All Quiet on the Western Front

He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All Quiet on the Western Front.
He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.

All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is considered by many to be the greatest war novel of all time. While I have not ready many war novels, I can see why it is given that consideration. This is a fascinating look at the realities of war. The story focuses on a young German soldier named Paul who spends considerable time on the front lines during World War I. Remarque himself saw combat during The Great War and was wounded five times. He makes it very clear that war is hell and can destroy a man, even if he survives. One of the more poignant sections of the book is when Paul returns home on a short leave, and realizes he feels out of place, even at home. The war has considerably affected him, and he begins to feel that once the war is over he will never feel like a normal part of society again. This is definitely a book protesting the evils and atrocities of war. Anyone who thinks war is glorious (although I hope we've gotten past that delusion as a society) should read this book. Actually, everyone should read this book. I like the words Remarque uses to introduce the book, as it sums up why he wrote it, and why it is important to know what these men went through:

This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men, who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.

Massacre at Mountain Meadows

Massacre at Mountain Meadows by Ronald W. Walker, Richard E. Turley Jr., and Glen M. Leonard

I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I came out, and after getting it as a Christmas gift (thanks Mom) I finally had the chance to read it. There have been many books written on this controversial topic, but I must admit this is the first I have read. Many consider Juanita Brooks' The Mountain Meadows Massacre to be the definitive work on the subject, but I think that this one will be mentioned alongside her book as well. The authors, all Mormons, take a balanced look at events leading up to the massacre and why it happened. It should have never happened, but it did. It's a dark stain on American history, and Mormon history specifically. The authors do a good job of putting the massacre into its proper historical context, examining the background of what was going on in Utah during this time period. However, they do not try to provide excuses for the atrocity, they simply want to try and understand why seemingly good people would commit such a crime. Many people have tried to pin the blame on Brigham Young. As with many historical events, the Mountain Meadows Massacre is too complex to put the blame on any one person. There is no evidence linking Young to ordering the massacre, but there is a letter stating to let the emigrants go, that arrived too late. The leaders in Southern Utah acted on their own in conducting the massacre. However, the authors do note the war fever that was spreading throughout Utah, as the Mormons were preparing to defend themselves against the U.S. military, which was on its way to Utah. Brigham Young certainly played a part in instilling this fever within the Mormon people, and the authors acknowledge that. But that does not mean he condoned the massacre, the evidence noting that he knew nothing about it until it was too late. As for the settlers involved, the authors treat them with fairness as well. John D. Lee became the scapegoat for the whole thing, and did play a large role in the massacre, but others, such as Isaac Haight, played large roles as well, that the authors examine. Overall I felt it was a very balanced book and one that was not written to excuse the crime, but rather to lend understanding to something that is very difficult to comprehend. It is a tragedy that never should have happened, but did, and there is no sense in trying to cover it up or make excuses for it. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to try and understand this subject, and for anyone interested in Mormon or Western history.

Crow Killer

After finishing The Real Wild West, and knowing that I was getting Massacre at Mountain Meadows for Christmas, I needed a quick read in between. I picked up Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker's Crow Killer: The Saga of Liver-Eating Johnson a few weeks back at the local used bookstore (COAS in Las Cruces; one of the best bookstores I have ever set foot in...) Both my dad and my brother had read it and told me a few things about it. The movie Jeremiah Johnson was loosely based on John Johnson (or Johnston), the character in this book. The book paints a much more gruesome tale than the movie does, however. Of course, it's hard to separate the myth from the reality in this book. It's more fiction than history, but at the same time it provides a romanticized version of the American West that people crave. It paints the mountain man as the last hurrah of the frontier, and the rest involved with the making of the west as mere "tenderfoots." Johnson is a larger-than-life character, not afraid of a fight, even with a grizzly bear. His nickname, Liver-Eating, stems from his call sign, that of eating the liver of Crow Indians he has killed in avenging his wife and unborn baby's death. It's a fantastic read, and of course has to be taken with a grain of salt, but what it is not disputed is that the Mountain Men were an essential piece in the making of the West, both real and mythical, and John "Liver-Eating" Johnson is not a man I would want to have on my bad side.

The Real Wild West

In between required reading for my classes, I was able to read The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West by Michael Wallis. This is the second book I have read by Wallis, the other being Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride. While not a professional historian, Wallis is a fantastic writer and his research is on par with that of a trained historian. He is best known for his work on Route 66, which he affectionately calls "The Mother Road." He lends his voice to the hit movie Cars, doing the voice-over for the sheriff of Radiator Springs. He is an amazing storyteller, and that is what he does best in The Real Wild West. Wallis examines the history of the 101 Ranch, a working cattle ranch in northern Oklahoma that would eventually bring the west to the world via a wild west show along the lines of Buffalo Bill. To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of the 101 Ranch prior to reading this book. I had not realized that there were so many wild west shows touring the nation and the world back in those days. Buffalo Bill had quite a bit of competition, as Wallis points out that many more besides the 101 Ranch show were also in action. The book focuses heavily on the line between the West of reality and the West of mythology. Wallis, while weaving his narrative of the 101 Ranch's history, examines many different characters in Western history and their connections to the ranch, which provides for some very interesting reading. He writes about a certain topic after each chapter, and honestly, I looked forward to reading them more than reading the actual chapters. I learned some very interesting things that I had not known before. While at times Wallis seems to exaggerate some things, he does provide good evidence for his claims, and for this he is commended. I plan to read some of his other works, and if they are as entertaining as this one, I will not be disappointed.

Yankee Stadium

Last night, and Monday night, for that matter, provided some moments that will be forever remembered in sports history. Yankee Stadium, built in 1923, is in its final season. Yes, this shrine to baseball, sports, and America will be torn down at the end of the season, and the new Yankee Stadium will open across the street. Fortunately, Major League Baseball put together a great All-Star Break at the House that Ruth Built. This was the fourth All-Star game to be played at this historic ballpark, and will arguably be the most remembered. Fans at the stadium and in living rooms and bars around the country were mesmerized Monday night by a former heroin addict who several years ago was kicked out of baseball and living on the streets. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, with a new lease on life, free of drugs and having a spectacular season, hit 28 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby. That set a new record. Unfortunately Josh did not win the derby because the slates are wiped clean in the third round. But we all know he really did win it, and he definitely won the hearts of the fans. Tuesday night brought the game itself. Before the game, a good number of Hall of Famers were on hand to be honored. There were guys there who are legends of the game, that I only heard stories of growing up, like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ernie Banks. There were legends of the game that I grew up watching, like Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Perhaps the most touching to see, however, was Yogi Berra. He was the last name to be read as they went through the Hall of Famers, and the former Yankee great was welcomed to a huge ovation. He is perhaps one of the last links to the Yankee legends like Mickey Mantle and Joe Dimaggio. As I watched these moments and the game, I could only wonder if Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, and countless other Yankee greats were smiling down on this evening from above. The game itself was a classic as well. 15 innings of good baseball. As much as it saddens me to see this great building torn down, at least the MLB is bidding it farewell in the right way. It's unlikely the Yankees will make the playoffs, but maybe there is still some magic in that old stadium and we will see a few more postseason games. Whatever happens, the stadium and the countless memories it contains will never be forgotten.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Ok, so I know this isn't really a historical movie, but it is Indiana Jones and deals with historical things. At least, it should. Unfortunately, this movie has no history to speak of, at least not of Earth. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but honestly I advise not seeing it anyway, but there are aliens and stuff, and a spaceship at the end. Lame. Seriously, has George Lucas lost his mind? He should have just left this franchise alone. And Harrison Ford, I love him as an actor, but he was just boring in this one. Where are all the good one-liners and quips that makes Indiana Jones great? Parts of this movie made me laugh, and not because they were supposed to be funny. They were just cheesy and fake. Honestly, Star Wars is more realistic and believable than this piece of crap. And I really hate to say that, because I had hoped it would equal the original three movies. I had a feeling it might be bad, though, and unfortunately I was right. Maybe Lucas and Spielberg should just give up, because lately their movies have kind of sucked. (War of the Worlds come to mind?). And the way the Russians were depicted..... I thought the Cold War was over. I realize that we had harsh feelings towards them during this time, but they are portrayed as mindless, drunken idiots. In one scene they are dancing around the fire like a bunch of morons. I really felt like I was watching a movie from the 50s, and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. The movie did somewhat portray the communist witch hunt that was going on at the time and how dumb it could be, but beyond that the movie really lent nothing. Let's hope they put the Indiana Jones franchise back to bed, where it should have stayed in the first place. However, knowing George Lucas and his desire to market anything he can (by the way, I don't remember Indiana Jones toys from the original movies), he'll probably make like six more. Maybe Indy will go to Mars or another dimension this time. Obviously Lucas's head is out there somewhere.

Band of Brothers Part Two

So after finishing the miniseries, I of course had to get the book it was based off and read it. I have read a little of Ambrose's work in the past, and I really like his stripped down, personal style of writing history. It's interesting to read about just one company in the entire U.S. Army. Sometimes reading WWII histories gets too complicated trying to keep everything straight, but since this book follows only one company it was easy to follow and easy to relate to the soldiers. The book offers much deeper insight into what the soldiers were feeling and thinking than the miniseries, which is usually true of any book. I will have to read more of Ambrose's work later, as I really enjoy his style and analysis. This book read like a narrative, but he does a great job of inserting his own analysis as well as the analysis of the soldiers themselves, and also uses outside sources well to back up some of his points. Excellent book.