User blog:SpartHawg948/SpartHawg's Book Corner!!!

So, I've been thinking about doing this for a little while now, and decided to do it in the form of a blog, as opposed to something on my user page. As none of you probably know (seeing as this is the first I've mentioned of it), I'm a voracious reader, so I figured I'd start a little area to comment on books I'm reading, maybe give people some ideas or whatever. I should provide a disclaimer that, while my tastes are rather eclectic, I do enjoy political books, so there may be some books here that are partially, or entirely, comprised of opinions you don't agree with. So without further ago, here's what I've read this year so far/am reading. Enjoy!

Carnage and Culture:Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power by Victor Davis Hanson- One of my favorites, just got done re-reading it. Hanson is a historian and retired Professor of Classics at CSU Fresno. He has written extensively on a variety of subjects, most frequently on ancient Greece. A popular question among historians, sociologists and the like is: Why is it that the West (Western Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, etc) have for so long dominated militarily? The two most popular explanations are that of Jared Diamond, that it is a matter of geography (propounded in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel), and that of Victor Davis Hanson, that it is cultural values inherent in Western cultures that propels them to military success. Note, he is referring to cultural differences, not racial or genetic. He provides several such virtues, and exemplifies them through a selection of battles (the landmark battles of the subtitle) to prove his case. A very compelling read. On my arbitrary scale, I give it a 10 (out of 10).

The Infernal City:An Elder Scrolls Novel by Greg Keyes- A must read for fans of The Elder Scrolls series of games. It's a fairly quick read with a compelling plot and characters that it's fairly easy to connect to/identify with. Minor spoiler/my only issue with the book- the book is only the first half of the story, to be continued in the next novel (release date as yet unknown). Still, a very good book. Again, it's a 10 out of 10.

''Have You Seen My Country Lately? America's Wake-Up Call'' by [wikipedia:Jerry Doyle|Jerry Doyle]- now, some of you kids who're in-the-know may recognize that name from somewhere. Before he became a nationally syndicated talk-radio host, Jerry Doyle was a candidate for the US House of Reps for California, and before that a somewhat prolific actor best known for portraying Michael Garibaldi on the sci-fi series Babylon 5. Now this is one of those political books, as the name suggests, so be forewarned, Doyle is a self-described "independent conservative" and the book features his political opinions. Still reading, more details later.

So, if anyone wants to comment or whatnot, feel free! If not, then at least I got to enjoy hearing the sound of my own metaphorical voice! :P