Gun Culture in Early Modern England
Book
Guns had an enormous impact on the social, economic, cultural, and political lives of civilian men,...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Healing Thru Service: The Warrior's Guidebook to Overcoming Trauma in Books
Feb 23, 2021
“Never be content with where you are…. This is a battle; therefore, the rules of war apply: If you aren’t taking ground, you are losing it.”
Sgt Q tells his story, his struggles and his triumphs intermingled with honest debriefings of life with PTSD. I loved getting to know Sgt Q and his story through this book. It helped me better understand what some of my family members live with on a daily basis. He explained the different stages or categories of PTSD in easy to understand ways and I enjoyed his “Tactical Applications” at the ends of the chapters and his biblical integration. Sgt Q dug deep into discovering your identity and who you are as a person outside of the military and I believe Sgt Q explained our need for identity in a very engaging and special way.
“No longer a Soldier, you are now a Warrior.”
From a US Marine’s daughter, this book was one I wish my dad had access to years ago and hope it will help him even now. I really enjoyed Sgt Q’s book and ministry and I am looking forward to passing this book along to more people who need the healing words inside. I highly recommend this book to anyone with PTSD, depression, or pursuing what defines you in life. 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you for your service Sgt Q, and thank you for helping Warriors have a family again.
Sincerely,
The Travelers Wife
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Feb 6, 2021 (Updated Feb 6, 2021)
Austerity
Book
Governments today in both Europe and the United States have succeeded in casting government spending...
A Game of Thrones the Board Game (2nd Edition)
Tabletop Game
King Robert Baratheon is dead, and the lands of Westeros brace for battle. In A Game of Thrones:...
Check Out
Book
When Nash, a Marine returning home with an injury, who is rebuilding his life, walks into the...
Contemporary Romance Suspense
Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated The Last Samurai (2003) in Movies
Jun 23, 2019
In the role of Algren, Cruise begins a dejected man living out of a bottle, bereft of purpose & suffering post-Civil War nightmares of a man touted as a hero despite feeling the guilt of slaughtering Indians crushed under the might of a military machine; in that sense, The Last Samurai is very anti-war in its message, John Logan's story painting the Americans and specifically the Imperialist Japanese not in the greatest light. Cruise takes Algren on a traditional voyage of discovery, first pitted against the samurai code & eventually becoming consumed by it, consumed by the similarity of the way of the warrior between both cultures - and Ken Watanabe's dignified samurai 'rebel' Katsumoto learns from him, as well as the other way around, with Cruise remaining stoic & only getting flashes of a chance to display the usual Cruise charm, but that's OK - Algren isn't the kind of character to benefit from that, Cruise's natural magnetism is enough here. Wit is provided thankfully through, albeit briefly, Billy Connolly as a tough old Irish veteran & chiefly Timothy Spall as our portly 'narrator' of sorts, who serves to help mythologise Algren & the legend itself. Zwick is most concerned with that, you see, the idea of legends and how men become them, exploring that concept alongside digging into the cultural rituals and practises of a changing Japan.
Algren's story is placed at a time when the old ways of Japan were shifting, under the pressures of global politics & business; the Emperor here is a naive young man, sitting on an empty throne, looking to Watanabe for validation as his advisor's push to quash a rebellion fighting to preserve the old ways, preserve Japanese interests as America knocks on the door. That's why Cruise's role here is so interesting, his character learning of the samurai code & helping those around him remember their history, and Zwick explores well the concept of national identity alongside personal ideas of myth, legend & destiny. It all boils together in a careful script, never overblown, which neatly develops the relationships involved & helps you fully believe Algren's transformation into the eponymous 'last samurai'. Along the way, Zwick doesn't forget theatrics - staging plenty of well staged & intense fight scenes which utilise the strong Japanese production design, before building to a quite epic war climax with army pitted against army, with personal stakes cutting through it, backed up indeed by another superlative score by Hans Zimmer. It becomes more than just a historical swords & armour film, reaching deeper on several levels.
What could have been a slow paced, potentially ponderous movie is avoided well by Edward Zwick, who with The Last Samurai delivers one of the stronger historical adventure epics of recent years. Beautifully shot in many places, with some excellent cinematography & production standards, not to mention an impressive script well acted in particular by Tom Cruise & Ken Watanabe, Zwick creates a recognisably Hollywood picture but for once a movie that doesn't dumb down, doesn't pander and ultimately serves as an often involving, often damn well made story. Especially one to check out if you love the way of the samurai.
Bloodlust (The Rise Of Iliri #1)
Book
"Bloodlust, and the Rise of the Iliri series as a whole, will blow you mind, break your heart, and...
Young adult Vampire Vampyre Ilirri Young adult Teen
Inseparable (Rise of the Iliri #4)
Book
DISASTER! THE BLACK BLADES DISBANDED, AN ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL... Growing ever more tender yet always...
Ptolemy: King and Pharaoh of Egypt: No. 1
Book
Cleopatra of Egypt is one of history's most famous rulers, but who was responsible for founding the...