The Guns at Last Light by Rick Atkinson

Rick Atkinson's third volume of his ambitious and excellent history of American forces in Africa and Europe during the Second World War (the Liberation Trilogy) is now available.  The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 covers the lead up to D-Day until the end of the war in Europe.  Atkinson's first two volumes on North Africa and Italy were well received by general readers and scholars alike and this offering is no different. Generals and dogfaces are covered as their stories are told.  There is a special emphasis on the leadership problems among the Allied leadership (Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Montgomery) but also the problems faced with the integration of French forces into the effort to liberate France.  Ike's reputation as a master of personal diplomacy is well deserved according to Atkinson. The author's talent for "you are there" reporting is evident throughout the book as it was in the first two.  This volume might win the author another Pulitzer.

Reviewer:  Dr. Mel Steely

Death in the Baltic by Cathryn J. Prince

Cathryn J. Prince's book, Death in the Baltic, is interesting and informative for World War II buffs.  It tells the story of German refugees as they fled the oncoming Soviet Army in the last months of the war.  It follows the journeys of a number of refugees as they moved west to board the former pleasure boat the Wilhelm Gustloff to escape  to the west and away from the Soviets.  Prince includes interviews with some of the younger survivors of one of the worse sea disasters (9,400 died) in maritime history.  It was little reported because of wartime conditions but well covered here.  Included is the story of the Soviet sub commander who ordered the fatal torpedoes into the Gustloff.

Reviewer: Dr. Mel Steely

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

 
This is a young adult dystopian novel. The heroine is a young woman named Cia. We meet her on the day of her graduation from high school. She is subsequently chosen for something called "the Testing", which is basically entry to further education and leadership opportunities. She is thrilled until she starts to learn some sinister things about the process. Then she is actually taken to begin the Testing. Other candidates die, some right in front of her. The final part of the Testing is a huge ordeal (weeks long), and even more people die. The ending of the book appears to be set to go straight into the second of three planned novels.

A lot of comparisons to books like The Hunger Games have been made. There are some similarities, definitely. However, this book was well written. The characters are well fleshed out. It wasn't predictable, other than some events that seemed unavoidable. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. If you have a young reader that has problems with violence, you may want to preview this book first.

Reviewer:  Lorien Goodale

Available: June 4, 2013

In Sickness and in Health by Barbara Kivowitz and Roanne Weisman

This book is written for couples in which one of the partners becomes ill, disabled, or dies. It addresses the changes in the relationship which occur. Each chapter follows two or three couples and illustrates the various issues couples might have to deal with. I found it practical, well-written, and compassionate. The diversity of the couples was great, and the many ways each handled the changing dynamics in their relationships was well-analyzed. There are thoughts from experts in aging, dying, and spirituality included in appropriate places. It's a book that I will keep on my shelf, because inevitably I will eventually need it, or my husband will. It would also be helpful for family members trying to help and/or understand.

Reviewer: Lorien Goodale