Bryan N. Kilmer

Mediocre

Reviewed: 03-18-22

I was excited for the follow up of the first book, but this one just wasn't as good.

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Amazing

Reviewed: 09-14-21

I am a semi-avid reader. I usually read at least a book or two per month. It's rare that I find a book so good that I carve out portions of my day to keep reading. That's exactly what I did for this book. I was sad to see it end but thoroughly enjoyed the journey. 100% recommended to anyone that enjoys light sci-fi.

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Much better than expected

Reviewed: 05-02-18

As a child of the 80s I wasn't expecting to relate to much of this. While a ton of games/references went way over my head, the story was fun enough to capture my attention and hold it. Would definitely recommend to friends, just don't think too much about plot holes. It's strictly for entertainment. Enjoy the ride.

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Amazing retelling of Mongol history

Reviewed: 02-06-18

What made the experience of listening to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World the most enjoyable?

It provided a new perspective on what I thought was an evil tyrant that dominated everyone through force of arms. The great Khans were actually revolutionary thinkers. While they could be ruthless at times, they ruled and dominated through intelligence and reason. This book completely changed my perspective on Mongol culture. There are even aspects of their ways that are more advanced/better than current societal norms, such as being accepting of all religions, races, and trades. Everything and everyone has potential, use it to your society's best interest. And that's exactly what the Khans did.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Genghis was clearly the winner, although Kublai was equally amazing in so many ways. Genghis was definitely a forward thinker, something that most likely didn't exist in those times. He transformed an entire culture of people through his foresight and intellect and dominated those who couldn't keep up.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The common story of Mongols destroying a city and chopping the heads off of every inhabitant was retold in this book, but the story everyone knows outside of this book is incomplete. This book provides new perspective and actually makes the city which was destroyed take blame for what happened. It's absolutely worth the read to find out!

Any additional comments?

Great book, one of my favorite historical bios. I'll be looking more into Mongol culture in the future because of this book.

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Fantastic perspective from the losing side

Reviewed: 02-06-18

What did you love best about The Forgotten Soldier?

It was a great story about a soldier from the losing side, an overly evil military force that had to be stopped. It's easy to forget that every military is made up of individual soldiers, not all of which believe in the true cause to which they are fighting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Forgotten Soldier?

The story of when Guy was forced to wait on the bank of a river for multiple days as the Russians shelled him and his comrades from afar. The stories of how soldiers tried to escape over the river and how many men were lost was horrible.

Any additional comments?

Great book, a very good story teller. It was cool to hear a different perspective of what life was like for a German soldier. They had it every bit as rough as those they were trying to destroy which generally leaves you unsympathetic to the German soldiers plight. This story reminds you that many soldiers were caught up in a war they didn't want to be in and were forced to fight for their own lives in possibly the most ferocious war the world has ever known. Guy was barely an adult when he was launched into the war, hence reading this book provided me with the ability to have sympathy for those caught up in the war on both sides. Obviously the German cause was still evil...this just gives a new perspective at the ground level.

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Not bad, not exactly as advertised though

Reviewed: 02-06-18

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Maybe, depends what they were looking for. About 60% of the book could be chopped off and the main points still made very clear.

Would you be willing to try another book from Jared Diamond? Why or why not?

Yes, I do love human history and learning fun facts about our origins.

Which scene was your favorite?

The true story of the Spanish overthrowing an entire South American culture with less than two hundred well armed conquistadors while 80,000 poorly armed native soldiers waited a few kilometers away.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Papua New Guinea, the story of how it remained primitive for so long.

Any additional comments?

Not a bad book, but it focused verrry heavily on Papua New Guinea and how it could stay so far behind the technology curve for so long. I understand it's one of the last bastions of ancient history we have left, but I was hoping for more of a focus on how guns and steel were used specifically to overthrow the primitive rock wielding foes. A very descriptive narrative was provided for the germs aspect, but not the other two. It was mostly just an afterthought that if a nation adopted guns and steel, they immediately had the advantage (an obvious conclusion) and could likely overthrow a neighboring tribe. Of course other factors weighed into it (how heavily/efficiently they farmed/domesticated animals, culture, etc.), but I was really hoping for more details on the guns and steel portion. Overall not a bad book, but a little lengthy for the points that were made.

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Good story, glad I read (listened to) it

Reviewed: 02-06-18

Would you consider the audio edition of Lord of the Flies to be better than the print version?

Maybe, the narrator was a little difficult to understand at times.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Poor Piggy. He was a good kid, despite his frequent annoyances he had great intentions and he was the the only one able to think like an adult at times.

What three words best describe William Golding’s performance?

Accented, unenthusiastic (nature of his accent maybe?), okay

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nope, it was a good story but nothing crazy. A few nuts things happen, but it was written at a time when those "nuts" things would have been insane. Now it's just pretty neat.

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1 person found this helpful

Amazing recount of WWII from the Nazi perspective.

Reviewed: 10-30-14

If you could sum up The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in three words, what would they be?

Amazing, exciting, terrifying.

Which scene was your favorite?

The most interesting part of the book was how exactly Hitler managed to start the war "peacefully". It started with absolutely no shots fired and Hitler taking control of its two closest and well defended neighbors through fictitious plebiscites in which Hitler was able to win public opinion through trickery. It's a very interesting and genius way to take control of a territory and come out looking like the savior. It draws VERY similar ties to the way Russia is dealing with Ukraine right now. It's very interesting how history truly does repeat itself.

Any additional comments?

The entire book was packed with great information on how Hitler came to power and how he very quickly overtook most of Europe. It was a little slow to get started with the war, but the first few chapters provide critical details and introduce characters which play a big role later in the book. If you've ever wondered how an evil, war mongering, heartless man can win over a nation, wonder no more. This book reveals all those secrets and more.

There is not a book I could more highly recommend for anyone interested in history, especially WWII.

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Great information, poor narrator

Reviewed: 10-30-14

What did you love best about Washington's Crossing?

Some of the best parts of the book consisted of the level of detail provided on each of the armies. The background information given consisted mostly of why the British and Hessian armies were more superior to our own. The armies were built up in great details ranging from how efficiently they made camp and stayed clean to their cultures revolving around military careers and lifestyles. I was completely unaware of how big of a part the Hessian armies played in the war, or even that rent-a-armies were a primary source of soldiers for the British force.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Washington's Crossing?

As noted in the title, obviously Washington's crossing into Trenton was the most exciting. Hearing how the tattered American army crossed a seemingly impassible Delaware to turn the tide of the war was genuinely exciting.

What didn’t you like about Nelson Runger’s performance?

The narrator had a certain cadence to his reading of this book that I found very annoying. This is the first narrator I've come upon among the many audio books I've listened to that I just couldn't get into. Every time he said 1776 (which was obviously a lot), I wanted to turn the book off. Oddly enough, at the end when he discusses the topic with the author, I found him much more tolerable. His reading style is just not my cup of tea.

Any additional comments?

Very interesting book which provides a great history of the first year of war. I was hoping for more details of the entire Revolutionary War, but the book ends just as America turns the tide of the war in the winter campaign of 1776-1777. You'll have to read additional books to find out the details of the rest of the war. All in all, it's worth a listening especially if you don't have a problem with the narrator.

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