Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by British Petroleum (BP). Deepwater Horizon was built in 2001 in South Korea, before being transported to the Gulf of Mexico to begin operations. The rig was capable of operating in waters 8,000 feet deep, with a maximum drilling depth of 30,000 feet. The rig was operating in the Macondo Prospect area, drilling an exploratory well. On April 20, 2010, an explosion devastated the oil rig and caused a massive oil spill. The spill was finally capped on July 15, 2010. The resulting spill contaminated 4o miles of coastal pollution, the effects of which can still be seen today. The explosion immediately killed ten workers on the rig, and an eleventh died during the fire that followed.

The author of this book made a bold claim that BP et al were reckless, however the proof offered in this book and the subsequent resolutions of legal cases regarding this incident show that that word absolutely applied to these corporate types. Both Transocean and BP were financially liable for violations of the United States Clean Water Act. The actions of those in the company in the aftermath of this event were deplorable, really. I think the author did a good job of weighing the evidence and communicating the facts to the readers. This was a really informative book. 

 This was the textbook for my World Mythology class. I did learn a decent amount from this book about various myths, which I thought I would be really excited for...turns out, I wasn't. I am glad to be done with this book and it's jumping around and will be even more glad to pass this class and be done with it as well. 

 People tend to look back on the Kennedy Era as an idyllic time, when it really wasn't. John F. Kennedy was a human being, a spoiled, flawed one at that. He was not a faithful husband to his wife, and he was certainly a very busy father on a campaign trail and being a President. While there were some good things about JFK and his Presidency, he was certainly used and manipulated by those with more political power than him. Lyndon Johnson was a disgusting human being, and certainly played a large role in the Kennedy White House in more ways than one. Outside of the white house, JFK was reckless. He had plenty of relationships and one night stands, drank and used various drugs, and got himself into plenty of situations that were unbecoming for a prominent member of society and President. He certainly was an apple off his father's tree.

The author of this book is a distinguished investigative journalist and author. I enjoyed the writing style and the attention to detail presented in this book. I find the Kennedy family and their dynamics very fascinating, and have read a lot of material about them. I found this book at my local used book store, and grabbed it. I thought it presented the converse side of the coin of the family dynamics of some of these people. It was an enjoyable read. 

 The title of this book makes it pretty obvious what the subject is about, so I will not summarize. Stephen Ambrose is a wonderfully talented historian, and I enjoy all of the books by this author. The detail and descriptions of the battles and human experiences are unmatched. If you are interested in military history, get familiar with this author. 

 The 1920s was a time of rampant racism that revived and expanded the Ku Klux Klan. Oddly, the KKK made a rise in the Midwest and Western United States, instead of the historically racist South. Catholics, Jewish people, and Black people were equally hated and targeted by these miscreant groups. This book focuses heavily on David Curtis Stephenson. Stephenson served in the United States Army during World War I, though never overseas. His training would be invaluable in leading large groups of people, specifically Klan members, in the future. He moved to Indiana in 1920, where he ultimately joined the Ku Klux Klan. He began recruiting members and building a power base in Indiana throughout the 1920s. He was instrumental in increasing membership throughout America's Heartland during this time period, getting support from many prominent members of the communities he infiltrated. He meddled heavily in politics, and meddled heavily with other people's lives. He was a notoriously cruel womanizer, which would ultimately bring about his downfall.

I bought this book with my Audible Credits. It was a fairly long listen, but it was worth the purchase. I really enjoy the author of this book. He is a tremendous historian, who is able to relate historical facts and stories in a way that keeps the interest of the reader. I really learned a lot from this book, and am looking forward to getting some more books by this author. If you are interested in learning about true crime or racism in America's history, I would suggest this book for you. 

 Odette Sansom, born Odette Brailly, was the daughter of a French war hero, killed at Verdun shortly before the Armistice was signed at the conclusion of World War I. She was educated in a convent, and eventually met and married Roy Sansom, moving to Britain with him. At the onset of World War II, her husband joined the military, and she was later recruited by the Special Operations Executive. She was given the code name Lise, and completed several missions during her service. She was captured by the Nazis and imprisoned. She was interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo multiple times, never giving them the information they wanted. She was moved to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where her torture continued. Despite this treatment, she survived the war to testify against her captors. She went on to live a full life.

I had never heard of this woman before, and only bought this book because I was familiar with other by this author. The book was well researched, and included a wealth of information about the SOE and wartime activities beyond those that involved Odette. Her life was very adventurous and full of mystery and intrigue. I really enjoy reading about female historical characters like this, so I had high hopes for this one. I wasn't disappointed. Defiantly check out this book and other books by this author. 

 Death In Yellowstone is a bit of a morbid book. People have been visiting National Parks for quite some time, and there have been many instances where they have died there. There have been instances of weather related deaths, animal related deaths, people being lost and/or injured and dying, murders, and a whole host of other things. This book features almost twenty different stories that feature bizarre deaths in Yellowstone National Park.

This book includes some fairly recent deaths, including the hot springs incident from 2000 and the grizzly bear attacks from 2011. If you are a visitor of National Parks, you may be interested in this book. If you just simply have a morbid mind, this is a lightly morbid read. It was available on Audible Plus a couple of weeks ago when I read it. (I am behind on reviews thanks to school.) It is worth a look to see if it is still available. It was a pretty short listen, as well. 

 This book takes a brief look at the lives of two famous figures from the Wild West days: Colonel William Cody and Annie Oakley. It was really interesting to see how both people, especially Annie, found their claim to fame. They were able to have some really neat career experiences, and they met some other notable figures along the way. It also painted a pretty good picture about what life was like during this particular time period.

The author of this book also wrote Lonesome Dove, so if you are a fan of that, you may like this book. I am not personally very interested in the history of the United States, certainly not the history of the "Wild West", but I did find this one on sale for .75 at my local used bookstore. This wasn't a very long book, so it did not feature an amazingly in depth detail about William Cody and Annie Oakley. Despite the fact that it wasn't very long, there were plenty of details in it about both people and their careers together and separately. I did enjoy this book, even if it isn't my main area of interest. I also think it is good to sometimes read outside of one's comfort zone/area of interest. 

 Clara Kramer tells the story of her experiences during World War II. Clara was a small town teenage girl, of Polish-Jewish descent when World War II began. Once the Nazis invaded, Clara and her family were taken in and hidden by an ethnic German family, called Beck. The wife was the housekeeper of Clara's family, and her husband was a notorious anti-Semite, womanizer, and alcoholic. Despite his personal sentiments, he was opposed to the fact that Nazis were marching Jewish people into the woods and executing them in cold blood. This is the story of Clara's life in hiding during World War II, which is very tense and dramatic in parts.

Despite the detailed picture of her personal experiences, I cannot imagine living in a bunker for months with other people. The height of the bunker was just four feet, meaning it was terribly cramped. Privacy was out of the question. Thinking about the incredible hardship of living in these conditions, with people sick, hungry, and through all weather conditions is staggering, really. This book really paints a portrait about what life was like for the lucky ones who were not immediately executed, starved in ghettos, or sent to concentration camps. The civilian population always gets the short end of the stick in conflict, but those who are directly targeted really experience some unimaginable things. 

 This book tells the story of the yacht Mignonette, which left South Hampton on May 19, 1884, heading for Australia. At some point on the voyage, the yacht ran into severe weather off the coast of West Africa. A massive forty foot wave slammed into the yacht, sinking it. The crew were adrift at sea in a small emergency life boat. Adrift at sea with no supplies or hope of rescue, the captain made the decision to murder the youngest member of the crew, Richard Parker, who was delirious from hunger and thirst. Without giving away much more about their experiences, the crew took part in "the custom of the sea".

I love disaster books, and I would say that this particular shipwreck counts as a disaster book. I had never heard of this particular shipwreck situation before. I found this book at my local used book store for a dollar, which is my favorite type of purchase. I was pleased with the writing style of this book, as well as the attention to detail. I enjoyed this book. If you are into naval history or shipwrecks, I would recommend checking this one out if you get a chance.