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miramichireader's reviews
676 reviews
The Man Who Mapped the Arctic: The Intrepid Life of George Back, Franklin's Lieutenant by Peter Steele
3.0
This is a well-researched, well-written book about an arctic explorer who stands in the shadow of Franklin himself. This book brings Lieutenant George Back out of the shadows and into his own well-deserved spotlight.
I rated this book 3/5 because it will primarily appeal only to those deeply interested in (i.e. already have a background knowledge of) Arctic/Northwest Passage history.
I also took away a star for lack of colour images of places Back so well describes in his journals. It would have been nice to see what these places actually look like today. Otherwise, the book is liberally enhanced with Back's own detailed sketches.
For a good introduction to Northwest Passage history, check out [b:Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage|990438|Across the Top of the World The Quest for the Northwest Passage|James P. Delgado|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405578809s/990438.jpg|975933]
I rated this book 3/5 because it will primarily appeal only to those deeply interested in (i.e. already have a background knowledge of) Arctic/Northwest Passage history.
I also took away a star for lack of colour images of places Back so well describes in his journals. It would have been nice to see what these places actually look like today. Otherwise, the book is liberally enhanced with Back's own detailed sketches.
For a good introduction to Northwest Passage history, check out [b:Across the Top of the World: The Quest for the Northwest Passage|990438|Across the Top of the World The Quest for the Northwest Passage|James P. Delgado|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405578809s/990438.jpg|975933]
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
4.0
I had read this book so long ago (high school years) that I had forgotten the story. So it was like reading it fresh again. As I was reading it, I was thinking of Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diaries for some reason. I think it is because of the writer's viewpoint in both cases. Things are happening around -and to- Nick/HST and we get to live vicariously through them, for good or bad. I'll have to watch the movie now to see how it compares to the novel.
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
4.0
I thought I had read this book years ago (I still have the paperback), but apparently I didn't. I recently re-read [b:Atlas Shrugged|662|Atlas Shrugged|Ayn Rand|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405868167s/662.jpg|817219] so I decided to read The Fountainhead as well. I didn't like it as much as AS, but I found Rand's philosophy easier to understand in this novel somehow. I liked Roark's second court appearance and his defense speech over John Galt's broadcast in AS.
For a newcomer to Rand, I would suggest reading The Fountainhead before Atlas Shrugged.
For a newcomer to Rand, I would suggest reading The Fountainhead before Atlas Shrugged.