The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

August 25, 2025

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

Although lauded as a hero in his own time, Captain James Cook has now become a controversial figure and something of a pariah in many circles, particularly Polynesia. One of the best mapmakers of his age, his explorations are blamed for the introduction of colonialism with all its evils, including epidemics, venereal disease, the subjugation of indigenous cultures, theft of relics and artifacts, and disruption of ecological systems. Cook's third and final voyage differed vastly from his earlier voyages. His crew noted that he appeared to be suffering from an unknown illness, either physical or mental, which caused an abrupt change in his behavior and personality. Sensitive readers should be aware that there are descriptions of both human and animal cruelty, as well as brutal violence.

Captain James Cook

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

August 17, 2025

Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux

A comprehensive biography of the artist Paul Gauguin. Most of us know Gauguin for his paintings from Tahiti and his friendship with Vincent Van Gogh, but his life and work were far wider ranging that that. During his time living in Polynesia, he fought tirelessly for the French to return government rule to the Polynesian peoples, while painting their images in a more natural style than accepted European tradition.

One of Gaugin's self portraits

The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner

May 17, 2023

The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner

The Marquis de Sade was imprisoned in the notorious Bastille prison in Paris. He was a prolific writer, penning plays, essays, novels, short stories and political tracts, although he is best known for his erotic works. While in the Bastille, he wrote his magnum opus, "120 Days of Sodom." The manuscript was written on paper that was four inches wide; when he got to the bottom of the page, he glued another page to the bottom and kept writing. When the page was 40 feet long, he turned it over and wrote on the other side. When the Marquis was moved to another prison, the manuscript was left behind and later found after the Bastille was liberated. The manuscript became a collector's item, passing from one collector to another.

Part biography, part history of the notorious manuscript and other erotic literature, part investigation of the mania that grips collectors. The chapters about the Marquis's life and the history of erotic literature are far more interesting than the parts about rare documents as an investment. Should have been more interesting than it was.

The Marquis de Sade

Madam by Debby Applegate

November 29, 2022

Madam by Debby Applegate

A biography of Polly Adler, notorious New York madam, as much a history of New York City in the first decades of the 20th century as a biography. Polly started out as a nice Jewish girl from Russia who came to America alone as 13 year old Perle, seeking the golden land. After working a series of low paying jobs (such as factory worker and seamstress), Polly realized that she wanted more and the fastest way to get there was by opening a brothel. Polly was known for having some of the most beautiful prostitutes in New York working for her.

The book is well-researched and an astonishing number of famous writers, actors, and politicians, as well as gangsters, were friends, clients, and associates of Polly. The book is very long and there is a little too much detail about Polly's many, MANY addresses around New York, as well as the number of times she was interviewed by the police, which could have perhaps been summarized (such as, "In 1935, Polly was interviewed by the police about Dutch Schultz at least 15 times."). But it was an interesting biography about an independent self-made businesswoman and author who is virtually unknown today. She wrote a book called A House is Not a Home that was made into a movie - Shelley Winters portrayed Polly in the film.

Polly Adler at her most glamorous

Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir

November 7, 2022

Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir

A history of five English queen consorts from the 14th and early 15th centuries, well-researched with a focus on the lesser known royal women. They influenced politics and economics as well as fashion and the cult of courtly love. The narrative flows smoothly, intended for a popular audience rather than a scholarly audience. The bibliography and notes at the end are extensive, should the reader want to consult primary sources.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Philippa of Hainault, queen consort to Edward III

And They Called It Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton

May 7, 2021

And They Called It Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton

Who doesn't love a good book about royalty? For many people (including my dad), the Kennedy family was American royalty. Jacqueline and John Kennedy appeared to have a perfect marriage and a fairy tale life, but it was all a smoke screen.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of the most famous and recognizable women on the planet. Unfortunately, most people remember her as the blood-spattered wife of a murdered American president. But there was much more to Jackie than those pictures from November 1963.

From a young age, Jackie was groomed to attract a famous and/or wealthy husband. She was a debutante from a wealthy family, and her friends and social network brought her into the world of John Kennedy. Jackie narrates her own story, beginning with how she met John and was expected to assimilate into the Kennedy clan, to fall in line with the family mythology.

While she was First Lady, she renovated the White House and gave the first televised tour of the most famous house in the world. She hosted gala events and met royalty and world leaders. But Jackie had more than her share of heartbreak and tragedy, from her miscarriages and the death of a child, to her husband's poor health and rampant sexual habits (neither of which were ever talked about in the press), to seeing her husband murdered in front of her.

There are wonderful tidbits about clothing and jewelry, as well as events that Jackie attended that keep the reader flipping over to Google for more information and photos. 

There are hints that Robert Kennedy and Jackie had a thing for each other even before John's death. Like John, Robert also had a number of extra-marital liaisons. A lot of what the Kennedy brothers and their pals got up to would not pass the scrutiny of today's social media and #MeToo movement.

This fictional biography is well-researched and beautifully written. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

May 3, 2021

The Splendid and the Vile: a Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson

On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Adolph Hitler invaded Poland. It only got worse from there: for the next 12 months, Hitler's Luftwaffe systematically bombed England almost every night, killing 45,000 Britons. It was particularly bad on the nights when there was a full moon. Churchill held the country together and gave the British hope.

Usually we hear about how Churchill was respected and loved, but he was both admired and reviled by the British. This is also a family saga about Churchill's wife Clementine, his son Randolph and his unhappy wife Pamela, Pamela's American lover, and the youngest Churchill daughter Mary, who chafed under her parents' refusal to let her play a more active role in the war.

Erik Larson writes wonderful narrative nonfiction that is far from traditional history books. Never dry, always fascinating.

Chequers, Churchill's country home

The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda M. Fairbanks

March 22, 2021

The Lost Boys of Montauk: the True Story of the Wind Blown, Four Men who Vanished at Sea, and the Survivors They Left Behind by Amanda M. Fairbanks

In 1984, the fishing vessel Wind Blown sank in a storm off the coast of Long Island. The boat and the crewmembers were never found. The author researched the crew's backgrounds and interviewed their survivors.

This is a well-researched account of the tragedy as well as an examination of the shift of Montauk from working-class town to vacation spot for the wealthy. Although similar circumstances, there have been unfair comparison to Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm. This is the story of a tragedy in its own right, and the story has been largely overlooked. 

Montauk lighthouse

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Gentleman Jack: the Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma

August 5, 2020

Gentleman Jack: the Real Anne Lister by Anne Choma

Anne Lister, the subject of the BBC series "Gentleman Jack," lived in the early 19th century.  She is best known for having the first recorded same-sex marriage in 1834.  But thinking that was the only thing notable about Anne is selling her short.  She was highly intelligent and read widely, and was unusually physically fit for a woman of her time.  She was a businesswoman and landowner who traveled the world, mingled with aristocrats and was presented to the King and Queen at the Danish court.  Anne was a prolific diarist, recording her daily life in obsessive detail from the time she was in her late teens until her untimely death at the age of 49.  From an early age, Anne knew she was attracted to women and the parts of her diary that dealt with her sexual exploits is written in a code that she devised.

While male homosexuality was a criminal offense in Georgian and Victorian England, lesbianism was largely ignored and virtually tolerated.  Almost everyone who knew her in Yorkshire appears to have been aware of her sexual preferences.  Butch lesbians were called Jacks, hence the title of the series, although Anne seems to have been unaware that the local populace referred to her as Gentleman Jack.

This is the companion book to the BBC series, covering the years from 1832-1834.  There are few portraits of Anne:  if she had lived a few years longer, there may have been photographs of her.  Below is one of the few portraits of Anne Lister, which still hangs in Shibden Hall, her family's estate that she owned and managed.  From a young age, Anne dressed in a black dress and greatcoat, with sturdy black boots.  She had an androgynous appearance.

This is Suranne Jones who portrays Anne Lister in the series.

Gentleman Jack is quite a different picture of 19th century England than usually presented.  The text is well-researched and the narrative flows smoothly.  Very interesting biography.