Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition, by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Brief, but not an easy read, though it contains fascinating observations that make it worth the effort. A lot of the vagueness obviously comes from the challenge of writing about things never written about before, but even the details of the Spaniards' expedition itself were sometimes difficult to follow. However, the glimpses of the land seen hundreds of years before today's countries came into being made it worthwhile.

Read from October 12 to 21, 2015

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The Conquest of New Spain, by Bernal Diaz del Castillo

The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Díaz del Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little repetitive to start but then the enormity of the events described benefits from the dry way in which Diaz describes them. It ends up as a stunning first person narrative on epochal events.

Read from August 28 to October 12, 2015

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Strengths Based Leadership, by Tom Rath

Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow by Tom Rath
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gallup's leadership personality test explained; interesting and illuminating but may not have as many of the answers as implied.

Read on September 14, 2015

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The Children of Hurin, by J.R.R Tolkien

The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grim tale well told by characters well met; back in Tolkien's world, as rich and absorbing as ever.

Read from August 11 to September 01, 2015

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The Peregrine, by J.A. Baker

The Peregrine by J.A. Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wilderness articulated through observations of falcons.

Read from June 06 to August 27, 2015

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Watching Baseball Smarter, by Zack Hample

Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks by Zack Hample
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pretty good, some good background and nuggets of info, in an enjoyable prose style. But I found myself having to flip back and forth between the glossary - not easy in an eBook - in order to understand the main text. I also had to drop into Wikipedia for tagging up and sac flies, for example, which sort of defeated the point of a book like this, especially for such a key part of the game.
Talking of online resources, there are probably better, free ones available that can teach you the game, which is a shame for this book, however I would just about recommend it.

Read from May 01 to June 06, 2015

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Grovel!, by David Tossell

Grovel!: The Story & Legacy of the Summer of 1976 by David Tossell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read of a series nearly 40 years old now! Mixes nostalgia, humor and the nitty gritty of test cricket in an easy to read style. The descriptions of the games are excellent, but even better are the side stories of the people involved.

Read from March 05 to May 01, 2015

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The Civil Wars, by Appian

The Civil Wars by Appian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The brutality of 'civilisation' and progress, then as now, laid bare through epic struggles 2000 years ago. The people, the politicking, the armies, wars and slaughter, all detailed as Rome sets itself as master of the known world and becomes the foundation of today's Western world. Forget all those other 'must reads', this, and similar original sources, truly are.

Read from January 16 to March 05, 2015

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The Twelve Caesars, by Suetonius

The great men and deranged lunatics that created and did their best to destroy the Roman Empire, from Ceasar to Domitian. Brutal, barbaric and the basis for current civilization over 2000 years later.
End-Dec 2014.
4/5.