Plutarch’s Cities
Born in the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Plutarch (46-120 CE) took great pride in being a priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi (he was born just…
CICERO and The Last Gasp of the Roman Republic
Cicero wrote several great dialogues. This book deals with two of them, and later this year I’ll be reporting on another Oxford University Press book that examines two more. The…
ATX TV Festival: The BILLY CORBEN Interview
I was fortunate to meet the film and TV director and producer Billy Corben at the ATX TV Festival. During our conversation, we both stopped for a minute, turned our…
A Roman Historian
For someone living now, the 17th century seems like a long time ago. Four hundred years have passed; only specialist historians have a good grasp on those who were once…
THE ROSSETTIS: Dreaming with open eyes
Tate Britain is currently hosting an exhibit of the most extraordinary English paintings of the 19th century. It is simply entitled The Rossettis, who were four siblings: Gabriel, Christina, William…
Neville Chamberlain: Birdwatcher
While Neville Chamberlain is most famous for being Prime Minister, and appeasing Hitler, this book makes it clear he was first and foremost a birdwatcher. Just two days before was…
Churchill in Scotland
Winston Churchill is remembered by history for many things, including being the quintessential English politician and statesman. Therefore, it come as surprise to learn that he was actually a Member…
An Astronaut’s Life, by his son
This biography of space shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless is written by his son, of the same name. They are distinguished by Roman numeral. The astronaut is II, and his son…
James Bond, American Style
Before the CIA, there was the OSS: Office of Strategic Services. This fascinating book by Dr. John Lisle tells its story. The book has rightly earned wide praise. Pulitzer prize…
Admiral McRaven: On Education
Four-star Admiral William McRaven was back in a familiar venue. Six years ago, he was interviewed by Mark Updegrove, President of the LBJ Foundation here in Austin. The interview took…