very entertaining.
Grade: C-
This is a short story collection following on from Know No Fear. Where Know No Fear was a pleasant surprise, this book is more of a letdown; despite contributions from some of the better Black Library authors, it's kind of a muddle. The book is brought down by the fact that a few of the stories don't really go anywhere. The first story is interesting enough but doesn't seem to really have a point or ending, and ADB's contribution (spoiler alert) is just a dream, which renders it completely pointless. Beyond this, the book also runs with Ultramarine fanboyism (at one point they kill 600 Word Bearers without a single casualty), and lavishes more attention on THE PERPETUALS, a weird new concept in W40K about people who are immortal because (loud cough) that doesn't seem particularly interesting or well thought out. The best short story is about a magic knife and is interesting both because it spans thousands of years and uses a weirdly refreshing second-person style where the narrator is telling you, the knife, about your own life. Otherwise, I'd recommend a pass on this; it's not the worst Horus Heresy novel out there, but it's not very entertaining.
Grade: C-
Saturday, October 12, 2013
"For Want of a Nail"
For Want of a Nail: If Burgoyne Had Won at Saratoga (Robert Sobel)
Most (in fact, all the ones I can think of off the top of my head) alternate history books are novels; This book instead reads like a history textbook, complete with copious fake footnotes. I found this approach to be quite refreshing. (It helps that Sobel is very committed to this format, going so far as to include a very critical essay from a fake historian at the end and pages and pages of made-up books in the bibliography.)
The departure point is (checks title) if Burgyone had won at Saratoga, which is plausible; for me, the factor that really seemed like it must be from another earth is the reasonableness and practicality of the British government in the immediate aftermath. Once over that hump, Sobel spins a very interesting if somewhat dry tale, and my only complaint here is that the book would have really benefited from a few maps; I was never quite sure where Southern Vandalia and Jefferson were located. Probably for history nerds only, but a easy recommendation if the concept piques your interest.
Grade: B+
Most (in fact, all the ones I can think of off the top of my head) alternate history books are novels; This book instead reads like a history textbook, complete with copious fake footnotes. I found this approach to be quite refreshing. (It helps that Sobel is very committed to this format, going so far as to include a very critical essay from a fake historian at the end and pages and pages of made-up books in the bibliography.)
The departure point is (checks title) if Burgyone had won at Saratoga, which is plausible; for me, the factor that really seemed like it must be from another earth is the reasonableness and practicality of the British government in the immediate aftermath. Once over that hump, Sobel spins a very interesting if somewhat dry tale, and my only complaint here is that the book would have really benefited from a few maps; I was never quite sure where Southern Vandalia and Jefferson were located. Probably for history nerds only, but a easy recommendation if the concept piques your interest.
Grade: B+
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
"How Can Man Die Better"
How Can Man Die Better: The Secrets of Isandlwana Revealed (Mike Snook)
This is, unsurprisingly, a history of the infamous battle of Isandlwana. It's quite readable and very well-written, but I was left wanting more; this is straight up military history, and without larger context for the battle, I felt distressingly disconnected. This book begs to be a chapter in a comprehensive history of the larger conflict, and I can only recommend it if you're already familiar with the setting and players. I don't want to be too harsh on the book since it delivers exactly what it promises, and makes a plausible case (to my ignorant eye) to re-write parts of the accepted history of the battle; just be aware that you're getting a excellent if very limited view.
Grade: :|
This is, unsurprisingly, a history of the infamous battle of Isandlwana. It's quite readable and very well-written, but I was left wanting more; this is straight up military history, and without larger context for the battle, I felt distressingly disconnected. This book begs to be a chapter in a comprehensive history of the larger conflict, and I can only recommend it if you're already familiar with the setting and players. I don't want to be too harsh on the book since it delivers exactly what it promises, and makes a plausible case (to my ignorant eye) to re-write parts of the accepted history of the battle; just be aware that you're getting a excellent if very limited view.
Grade: :|
Sunday, October 6, 2013
"The Pillars of the Earth"
The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
This is a massive novel set in England in the 1100s. I wouldn't describe this necessarily as a historical novel - there's none of the obsessive accuracy of, say, the Masters of Rome series. I'd describe this as more maybe historically-flavored. In either case, I believe it can also be described as a real page-turner; Follett juggles multiple story arcs and sets of characters in the 40+ years the novel covers, mostly centered around the town of Kingsbridge and its attempts to build a cathedral. It's all very entertaining, and Follett is great at juggling a big tale with multiple story threads. At first, even the small-scale ones are quite gripping - very early on in the book we're following a family that's cold and hungry in the woods who gets their pig stolen, and it was very difficult not to flip pages because I was so worried about them getting that pig back so they don't starve to death.
It'd be easy to slap an A+ on this book if it was all this good, but unfortunately the second half begins to drag and at times become quite tedious; at one point the focus leaves the more interesting storylines to focus on two young lovers, and I had to stifle some annoyed yawns after one of them was like "I love you so much that I'm never going to speak to you again," which kicks off a truly irritating batch of pages that doesn't really go anywhere or tie in to the rest of the story. The book does pick up again after that (although at this point Follett starts recapping earlier developments for some reason), before coming to a somewhat abrupt and bizzare conclusion, so you're probably looking at about 800 great pages and maybe 200 that you should feel free to skip. I'm looking forward to reading some more Follett books; even with the occasional stumble in this novel, I devoured over a thousand pages of it in five days because I didn't want to put it down.
Grade: A-
This is a massive novel set in England in the 1100s. I wouldn't describe this necessarily as a historical novel - there's none of the obsessive accuracy of, say, the Masters of Rome series. I'd describe this as more maybe historically-flavored. In either case, I believe it can also be described as a real page-turner; Follett juggles multiple story arcs and sets of characters in the 40+ years the novel covers, mostly centered around the town of Kingsbridge and its attempts to build a cathedral. It's all very entertaining, and Follett is great at juggling a big tale with multiple story threads. At first, even the small-scale ones are quite gripping - very early on in the book we're following a family that's cold and hungry in the woods who gets their pig stolen, and it was very difficult not to flip pages because I was so worried about them getting that pig back so they don't starve to death.
It'd be easy to slap an A+ on this book if it was all this good, but unfortunately the second half begins to drag and at times become quite tedious; at one point the focus leaves the more interesting storylines to focus on two young lovers, and I had to stifle some annoyed yawns after one of them was like "I love you so much that I'm never going to speak to you again," which kicks off a truly irritating batch of pages that doesn't really go anywhere or tie in to the rest of the story. The book does pick up again after that (although at this point Follett starts recapping earlier developments for some reason), before coming to a somewhat abrupt and bizzare conclusion, so you're probably looking at about 800 great pages and maybe 200 that you should feel free to skip. I'm looking forward to reading some more Follett books; even with the occasional stumble in this novel, I devoured over a thousand pages of it in five days because I didn't want to put it down.
Grade: A-
Thursday, October 3, 2013
"The Three Orders"
The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined (Georges Duby, translation by Arthur Goldhammer)
I have to give Barnes and Noble some credit here; As much as I complain about their history section being nothing but Hitler and annoying gimmicks (ex. Salt), they've launched a line of books called "Barnes & Noble Rediscovers" that re-prints old, interesting books like this. I then have to remove almost all said credit because they felt the need to stick not one, but TWO of those horrible price stickers on the dust jacket, the kind that refuse to come off and leave a big smear of old glue and sad paper that you can't remove even with water and a paper towel.
So what was I talking about? Right, this book. I'm glad this book was "rediscovered", because it's probably the most readable book out there about the schema of medieval French society being made up of the titular three orders, those who pray, those who fight, and those who work the land, and oh man does that ever sound tedious now that I'm typing it out. I know it sounds bad, but I found this book to be pretty interesting and surprisingly readable. My only caveat is that you really have to pay attention, because if you let your mind wander away from the text you can skip down half a page without realizing it and become totally lost. I suppose saying it's the best concentration-demanding 400 page tome on the organization of medieval society isn't much of a compliment, but if you've made it this far without being scared off, I'd recommend at least checking it out of your local library.
Grade: B?
I have to give Barnes and Noble some credit here; As much as I complain about their history section being nothing but Hitler and annoying gimmicks (ex. Salt), they've launched a line of books called "Barnes & Noble Rediscovers" that re-prints old, interesting books like this. I then have to remove almost all said credit because they felt the need to stick not one, but TWO of those horrible price stickers on the dust jacket, the kind that refuse to come off and leave a big smear of old glue and sad paper that you can't remove even with water and a paper towel.
So what was I talking about? Right, this book. I'm glad this book was "rediscovered", because it's probably the most readable book out there about the schema of medieval French society being made up of the titular three orders, those who pray, those who fight, and those who work the land, and oh man does that ever sound tedious now that I'm typing it out. I know it sounds bad, but I found this book to be pretty interesting and surprisingly readable. My only caveat is that you really have to pay attention, because if you let your mind wander away from the text you can skip down half a page without realizing it and become totally lost. I suppose saying it's the best concentration-demanding 400 page tome on the organization of medieval society isn't much of a compliment, but if you've made it this far without being scared off, I'd recommend at least checking it out of your local library.
Grade: B?
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