This is the second memoir book written by Mark Owen, a former Navy SEAL. The book discusses missions and other moments from Owen's military career. If you are into military history, or the Navy in general, you would probably enjoy this book. 

 Michael Rockefeller was born in 1938 to Nelson and Mary Rockefeller. Michael attended Harvard University, graduating with honors. He served briefly in the United States Army. Once his military service ended, he decided to go to New Guinea on an expedition for the Peabody Museum, which is part of Harvard University. Michael worked as a sound recorder on this expedition. When it was over, he returned to New Guinea to study a different tribe. On this trip, Michael went missing. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance were subject to speculation for several reasons, but the fact is...he went missing. Michael has still never resurfaced.

This book was wonderfully researched and well written. The descriptions of the areas in New Guinea were very detailed, and the way the author pieced together the circumstances surrounding the vanishing on Michael Rockefeller was page turning. I really appreciated the way that this book held my attention while I learned about something I had never heard of before. This was, in a way, a history meets true crime book, which I really enjoyed. 

 This book discusses the transition from New York society to the wild country of Colorado that two female friends undertook in 1916. Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamund Underwood took teaching jobs in a remote area of Colorado, much to the chagrin of their friends and families. The two friends crossed vast expanses of land, seeing amazing sights they hadn't imagined. It was very interesting to see how they handled the rough travel and harsh conditions. At points, they rode to their schoolhouse on horseback in blizzard like conditions. That was certainly a digression from living in the comfort of major city society.

This book was something that I picked up because of the price. I wasn't convinced that I was going to be very interested in it. However, I can admit when I am wrong. I thought the journey that these two women went on was exciting. I enjoyed learning about what life was like in the United States at the time, even though I am not terribly interested in United States History. The author wrote in a way that kept my attention, while also conveying important information. I really enjoyed this more than I anticipated 

 

Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland was born in Prague, Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire in 1619. His parents were Elizabeth Stuart and Frederick V of Palatinate. Rupert's father was strongly supported by Protestants, and was elected King by the Protestant areas of Bohemia. The Habsburgs were staunchly Catholic and viewed this as an act of rebellion, thrusting the area into war. He was largely ignored by his parents as a child, and as a teenager he participated in several battles during the Thirty Years War. He went on to fight in the English Civil War, impressing everyone with his military prowess and fearlessness in battle. He continued to serve after the Restoration, even after his military career ended. He was very involved in politics and governmental affairs. He was also extremely interested and involved in the arts and sciences. He died in 1682, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

I bought this book at McKay's Chattanooga, and paid a dollar for it. I have had this book on my shelf for an obscene amount of time. In my effort to read all of my unread books and downsize before moving, I finally got around to reading this book. I had never heard of Prince Rupert before reading this, and I learned a great deal about him. This book was well written and well researched, and I appreciated all of the facts and resources the author used in its creation.

 

 This book discusses women in the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. His relationship with his mother and sisters are one focus. His wives were another. Also discussed are the relationships Napoleon had with women outside of his marriage. The author of this book paints a picture of Napoleon that is less than flattering, and certainly believable. His behavior toward women was disturbing, and often violent. It was interesting to note how women were somehow taken by him, though he was a womanizer, among other things. It was also interesting to see how these women worked behind the scenes to persuade him from doing, or not doing, things...especially since he was so domineering and hateful. I found this book to be really informative and entertaining, and it provoked some deep thinking about the interactions people had with Napoleon. 

 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 departed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on August 21, 1995. There were twenty six passengers and three crew members aboard the plane on this flight. Not long after takeoff, a loud noise was heard and an engine failed. Captain Ed Gannaway and First Officer Matthew Warmerdam were both skilled pilots, with many flight hours logged. They attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing, but the plane began a rapid and uncontrollable descent due to excessive drag and sudden loss of lift on one side of the plane. The pilots decided to conduct an emergency landing in a field. The landing was devastating, with Gannaway dying on impact. The plane's fuel tanks burst into flame, causing nine people to die in the aftermath due to burns. There were also a number of other injuries due to both the crash and the fire.

This book was another one of my used bookstore finds. The author of this book uses survivor's accounts of the disaster to convey what the crash was like. I always appreciate first person accounts, because they really drive home what an experience was like. There was also plenty of research and information taken from other sources about the cause of the crash. I thought this was a very informative book, and if you are a person who likes disasters or are interested in aircraft, you would probably like this book. 

 Jill Duggar is the fourth child out of nineteen children born to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Jill was born in 1991 in Arkansas. She began being filmed in 2004, when the family was filmed for a documentary special called 14 Children And Pregnant Again. In 2008, the family was picked up for a regular series show, called 19 Kids And Counting. Her parents insisted that filming this show would be a good way to spread their religious message, though I am inclined to believe it was simply a cash cow for that Jim Bob Duggar. Jill married Derrick Dillard in 2014, after being set up by Jim Bob. The two have three children together. This is also not going to be like a normal review that I write, so if you follow me, sorry for you. If you do not wish to read what I am about to write, you can simply read this: If you are interested in this show and the people on it, read the book. If you are interested in what kind of scum buckets are in this family, read the book. If that didn't do it for you and you would like to hear the rest of what I think, read the bottom:

** I have to admit that I was a regular watcher of 19 Kids And Counting, mostly because I was interested in the kids, and thought the lifestyle was interesting. I have always been interested in cults, and this entire concept of IBLP and Quiverfull were new to me. I find both the IBLP and the concept of Quiverfull repulsive.

**Jim Bob Duggar is a disgusting human being. He is manipulative, abusive, and negligent. He allowed nonsense and shenanagins to go on in his own house, valuing his disgusting cretin of a son over his daughters. He held money over their heads, and swindled them. I have never liked him, from the moment I began watching this show, and my dislike has been validated many times over the years. This book is just the most recent validation.

**I have to admit that I did not care for Derrick when he was introduced on the show, but I take back my opinion on him. He seems to be a good husband to Jill, and a wonderful support system. I truly believe without him, she would still be taken advantage of by her father.

**That brother of hers is scummy. He sexually assaulted multiple of his own siblings, people outside the home, cheated on his wife, and then got busted with unspeakable amounts of child pornography. I think it is deplorable that her family chose to cover up his misdeeds and baby him, instead of standing up for and advocating for their children he abused. I also think it is deplorable that these girls had to go sit on a Fox (of course) show and rehash this experience, answer questions about it, and defend this scum bucket while he sat there and watched them. Absolutely not. I have always hated these gossip sites, especially TMZ, and the one that leaked the information about her and her sisters' assaults is right up there on the scum bucket list with Josh and Jim Bob and Michelle. Sickening. 

 This book is written by an American collector, who heard the story of Napoleon's stolen "artifact". He thought it was interesting and kind of funny, and began to wonder what other oddities were out there from other historical figures and events. This book is about his quest to uncover other interesting items and stories. I bought this book at a used book store, and it was a good enough book for the price. I thought there were parts of it that were fairly humorous, and I enjoyed it. I am glad to have it completed and off my shelf before my move. 

 

I grew up in a firefighting family, so I have always enjoyed reading books like this and learning about this profession. I also enjoy reading about disasters, which sometimes include wildfires. I thought this book was very informative about how woodland firefighters go about fighting these massive wildfires, as well as how they do maintenance to prevent them. I enjoyed the personal experiences that the author shared. If you are interested

 

 This book is about the case of Henry and Isabella Robinson. Henry traveled often for work, and Isabella was terribly lonely. She passed her time by writing in a diary, which Henry unfortunately read. Isabella wrote what is tantamount to smut, and Henry strongly believed she was having an affair. Divorce was illegal in England, but Henry was determined to divorce her and took the matter before the courts. The resulting court fiasco was a source of great entertainment for those reading about it in the papers, and a landmark case in the English civil court system.

I absolutely love Kate Summerscale. I have read other work by this author and enjoyed it immensely. I had high hopes for this book, and I was not disappointed. I also got lucky and found this book at my local used book store for the wonderful price of one dollar, so that made this an even better book. If you are interested in Victorian Era true crime cases, I would strongly suggest looking up this author and checking out her books. She does her due diligence and researches through the archives to find out the facts of these cases and what happened to the people involved in the aftermath.