This short Kindle book, divided into two parts, provides just enough information to help the reader understand where Galileo and Newton stand in the evolution of Western scientific thought and practice.
Marie Brennan's A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS
This is a work of imagination. The story is clever, the prose is well written, and for this audiobook Kate Reading’s “performance” is impeccable.
Bill Yenne's THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT FACTORY IN WWII
As a lifelong fan of historic aircraft, reading details of how and where the B-17s, the B-24s, and P-51s were developed and manufactured provides a useful insight into what “mobilization of the homefront” meant.
Roger D. Launius and Dennis R. Jenkins’ COMING HOME
COMING HOME is another well-illustrated NASA e-book containing much detail about an important topic of aerospace history. This time the subject is the safe return of space vehicles to earth.
Peter W. Merlin's UNLIMITED HORIZONS: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE U-2
Did Kelly Johnson and the people at Lockheed, the CIA, and the U.S. Air Force realize they were developing a “platform” whose utility would extend over decades? Probably not. Aeronautical history of the time is littered with failed jets and engines designs. Survivors are few and the U-2 stands out.
Edward O. Wilson's THE MEANING OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
This is a profoundly entertaining and thought-provoking book.
Mary Roach’s “PACKING FOR MARS”
Somewhere in NASA and there must be an office plotting ways to replace human space explorers with machines. Reading this book explains why.
Michael Harris' ATOMIC TIMES
A lot of this book makes for unpleasant reading but it is an important record of the times, told by the author from an older and wiser perspective. He is lucky to have survived.
Stephen King’s “THE STAND”
Reading the extended edition of Stephen King’s massive novel THE STAND was a reminder of why I never took up reading his books when I was younger: his writing style was flat and uninspiring. Now that I’m older I’ve returned to reading his books and recognize his mastery of two very important fiction elements:
Mori Juzo's THE MIRACULOUS TORPEDO SQUADRON
Translated by Nicholas Voge from the original Japanese, this memoir tells the story of one Japanese naval pilot from the time he earns his wings to his combat experience in China, Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guadalcanal.
Curtis Peebles' PROBING THE SKY
This book is pretty dry reading. There’s very little in the way of human interest or personal relationships on display here. That’s okay since, if you read between the lines, you can pretty much imagine the real world of terror and sweat Bridgeman, Crossfield, and the others had to deal with on a regular basis in order to “bring home the data” on the primitive data recorders of the day.
James Holland's “DAM BUSTERS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTORS AND AIRMEN WHO LED THE DEVASTATING RAID TO SMASH THE GERMAN DAMS IN 1943”
Yes, the raid contributed significantly to the Allies war effort. Hopefully, too, people today who only connect with war via video games will occasionally pick up and read a book like this.
Felipe Fernández-Armesto’s “OUR AMERICA: A HISPANIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES”
I have to believe that the resulting “blended” view of where we came from will be a natural outgrowth of the increasing diversity of U.S. society. For some that will only happen when the current generation of white traditionalists dies off and is replaced. I hope we don’t have to wait that long. Books like this certainly help!
Hugh Harkins’ USAF JET POWERED FIGHTERS XP 59 – XF 85
Perhaps the best that we can say is that there was a lot of experimentation but the means of organizing and controlling technology did not advance as rapidly as the technologies themselves.
Robert Harris' “CONSPIRATA”
Much of the novel portrays events, conspiracies, and betrayals that, in ancient Rome at least, could never be overcome by “trying to do the right thing.”
Andy Weir’s THE MARTIAN
This novel shows better than most what it’s like to “work the problem” and how it pays be creative, smart, disciplined, and brave
David McCullough’s "THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS"
As I’ve always enjoyed detailed stories about challenging engineering and construction projects (atomic bomb, hydroge bomb, skyscrapers, the Brooklyn Bridge, etc.) this book fit my interests like a glove. I just wish we could send McCullough back in time to tell us how the Pyramids were really built!
Todd Tucker's COLLAPSE DEPTH
COLLAPSE DEPTH is one of the first thrillers I’ve read in a long time.
Richard Foreman’s “SWORD OF EMPIRE: CENTURION”
The SWORD OF EMPIRE series of short novels follows the exploits of centurion Gaius Oppius Maximus, chief military troubleshooter to emperor Marcus Aurelius.