Milo and the Calf

Tag: recommended for the enthusiast

  • Review: Ferguson’s Colossus

    Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire Niall Ferguson Ferguson is by far my favorite right-wing writer*. He is a skilled stylist and isn’t at all afraid to take his theories to their logical conclusions. For Ferguson, the problem isn’t the US is an empire, it is that it does a poor job…

  • Review: Eagleton’s Figured of Dissent

    Note this review was orginally written for a now long defunct livejournal. Figures of Dissent: Reviewing Fish, Spivak, Zizek and Others Terry Eagleton I like Terry Eagleton well enough. I haven’t read many of his works (I’ve only read three, actually, the brilliant memoir The Gatekeeper, Literary Theory, and now Figures of Dissent) but I…

  • Review: Le Carre’s Tailor of Panama

    A version of this review originally appeared on a now long defunct livejournal account. The Tailor of Panama John Le Carre Le Carre, is in my opinion, the best espionage novelist of all time. If you’re fan of the genre, you’ve probably read at least some of his books. If not, you should. The Tailor…

  • Review: Stoessinger’s Why Nations Go To War

    This, and many other reviews posted recently originally appeared on a now long defunct livejournal account. I am posting it here as part of a project to bring all my related writing (whether worthwhile or not) under one roof. Why Nations Go to War Richard Stoessinger This classic of the undergraduate international relations course (where…

  • Review: Mieville’s Iron Council

    Iron Council China Mieville   This is the third book in Mieville’s works about the city of New Crobuzon, a vaguely steampunk alternative city populated by Mieville’s weird monsters and well drawn characters. Iron Council is, I think  the most overtly political of the three, including section radical union organizing, issues of race, gender and…

  • Review: Oakes’s The Ruling Race

    Ed note: this and the many other reviews I’ll be posting over the coming weeks come from a now long defunct livejournal and are posted here for my records and (hopefully) your enjoyment. The Ruling Race: A History of American Slaveholders Jim Oakes I know many smart people (people much smarter than me) who have…

  • Review: Kolchin’s American Slavery

    Ed. Note – this is one a 100 or so book reviews I wrote for a now long defunct livejournal. I’m posting it, and many others like it for my own records and hopefully your enjoyment. Name Your Link Peter Kolchin If you’re going to read one overview book on the history of slavery in…

  • Review: Vaughan’s Pride of Baghdad

    Pride of Baghdad Brian Vaughan Pride of Baghdad is a graphic novel about a group of lions set free by the US invasion of Iraq and their attempt to navigate the city during the invasion. It is a short little book (I almost feel guilty giving it a number in the notebook) but strangely moving.…

  • Review: Burrough’s Barbarians at the Gate

    One among many reviews originally published on livejournal in 2007 and now reposted here for posterity. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco Brian Burrough I am a connoisseur of the business bestseller. I read ‘em all, and this one is among the best featuring conniving and scheming on a massive scale. Extremely…

  • Review: Turow’s One L

    Ed. Note: This review was written for a now defunct livejournal account while I was in my first year of law school. One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School Scott Turow Before I started law school, I was repeatedly told to buy this book by bestselling mystery author…