Before The Fallout: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima - Diana Preston

one sentence summary:
the history of the atomic bomb.

review:
from a non-academic stand point this was a fantastic read. Really interesting with the perfect mix of anecdotes and scientific fact. A fascinating look at both the people behind the discovery and the politics of the era. It also is a really concise and easy to understand explanation of the race to build the bomb and who was winning when, why and how. By framing the facts in a fascinating story this is a beneficial read for anyone interested in WWII or the Cold War.

8/10

The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart

one sentence summary:
the story of Merlin before he was the great Wizard we all know him as.

review:
A wonderful take on the Merlin myth. We are introduced to a young Merlin and follow him as he enters adulthood. Filled with family drama and suspense, mystery and intrigue this is a well written, entertaining read. Stewart did a fantastic job of flushing out not only fantastic characters and relationships but also a fascinating country complete with politics and details that are often overlooked in "Arthur" stories. A great mix of verifiable fact and familiar myth. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys long, detailed historical novels and/or the Arthur legend.

6/10

Night - Elie Wiesel

One Sentence Summary:
A true account of the Holocaust.

Review:
Wiesel is a very stirring writer and his real life account of what happened to him and his family during the holocaust is horrifying  As a thirteen year old boy in a death camp his perspective of the atrocities was very interesting to read as most of the accounts of this are written in a more detached way or are fiction. Unlike Anne Frank, Wiesel tells us all about what happened inside the camps as well as what was going on in his life before his family was caught by the Nazis. This book made me hate the world and that was a good thing. Wiesel's writing made me a more compassionate person and more in tune with what is happening on the other side of the world.  I recommend you read it (but not before bed).

10/10

Notable Quotes:

"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed....Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never."

"Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere."

"For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time." 

If you enjoyed this read:

The Diary of Anne Frank
Sarah's Key - Tatiana De Rosnay
Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond

One Sentence Summary: 
A historical look at how humanity evolved based on the region they are in both biologically and culturally. Basically why Europe discovered the New World and not the other way around.

Review:
A well written look at societal development. I recommend it for anyone interested in history, however take everything written in it with a grain of salt. Some of Diamond's "facts" have been called into question, however the over arching theme is well worth reading. It is also written in a way that makes it accessible to everyone no matter how much historical knowledge they have. (though historians and history students may laugh at parts of the theory for ridiculousness and inaccuracies)

8/10

Notable Quotes:

"History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves"

If you enjoyed this you should read:

The True Story of the Conquest of New Spain- Bernal Díaz del Castillo (if interested in Latin America)
Aztec - Gary Jennings (historical fiction)

The Tulip - Anna Pavord (if you like well written histories that introduce new and unusual ideas)