Ross Perot founded EDS (Electronic Data Systems) in 1962. The Shah of Iran entered into a contract with EDS to install computer systems and modernize healthcare in Iran. Unfortunately, infrastructure in Iran was poor and slow to improve, which caused people to get annoyed. EDS employees were arrested on suspicion of bribery and thrown into prison. Ross Perot demanded that funds be allocated to pay their bail and got up a team to break them out of prison if necessary. He was determined not to leave them there. This was a really dramatic account of what the EDS employees and those who went to find them went through during this period of unrest. (Iranian Revolution)

I really enjoy Ken Follett's World War II fiction books. I found them on sale and got them all. I was really excited to find out that he had a nonfiction book out, because that is usually what I read. I love his writing style and he always does a lot of research so that he can accurately portray something. I thought this book was great, and I learned a ton of information. I knew absolutely nothing about this event before I read this book. 

 I just read a biography of Pol Pot not long ago. Reading about the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge (and others) in that was brutal, but it is so much more brutal to read about it from the perspective of a little kid. The author was the daughter of a Prince of Cambodia, and she was hidden away with some godparents while her father was fighting and her mother had died. Every adult she came into contact with that cared for her wound up dying in terrible ways. She was so brave and so resilient for such a young child. This was a short book, but it was heavy and moving. I would highly suggest reading this book if you are interested in Asian history, genocide, or just war in general. There are some pretty grim accounts of murder in it, so if that is something you can't deal with, steer clear. 

 I read this book before I visited Alcatraz East Crime museum, here in Tennessee. I would love to take a tour of the actual Alcatraz Island. Reading about the experiences of Alvin Karpis while incarcerated on Alcatraz was very moving. I cannot imagine living in a place like that. I realize these people were criminals of some variant or another, but these conditions seemed really inhumane. Karpis was an interesting figure. I believe I watched something about him on a documentary once. It wasn't the best book I read, but it was an okay book. 

 Irmgard Hunt grew up in Berchtesgaden, right near Hitler's mountain retreat. She saw him on several occasions, and was even photographed with him once. This is an incredible account of a child growing up in Nazi occupied Europe. I love learning about this time period, and reading multiple perspectives is important to grasp the full reality of the situation of a World War. 

 

This book was written by Greg and Gina Hill, the children of Henry Hill. I thought this book was really good. I don't often get to read books by children whose parents were involved in organized crime. I liked this book, it was quite entertaining.

Edit Review 

 Dickie Arbiter has a pretty neat background history. He was born in 1940 in an air raid shelter while German planes were bombing London. His parents were German-Jewish, and had fled Germany to escape Nazi persecution. I can't imagine what his parents went through, and I certainly can't imagine giving birth in an air raid shelter while being bombed. That's a dramatic start to life. Arbiter began a career in journalism, eventually landing a job as press spokesman for Queen Elizabeth II from 1988 to 2000. He and his daughter are well known media commentators on the Royal Family.

I generally love a good memoir, and I picked this one up when I was at the local library looking for something else that they didn't have. I am glad that I tried it out, because it was an interesting behind the scenes account of how life works behind the palace doors. He worked for the Queen during a really rough point in her reign, with the death of Princess Diana and other issues. I am sure that it was quite difficult to be a press spokesman during those times, and I valued the personal account of that. The only real issue that I had with it, was that I got the feeling that he has told some of these stories a million times over the years. It was a fine book, especially since I didn't spend any money on it. (Support your libraries, friends.) 

 This book is about the experience of Richard Jadick during some intense fighting in Fallujah. I have only read one other book written by a medic, but that was from World War II. This book was very personal to me, because I had friends that were in Fallujah, not at this particular time, and I know they had some rough experiences. It was very interesting to see how combat medicine had improved and advanced compared to the WWII medic's account. I cannot imagine having to treat people I cared for with wounds like this. This was a very moving book. 

 Hoover was supposedly born in 1895, but his birth certificate was not filed until 1938. The beginning of his life is suspicious! He was in the choir, the debate team, and the ROTC. He was firmly against women getting the right to vote. He had a stutter, and he taught himself to control it for debates by speaking exceptionally fast. He wound up getting a law degree, and was hired by the Justice Department. He was a staunch supporter of the death penalty. He was authorized by President Woodrow Wilson to arrest disloyal foreigners and incarcerate them with no trial. He carried out the Palmer Raids. He read people's mail and participated in illegal wiretapping. He kept secret files on thousands of Americans. It was reported that he had ties to the mob, but in all likelihood, he was probably blackmailed into being lax and denying that there was an organized crime problem. Though, he did create a branch that tracked down the famous gangsters John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, and Al Capone. Apparently, gangsters were gangsters and there was no such thing as the Mafia. He also gambled a lot of money at the horse tracks.

When he took control of the Bureau, he fired all female employees and banned the hiring of females in the future. The only way women could be hired was as a secretary, and they were only allowed to wear skirts or dresses. Women were not allowed to smoke at their desks, but men were allowed to do so. He reassigned agents who displeased him in any way. He fired agents based on how they looked or if they had displeased him in the slightest way. He got rid of people who he was jealous of, especially if they got more press than he did. He planted false evidence to get whatever outcome he wanted if he was against a person or entity of any kind.

J. Edgar Hoover is one of the SHADIEST people I have read about in the government, and that is saying a lot. I picked up this book because I was hoping to learn more about what this creep was up to, and it certainly did not disappoint. I had read in other places that it was suspected that he was gay, because he never married. There were rumors that he liked to cross dress as well. If those were true, that was his business, but it is especially sorry to be in the business of ruining people's lives for that very thing if you are also gay. His coworker that he traveled everywhere with and wore matching suits with inherited Hoover's things when he died, so I don't think it was a stretch. He abused his power, absolutely. I can understand why term limits were implemented after his long tenure and multitude of shenanagins. This was a really, really interesting book. It really helped to solidify my low opinion of Hoover .

 This book takes a look at women in various positions of power. Queens are discussed, as well as more current women in power. I thought it was interesting to note that several of the names we are very familiar with these days, such as Kamala Harris and Hilary Clinton, are mentioned here in comparison with their male counterparts. Despite my personal feelings about some of these women, it really is ridiculous that their looks and clothes are commented on so much when their policies and accomplishments (or nonsense) are not discussed nearly as much. In the current climate we live in, where women's rights are under threat, this was an especially relevant book.

I really enjoy Eleanor Herman's books. I have several others by this author, and have enjoyed all of them. I had a pretty high hope that this book would be good, and it was. I thought it was thought provoking and entertaining. It really makes you think about the world view of women, and how that is affected by culture and religions. I appreciated the amount of research that went into this book. I hope she writes more, because they will go straight into my cart. 

 I read every World War II book I can get my hands on, and this one was no different. I am looking forward to reading the other books written by Group Captain Peter Townsend. I discovered his titles when I was doing an internet search to see what happened to him while I was watching The Crown on Netflix. I enjoyed the first hand account of someone who was present during certain events.