Christoph L.

Reexamining the Causes of WWI

Revisado: 07-13-15

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

Mr. Perkins' was a very straight forward reader - his tone for this book was spot on - and made enjoying the book very easy.

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

The description of the death of the (young) King and Queen of Serbia - I had not heard this story before and it really set the tone of the book as understanding the ruthlessness of the Serbian revolutionaries leads to a completely different reasoning for the causes of First World War.

Any additional comments?

First off, for context, I would describe myself as a casual military historian. I enjoy reading (and listening) about military history - I tend to be most interested in Napoleonic history - but the late 19th century and WWI is a relatively new subject to me that I am enjoying learning more about. Mr. Clark has written a book which contradicts much of the "conventional" reasoning behind the cause of WWI. Conventionally, WWI is said to have been caused by German aggression - which is a narrative that tends to be enforced by the aggression of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. However, by setting the context for this specific time in history, late 1800s up to 1914, the readers begin to realize that it wasn't just Germany that was to blame, but that the Triple Entente had an equal share of blame. It seems that by challenging the conventional notion that Germany alone (or primarily) was to blame for WWI causes some to be uncomfortable.Any book on the cause of WWI will lead to a discussion on who was to blame for the war. This book is not the only book on WWI - and it appears that Mr. Clark is writing to those people who have at the very least a basic understanding of the causes of WWI and those (like myself) that believe (or believed until reading this book) that Germany, and German militarism and aggression, was the primary cause of WWI. However after listening to this book I feel that I have a more balanced view, and based on the facts Mr. Clark has presented it appears that at the very least France, Russia, and Britain share an equal amount of blame for the start of the war. I found myself on numerous occasions surprised to be hearing new quotes and information that contradicted the "conventional" narrative of Germany being primarily blamed for the war - which lead to me devouring this book. For anyone interested in learning more about the causes of the First World War this book is simply a must read (or listen).

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Love Story to VMI

Revisado: 06-25-15

What other book might you compare Virginia's Ring to and why?

Probably Pat Conroy's "Lords od Discpline" - however less dark and more "realistic" - however still a very entertaining book - especially for anyone part of the VMI family.

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

A number of moments brought me right back to my time as a cadet at VMI, any VMI alum will probably enjoy this book - while non-military school folks might enjoy getting a more intimate portrayal of life at the "Mother I" and other military colleges.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Seldon has finally produced a VMI version of Pat Conroy's "Lords of Discipline" and it is one that this VMI alum thoroughly enjoyed. The story takes place through two characters that attend VMI about 20 years apart - one male and one female - and through their stories he will cause most alum to relive the best parts of their cadetship while giving those that have not attended a better idea of the daily rigors of life as a cadet at VMI.

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Scientific Debate

Revisado: 02-25-15

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

Any book about evolution is going to be politically charged, something the author actually indicates throughout the book. If you are someone who "believes" that evolution is completely true, I imagine that they most likely will not read this book and may even vote it down without ever listening/reading a single word. If you "believe" that evolution is untrue, or not a complete fact there will be many instances where they will find themselves agreeing with the author - and I imagine that is who the book is primarily intended for. There are not many (if any) neutral opinions on the subject, but the author does a great job just talking about evolution and the issues surrounding it, without any "extra" discussion into "ID" or any other theories. For those that are actually trying to make up their minds I would give the following advice: As there are no truly neutral opinions I would recommend getting this book and listening to it after listening to the Great Courses lecture entitled "Evolution: A History of Controversy" (which the title is not completely accurate, that Great Course actually only talks about the history of evolution and does not even touch on any of the points Jonathon Wells goes over here) and then perhaps listen to at least 2 other books arguing on opposite sides of this debate (i.e. one pro-evolution and one ID book). No one book is ever going to cover the topic thoroughly enough, but Jonathon Wells does a very good job highlighting the problems that the most prominent examples of evolution have. His reasoning is sound, his points are easy to follow, and he is very open about his background (my opinion is if you can't disclose information about yourself you are hiding something for gain). For anyone interested in learning about evolution or in a debate about evolution I highly recommend this book.

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