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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Night of the Living Dead (1968) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
Iconic, influential and ground-breaking. All words to describe George A. Romero’s inaugural zombie horror, but what sets this apart from its contemporaries and the endless variations in the genre in which this Indie movie helped spawn?
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Black Hawks in Books
Nov 11, 2019
A gritty story that emerges gradually and organically
The Black Hawks follows Vedren Chel, a young knight-in-training whose training is floundering and he is disengaged. His place in the corrupt country, and its class system, is dubious, and suddenly thrown into doubt when his home city is invaded. He sees the chance to escort young cowardly Prince Tarfel across country as his way out of his dead-end role. Sadly for him, they are kidnapped by the Black Hawk company, a crew of mercenaries as likely to call you an inventive swear-word as to instantly gut you.
The story is one that emerges over time, as Chel and the Black Hawks' journey changes and develops into more of a righteous quest. While I tend to prefer books where I can visualise the overall plot early on, I really enjoyed this and the way everyone was on the back foot the whole time. It gave me, as the reader, the feeling of being unaware and at the mercy of this harsh world, as it did for the characters in the story.
The characters themselves are largely well-developed. Chel is an interesting main character, being morally strong but largely useless in a fight. I was oddly glad that his battle skills barely improved throughout the book, I was at one point dreading chapters of sword forms and stances. He contrasts well with the Black Hawks, who are a grim company of morally corrupt selfish head-cases who are somewhat loyal to each other, but at the same time out for themselves. Within the crew each has their own place, their own skills and their own defined personality. It was a little hard initially to remember each of them, but I quickly got to know them well. Their different skills were well used in the action scenes as the company fought against other crews of mercenaries and corrupt government/church officials.
The plot is strong here. As said earlier, it develops over time with twists and turns and treachery and moral corruption throughout.
While the ending was a little bit of a surprise and a let-down, it felt overall the right way to end this first book in the series.
I had some issues with the pacing, but on the whole really enjoyed this book.
The story is one that emerges over time, as Chel and the Black Hawks' journey changes and develops into more of a righteous quest. While I tend to prefer books where I can visualise the overall plot early on, I really enjoyed this and the way everyone was on the back foot the whole time. It gave me, as the reader, the feeling of being unaware and at the mercy of this harsh world, as it did for the characters in the story.
The characters themselves are largely well-developed. Chel is an interesting main character, being morally strong but largely useless in a fight. I was oddly glad that his battle skills barely improved throughout the book, I was at one point dreading chapters of sword forms and stances. He contrasts well with the Black Hawks, who are a grim company of morally corrupt selfish head-cases who are somewhat loyal to each other, but at the same time out for themselves. Within the crew each has their own place, their own skills and their own defined personality. It was a little hard initially to remember each of them, but I quickly got to know them well. Their different skills were well used in the action scenes as the company fought against other crews of mercenaries and corrupt government/church officials.
The plot is strong here. As said earlier, it develops over time with twists and turns and treachery and moral corruption throughout.
While the ending was a little bit of a surprise and a let-down, it felt overall the right way to end this first book in the series.
I had some issues with the pacing, but on the whole really enjoyed this book.
Merissa (13840 KP) rated The Kraken's Queen (Grym Hollow #3) in Books
Feb 19, 2025
THE KRAKEN'S QUEEN is the third full-length novel in the Grym Hollow series and I loved every word!
Erin has been through hell at the hands of someone who claimed they loved her, leaving her half dead - literally. Allarick has his queen but will she be able to cope?
You know what? I adored Allarick! He never doubted Erin personally and was in awe of her strength, even when she thought she had none. He supported and encouraged her from day one, respecting her boundaries and letting her set the pace. And Erin herself? She broke my heart! I was egging her on every step of the way, her small steps being celebrated by me just as much as Allarick! When she finally broke free of the chains of her past, it was amazing to see, as well as being spicy! 😁 The safety she found in Allarick and his tentacles was so well-written. After all, it wasn't tentacles that had hurt her!!!
You would think after seeing his two fellow kings and their brides, Allarick would have realised that trying to keep his new bride safe and protected just wasn't going to work. I mean, come on, dude! BUT it was for the right reasons, so I'll let him off!
As with every book by this author, it was well-written, well-paced, with amazing world- and character-building. Hot and spicy, tender and caring, it's all here. I know once I pick up a book by this author, I'm going nowhere until I've finished it! And what an ending! Did I have a satisfied smile on my face when I read the epilogue and found out what happened to James? Why, yes I did! And bring on the next book!!! I can't wait.
In case you haven't realised yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and the series! It would be better to read them in order but you could read them as standalone IF you wanted to miss out on the fabulousness of the others.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 13, 2025
Erin has been through hell at the hands of someone who claimed they loved her, leaving her half dead - literally. Allarick has his queen but will she be able to cope?
You know what? I adored Allarick! He never doubted Erin personally and was in awe of her strength, even when she thought she had none. He supported and encouraged her from day one, respecting her boundaries and letting her set the pace. And Erin herself? She broke my heart! I was egging her on every step of the way, her small steps being celebrated by me just as much as Allarick! When she finally broke free of the chains of her past, it was amazing to see, as well as being spicy! 😁 The safety she found in Allarick and his tentacles was so well-written. After all, it wasn't tentacles that had hurt her!!!
You would think after seeing his two fellow kings and their brides, Allarick would have realised that trying to keep his new bride safe and protected just wasn't going to work. I mean, come on, dude! BUT it was for the right reasons, so I'll let him off!
As with every book by this author, it was well-written, well-paced, with amazing world- and character-building. Hot and spicy, tender and caring, it's all here. I know once I pick up a book by this author, I'm going nowhere until I've finished it! And what an ending! Did I have a satisfied smile on my face when I read the epilogue and found out what happened to James? Why, yes I did! And bring on the next book!!! I can't wait.
In case you haven't realised yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and the series! It would be better to read them in order but you could read them as standalone IF you wanted to miss out on the fabulousness of the others.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 13, 2025
The Bandersnatch (199 KP) rated The High Lord (Black Magician Trilogy, #3) in Books
Nov 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Released in 2003 The High Lord is the penultimate ending to Sonea's story......starting a year after beating a bully in a fight. Sonea has received the respect she deserves but still faces the challenge of her guardian and the High Lord of the guild Akkarin. After being Surprised by Akkarin with a book on Black Magic Sonea is pulled into learning black magic and attempting to protect the city and the country from a group known as the Icani. After going through hell and being thrown out of the guild and being exiled the pair return and aid their fellow magicians in the attack......resulting in may magicians dead including Akkarin and Sonea pregnant with his child.
My opinion of this book was that of a decent conclusion to a good storyline. I do think however that the love storyline between Sonea and Akkarin is a little cliché. Otherwise It was a decent book. I have to admit the fighting between magicians would make a decent movie montage.
Born in Kew, Melbourne Australia on October 23rd 1969 Trudi Canavan spent her formative years being extremely creative in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. Canavan decided to become a professional artist and went to the Melbourne college of Decoration achieving an advanced certificate in promotional display as well as an award for the highest aggregate mark in art subjects in 1988.
During the early 1990's Canavan worked for the Australian magazine Aurealis (a magazine for Australian science-fiction and fantasy work) as well as starting her own business The Telltale art which specialised in graphical design services. By working for Aurealis Canavan was able to write in her spare time.
In 1999 Canavan managed to win the Aurealis award for best fantasy short story with whispers of the mist children and cementing her work further with the release of the Magicians Guild in 2001 (book one of The Black Magician trilogy) the successive books The Novice (2002) and The Black Magician (2003) brought Canavan both widespread acclaim and nominations for both the Aurealis best Fantasy novel and Best Novel Ditmar Category. All three books ended up in the top ten Science Fiction books for Australia.
Canavan's second Trilogy Age of Five was also well received with the first book reaching No3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best sellers list and staying in the top ten for six weeks. Canavan went on to write a prequel/sequel to the black magician trilogy known as the magicians apprentice in 2009 this was followed by the traitor spy trilogy which was released between 2010 and 2012. Trudi Canavan now holds a vast array of written works under her belt which can be split into three book series and a group of short stories.
My opinion of Trudi Canavan is that she is a very dedicated writer. Excellent with detail and writing a strong character and story. I definitely respect her work ethic since she is both a writer and a graphic designer. I definitely would love to talk with her and have a discussion about books and writing in general. She is up there with Prof J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin and Lewis Carroll in my books.
And there you have it a book for all the ages, definitely under the banner of Quality reading, I am positive this trilogy could end up being the NEXT it thing if they were ever made into a Movie Trilogy.
My opinion of this book was that of a decent conclusion to a good storyline. I do think however that the love storyline between Sonea and Akkarin is a little cliché. Otherwise It was a decent book. I have to admit the fighting between magicians would make a decent movie montage.
Born in Kew, Melbourne Australia on October 23rd 1969 Trudi Canavan spent her formative years being extremely creative in the suburb of Ferntree Gully. Canavan decided to become a professional artist and went to the Melbourne college of Decoration achieving an advanced certificate in promotional display as well as an award for the highest aggregate mark in art subjects in 1988.
During the early 1990's Canavan worked for the Australian magazine Aurealis (a magazine for Australian science-fiction and fantasy work) as well as starting her own business The Telltale art which specialised in graphical design services. By working for Aurealis Canavan was able to write in her spare time.
In 1999 Canavan managed to win the Aurealis award for best fantasy short story with whispers of the mist children and cementing her work further with the release of the Magicians Guild in 2001 (book one of The Black Magician trilogy) the successive books The Novice (2002) and The Black Magician (2003) brought Canavan both widespread acclaim and nominations for both the Aurealis best Fantasy novel and Best Novel Ditmar Category. All three books ended up in the top ten Science Fiction books for Australia.
Canavan's second Trilogy Age of Five was also well received with the first book reaching No3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction best sellers list and staying in the top ten for six weeks. Canavan went on to write a prequel/sequel to the black magician trilogy known as the magicians apprentice in 2009 this was followed by the traitor spy trilogy which was released between 2010 and 2012. Trudi Canavan now holds a vast array of written works under her belt which can be split into three book series and a group of short stories.
My opinion of Trudi Canavan is that she is a very dedicated writer. Excellent with detail and writing a strong character and story. I definitely respect her work ethic since she is both a writer and a graphic designer. I definitely would love to talk with her and have a discussion about books and writing in general. She is up there with Prof J. R. R. Tolkien, George R. R. Martin and Lewis Carroll in my books.
And there you have it a book for all the ages, definitely under the banner of Quality reading, I am positive this trilogy could end up being the NEXT it thing if they were ever made into a Movie Trilogy.
The Business of Being Social: A Practical Guide to Harnessing the Power of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Other Social Media Networks for All Businesses
David Taylor and Michelle Carvill
Book
What is social media? Have you got a facebook page but are unsure how it can benefit your company?...
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 10, 2019)
Another case of threequel-itis
“At least we can agree the third one is always the worst” barks a young Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse. And whilst the film stays well away from the poor efforts of Spider-Man 3 and The Last Stand, there’s more truth to that statement here than director Bryan Singer would want you to believe.
X-Men: Apocalypse picks up after the events of its brilliant predecessor, Days of Future Past, as mutants and humans continue to live alongside each other, not necessarily in peace – but not in war either.
The film begins with an introduction to our titular villain, played by Oscar Issac, in Cairo as he aims to recruit four followers – the four horsemen of the apocalypse if you will. Soon after, the audience is whisked away to a more familiar sight, Charles Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.
After the awakening of Oscar Issac’s villain, and his recruitment of Storm, Magneto, Angel and Psylocke, the X-Men must unite to save humans and mutants alike from being destroyed.
The majority of the ‘younger’ cast return in this instalment with some exciting, and some not so exciting additions. Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner joins the series as Jean Grey, channelling Famke Janssen reasonably well. Kodi Smit-McPhee is fantastic as Nightcrawler and Tye Sheridan finally does away with James Marsden’s whiney Cyclops.
Apocalypse belongs to Evan Peters and Quicksilver. As with Days of Future Past, he brings the screen to life and as with its predecessor, stars in the film’s standout sequence. However, in an effort to improve on what came before it, the writers have tried too hard to make it bigger and better – the finished product lacks finesse with some poorly finished CGI detracting from the overall effect.
Elsewhere, Michael Fassbender is the perfect man to play Magneto but James McAvoy remains miscast as Charles Xavier. It’s only once he loses his hair that we start to see the character he should’ve been right from the beginning. Jennifer Lawrence finally gets into her groove as Mystique after failing to make an impact in First Class and Days of Future Past.
The story is a little underdeveloped, especially after the great writing brought to life in Captain America: Civil War. Despite constantly being told about the stakes never being higher, it doesn’t really feel like anything awful is going to happen. This is, in part, not helped by Apocalypse being a little bit of a wet lettuce when it comes to superhero villains.
Unfortunately, the abundance of CGI only hampers the film further. There is far too much green screen and certain scenes feel unbelievable as a result. The finale in particular is incredibly underwhelming and becomes an ugly mix of special effects.
There’s a problem with the pacing too. After spending nearly an hour introducing the audience to the new mutants; Apocalypse takes a scalpel to the ending with, well the results you’d expect. It’s choppily edited and hastily stitched back together
Nevertheless, this is not a bad film. For the most part, it’s exciting, well-acted, nicely choreographed and beautifully shot with exotic locations brilliantly juxtaposed with the lush landscape of Xavier’s school.
Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse falls some way short of the standard set by its predecessor. In yet another case of threequel-itis, the film is hampered by an underdeveloped story, poor pacing and a ridiculous amount of CGI. Bigger isn’t always better, and unfortunately, this is the case here.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/05/20/another-case-of-threequel-itis-x-men-apocalypse-review/
X-Men: Apocalypse picks up after the events of its brilliant predecessor, Days of Future Past, as mutants and humans continue to live alongside each other, not necessarily in peace – but not in war either.
The film begins with an introduction to our titular villain, played by Oscar Issac, in Cairo as he aims to recruit four followers – the four horsemen of the apocalypse if you will. Soon after, the audience is whisked away to a more familiar sight, Charles Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.
After the awakening of Oscar Issac’s villain, and his recruitment of Storm, Magneto, Angel and Psylocke, the X-Men must unite to save humans and mutants alike from being destroyed.
The majority of the ‘younger’ cast return in this instalment with some exciting, and some not so exciting additions. Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner joins the series as Jean Grey, channelling Famke Janssen reasonably well. Kodi Smit-McPhee is fantastic as Nightcrawler and Tye Sheridan finally does away with James Marsden’s whiney Cyclops.
Apocalypse belongs to Evan Peters and Quicksilver. As with Days of Future Past, he brings the screen to life and as with its predecessor, stars in the film’s standout sequence. However, in an effort to improve on what came before it, the writers have tried too hard to make it bigger and better – the finished product lacks finesse with some poorly finished CGI detracting from the overall effect.
Elsewhere, Michael Fassbender is the perfect man to play Magneto but James McAvoy remains miscast as Charles Xavier. It’s only once he loses his hair that we start to see the character he should’ve been right from the beginning. Jennifer Lawrence finally gets into her groove as Mystique after failing to make an impact in First Class and Days of Future Past.
The story is a little underdeveloped, especially after the great writing brought to life in Captain America: Civil War. Despite constantly being told about the stakes never being higher, it doesn’t really feel like anything awful is going to happen. This is, in part, not helped by Apocalypse being a little bit of a wet lettuce when it comes to superhero villains.
Unfortunately, the abundance of CGI only hampers the film further. There is far too much green screen and certain scenes feel unbelievable as a result. The finale in particular is incredibly underwhelming and becomes an ugly mix of special effects.
There’s a problem with the pacing too. After spending nearly an hour introducing the audience to the new mutants; Apocalypse takes a scalpel to the ending with, well the results you’d expect. It’s choppily edited and hastily stitched back together
Nevertheless, this is not a bad film. For the most part, it’s exciting, well-acted, nicely choreographed and beautifully shot with exotic locations brilliantly juxtaposed with the lush landscape of Xavier’s school.
Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse falls some way short of the standard set by its predecessor. In yet another case of threequel-itis, the film is hampered by an underdeveloped story, poor pacing and a ridiculous amount of CGI. Bigger isn’t always better, and unfortunately, this is the case here.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/05/20/another-case-of-threequel-itis-x-men-apocalypse-review/
I'm a massive fan of the (widely slated) original TV mini-series and can't see past Tim Curry as Pennywise. However I found this to be a good alternative version. I would say it is more of a horror movie than the original version, and probably closer to the book (though it has been some time since I read that) and there is a lot less of a Stand By Me feel about it. All the child actors are excellent in this, especially Stranger Things' superbly named Finn Wolfhand as (Beep beep) Ritchie who here gets to have a lot more fun than he seems to on Stranger Things.
Bill skarsgard plays Pennywise well, at times appearing childish and just wanting to be friends, and then quickly switches to a blank mental stare.
The decision to make this two films was a brave one, though the story does lend itself well to doing so. I much preferred the 80s setting for the film with the kids being the victims and am not exactly awaiting the adult follow up with anticipation.
Bill skarsgard plays Pennywise well, at times appearing childish and just wanting to be friends, and then quickly switches to a blank mental stare.
The decision to make this two films was a brave one, though the story does lend itself well to doing so. I much preferred the 80s setting for the film with the kids being the victims and am not exactly awaiting the adult follow up with anticipation.
Sawyer (231 KP) rated Star Wars Legacy in Books
Dec 17, 2017
Set hundreds of years after the death of Darth Vader the Jedi order was rebuilt all is well but history is
destined to repeat itself and the Sith Empire returns stronger than ever the Jedis are being purged and hunted the last son of the Sky Walker Clan Witnesses the death of his father and barely escapes the destruction of
his training grounds the lost and hopeless child of Force is picked up by a band of Smugglers and Pirates
We fast-forward to years later Skywalker and two of his childhood Brothers in Arms are doing well for thenselfs as bounty Hunters using his force abilities to take down Jedi refugees
Things become complicated when the Sky Walker crosses paths with his former Jedi Master who was presumed dead the lone master is on a mission to deliver intelligence that could turn the tide of the war
A conflicted Skywalker must decide to embrace his Heritage or continue living his comfortable makeshift life as a criminal
This is a great original twist on the Star Wars story great art by Dark Horse Comics best and refreshing new characters with lots of sass personality and wit
destined to repeat itself and the Sith Empire returns stronger than ever the Jedis are being purged and hunted the last son of the Sky Walker Clan Witnesses the death of his father and barely escapes the destruction of
his training grounds the lost and hopeless child of Force is picked up by a band of Smugglers and Pirates
We fast-forward to years later Skywalker and two of his childhood Brothers in Arms are doing well for thenselfs as bounty Hunters using his force abilities to take down Jedi refugees
Things become complicated when the Sky Walker crosses paths with his former Jedi Master who was presumed dead the lone master is on a mission to deliver intelligence that could turn the tide of the war
A conflicted Skywalker must decide to embrace his Heritage or continue living his comfortable makeshift life as a criminal
This is a great original twist on the Star Wars story great art by Dark Horse Comics best and refreshing new characters with lots of sass personality and wit
[Last Days of Last Island] by [Bill Dixon] shows that being rich doesn't always come with common sense. In the mid 1800 in America the rich were looking for new ways to enjoy their wealth. In Louisiana the plantation owners found a beautiful island off the coast. It had great views and fishing. Also the breezes were a nice change from the temperatures inland in the South.
The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?
There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.
[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?
There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.
[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated The Yanks Are Starving: A Novel of the Bonus Army in Books
Jan 12, 2018
[The Yanks Are Starving] by [Glen Craney] was a very well written book that I really did not want to put down. Which is why I often found my eReader on the floor the next morning where it dropped. As a student of history I am glad to see one of the most glossed over and darkest times in American history addressed. The Bonus Army was a real thing. Our government asked young men to defend democracy overseas but when they returned they were shunned and treated as criminals.
Although some of Craney's characters were fictional(as he states in his notes) they were based on real life people. The hurricane that is referred to at the end of the book where WWI vets were left to fend for themselves is also a true event often called "Hemingway's Hurricane" because of the scathing report he wrote after being one of the first to see it's aftermath.
I think this is a must read book for anyone who wants to learn the truth about American history. Even though it is a fiction story it is purely based on fact and the author really did his research well.
Although some of Craney's characters were fictional(as he states in his notes) they were based on real life people. The hurricane that is referred to at the end of the book where WWI vets were left to fend for themselves is also a true event often called "Hemingway's Hurricane" because of the scathing report he wrote after being one of the first to see it's aftermath.
I think this is a must read book for anyone who wants to learn the truth about American history. Even though it is a fiction story it is purely based on fact and the author really did his research well.