The Roots of Betrayal, Book 2 of James Forrester's Claranceux Series

I finished The Roots of Betrayal in June and again was impressed with the wonderful descriptions of medieval England. James Forrester, or Ian Mortimer, has an amazing understanding of English cultural history and an uncanny ability to translate that culture into words. You feel as if you are there with Claranceux in his home or on the streets and as a reader you relate to each character on a social level. This is a wonderful book and I look forward to the third and final of this trilogy. 

The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

I am not through this book yet, however I am listening to it while driving to and from work and on the elliptical machine. If you love history, particularly the American Revolution this is a tremendous story of the Penobscot Expedition. For military buffs this story also details a joint operation gone wrong and is a good teaching resource for young military officers trying to understand the joint concept. Many notable figures from history are involved in the Penebscot Expedition including Paul Revere, Sir John Moore, Peleg Wadsworth, Dudley Saltonstall, Solomon Lovell, Francis McLean, and Sir Henry Clinton. The majority of the action occurs on a peninsula in what is now Castine, Maine. Then it was known as Majabigwaduce and considered part of Massachusetts. Bernard Cornwell does a wonderful job of creating characters that relay human nature and the emotions of war. I highly recommend this book.

Sword of God by Chris Kuzneski

Chris Kuzneski delivers another fun Payne and Jones story in Sword of God. The content can be touchy, or even controversial to some readers, however the story still delivers just read it with a grain of salt. The tale starts on the island of Jeju in Korea, beautifully described as the Korean Hawaii. The beauty is corrupted by the find of a torture chamber inside a cave by a small and curious boy from a local village. In typical Payne and Jones fashion the action builds from there bringing the reader on a fun, and fast paced adventure culminating in Saudi Arabia at the holy city of Mecca. The typical quips and euphemisms Payne and Jones are known for are ever present as well as the simplified references to military operations and lifestyle. Mr. Kuzneski writes fun action stories and this one is no exception. Although this story trespasses in the somewhat taboo topics of Islam and the Quran it does present positive characters and negative characters from all walks of life. Of interest is the potential find of original pages that the Quran was built from. All in all a fast read, somewhat violent, and not to be taken seriously.

The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry

Steve Berry did it again! He wrote an excellent story mixing history and adventure alongside religion and geography to paint an incredible tale. Starting mere moments before the lead character, Tom Sagan, takes his own life Mr. Berry takes on a journey through Jamaica, Vienna, Prague, Cuba, and back to Blue Mountains of Jamaica to unearth ancient Hebrew relics and the real Christopher Columbus. Tom Sagan is saved by Zachariah Simon and is drawn into a quest to find Hebrew Relics attempting to save his estranged daughter Allie from torture or worse. Sagan has to acknowledge his shortcomings as a father and public failures ending in a tumultuous fall from grace as an esteemed journalist in order to find reconciliation with his daughter, the memory of his deceased father, and his personal past. This is not a Cotton Malone thriller but does exist on the same plane. For reference see Mr. Berry's short story, The Admiral's Mark. Mr. Berry proves through research, attention to detail, and inclusion of the human element that he is among the preeminent writers of our time and can write in a series or stand alone flawlessly. If you are interested in history and a great story Steve Berry is a can't miss!

It Seems Like Forever

I last posted on March 1st. Twenty-One days later my wife and I welcomed boy number three into the world. It has been quite a roller coaster since then! We decided with some help and time off (I was home for over two weeks) I could remodel the kitchen. With a newborn!! I admit not the smartest decision but the price was right (20% off the whole kitchen including granite), I was off and we did have help. Well several snags later (and some hard lessons learned about IKEA kitchens) and the kitchen is almost done. In the midst of the baby and the kitchen I took my next course for my grad degree. Now that may have been the bigger mistake. I don't know how many people have ever taken business finance but I never had before this course. And I've never been particularly mathematically strong. The bottom line here, I will be re-taking this course. Despite the hectic pace I managed to finish two books! I finished Steve Berry's "The Columbus Affair" and Chris Kuzneski's "Sword of God." Look for their posts individually. And I will add my comments on "Fundamentals of Corporate Finance 7th edition" by Brealey, Myers, and Marcus. This is not the book for a business finance newbie.

Sacred Treason by James Forrester

I just finished the first of a series of books that occur in 16th century England featuring Mr. William Harley, a Herald holding the title of Clarenceaux King of Arms. I found the historical detail and language compelling, at times researching heraldic titles simply to increase my understanding of the history I was reading. Mr Claranceaux, as our hero Mr. Harley is called throughout the book, finds himself entangled in a perceived plot to overthrow the Queen of England, Elizabeth I when presented with a chronicle written by an old friend, Henry Machyn. At the time England was still struggling with a national conversion to Protestantism, thus the religion of the sitting monarch has bearing on the plot. Mr Claranceaux, being of the old religion, or Catholic, was identified by the villain to be the mastermind behind the plot as the Queen was Protestant and many sought to return England to Catholicism. The story takes a much deeper turn rooting itself in the story of Anne Boleyn and the potential illegitimacy of Elizabeth's reign alongside deep rooted spite for past personal transgressions. Despite the religious overtones I found the book wonderfully written, characters realistic, and the ending perfect in that it was not a perfectly happy ending but more true to imperfect human resolutions.

Sign of the Cross by Chris Kuzneski

I recently finished another Chris Kuzneski work, "Sign of the Cross." The reason for reading more Payne and Jones is simple, they're fun! Despite the somewhat corny dialogue the bond between the two main characters is clearly deeper than blood. The name of their previous military affiliation seems contrived however the unit described is well within the realm of possibilities given the joint nature of armed forces and the coordination between military and civilian entities under DSCA (Defense Support to Civil Authorities) operations. All that aside, it really is a fun read through history. Payne and Jones find themselves detained in Spain for unknown reasons, however it becomes apparent that a group with influence on the Spanish law enforcement agencies and knowledge of the pair are behind the detention. Coerced via the detention to assist the agents purporting to be representative of the CIA, the heroes engage in a cross-european adventure chasing a Professor presented as an international thief. Along the way the two learn the truth about the Professor, his assistant, and their "CIA" representatives. Payne and Jones discover some curious facts about the story of Christ's Crucifixion, the Roman Emperor Tiberius, the Catholic Church, Tiberius' General Paccius, and Pontius Pilate. All the while Payne and Jones along with Detective Nick Dial of Interpol lead the reader from Kronborg Castle in Denmark to Orvieto Italy, Tripoli, Libya,the Forbidden City in China, and Boston, Massachusetts in a chase of Benito Pelati. Despite the book blending in with the many other historical religious adventures saturating the market this book stands out due to it's main characters and their bond. AS stated above, it's simply fun! Don't take it too seriously.