Alexander the Conqueror

Excellent book! Better than the first.

Revisado: 04-12-24

While I enjoyed the first book enough to get this second one, it did seem rushed as the book ended. This one had a much more complete feeling. It is an entertaining mixture of what sounds like real enough SEAL tactics and jargon, combined with an interesting supernatural angle. The narrator does a great job, though the editing is messed up a few times. No big deal.

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Good Beginning that Devolves into Leftist Propaganda

Revisado: 03-27-24

The beginning of this book is pretty good, as it details the life of Eugene Stoner and the creation of his rifle. But, it is clear where the authors intentions lie even early on. Less than halfway through, the book devolves into disingenuous democrat talking points. The writers are not objective in the slightest, as the book just becomes riddled with pathos and appeals to emotion. Even if you wanted to treat it as a pro gun control book (which it absolutely is,) the writers are incompetent about actually engaging in the debate or making a compelling case at all. There is no mention of the comprehensive work done by John Lott in "More Guns, Less Crime." The authors intentionally circumvent actual statistics on shootings, ignoring entirely where almost all of the mass shooting take place (gun free zones.)

Murder is already illegal. Criminals don't follow laws, nor are they hindered by them. Furthermore; no one is arguing that AR-15s aren't made to kill. They aren't hunting rifle. They are for fighting tyranny and to act as a deterrent against it. Speaking of deterrence, the authors completely ignore that as a factor in where shootings happen vs. where they don't. They try claiming that "the good guy with a gun only seems to happen in about 5% of the mass shootings." Yeah? That's because the overwhelming majority happen in gun free zones.

The authors seem to think you can legislate behavior. Also, the book speaks of Diane Feinstein, Joe Biden, Beto O'Rourke, etc. with such reverence. They also mention two different inane Stephen King quotes throughout the book. It is cringe-worthy. I don't know who this book is for. Liberals are not likely to be interested in the history of the AR-15. And if you are even a centrist, this book is likely to make you roll your eyes all throughout majority of it. The authors are only concerned with spreading leftist tribe and are either woefully uninformed or intentionally duplicitous about Kyle Rittenhouse (totally ignoring that most people rioting that night had guns; presenting Rittenhouse as a murderer and Rosenbaum and Huber as heroes,) the McCloskeys (ignoring that a mob had torn down the gate to their community,), January 6th (pretending it was an armed insurrection.) The Governor Whitmer "Kidnapping Plot" (pretending as if it was a right wing extremist group and not a federal agent honeypot/entrapment.)

The book ends with the authors pondering about what Eugene Stoner would think of the public owning his "military assault rifle." 1.) Irrelevant. 2.) He'd be stoked. More money for him.
The idea that it is only a "military rifle" is a lie. How well did that work out for the citizens of the Soviet Union, when they weren't allowed to own AK-47s? Or any of the other disarmed then killed millions of people in the 20th century.
There are 20 million ARs in the country. Your chances of getting killed by an AR15 are literally one in a million. Handguns are used in 80% of mass shootings. I could go on and on about how wrong they are; but, you get it.

If you are a Democrat and somehow reading this far into my review; go nuts! Enjoy the book. The unlettered arguments presented will probably seem really profound to you. If you are right wing, good luck. This book is an obnoxious and incompetent argument for gun control masquerading as a history book.

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Excellent Book.

Revisado: 03-21-24

This is really a fantastic book. It is interesting and serves as a guidebook in how to deal with online stalkers. It is both disturbing and entertaining. I wish Audible had more books on it by Jim Goad; especially with him narrating it. He has the best voice.

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Holly...Brought to You by Pfizer

Revisado: 02-21-24

I have read almost every Stephen King book, and this is by far the worst. His epilogue trying to mitigate how insulting this book is to his audience does nothing to dispell the vitriol apparent on every page. He has blatant disdain for half the country and his audience. You might easily try to dismiss my criticisms on an ideological basis, but I don't see how even fellow ideologues aligned with King couldn't be turned off by this ponderous book. Just about every side character is introduced letting you know their stance on COVID, Donald Trump, etc. People will claim it is "world building," but it isn't. It is moralizing propaganda, and unrealistic. I live in the world during the time frame of the book, and not every random person I met was eager to tell me if they were vaccinated, which brand, nor their opinion on Donald Trump. It was almost unbearable and finishing this book was a chore.

It is ironic that King mentions prions within this book, because I was already thinking his brain had been devoured by a TDS prion. He tries to use the cop out that Holly is a hypochondriac, so of course she would be fearful of COVID. Yeah? But every one skeptical of THE MESSAGE is an unlettered, boorish moron within his pages.
Here is just some of the examples I can think of contained within the book:
- The average Trump supporters is "podgy and apathetic."
-If you didn't get vaccinated and died, it was from stupidity.
-And of course cops are racists that can't wait to kill black people for speeding or using a cell phone.
-Joe Biden is a hero, and his victory inspired tears of joy.
-The "insurrection" was terrible and inspired tears of rage.

I am very familiar with King being a lefty. I have rolled my eyes in the past at things throughout his books, but easily divorced the art from the artist. I don't need to agree with artists to enjoy their art. But this book was incessant and ponderous in its preaching.

Besides the relentless political lecturing, the villains are absurd. Completely unbelievable. Spoilers ahead.

Cannibal murderers in their late 80's? College professors? Sure. And meek Holly manages to cut one of their throats with an earring? It is clear King doesn't know how violence works in the real world. She then snaps the others neck after utterly cartoonish dialogue. The big reveal ar the end? One of child killing cannibals....was also a racist! Gasp! Oh no! (I think being a cannibal kid killer is a few levels worse than being a bigot.)

The protagonists are insufferable, having no flaws. They are flat characters, rather than round. The villains have no redeeming qualities. The dialogue is shoddy and took me out of the narrative. I would cringe at the start of each conversation.

His descriptions of guns seemed intentionally wrong. As if he wanted to be called wrong. Glocks don't have safeties (I think this is even a meme.) The other guns he is referencing he keeps calling "automatic" and not "semi-automatic." He has a cop calling a magazine a "clip?" I think this was just an intentional FRACK you to his evil right wing audience. Just something to annoy them; I don't believe he has gotten this incompetent over the years.

I used to really enjoy Michael Jackson music, before I found out about his crimes. Now every time I hear his music, it always makes me think of it. Similarly, this book is so heinous, it may have now forever tainted all of his other works for me. I hope not. But, it is abysmal. His fans deserve better, on both sides of the political spectrum, let alone the apolitical. But, hey, it's his art. He can make it however he wants. Just as I can condemn him for it in my review.

TL;DR: King is poopy, and his book Holly is poopy.

The narrator did a phenomenal job. Truly a great performance from her.

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Mostly Good.

Revisado: 01-25-24

This is a mostly compelling and interesting history of the Glock company. It is entertaining for sure, and the narrator does a great job. I would have given it five stars had it not been for the author's unlettered and potentially disingenuous final chapter, advocating for gun control and completely ignoring the comprehensive work of John Lott Jr.

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Stellar Book; Crucial Knowledge

Revisado: 01-20-24

I can't recommend this book enough for anyone interested in the subject. Ayoob did an amazing job both as the writer and as the narrator. He has such a tremendous wealth of experience to draw on, and I am very glad I stumbled across him online and ended up finding this book.
I hope I never have to use anything I learned in this book outside of conversation, but I definitely feel better equipped now having absorbed the knowledge he so deftly imparted.

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Terrific Book.

Revisado: 01-12-24

The author is clearly an expert in mitary history and operations. I spent a year on non fiction books, so this was a good bridge back to fiction. The narrator did a fantastic job also. I would like more books in this series. There is a lot of potential.

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Legendary Performance.

Revisado: 12-16-22

This was a great and simple book from Stephen King. Yet another showing of his tremendous versatility. Bronson Pinchot gives a legendary performance as the narrator. You need to listen to this for that alone. It was the best voice for a villain in any audio book I have ever heard.

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Superb book and Performance

Revisado: 12-08-22

Wow. This is a wonderful book. I have listened to almost every Stephen King book, and this one is now in my top three. I had never become teary-eyed listening to a book before, but this one got me a few times. I can't recommend it enough.

The narrator gives a legendary performance as well. It is one of the top readings I have ever heard on here; incredible work and talent.

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Prescient.

Revisado: 10-05-22

It is amazing how prescient these articles are to this day. It is frustrating to think Sowell has been arguing for decades against the same bad logic and decision making that exists to this day.

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