Wynn Netherland

Echo Island

Wynn Netherland — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Slow and a bit awkward to get started, but a veritable page-turner by the halfway point. Even though written for a Young Adult audience, it provoked me to think about my own story within the greater story.

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Wynn Netherland — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Today we don't consider longitude a problem. Unless you make your living on the sea, chances are it's just another number, half of the answer to where am I? after we drive off the beaten path.

This book is the fascinating account of the struggle to find a method for calculating longitude at sea and the bounty paid by the British government to anyone who could do so. With a blend of timekeeping nerdery, scientific theory, ocean exploration, and human conflict, it's an entertaining read.

Bolivar: American Liberator

Wynn Netherland — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Of all the biographies I have read, I can't remember one that I enjoyed nearly as much as Bolívar: American Liberator. Immersive as it is expansive, it's narrative non-fiction at its best. While perhaps slightly too generous to her subject at times, Arana tells the story of how Bolívar became the Liberator of six South American countries, driven by a vision of a unified America freed from Spain. Through her thorough research, she captures the people and settings in Bolívar's life in incredible detail. Her main conclusion, that his failure to translate his military acumen to the political sphere set the stage for the next two centuries of South American politics, makes it a relevant read.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Wynn Netherland — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I picked up this book expecting to learn something about writing, which I certainly did. More importantly, I came away with a broader perspective and a deeper interest in the people in my life. With so much of her philosophy of life laid bare, there's much to disagree with, but more to be challenged and entertained by in the process.

Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

Wynn Netherland — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Unable to stick with the hardback edition years ago, I recently decided to give it another try in audio form. Incredibly dry and often tedious, it reads more like a textbook than general non-fiction. Even so, I found his telling of the unfolding of the development of human civilizations on each continent fascinating. Perhaps in attempting to debunk the Great Man theory of history he arrives at sort of an environmental fatalism that leaves little room for other explanations.

If nothing else the author uncovered a curiosity in me for pre-Columbian cultures.

The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf

Wynn Netherland — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

This isn't the book I thought I was getting. I expected to learn more about the famous pirates I had heard about in eighth grade Louisiana History class, especially their involvement in the Battle of New Orleans. Instead, it's a detailed history of America's southern and westward expansion along the Gulf coast and the new nation's dance with Spain and her former colonies.

Jean and Pierre aren't the subjects of the story as much as they are lenses though which we observe the political climate of New Orleans, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mexico, South America in the early 19th century. Though minutiae and endless shipping manifests obscure much of the storytelling, by the end I came away with a better idea of how New Orleans came to be the unique Southern city that it is.

Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics

Wynn Netherland — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Like many, I was introduced to Charles Krauthammer via television. His wry wit and concision were perfectly suited to the medium, but it is as a weekly columnist and writer that he is most remembered. This collection of columns and essays displays the depth and breadth of his thinking on topics ranging from the Cold War to stem cell research.

Having consumed this book via Audible, my only nit is with the audio production. Unprepared for the change in narrator midway through, it felt like losing Charles a second time.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Wynn Netherland — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

A fascinating history of The Blitz. With a narrative lens focusing mostly on the concentric social circles around Winston Churchill, Larson does an excellent job of portraying the precarious situation Britain faced in standing alone against the Nazi aerial bombardment and impending invasion until America's entry into the war in 1941.

The Call of the Wild

Wynn Netherland — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I started this one after having read Into the Wild, another book set in the Alaskan wilderness. I can see why the subject of that book liked it so much.

Had I not given up on it thirty-five years ago, my vocabulary might be much improved today.

Into the Wild

Wynn Netherland — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Because this book has been frequently mentioned in books I've read on writing compelling non-fiction narrative, it had been on my reading list for some time. With Fairbanks 142 back in the news recently, I decided to give it a read.

A well-written biography explores the complexities and contradictions of its subject, and this one does just that. With each passing chapter I found myself changing my opinion of Chris McCandless and his journey into the wild. While the author's non-linear storytelling, handful of historical digressions, and first hand perspective of Alaska might at first seem like a stunt to stretch a magazine article into a full length book, in the end the reader is left with a clearer perspective of Chris's short life.

With just as much philosophy and literature as frozen landscapes and wild animals, it's an entertaining read.