What to say about this book other than it was fantastic from start to finish. The writing, the story, the people you get to know were all truly fascinWhat to say about this book other than it was fantastic from start to finish. The writing, the story, the people you get to know were all truly fascinating and held my attention from the first page. This is easily up there with my top books of the year. Heck, even the top books of this decade, albeit only two years in. The writing is so personal, yet so very informative. The whole book has a colloquial, but smart, feel. I want to read it again already....more
An absolute must-read for anyone, history buff or not. Eder’s “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line” is not merely a recounting of the same World War II An absolute must-read for anyone, history buff or not. Eder’s “The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line” is not merely a recounting of the same World War II stories we have all heard before but a complete unearthing of those that have never been told. Each chapter is dedicated to a separate woman who pioneered into realms previously unexplored or disallowed to females.
Whether a code-breaker, special forces operative, resistance fighter, or concentration camp survivor, Eder gives each woman the attention they deserve but had not previously received. In doing so, she weaves together a compilation of just a sample of the courage and determination of women during the Second World War to show that, while women helped immensely on the home front, they also didn’t shy away from sitting in the cockpits of warplanes and trenches of battlefields in the name of service to their countries, families, and fellow citizens....more
I have a soft spot for books about baseball and the history of the sport but I'm confident I would have enjoyed this book without being a fan of the gI have a soft spot for books about baseball and the history of the sport but I'm confident I would have enjoyed this book without being a fan of the game.
I very much enjoyed reading about the road that was paved for Jackie Robinson to make it to the big leagues long before he was even born. This is not to say that the road Jackie took was an easy one to travel, as we all know it was not. However, it was immensely fascinating to hear about the many players who came before him and, while they didn't play in the bigs, have cemented themselves in the history of the game alongside their white teammates and opponents....more
A deeply troubling, moving, painful, and inspiring examination into the eons of dead Jews that create the Jewish history the world knows. Anne Frank aA deeply troubling, moving, painful, and inspiring examination into the eons of dead Jews that create the Jewish history the world knows. Anne Frank and her diary are only known because we know the tragic end to her story. But it’s hard to imagine her diary ever being published, let alone translated and distributed across the world, if she would have lived to have seen age 15 or any year after. Many can recall the names of Nazi deathcamps where the Yiddish language was nearly wiped out, but few can name even a couple Yiddish poets or authors. The world hears of tragedies befalling Jews, their communities, and their places of worship but pays little attention to their vibrant culture or their valuable accomplishments. This is the basis of Horn’s compilation of essays—Jews are others, they aren’t Christian, they aren’t Muslim, they aren’t white but they aren’t brown, and the world only knows their story from the eons of tragic events that has befallen a global diaspora. ...more