Rory

Fun ride through the American Revolution

Revisado: 04-18-21

Skip past his opening anecdote, and Professor Guelzo picks up the pace. His segues into different personalities add to the telling. He also goes into detail on the troops, what troop life entailed and how it played a part in strategies for both sides. Very entertaining and enlightening. .

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Treachery everywhere

Revisado: 07-24-20

The lead-up to first Afghan war is very well-done. Hopkirk does a wonderful job of making the intrigues and maneuvers of the British and Russians in Central Asia exciting. Most history books gloss over it as meaningless as "nothing really happened" but at least 3 wars, several raids, small battles and artful diplomacy kept a major war breaking out between Russia and Britain over Central Asia that would have made the Crimean war seem even smaller. He doesn't get into China too much (other books?) but you can learn quite a bit about Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Punjab, and Kazakhstan's 19th century roots that are played out today. Even helps you understand from today's headlines how Muslim Xinjiang became part of China, or the roots of the conflicts over Kashmir and China's claim to Ladakh.
Alex Wyndham does a great job narrating with just the right emphasis to keep some of the inevitable slower parts of the narrative from dragging.

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Not really Wizard of Oz

Revisado: 07-23-16

Warning--do not pick up for kids.
This is the adult version.
At points story is ok but on the whole, really drawn out, lacking direction, imitates Harry Potter's Hogwarts academy, and none of the characters are likable in the least. Kept waiting for it to get better, and it didn't.
However, John McDonough does good job with the various voices...I found this helped me get through.

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Audible should remaster but story worth a listen

Revisado: 07-23-16

1. Production--Not only are there various spots where sentence is annoyingly repeated, but in Chapter 21, during a naval battle scene, it skips frustratingly past a key scene. Audible needs to re-master the book to fix this.
2. Narrator---Richard Matthews does a good job narrating and keeps story flowing despite the headaches described above and even the dry parts. Tis only reason I give performance 4 stars
3. Massie and his story:
A. My knowledge of this area was very little--knew a little about Goeben from Guns of August but he goes into more detail, especially with regards to the subsequent courtmartial...loved Milne's quote! Rest I knew of WWI focused more on diplomacy, air battles, tanks, and the trench warfare. Knew very little of WWI naval history -subs and Jutland. This is why I picked this up.
B. Massie starts off in great detail on the personalities...I have a feeling I missed out on more of the leadup and creation of the fleets as I didn't read Dreadnought(would be great if Audible adds it). He puts in quite a bit of extraneous material and I can see why someone said he needed an editor--trying too hard to be Tuchman. However...that said, later chapters go into his personal views/biases of these men so the early character backgrounds lend some support to his views. For example, describing Beatty as a browbeaten cuckold whose Lady MacBeth wife pushes his career comes across harsh until you get to chapter 34 and he lays out even harsher criticism making it clear his distaste for the Admiral.
C. His battle scenes are a bit drawn out, nowhere near as exciting as Neptune's Inferno(if you haven't listened, pick it up!) but he goes into great detail of the decision making.
D. If you are interested in leadership, like I am, this is why he is worth a listen. The actions themselves are overall very unimportant in history of WWI, but he explains each choice the commanders on both sides faced, all their options based on what they knew.
His analysis is spot on, if a little biased.
E, For one thing while he could have done some cutting, glad he included Churchill's complete response to one of Fisher's threats to resign. Beautiful prose that could be included in any business writing course!

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Not just for female soccer players

Revisado: 04-20-15

First off, this book is about competition. Yes, the author bases the book around his experiences as a college women's soccer coach, but lessons apply to all athletes, male and female, no matter the sport.
Secondly, this is a motivational book--about winning and defining what winning is worth to you. Each chapter is a short easy to digest segment with message illustrated by examples from his experience but also from wide world of sports. Les Brown, Vince Lombardi, Ross Perot, and Zig Zigler rolled into one for the athlete.
Definitely pick this up.

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An audible comic book

Revisado: 02-15-15

Literary masterpiece? Nah---just the audible equivalent of a popcorn action flick. Sit back and enjoy. Enjoy!

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Need more Gallagher!

Revisado: 02-14-15

Ok, so he doesn't smash watermelons during the lectures...but Prof Gallagher rocks!
Like his series on Lee & his generals, Prof Gallagher can be dry when he is doing straight recitation of history, but when he adds his color and analysis it is really good.
Something for Audible/Great Courses to consider--do a roundtable discussion with Professor Gallagher and others on the American Civil War.

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Not your normal memoir

Revisado: 02-14-15

First off, I purchased the book because my son plays keeper, and we both enjoy watching Hope Solo play--she is arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, male or female.
I had hoped for some inside tips--special tricks of the trade, a glimpse of a Michael Phelps type diet, a great drill that helped form her amazing reaction to the ball. Nope, not a word and you could probably substitute basketball or volleyball for soccer and still have same story. .
This isn't that type of book(and not for kids!)--if you want a good book to improve your child's game, try Audible's book by Dan Blank=="Everything your coach..."
Also, even though a sports writer assisted with the writing, the game scenes are as thrilling as the ingredients on a can of green beans

So why read this? Well----sports always have characters, people who have not just awesome talent but a knack for garnering as many headlines off the field as on the field.Tiger Woods, Terrell Owens, Michael Phelps, etc. They add the entertainment value to the sport. This is a fascinating inside glimpse of a such an athlete, and will leave you a better understanding of the pressures that they go through to get to the top of their sport and what helps to keep them grounded.

You should listen this book for four main reasons;:
1. This is a moving heartfelt love letter to her father, a man by her own admission she barely knew. At points I felt that this is her image of her father and possibly not a completely factual narrative. Either way the man was a major influence on her life and colored her actions in many ways.

2. Oddly, she almost relishes in not being a team player in one of the most team-oriented sports out there. For her, the most dramatic moment of her life wasn't winning Olympic gold or some stand-out game, but when she was suspended in 2007. Although I barely remembered the incident, she clearly exaggerates the importance of this to the rest of the world, and her explanation still smacks of the spoiled brat athlete, ala Johnny Manziel. Yet, I have to admit I did empathize with her as she described her teammates reactions. Excellent insight into pressure she faces on and off the field, as well as her overwhelming drive to perfection.

3. I had picked up Kevin Long's baseball book for tips for hitting, which he included, but was pleasantly surprised at the mini bio about how tough being a minor league player is. Similarly, Hope touches on the ups and downs of the women's professional soccer after college. Most of the female soccer leagues are jokes compared to baseball minor league teams, and if you aren't on the national team it is surprisingly difficult for the players to make a living. I do wish she had expounded more here and offered her ideas on how to improve both audience engagement as well as better situation for the players.

4. Hope's family is not the Brady bunch--they are more like a soap opera, full of fights, making up and love. Every major event in Hope's life, whether up or down, the various family members(usually hating each other) still come out to support her. Even her on again, off again, BFF Adrian is there. Here is where you gain most respect for Hope--her love for her family and friends abounds in this book.

Just be prepared as she is vindictive and does not hold back against any of those who "hurt" her, going all the way back to high school! Still an amazing person and athlete.

Narrator does a good job with this book--no issues whatsoever with performance.

*** postscript--it is May 2015 and have to say the Hope Solo on her twitter/facebook/blog shows her friendlier and unselfish compared to how memoir came across. 3-4 years since she wrote this and while important to read her memoir, don't stop there-- read her current writings after this book. --My personal wish is she follows up her career in 5-7 years by becoming a coach and motivational speaker, and works to improve women's professional soccer to equal or better standing with MLS. Too powerful a personality to disappear when her career inevitably ends. And perhaps she writes follow up 10-20 years from now about her whole career.

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British Take

Revisado: 07-19-13

I know, general histories of the whole of WWII are usually just too shallow to be enjoyable. Drink deep at history's fountain or not all.
But still like a moth to fire, I always read them, and as a result know where an author is going or when they repeat common myths, or make minor mistakes, like here, mixing up the Heer and the Wehrmacht. Still, I liked Robert's book as he focuses more on areas that typically receive little coverage---CBI theater, fighting near Antwerp, etc.
Nothing new, just different focus and good way to waste hours of a dreary commute!

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One of those books...that cause brain freeze!

Revisado: 07-19-13

I love the books that are filled with a bits of trivia, and I learned quite a bit listening to this book. Yet, just me personally, I listen to this in small bursts. It is one of those books, not sure if is better used as coffee table reference. There are constant tidbits of info without much of a central theme or narrative means too much at once. Like drinking a slurpee too fast after a job---brain freeze!
Love the book and the tidbits, though, and narrator is fun to listen to as well.

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