Book Review — On Great Fields by Roland C. White
The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Among the many excellent points made by author Ronald C White in his biography of the Union Civil War icon Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, is the fact that its titular focus hasn’t always been the darling of the American public. Following his death in 1914, Chamberlain’s once
Book Review — “Call for the Dead” by John le Carre
John le Carre was, to put it mildly, an interesting fellow. Arguably the pre-eminent writer of 20th century espionage fiction (though fans of Ian Fleming might have something to say about that) his real name was David Cornwell. Coming from a blue collar, working class background, Cornwell worked for both MI-5, the British domestic security
Book Review — Sherlock Holmes & the Shadwell Shadows (The Cthulhu Casebooks) by James Lovegrove
Virtually everybody knows the story of how the great consulting detective Sherlock Holmes first encountered his eponymous sidekick, Dr. John H. Watson. Arthur Conan Doyle told the story brilliantly in his 1887 masterpiece “A Study in Scarlet.” What ultimately sprang from that novel was one of the greatest, most enduring partnerships in literature, and a
Book Review— “With a Mind to Kill” by Anthony Horowitz
One of my literary guilty pleasures is a James Bond novel. Going all the way back to Bond creator, former British naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming’s classic ouevre, to contemporary fare by authors such as Charlie Higson and Anthony Horowitz, you pretty much know what you’re going to get when you open the book to
Book Review — “The Affair” by Lee Child
Former British TV producer turned bestselling author Lee Child has never been more popular. With the “Reacher” TV series into its second season (and a third on the way) vast new audiences have discovered the compelling series of novels, which are now up to 30, with more on the way. It’s not difficult to see
Movie Review — The Parapod
Before I begin this review, I should state that the producer of The ParaPod Movie, Bil Bungay, co-authored “The Black Monk of Pontefract” with me, and I consider him to be a friend. With that being said, when he asked me to watch his new documentary film and share my thoughts, I resolved that if
“Publish and be Damned!” Wellington, the courtesan, and the blackmailer.
Sir Arthur Wellesley, more popularly known as the Duke of Wellington, was not a man given to fear. The hero of Waterloo (and at least sixty other battles), Wellington did not flinch from danger, either on the battlefield or off it. He was more than willing to call out those who gave him offense, facing
Behind the Screams — Haunted Hospitals S2 episode 1: “They Have No Eyes.”
It’s been a while since I’ve written one of these, but now that season 2 of Haunted Hospitals is airing on Canadian and American screens, it feels like a good time to offer up some more commentaries on one of the shows I’m involved with. Please note that any opinions offered up here are mine
Spoiler-free review: ‘1917’
All Quiet on the Western Front is widely regarded as the the classic fictional portrayal of World War I. To that, I would also add the seminal anti-war comic strip Charley’s War written by Pat Mills, and on the non-fiction front, Peter Jackson’s outstanding documentary film They Shall Not Grow Old is a deeply moving
Strange things at Mineral Springs
The Mineral Springs Hotel in Alton, Illinois, is a fascinating place. It doesn’t look particularly big from the outside, but appearances can of course be deceptive. While only two floors stand above ground, there are three more hidden beneath. Built upon foul-smelling, supposedly restorative springs, the historic old hotel is largely unoccupied, aside from a
