Kjellquist Blog

Cool Video Wins Academy Award

oldcyberdude — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:12:15 +0000

While much of last night’s Academy Awards ceremony was a bit ho hum, there was a bright spot in an unusual category; Best Animated Short. Do take the opportunity to watch this 15 min video on Youtube. The extremely creative short animation is equal measures of Wizard of Oz, Charlie Chaplin, and UP combined with a profound love of books. So click on the picture to the left and enjoy.

Atlantic – Quite an Ocean

oldcyberdude — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:15:50 +0000

In Simon Winchester’s latest book he takes on quite a challenge. How to you tell the story of something vast and multifaceted as the Atlantic Ocean? It is a testimony to Winchester’s skill as a writer that he develops a novel approach and executes it for a very readable and engaging book, Atlantic.
Winchester first choose to view the ocean as a living thing, not too unusual as mariners regularly take this view. But then Winchester hits on the brilliant idea to frame the Atlantic ocean in the seven ages of man. These ages were described in a monologue by William Shakespeare’s character, Jacques, in As You Like It.
These ages are:

Infancy – first stirrings of human development on its shores
Childhood – crossings and full fledge explorations
Lover – the ocean beauty in art and literature
Soldier – centuries as a stage for warfare
Justice – basis of trade and international law
Old Age – crossings are routine and resources no longer inexhaustible
Mental dementia and death – climate change and humanity’s change

In each of these stages Winchester mixes the broad perspective with anecdotal stories to enliven the story and provide the reader with interesting facts.
In summary, Simon Winchester has succeeded in taking on the story of the Atlantic.

Zero Day – New Baldacci Character

oldcyberdude — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:56:11 +0000

One of David Baldacci’s best. I have really missed the Camel Club and wondered how Baldacci was going to come up with another top story line. In Zero Day he moves on and introduces you to a new character, John Puller of Army CID. In Puller, David Baldacci has created a character every bit as good as Oliver Stone.
Zero Day is a page turner that will keep you guessing as to who are the good guys and bad guys as well as the real story behind multiple murders.

Here is how David Baldacci summarizes the book –

John Puller is a combat veteran and the best
military investigator in the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative
Division. His father was an Army fighting legend, and his brother is
serving a life sentence for treason in a federal military prison. Puller
has an indomitable spirit and an unstoppable drive to find the truth.

Now, Puller is called out on a case in a remote,
rural area in West Virginia coal country far from any military outpost.
Someone has stumbled onto a brutal crime scene, a family slaughtered.
The local homicide detective, a headstrong woman with personal demons of
her own, joins forces with Puller in the investigation. As Puller digs
through deception after deception, he realizes that absolutely nothing
he’s seen in this small town, and no one in it, is what it seems. Facing
a potential conspiracy that reaches far beyond the hills of West
Virginia, he is one man on the hunt for justice against an overwhelming
force.

The Extraordinary Life of Monsieur de Beaumarchais

oldcyberdude — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:11:03 +0000

Mr Unger has created one most interesting and readable biographies of recent years. Though a very skilled writer, Mr. Unger had help from Monsieur de Beaumarchais. Even without his connection with the American revolution, the life of Beaumarchais would make for an extraordinary story. It is a common cliché that a life is stranger than fiction but the life of Beaumarchais is truly one that could not be believed if it were not true.

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was born in 1732 the son of a clock maker; a commoner in the aristocratic dominated France. Apprenticed to his father, after a brief period of raucous carousing, the young Beaumarchais quickly showed his mechanical genius by inventing a clockwork escapement mechanism. This escapement mechanism immediately allowed the first watch light enough to be worn on the wrist. It was this invention that first brought him to the attention of King Louis XV and the royal court.

Once in the royal circle, Beaumarchais wasted no time in establishing his genius to the delight of many of the royal court. As a skilled musician and poet he was a delight to royal princesses. However, as commoner who entered the royal circle through superior skills and talent he was envied by many aristocrats by birth and of much lesser talent. Beaumarchais did become a protégé of the great financier, Joseph Pâris-Duverney and through this relationship was able to amass significant wealth and purchase a key sinecure. But as Beaumarchais’ stature rose so did the power of his enemies and resentment of his commoner birth.

In 1764 Beaumarchais gave his court enemies the opening they needed when he spent a year in Madrid establishing a Spanish company for his financial mentor. Upon his return to France Beaumarchais’ life rapidly became very complicated. In his absence his home was in turmoil and he lost the interest and patronage of the royal princesses. In 1770 both Pâris-Duverney and Beaumarchais’ wife die. Pâris-Duverney’s relatives win a large financial suit against him. Also, events in America were heating up. It is now that Beaumarchais retaliates against the ruling class and authors his first literary triumph, Le Barbier de Seville — “The Barber of Seville”. Throughout the 1770′s Beaumarchais’ fortunes take a number of turns. His court enemies retaliate. He is arrested, thrown in jail for being “too insolent”. While imprisoned Beaumarchais is unable to defend himself in an unjust law suit and is financially ruined. However, via the sharpness of his pen, he is able to exact revenge by exposing the corrupt judicial system. His cleverness and guile comes to the attention of King Louis XVI He successfully serves the new King and foreign minster, comte de Vergennes, as a spy to retrieve incriminating secret documents from a transsexual former French spy in London.

While in London, Beaumarchais forms a friendship with the American, Arthur Lee and is enlisted to help our fight with France’s long time enemy. With the help of Vergennes but as a private citizen, Beaumarchais established a Spanish company to secretly purchase arms and supplies from the French government and supply them to Washington’s troops. Payment for the arms was to come by the returning ships bringing tobacco and other goods back for sale. Beaumarchais was awarded contracts for the arms from Silas Deane, Connecticut merchant and member of Congress. While in sound in principle, in practice it was a financial disaster. In the end Beaumarchais shipped more than $200 million (today’s dollars) on credit including more then 80% of the Continental Army’s entire gunpowder supply! Beaumarchais was to never see of these proceeds as Congress repeatedly dodged the obligation erroneously reasoning the materials as a “gift” from France!

At the close of his arms venture, Beaumarchais again turned to literature and his assault on the aristocracy penning Le Mariage de Figaro –The Marriage of Figaro. Once again Beaumarchais is imprisoned, this time by the King. However, the King’s move backfires and Beaumarchais’ popularity results in a populous uproar that forces the King to retract his orders. The King also makes financial amends. Beaumarchais’ literary triumphs have made him a popular hero which allows him to survive the multiple insanities that mark the French revolution of the 1790′s.

In summary, Mr. Unger has penned a book worthy of the extraordinary life of Monsieur de Beaumarchais. He has aptly honored a largely forgotten hero of our fight for independence and in the process rewards the reader.

Steamship Savannah

oldcyberdude — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:37:05 +0000

John Laurence Busch has written the definitive history of the steamship Savannah and its Captain, Moses Rogers, in his latest book, Steam Coffin.

The steamship Savannah was the first steam powered vessel to cross the Atlantic ocean. However, this accomplishment is but only a small portion of a very compelling history of steam powered vessels, the people that developed and captained them and the intrigues that swirled around the events of this period of world history. For example, Busch explains in detail how the competition between steamship pioneers, European politics of England, Denmark and Russia, the Savannah, GA fire of January 1820 and the national economic depression in 1820 all conspire to drive the fate of the Savannah and its captain.

One of the most interesting aspects of Busch’s narrative is his description of the impact that steam powered vessels had on intercity travel in the early 19th century. Travelers today routinely take for granted the relatively precise scheduling of long distance travel (air travel excepted). However, in the 19th century travel by ocean vessel was at the mercy of winds and weather. Departures could be delayed by hours or days. Steam power offered, at the time, the astonishing ability to depart and often arrive on a precise schedule.

Another interesting detail is what to call these new vessels? In the 19th century, terms such as sloop, schooner, brig and ship had specific meanings and were well known to many. Initially, steamboat was used because of their small size and limitation to quiet inland waters. But as the vessels grew in size and became ocean going the term ship (3 mast, square-rigged) was appended to steam.

The book is excellently indexed. Besides the standard list of illustrations and maps, source notes and selected bibliography, Busch provides indexes of people, vessels and subjects.

In summary, Busch has written a very comprehensive, readable history of the Savannah, Captain Moses and their places in history.

A More Perfect Heaven

oldcyberdude — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:03:35 +0000

Dava Sobel has created a most unique biography in her latest book, A More Perfect Heaven, How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos. The core to her approach is a fictional interpretation of the true life visit of Rheticus to an aging Copernicus. The account is contained in a two act play contained in Part Two of the book.
However, the play, if read as a standalone work of historical fiction would be only mildly interesting and totally lacking in context for the average reader. Ms Sobel remedies this problem with her superb writing skills in the Part One of the book. Part One focuses on the early life of Copernicus up to his becoming a canon of the Catholic church in the Varmia diocese. In this first part of the book, Ms Sobel presents a fascinating look into the life and politics of Copernicus as a learned man of the 16th century. She concisely addresses the implications of the ongoing Protestant reformation and the political turmoil. For middle management of the church the threat of Martin Luther created a high state of paranoia. While Copernicus is known today for his unique astronomical contributions during his life he was valued more for his medical and bureaucratic skills. As Ms. Sobel points out, only a handful of peers were aware of Copernicus’ astronomical work. As a canon of the church during the Lutheran paranoia, Copernicus was correctly concerned about heretical nature of his sun-centric universe. With all this background Ms Sobel transitions to her play where she imagines the real life encounter with Rheticus.

Part Three of the book completes the story of Copernicus with the publication of his On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres and reaction to the book. For years Copernicus’ dearest friend (and clerical supporter), Bishop Giese had urged him to publish his notes. But it was only through the efforts of a youthful Lutheran mathematician, Rheticus, that On the Revolutions was actually published. In the final chapters Ms Sobel clearly summarizes the On the Revolutions relationships with Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei. While obviously not definitive she clearly explains how Copernicus laid the key foundation to the sun-centric solar system model for others to follow.

In summary, Dava Sobel has given us a unique treatment to scientific history. Her use of the two-act play gives us a new take on the relationship between Rheticus and Copernicus.

Five Chiefs – A Supreme Court Memoir

oldcyberdude — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:29:09 +0000

It is not often that we are able to get a glimpse into the inner workings of the Supreme Court but Justice John Paul Stevens has give us this opportunity in his memoir, Five Chiefs, of his almost 35 years on the Supreme Court. However, don’t expect a tell-all block buster. Stevens’ approach to a memoir and writing style reflects an entire career set in the decorum of the court room. Stevens summarizes life in the court at the end of the chapter on his service as senior justice. He refers to President Ford’s 1976 State of Union address where Ford refers to the US as a place where Americans can disagree without being disagreeable. It is too bad that we have seemed to have lost this prospective in current political discourse.

Stevens starts his book with a short historical perspective on the first 12 Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. While only providing the briefest discussion of key events, this introduction is important since it sets the stage and foundation for much of modern workings of the court. For example, under the tenure of Taft significant opinions were written interpreting the word ‘liberty’ as used in the Fourteenth Amendment. These opinions still influence current interpretations. Stevens also makes it clear that intellectual bar was set very high by early court justices and Chief Justices such as John Marshall.

Stevens then goes on to describe the duties of the Chief Justice as the “first among equals”. Interestingly, unlike the the qualification to be President, the Constitution provides no qualifications for being a Supreme Court justice. You don’t have to be a citizen, a lawyer, a voter, or even an adult! Congress over the years has legislated additional duties for the Chief Justice and provided a mere 4% added salary!

The main body of the Stevens’ memoir provides a perpsective on his relationship with each of the five Chief Justices under which he served. In each chapter, he singles out significant court decisions of that Chief’s tenure. Stevens selects the decisions based their impact to society, judicial precedent, or soundness of argument. He approachs each with a VERY brief summary of the issues and then discusses the court deliberations and context of the decision. Some decisions he decided with the majority and with others he dissented. With each discussion we get a small peak into who John Paul Stevens is.

Particularly enlightening in this regard is Stevens’ views on the constitutionality of capital punishment in the chapter on Chief Justice Roberts. Stevens candidly expresses “regret” on a Texas statute vote. A couple of pages later we read that Stevens holds capital punishment to be “the pointless and needles extinction of life with only marginal contributions to any discernible social or public purpose”. Later in the same chapter Stevens describes the courts approach and reliance on history (aka original intent) to address “proportionality” in the context of the Eighth Amendment (aka cruel & unusual punishment).

All in all, Five Chiefs is a very interesting and worthwhile glimpse into the workings of the Supreme Court and the mind of one its most influential justices.

The First American Civil War

oldcyberdude — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:26:35 +0000

If you thought the American Civil War of the 1860′s was our first civil war, Thomas B. Allen’s latest book, Tories, Fighting for the King in America’s First Civil War will correct your notions of our civil wars. It is well known that history is written by the winners and this is never more true than regarding our war for independence.
When pressed to name an American Loyalist (aka Torie) the name Benedict Arnold might come to mind. However, at the onset of our struggle with King George the country (aka colony) was very much divided over how to resolve the dispute. Many of the most influential leaders of industry, merchants, law and wealthy class landowners favored a more measured approach of negotiation and compromise. Clearly a common characteristic, though not universal, of this group was that they had the most to lose in a struggle with England. But, in addition, they also identified themselves as Englishmen.
On the other side of the conflict were a relative handful of learned leaders and large number of Americans with the least to lose. These Patriots saw the struggle as way to a brighter future with rewards of hard work and sacrifice. This group was the first to consider themselves Americans.
With these two divergent views of relations with England, Allen goes on to describe the struggle between the Patriots and Loyalists (Tories). The most revealing aspect of this history is the scope of inter-American conflict. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Loyalists organized themselves and actively support English forces. In nearly every battle of the war Loyalist military units were in forefront of the action. Thus, Americans were killing Americans throughout the conflict. Even non-combatants served to provide logistics support to English troops and many became active information sources spying on Patriot troop movements.
In summary, Allen’s book fills in a little known chapter in our Revolutionary war history.

Life Among Hitler’s Beasts

oldcyberdude — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:06:41 +0000

Once again Erik Larson has taken a piece of history and illuminated it through the eyes of the people who lived it. His writing skill of bringing these events down to a singular personal level makes for an eminently readable volume. I first became aware of Mr. Larson from his book, Isaac’s Storm. This book recounts the devastating hurricane of 1900 that destroyed Galveston, TX. Larson brings the events of September 1900 to life through the eyes of Isaac Cline, chief weatherman of Texas.
In the Garden of Beasts we meet the Dodd family. William Dodd is the newly appointed US ambassador to Germany in 1933. With William in Germany are his wife, Mattie, and their young adult children Martha and Bill. It is through the historical record of Dodd’s ambassadorship and the preserved family records that we get a fascinating glimpse into life in early Hitler’s Germany. We witness the step-by-step systematic destruction of Jewish rights and the growth of Hitler’s political power. We see first hand the maniacal and deadly power politics of Hitler’s inner circle.
The book starts with a summary of how a midwest professor with no diplomatic experience is selected by President Roosevelt for such a prestigous position. From the start we learn that Dodd is ill equipped as an ambassador and doesn’t fit the eastern Brahman mold of a State Department ambassador. Dodd’s frugal mid-western lifestyle and scholarly perspective keeps him at odds with the rest of the diplomatic core.
Larson also focuses much attention on the adventures of Dodd’s attractive 24 year daughter. Her story of amorous relations with Nazi elites, a Russian NKVD agent and others reads like a modern romantic adventure but in 1933 it was utterly scandalous. It is through Martha that we experience much the day-to-day events of the privileged Berliners.
In summary, In the Garden of Beasts is highly recommended as a stunning look into life in early Hitler’s Germany.

Another McCullough Hit

oldcyberdude — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:36:10 +0000

Another hit from the pen of David McCullough. In this current book you are transported back to the 19th century (~1830-1900) to a time when adventurous Americans saw Paris as the center of learning in the arts and science. America was struggling with its provincial heritage and had yet to become a world leader. France on the other hand was at its height of creativity in the arts and science.
For example, in 1833 the twelve Paris hospitals treated over 65,000 patients in contrast to the two Boston hospitals that treated fewer than 800. But beyond the volume of patients and thus variety of ailments, Parisian physicians were at the forefront of medical knowledge and warmly welcomed the American physicians as students.
When it came to the arts, painters and writers found Paris an invigorating and life changing experience. Over and over again, McCullough provides examples of writers and painters that came to Paris to recharge their creative batteries through their career.
In summary, David McCullough provides an enjoyable spotlight into the lives of some of our most important Americans and the influence Paris had on their lives. He also illuminates our enduring relationship with the French and Paris in particular.