Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold and The Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick

Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not as familiar with the events during the Revolutionary War and with the start-up of the U.S. democracy as I should be. This very readable book filled in a lot of my knowledge gap. I was fascinated more by the stories around Benedict Arnold than I was about the stories around George Washington. What also struck me was how many important battles were fought in the area I live (Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Trenton etc.) America was very lucky to win its war of independence and its army had to win the war with little support from the Congress in Philadelphia.


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The Lincoln Lords Cameron Hawley

The Lincoln Lords by Cameron Hawley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

To be honest, I skimmed through most of the book. There were sections of the book that just had too much dialogue that I was not interested. The book was written in the 1950s so quite a bit of it is dated, particularly as it relates to business culture and norms. I think this book was made into a movie and I can see where there is enough editing that it could be a compelling story. As the book starts out, Lincoln Lord is an out of work CEO. He has bills to pay and an ambitious wife to satisfy. He also has a spotty work record where his average tenure in his jobs was two years causing him to be termed " unemployable." This is not the type of book that I would recommend to anyone – – it's a bit soap operaish than anything else. It may have been a decent read in 1960 but it just didn't hold my attention in 2016.


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Five Presidents : My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford by Clint Hill

Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford by Clint Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It was refreshing to read a book by a current or former Secret Service agent not bashing a President or member of the President's family. It's a very respectable book of the five Presidents though Hill was not a fan of Richard Nixon. Hill did present an even handed look at the five men---there were no allegations that would cause a buzz other than the Nixon Administration wanted to establish a Secret Service mole in the Ted Kennedy campaign. Hill even spoke even handedly about Spiro Agnew who he was assigned to protect. Good read for those interested in Presidential history.


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How To Think Like DaVinci by Daniel Smith

How to Think Like da Vinci by Daniel Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brief biography of DaVinci merged with tips on how to be a "renaissance man or woman." DaVinci was an accomplished painter, sculptor, architect and innovator. He also had interests in anatomy, civil engineering, philosophy, politics, religion, mathematics and science. Though he came from very humble beginnings and birth, he was largely a self-made man who took upon himself his education and training.

I've also read Michael Gelb's books on Leonardo and also recommend them for reference. Smith's work was succinct, inspiring and a pleasure to read.


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The Drop by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch series)

The Drop by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 I think this is the first Harry Bosch novel that I have read. I probably will look to read more books in this series. It did have a lot of turns and twists – – sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the good guys ( and gals) from the bad ones. Bosch is an interesting character--" Dirty Harry" without the guns and violence and a bit more cerebral in his approach. His character has a bit of history attached to it so I will take a look at earlier books in the series.


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Late to the Ball by Gerald Marzorati (My Review)

Late to the Ball: Age. Learn. Fight. Love. Play Tennis. Win. by Gerald Marzorati
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marzorati takes up tennis seriously in his 50s and 60s. While most men his age are slowing up, particularly when it comes to athletic competition, Marzorati hires coaches and consults tennis gurus to improve his game. Marzorati is not only competing with other players but with time and age limitations as well. The book focuses on his struggles to improve in tennis and also details some of the mechanics in perfecting groundstrokes and volleys. As I am the author's age and also enjoy tennis, I found the book fairly interesting. This book may not be as interesting for those who do not enjoy tennis or who are not concerned with athletic limitations because they are relatively young. I admit I found it a bit inspirational – – maybe I'll go out and practice my serves.


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