I really enjoyed this book. What an interesting career! I have always really liked Elton John's music. My Mom was a fan when I was a kid, and The Lion King sealed the deal for me. I was really looking forward to this book, and I was not disappointed. 

 Mayada came from a very distinguished Iraqi family. Unfortunately for her, because of her familial ties and likely also because she was a female, she was thrown into prison when Saddam Hussein came to power. A lot of the people he had thrown in prisons were on the other end of the political spectrum, or those he felt would fight against his dictatorship. She was incarcerated with several other women from various walks of life, incarcerated for various reasons. Most of their stories that were mentioned in the book were the same. They were held at the Baladiyat Prison in Baghdad, Iraq. Inside this prison, unspeakable horrors and tortures took place. Prisoners (both men and women as it would later come out) were subjected to rape and sexual assault with various objects, beaten, suffocated, electrocuted, and many other things. This book doesn't go into as much detail as some of the news articles that I read when I googled this prison to see what it looked like, but whatever you can imagine, it probably happened.

I was on a Jean Sasson kick, and found all of her books at my bookstore. I didn't really read what this particular book was about, but I liked her other works, so I figured I may as well read this one too. I will say that while it does talk about torture and experiences in the prison, it was not the most explicit book I had read in that respect. I cannot imagine being imprisoned in my own country, certainly not a foreign one, and absolutely not in one under a dictator as ruthless as Saddam was. This was a very moving story, and really gave me a better perspective on what women in the Middle East endure/endured and what life was like living under Saddam 

 This is the personal account of Rudolf Hoess, the camp commander of Auschwitz. This book was written during the time period where he was on trail and awaiting execution. I think that books written by Nazis are so important. I think a lot of times people want to dismiss what they have to say, because of the collective actions of the Nazi party, but it is so important to read their experiences and thought processes from civilian level all the way through the top echelon. If we read this ideas and perspectives, we can learn how these things took root. Of course, the reader has to take what is said with a grain of salt, because sometimes they try to justify and play down their actions and thoughts, but this book was very important to me as a World War II historian. 

 This book was astonishing. I have read and watched a lot of things about the Einsatzgruppen, and it never fails to astonish me. These were killing squads, dedicated murdering groups that tromped around putting a full day of work in shooting people one after another. I cannot imagine killing hundreds of people like that for a job. World War II really brought out the worst in so many people, and cruelty was just common place. I found this book to be very informative about the formation and duties of these squads, but it was mentally taxing to sit and read straight through. 

 This book is so moving. Alex Kurzem was five years old when the Nazi's stormed his village. He was able to escape, and he hid in the forest until he was picked up by some Latvian SS soldiers. They made him a squad mascot, even giving him his own little miniature SS uniform. He even wound up being featured in a Nazi propaganda film. He eventually told his adult son, the author of this book, Mark, about his secret wartime life. It is so tragic to imagine having one's whole family and town killed, and then having to perform and serve the same people who murdered so many. I cannot imagine the mental and emotional scars that this experience would inflict on someone. This was just such a good read. 

 Mary Stuart was born in Scotland in Lithgow Castle in 1542. Her mother was Mary of Guise. Her father was King James V of Scotland. She was also the great niece of Henry VIII of England. Her father died when she was six days old, and she was made Queen of Scotland. She married Francis, Dauphin of France, but he died shortly after their marriage from an ear infection that went to his brain. She returned to Scotland where she married Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her half cousin. They had one child together, James. Lord Darnley was murdered, and Mary was blamed for that. She was kidnapped, probably raped, and then married one of the men who likely raped her, Bothwell. Unfortunately, her religious views and other reasons led to a general disapproval from the people and those who were power hungry and did not want a woman for a monarch. She was forced to abdicate her throne and flee. She was placed on house arrest in England under the protection of Elizabeth I, but was accused of plotting to take the English throne. She was executed for that, and her body was buried in England after her request to be buried in France was refused.

I was really interested in the story of Mary after getting into the show Reign on CW a few years back. Antonia Fraser is on of my favorite female historians, so I figured this would be a great book to read. I thought the research was well done, and even though it was a large book (I have the hardback version) it was never boring or dull. I learned a lot about her life and got to compare the show for historical accuracy. I enjoyed this book very much. 

 I have no idea why I decided to read this book. The bond between people and their dogs is, in most instances, very deep. I grew up with a lot of dogs that I have loved and lost. I love the dogs I have now. This story was about the relationship between a man and his dog and how much they meant to each other. Reading about Marley's personality was so fun. Every dog is different, just like every person is different. The worst things about this book, and pets in general, is the fact that pets do not last forever. If you don't want to read something emotional, avoid this one. It is certainly an emotional read. 

 Lewis Burwell Puller, also known as Chesty, was born in Virginia in 1898. He enrolled in the Virginia Military Institute, but left to join the United States Marine Corps. He enlisted as a private and went through boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. He attended officer school, and graduated from there as a Second Lieutenant. He was part of the United States occupation in Haiti. (Banana Wars) He went on to serve during World War II in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Peleliu, and New Britain. He also served in the Korean wat at Chosin Reservoir, Seoul, and Inchon. He received a multitude of awards and medals, earning himself the title of most decorated Marine. He and his wife Virginia went on to have a son, named after his father, who also served as a Marine. Unfortunately, his son was severely wounded in Vietnam and lost both of his legs and parts of his hands. He died in 1971 at age 73. He is buried in Virginia.

I picked this book up because it was in the World War II section at my local used book store. I had heard this name before, but did not know much about this man. He really loved the Marine Corps and his service. He was a very intelligent and respected leader. This book was a great asset in learning about his and his service during World War II. I recommend it for anyone interested in war history or the Marine Corps. I did look into his son, who has a book of his own about his personal experience (Fortunate Son) if you are interested. His son died via suicide in 1994. I also thought it was interesting that he was related to General Patton, another notable military figure. Overall, this was a pretty good book. I enjoyed it. 

 This book is about Edwin Wilson, a CIA agent who went renegade and became a terrorist. A lot of people find themselves in situations similar to this. There are lots of people who turn into spies, marry into terrorist cells, join terrorist cells. I can recall several such cases in the news in recent years. I found this book to be slightly boring, but an alright read. 

 Antonia Fraser is one of my favorite historians. Her work is always well researched. I love her writing, and it is always easy to read and engaging. I always learn a lot. This particular book goes into great depth about the life and marriage of Marie Antoinette. This was extremely interesting. I knew of Marie Antoinette because of her elaborate wardrobe and hair styles. I also knew that she was disliked, liked, and then really disliked...ultimately resulting in her horrific death. I was not disappointed in this book in any way. I loved it.