I watched a documentary on Netflix about this man. I had this book before then, but I had no idea that I had it until I started trying to read everything I owned that was unread. This case is absolutely disturbing on several levels. It is mind blowing how people just do all of these deviant things and hide basically in the open. It really makes you wonder how many weirdos are really out in the world. I didn't have a problem with the writing style that other reviews seemed to have. I thought John Glatt put forth the facts in a manner that was engaging and easy to follow. 

 I hated this book. Aside from the fact that I found it insanely boring, it was a book of opinions. I like nonfiction books that teach me things and elaborate on events and people that interest me. I do not like to read newspaper opinion columns in the long form of a book. Thank goodness I bought this used, or I would really be upset that I paid retail price for that. I went into this book hoping to learn about the rise of terrorist activities in the Middle East over the years, but I was sorely let down. I do not recommend this book in any way, shape, or form. 

 I absolutely loved this book. I have seen other reviews that disliked the amount of research and the letters, but I quite enjoyed them. I loved the story, I loved the research. This book was essentially about the Ninth Duke of Rutland and his hidden papers that tell an interesting story about his home and life. 

 This book was well written and well researched. I learned so much about Mongolian people and history from this book. I do not have a lot of books on Asian history in my collection, and am working to read through the ones that I have. This was a great one to start with, and good one to kick off the month of January reads for the 2021 Reading Challenge. 

 This book is about the Lavender Scare, which was apparently a moral crisis about having gay people in positions of power. I briefly recall reading about this in passing in some history class I took, but it wasn't in much detail. Joseph McCarthy, who I knew about from his accusing literally everyone under the sun of being a Communist, also waged war on gay people. He had everyone investigated for homosexuality and Communist leanings. (He really needed to mind his own business.) He took the belief that gay people were more likely to be infiltrated by spies since they were already criminals based on their sexual preferences and used that to instigate mass expulsions of government officials from office. A lot of these people were very capable people in their jobs, which is a shame that they weren't allowed to continue in their work on top of having their reputation absolutely ruined by some man who needed to just hush. The more I read about him, the more I disliked him. His actions really caused more harm than good, and it is a shame he was allowed to get away with stuff like that for so long. This book was very informative about the Lavender Scare and the key figures that were involved in various aspects. I got this on Audible, and it was a pretty long listen. (Especially since I am sick and kept falling asleep and having to rewind.) It was really good, and I learned a lot. (Mostly, that I can't stand that McCarthy.) 

 Robert Fowler was born in Canada in 1944. He was well educated, attending several really good schools. For a time, he taught English at the National University of Rwanda. He left that job, and became involved in diplomatic affairs. In 1969, he took on the role of Foreign Service Officer in the Department of External Affairs, which was his first diplomatic job. He had several other diplomatic positions until his fateful position as the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy to Niger.

He was captured by Al Qaeda on December 14, 2008, along with his coworker and the person who was driving their car. Publications were made online that stated that this group was targeting politicians and diplomats who supported the government of Niger and President Mamadou Tandja. Al Qaeda formally accepted responsibility for the kidnappings in February 2009. (These three were not the only people captured and held hostage. I remember a lot of this kind of talk in the news, but I cannot remember any names.) Regardless of why they were kidnapped, they were held in the Saharan desert for 130 days. I do not want to be kidnapped and held hostage for even one day, and certainly not in the desert. I cannot even imagine it, but I will say it wore me out reading about all of the frantic movements, driving around aimlessly and erratically. That would be terrifying, not knowing if you were going to be killed or tortured in some brutal way would be terrifying, and not knowing if you would make it back to your home would be terrifying and depressing.

I have to say, it was very interesting to read about how these people that are involved in terrorist cells live and operate. I cannot imagine why that lifestyle and those activities appeal to them, but I am sure that indoctrination and opportunity have a lot to do with it. I cannot say that I would have had the same mindset that Robert Fowler and his coworker did, but I am glad they were able to survive and handle their situation. This was a very eye opening read. 

 I thought this book was a very interesting look inside the selection process for Navy SEALs, and the training that they go through. I enjoyed learning about the teams and the brotherhood that they form with each other. 

 I have always been a fan of horse racing. I remember reading about Seabiscuit and how small he was. It was so nice to see what a beacon of hope and excitement he was in the middle of the Great Depression and World War II. I really enjoyed this book, and I hope to get some more about other horses. 

 This has probably been my least favorite Nathaniel Philbrick book that I have read thus far, but it was still good. It was well researched and the facts were presented in a way that wasn't boring. This was pretty much classic Nathaniel Philbrick. This book, in particular, was about the attempt to map the Pacific Ocean. I was unaware of these events, so I did learn quite a bit. 

 This is the personal account of Sarah Edmondson's time in the Nxivm cult. Sarah delves into how she became involved in the cult, the inner workings of the cult, and the major players. Sarah also gives us a graphic account of the branding ceremony that left her traumatized and scarred, with the seared initials of Allison Mack and Keith Rainer. I cannot imagine the guilt that I would feel for enrolling other people into this cult, especially if they wound up being branded as well. It is so mind blowing to me how people get caught up in cults and follow people like this. They sign over assets and give up control over their own lives. It is just boggling to me. This book was much better written than Captive, which is also an account of life inside this cult. It was much easier to read.