There are a lot of great WWII memoirs and histories, but the last time I was browsing the section, the book that caught my attention was an illustrated catalog of U. S. Army equipment. There are plenty of books that cover particular aspects of Army equipment — WWII planes, WWII small arms, WWII tanks, and so on. This, however, is a fully illustrated guide to essentially every piece of equipment the Army used during WWII, complete with technical specifications, from Howitzers to bicycles. Want to compare the internal mechanisms of the various artillery fuzes? Check pages 338 through 353 — there’s descriptions and specifications for each fuze, plus cutaway drawings.
Sadly, this book is no longer in print. This may be your last chance to get a new copy — but even if you miss this opportunity, come check out the rest of our WWII books.
I was sure that it was going to be another girl. When we had our first sonogram the nurse said, “look at that – it’s a…” and I shouted girl! I had seen one of those things before, but I was just so sure that it was going to be a girl. It’s just that I can have empathy with a girl’s problems, but with a boy it’s just so painful – I know exactly what he’s going to be going through and it’s almost too much to bear.
“They get expelled from preschool nearly five times more often than girls; in elementary school, they’re diagnosed with learning disorders four times as often. By eighth grade huge numbers are reading below basic level. And by high school, they’re heavily outnumbered in AP classes and, save for the realm of athletics, show indifference to most extra-curricular activities. Perhaps most alarmingly, boys now account for less than 43 percent of those enrolled in college, and the gap widens every semester!”
So what right? Not my kid right? What are we supposed to do about it? Well of course there is no one answer, but Peg brings up a bunch of issues: video games, boy culture, the ways that ADHD is diagnosed. One of the most interesting chapters is about preschool. The criticism is that the hyper pre- schooling of the last several years is ignoring a boys natural need to learn through play. Forcing a 4 year old to sit a desk for hours is not helpful for either sex, but for a boy it’s much worse. We are teaching our young boys to dislike school.
I’ve been on a Mississippi writers kick as of late. This is really nothing new considering how in love I am with the southern gothic tradition, but it’s definitely still worth writing about.
Lewis Nordan has been a favorite author of mine since I first read Music of the Swamp, a year or so ago. The book was so full of darkness, magic, and Christ himself that I knew it wouldn’t be long before I revisited Nordan’s world of Arrow Catcher, MS.
In the past couple of months I’ve consumed three Nordan books: Wolf Whistle, Lightning Song, and The Sharpshooter Blues. I am more than stoked to say that he delivered a memorable punch with every novel.
Many of you already know that Wolf Whistle is loosely based on the murder of Emmett Till. His murder is effectively heartbreaking, his murderers convincingly despicable, and the rest of the characters irrestisibly lovable. Though the book illustrates the vicious nature of racism in the south, the story contains plenty of evidence that there is healing and hope for the characters involved. Nordan’s use of the magical and “supernatural” is lovely and believable. Highly recommended.
Lightning Song is a coming of age story about Leeroy Dearman, a young boy experiencing the darkness of a family at odds with another and an adolescence without the direction of a confident father. The story takes place on a llama farm in Arrow Catcher, MS, and is full of enough magic and beauty that a female audience can enjoy it. However, I am certain that 90% of the male population in America will see themselves in Leeroy. I assure you, this is a comforting and charming experience. Of the three novels by Nordan I read this year, this one is my favorite. Please read it. And watch for the llamas, “…how beautiful they are when they run.”
Hydro Raney is the protagonist of Nordan’s The Sharpshooter Blues. He is a mentally challenged young man, lovable and sweet in a way that few characters are. He spends his time working in a small convenience store in Arrow Catcher, MS, which is one day robbed by two thieves known as the “beautiful children.” Surprisingly, Hydro is lethal with a pistol: a natural gift that the “beautiful children” have no reason to suspect. When Hydro kills the robbers in self-defense, the town fails to suspect Hydro of their deaths, pinning it on a young orphaned teen known as The Sharpshooter. The story twists and turns as the truth unravels and Hydro deals with the guilt of what his unique mind deems “murder.” The story is centered around love, grace, and loss. I enjoyed every minute of it. See Lewis Nordan books and First Editions
Random House 1990
Lastly, I finally got around to reading Larry Brown’s (R.I.P.) Big Bad Love. This man’s work does not need my praise, as his legacy of being a great Mississippi writer is already firmly established. Nonetheless, every story in this collection is a punch to the gut. The characters trip, fall, and break themselves over love, loss, and addiction. There are so many reasons to dislike Brown’s characters because of their actions, and yet I loved every one of them. Brown taps into the human condition southern style, and he leaves you thirsty for more. See more Larry Brown books and First Editions
1990
In venturing outside of my reading of Mississippi writers, I made a point to read some Jim Harrison at the advice of my boss John. It’s hard not to become interested in Harrison as an employee here. He is praised heavily by my coworkers, and I am certain that there is not a room in this store that doesn’t contain a photo of him. Having seen “Legends of the Fall” on screen and liking it, I had high hopes for the three novellas found in Harrison’s book. Thankfully, the book trumps the film in every way. Harrison has a unique voice and a knack for amazing descriptions of landscape and food. I am a fan of violence in a novel, and Harrison brought the goods. However, the second novella, “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” is full of wit and honesty, proving that Harrison has a wonderful ability in shifting gears with his stories. He is not a one-trick pony, and I intend to read more of his work in the coming months. See more Jim Harrison books and First Editions
We’re already 2 weeks into the baseball season, but it’s not too late to pick up some baseball books to help get you ready. There are a lot of great books, new and old, in our baseball section right now, so I wanted to point out a few of my favorites.
A few days ago I picked up Baseball: A Literary Anthology (part of the Library of America series). It’s been out a few years now, but somehow I’d missed it. It has a great cover that caught my eye, and the list of writers is impressive. Nearly every important baseball essay, story, and book is represented here, but you’ll also find some fantastic lesser-known pieces.
I read Odd Man Out a couple months ago, and it reminded me of another book I enjoyed, Can I Keep My Jersey? by Paul Shirley. Like Shirley, Matt McCarthy is a misfit in his sport — introspective, observant, and clouded with self-doubt and a less-than-singleminded approach to the game. In other words, he’s a refreshing change from the endless postgame interviews with athletes who are incapable or unwilling to say anything insightful or candid.
As They See ‘Em offers a different perspective on baseball, and one too infrequently considered, given the impact it has on the game. Bruce Weber gives the reader a look into the world of umpires, and if, like most fans, you find that you only notice the umpires when they make a mistake, it’s well worth reading. We applaud the players who finally get their major league opportunity after years in the minors, but the path to becoming a major league umpire is arguably as difficult and wearying.
If you enjoy baseball statistics or sabermetrics, I’d encourage you to check out the Bill James Gold Mine 2009. Don’t buy it expecting a rigorous statistical study — this is a 320 page mish mash of baseball “stuff”. Each major league team has a 5 or 6 page chapter that covers interesting notes about particular hitters and pitchers. Interspersed are essays exploring questions about player evaluation and historical comparisons. None of it is intended to be definitive or authoritative — more questions are raised than answered, and James frequently points out the limitations of his methodology. Still, the Gold Mine is well worth the price of admission just for all the great statistical “nuggets” and for opening discussion on baseball topics considered dead and buried by traditional wisdom.
And finally, whether you’re a new fan struggling to keep up with the terminology, or an old fan wanting a reference for all the baseball lore you’ve accumulated, I highly recommend the Dickson Baseball Dictionary. Weighing in at just over 1000 pages and newly updated in its third edition, this is the authoritative guide for all things baseball. When we got our first copy in, I spent a few minutes trying my hardest to stump the dictionary, but it had entries for all of my most obscure and arcane bits of baseball knowledge. It breezed through this test, usually explaining them in greater detail than I myself knew, and while flipping through it I couldn’t help but stop and read some additional entries I was unfamiliar with. Consider this required for the serious baseball fan.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching the oh-so-amazing Showtime show, Dexter, you are missing out. I’d seen the show a few times before realizing that it was based on a series of books by Jeff Lindsay. Of course as soon as I found that out I immediately had to read the series. Turns out that like most novels turned movie or t.v. show, the books are even better. Lindsay has a fantastic dry sense of humor that shines in the Dexter novels.
There are a lot of great WWII memoirs and histories, but the last time I was browsing the section, the book that caught my attention was an illustrated catalog of U. S. Army equipment. There are plenty of books that cover particular aspects of Army equipment — WWII planes, WWII small arms, WWII tanks, and so on. This, however, is a fully illustrated guide to essentially every piece of equipment the Army used during WWII, complete with technical specifications, from Howitzers to bicycles. Want to compare the internal mechanisms of the various artillery fuzes? Check pages 338 through 353 — there’s descriptions and specifications for each fuze, plus cutaway drawings.
