Category: Reviews – Books
-
Book reviews from Steve Earles: Sea Power
‘Nelson’s Battles: The Triumph of British Seapower’ By Dr Nicholas Tracy Published by Seaforth A fine book, one that conveys not just the historical and technical details of Nelson’s battles but their very atmosphere. From St Vincent to Trafalgar, all Nelson’s battles are here. It’s a handsome, well-presented book, with many illustrations and maps to…
-
Book reviews from Steve Earles: May edition
Encyclopaedia of Weird Westerns: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Films, Television and Games, second edition By Paul Green Published by McFarland, Introduction by Cynthia J. Miller I really enjoyed reviewing first edition of this book. The Weird Western is a truly fantastic genre, and the fact that this entertaining and informative book…
-
Book reviews by Steve Earles: horror cinema
Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969 By Roberto Curti Published by McFarland Foreword by Ernesto Gastaldi Without Italian gothic horror films Black Sabbath would not be called Black Sabbath so we owe them a debt of gratitude. Roberto Curti writes with great passion on the subject, showing great knowledge in such a way as to be…
-
Book reviews by Steve Earles: detective fiction
Akin To Murder: An Inspector Faro Mystery by Alanna Knight Published by Alison and Busby When the author has received an MBE for services to literature and has been endorsed by no less a personage than Ian Rankin, you know you are dealing with a special writer. This novel is set in Victorian Edinburgh. Having…
-
Book reviews: naval history
Who’s Who In Nelson’s Navy: Two Hundred Heroes by Nicholas Tracy Published by Chatham Publishing This is a superb book. Beautifully written and presented, it tells the tale of two hundred officers of Nelson’s Navy, who fought against the French. Under Nelson the political divisions in the Royal Navy began to change for the officer class,…
-
Book reviews: World War I – history, military, politics
Irishmen In The Great War: Reports From The Front 1915 by Tom Burnell Published by Pen & Sword Military For many years, for a variety of reason, the subject of Ireland’s involvement in the Great War was a taboo subject in Ireland. Tom Burnell is an expert on this subject, a former soldier and Research…
-
Book reviews: history and mythology
Castle Builders: Approaches to Castle Design and Construction in the Middle Ages by Malcolm Hislop Published by Pen & Sword Archaeology Castles are always a popular subject; witness Dan Snow’s excellent ‘Battle Castle’s TV series and book as proof. This is an excellent book on castles for both the enthusiast and the casual reader alike.…
-
Book reviews: film & TV
Hollywood Presents Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction on Screen by Brain Taves (Published by University Press of Kentucky) It is fair to say that Jules Verne’s work is very cinematic and this finely written book certainly proves it. Verne’s work is full of adventure and in these dark times we need that more…
-
Trouble Boys
The True Story of The Replacements by Bob Mehr Maybe it has something to do with the sort of “Little Rascals” image that The Replacements have always given off as a lateral by-product of the band’s popular “loveable loser” image and mythos, but even just reading the words “The True Story of The Replacements” –…
-
Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk
by John Doe with Tom DeSavia and friends (Da Capo Press) While the stories are (almost) never the same, it’s pretty surprising how consistently structured and formulaic most rock bios and scene expositions are; be it the story of one artist or the collected stories of many, the authors of such books often attempt to…