With the national obsession with the Chinese spy balloon, I thought a book like Lawrence Freedman’s Command fits right into the tenor of our times with political paranoia and conspiracy theories.

Lawrence Freedman, a specialist in Strategy, delivers a comprehensive volume on leadership, strategy, tactics, and command. Freedman’s chapter on the future of command focuses on the War in Ukraine. The Russian Army, poorly trained, poorly equipped, and expecting an easy victory in Ukraine found savage fighting, mounting losses, and imploding morale in Putin’s War. Freedman points out that the Russian Army doesn’t have noncommissioned officers like the American Army does. The orders from the Russian Generals travel down the Chain of Command and mostly go unexecuted because of the Fog of War. Once circumstances go South, Russian troops don’t know what to do. Confusion reigns and the losses mount. That’s because Command fails in the Russian/Ukraine setting. The result is battlefield causalities and retreat.

Command (2022) is a brilliant book filled with insights from the military campaigns over the past 70 years. Technology has changed the way wars are fought. It’s also changed the Command Structure of most advanced military units. Failure to adapt to these changes results in the mess the Russians created in Ukraine. China would do well to consider the costs of war before they contemplate an invasion of Taiwan. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1: Introduction: The Politics of Command
2. Commanding Supreme Commanders: Korea and Kosovo
3: The Fury of the Legions: The French Army in Indochina and Algeria
4; Keeping Control: The Cuban Missile Crisis
5: The Surrender of East Pakistan
6: The Easter Offensive
7: Model of Insubordination: Ariel Sharon
9: The Falklands Campaign
10: Guevara, Kabila and the Congo
11: Russian Rebellions: Chechnya and Ukraine
12: Saddam Hussein
13: Osama Bin Laden Escapes: The Battle of Tora Bora
14: Surging in Iraq

15: Past, Present, and Future of Command

Notes

Index

American Masters: Roberta Flack follows the music icon from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. From “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to “Killing Me Softly,” Flack’s virtuosity was inseparable from her commitment to civil rights. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack’s archives and interviews with Clint Eastwood (actor, director, and producer), Yoko Ono (multimedia artist, singer-songwriter, activist), Angela Davis (political activist), Eugene McDaniels (singer-songwriter), Joel Dorn (producer), Peabo Bryson (singer-songwriter), Valerie Simpson (songwriter, producer, and performer), Les McCann (musician), Sean Lennon (musician), Jason King (music scholar, musician, and author), Ann Powers (music critic, author) and more. In addition to Flack’s timeless music.

My favorite story in American Masters: Roberta Flack was the story about “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The song had been released three years before Clint Eastwood directed his first movie, Play Misty For Me. Eastwood was driving to work when he heard “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” on the radio. He almost drove off the road because of the impact the song had on him. When Eastwood contacted Roberta Flack about the song, she initially turned him down. Finally, she agreed but tried to get Eastwood to drop the beginning 8 measures of the song. Eastwood said, “I want every note of your song for my movie.” And, once people heard “The First Time Every I Saw Your Face” in Eastwood’s movie, the song began to get airplay again.

“The First Time Every I Saw Your Face” won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972. That launched Roberta Flack’s career. Do you have a favorite Robert Flack song? GRADE: A (for both the TV program and the CD)

TRACK LIST:

		The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
		Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
		Where Is The Love
		Killing Me Softly With His Song
		Feel Like Makin’ Love
		The Closer I Get To You
		More Than Everything
		Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love)
		Back Together Again
		Making Love
		Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
		Oasis
		And So It Goes
		You Know What It’s Like
		Set The Night To Music
		My Foolish Heart
		Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (Steve Hurley’s House Mix)

I’ve read about a dozen books by Tanya Huff, but none as frustrating as Into the Broken Lands. Huff’s new novel straddles the border of fantasy and science fiction. The novel is set in a desolate world where survivors of the Mage War struggle to survive. Six incredibly powerful Mages unleashed death and suffering that still persist in the Broken Lands where the Mage War has lasting effects.

A group of warriors and scholars from Marsan arrive at Gateway, the last stop on the Mage Road to the Broken Lands. There, they add “the weapon” to their party–a mage-created creature with astounding strength and knowledge of the dangers of the Broken Lands.

This quest gets off to a very slow start. The group is stuck in Gateway for 156 pages (of a 452 page book). Finally, the trip into the Broken Lands begins and the group faces traps and weird creatures all along the way. Reality is skewed in the Broken Lands and death is just a wrong step away.

One by one, members of the group get picked off and die from the sinister dimensions of the Broken Land. Huff annoyed me when she killed off the most interesting member of the group so unless reincarnation is an option in a possible sequel, the characters who survive the trip flirt with mediocrity. I slogged through Into the Broken Lands to the end, but it was Not Fun. GRADE: C

Hugh Pentecost created several characters for his mysteries. I wrote about Uncle George a few weeks ago (you can read my review here). Then there’s Pierre Chambrun who runs a luxury hotel where some one seems to get murdered with regularity. Another Pentecost series revolves around Julian Quist, head of a high-powered public relations firm. Quist’s clients always seem to be involved in murder and Quist and his team have to find a way to clear them…and find the real killer.

Die After Dark (1976) starts out with Quist approached by a friend who plans to run for the Senate seat from New York State…but may be involved in the death of a woman he entertained romantic intentions about. The divorced woman was found stabbed multiple times. Quist and his team need to discover who the woman had sex with before she was murdered.

Like all the Hugh Pentecost mysteries I’ve read (about a dozen) the story unfolds with alacrity and the pages turn quickly as Quist discovers more facts about the murdered woman and her past. If you’re looking for an entertaining, quick read, Die After Dark is your ticket to satisfaction. GRADE: B

Julian Quist series:
   Don’t Drop Dead Tomorrow (1971)
   Champagne Killer (1972)
   Beautiful Dead (1973)
   The Judas Freak (1974)
   Honeymoon with Death (1975)
   Die After Dark (1976)
   The Steel Palace (1977)
   Deadly Trap (1978)
   Homicidal Horse (1979)
   Death Mask (1980)
   Sow Death, Reap Death (1981)
   Past, Present, and Murder (1982)
   Murder Out of Wedlock (1983)
   Substitute Victim (1984)
   The Party Killer (1986)
   Kill and Kill Again (1987)

Since February is the Month of Love, I thought this compilation CD with Summer of Love songs would fit right in. As always, some of the song choices are questionable. How many of you remember “The Days of Pearly Spencer” by David McWilliams? Or Amen Corner’s “(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice”? Or Thunderclap Newman’s “Something In the Air”?

I do remember hearing The Mood Blues’s “Nights in White Satin” and immediately running out to buy their vinyl album. Donovan’s “Catch the Wind” received heavy radio airplay. Joe Cocker created a classic song with “With A Little Help From My Friends.”

The Turtles show up on this CD with “Happy Together” and “Elenore.” The Summer of Love had a distinctly British flavor with The Mindbenders, The Zombies, Traffic, The Kinks, The Hollies, The Troggs, Manfred Mann, and The Walker Brothers.

Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+

TRACK LIST:

1	The Turtles–	Happy Together	2:53
2	The Mindbenders–	A Groovy Kind Of Love	1:59
3	The Flowerpot Men*–	Let’s Go To San Francisco	3:33
4	Matthews’ Southern Comfort–	Woodstock	4:27
5	The Zombies–	She’s Not There	2:24
6	Thunderclap Newman–	Something In The Air	3:53
7	Traffic–	Hole In My Shoe	2:52
8	The Kinks–	Sunny Afternoon	3:30
9	Joe Cocker–	With A Little Help From My Friends	5:08
10	The Beach Boys–	Heroes And Villains	3:36
11	The Tremeloes–	Silence Is Golden	3:07
12	Amen Corner–	(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice	2:47
13	The Mamas & The Papas–	Monday Monday	3:22
14	Small Faces–	Itchycoo Park	2:50
15	The Hollies–	Carrie-Anne	2:54
16	Manfred Mann–	Semi-detached Suburban Mr James	2:36
17	David McWilliams–	The Days Of Pearly Spencer	2:32
18	The Walker Brothers–	Make It Easy On Yourself	3:11
19	Donovan–	Catch The Wind	2:54
20	The Moody Blues–	Nights In White Satin	4:25
21	Fleetwood Mac–	Man Of The World	2:49
22	The Turtles–	Elenore	2:30
23	The Casuals–	Jesamine	3:33
24	The Troggs–	I Can’t Control Myself	3:03

In keeping with my resolution to read books that have been on my shelves for years, I turned to Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures. Garth Nix is best known as a children’s book writer. Some of his books are classified as Young Adult novels. But I found this limited edition collection published by Subterranean Press in 2012 to be curious with this warning:

READER ADVISORY: Though some of Garth Nix’s books and stories are for children, this one is not. It is for adult readers.

The first story bears this out with some bloody scenes.

The second story–my favorite–features a female pirate and some brutal warfare. Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz travel as mercenaries in a feudal world. But their real secret mission is to protect the Earth from malicious godlets who threaten it. Mister Fitz is a puppet with sorcerous powers.

The final story in this collection includes a little suggestion of sex and some humor. If you’re in the mood for some adult fantasy, check out the adventures of Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz. I’ll be tracking down the Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz stories that haven’t been collected yet. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz go to war again (first published in Jim Baen’s Universe, April 2007, edited by Eric Flint) — 9

Beyond the sea gate of the scholar-pirates of sarskoe (first published in Fast Ships, Black Sails edited by Jeff Vandermeer & Ann Vandermeer published by Night Shade Books) — 59

Suitable present for a sorcerous puppet (first published in Swords and Dark Magic, edited by Lou Anders and Johnathan Strahan, published by HarperCollins — 113

In an interview in the recent issue of MYSTERY SCENE (now no longer a print magazine), Louise Penny talked about the AMAZON Prime Video series about to begin. She liked it–and she’s an “executive producer,” too.

Three Pines is a mystery television series starring Alfred Molina based on the novel series by Louise Penny, centered on Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Diane and I have only watched four of the eight episodes but hope AMAZON decides to do a Second Season.

The format of Three Pines starts with a missing Indian woman. That is the long story arc. Inspector Gamache thinks he can find the missing woman…but her mother thinks she’s dead.

Then, in two episodes each Gamache and his team investigate other murder cases. The first is the execution of a self-help author named CC who is electrocuted while watching a neighborhood curling game. The second is the murder of a local psychotherapist in what’s considered a haunted house.

Some people like Alfred Molina as Gamache–other people don’t. I think the casting of this series is first rate. Diane has read all the Louise Penny series. GRADE: A

I’m a sucker for books like For the Love of Books (1999). The concept is simple. Editor Ronald B. Shwartz asked writers what their favorite book was. Shwartz received 115 responses and they’re all here in this volume.

Now some of the contributors listed more than one favorite book (which I’m okay with). Some authors came up with some real doozies!

I find books like For the Love of Books a browser’s delight! One of my favorite moments reading this book was Elmore Leonard’s advice: “I’ve learned it has to be fun or it isn’t worth doing.” (p. 149). Do you recognize these writers? Are any of your favorite writers represented here? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Acknowledgements — xii

Introduction — xv

Diane Ackerman — 1

Robert Alter– 3

Ken Auletta — 5

Nicholson Baker — 6

Russell Banks — 7

Dave Barry — 8

John Barth — 13

Jacques Barzun — 15

Ann Beattie — 17

Louis Begley — 20

Madison Smartt Bell — 21

Anne Bernays — 23

Sven Birkerts — 26

Amy Bloom — 28

Roy Blount, Jr — 31

Robert Bly — 35

Benjamin C. Bradlee — 43

Rita Mae Brown — 44

Art Buchwald — 44

Christopher Buckley — 45

Ethan Canin — 49

Philip Caputo — 51

John Casey — 55

Robert Coles — 60

Robert Coover — 62

Robert Creeley — 65

Guy Davenport — 66

Rita Dove — 70

Gretel Ehrlich — 75

Joseph Epstein — 80

Anne Fadiman — 82

Clifton Fadiman — 85

Stanley Fish — 87

Penelope Fitzgerald — 90

Bruce Jay Friedman — 91

William Gass — 95

Sir Martin Gilbert — 98

Gail Godwin — 100

Nadine Gordimer — 102

Doris Grumbach — 104

Pete Hamill — 106

Jonathan Harr — 111

John Hawkes — 114

Anthony Hecht — 120

Edward Hoagland — 124

John Irving — 126

Justin Kaplan — 128

Susanna Kaysen –132

Alfred Kazin — 134

Tracy Kidder — 135

W.P. Kinsella — 139

Caroline Knapp — 140

Maxine Kumin — 141

Anthony Lane — 143

David Leavitt — 145

Elmore Leonard — 147

Doris Lessing — 149

David Lodge — 154

Phillip Lopate — 156

Norman Mailer — 158

William Manchester — 159

James McBride — 162

Bruce McCall — 165

Frank McCourt — 167

Elizabeth McCracken — 173

Joseph McElroy — 175

Thomas McGuane — 178

Ved Mehta — 180

W.S. Merwin — 182

Arthur Miller — 183

Sue Miller — 184

Peggy Noonan — 187

Joyce Carol Oates — 190

Sharon Olds — 193

Michael Ondaatje — 195

P.J. O’Rourke — 197

Amos Oz — 198

Cynthia Ozick — 199

Grace Paley — 201

Jay Parini — 201

Robert B. Parker — 206

Noel Perrin — 207

Marge Piercy — 209

Robert M. Pirsig — 211

Richard A. Posner — 214

Padgett Powell — 216

Reynolds Price — 219

James Purdy — 221

Mario Puzo — 222

Anna Quindlen — 222

Richard Rhodes — 225

Mordecai Richler — 227

Lillian Ross — 229

Judith Rossner — 233

Witold Rybczynski — 236

Orville Schell — 237

Joanna Scott — 240

Carol Shields — 243

Alan Sillitoe — 245

Neil Simon — 247

Mona Simpson — 248

W.D. Snodgrass — 252

Oliver Stone — 253

Mark Strand — 255

William Styron — 257

Gay Talese — 259

D.M. Thomas — 260

John Updike — 264

Kurt Vonnegut — 265

Wendy Wasserstein — 269

Paul West — 272

Richard Wilbur — 278

Geoffrey Wolff — 279

Tobias Wolff — 283

Herman Wouk — 285

Bibliographical Index — 287

About the Editor — 298

Vegas thinks both of these games will be close. The Eagles are favored by 2 1/2 points over the surging SF 49ers. The Chiefs are 1 point favorites over the Bengals. All four teams are talented, any of them could win. Who do you think will be going to the Super Bowl?

I’m a sucker for books about book stores and the people who run them. Estates Large and Small revolves around Phil Cooper has reluctantly closed his used bookstore and moved his business online. The Pandemic and the rise of ebooks forced Cooper to pack up his books and lug them to his home. And, this turn of events sends this 55-year-old book lover into an existential crisis.

Cooper smokes too much pot and listens to too much Grateful Dead music as he tries to plan his Future and deal with his fears. Obviously he’s confused about the looming financial mess and how he’s going to survive it. So, like any other intelligent book lover, Cooper turns to the Philosophy section of his books to explore 2,500 years of Western philosophy.

Luckily, Cooper meets Caroline, a postal worker and fellow book lover, who is passionate about philosophy…and sex. Caroline and Cooper explore the history of thought and the techniques of making love when you’re in your 50s. 

Estates Large and Small resembles a Hallmark movie spiced with philosophy and middle-age amour. GRADE: B