In the Hurricane's Eye

I couldn't put this down! Of all the wars, I know the least about the Revolutionary War, which is a damn sham because my undergraduate degree was in history. Philbrick does a wonderful job taking a generally well known story and fleshes out all the small nooks and crannies you probably weren't aware of. This historical non-fiction book focuses on the importance of the navy during the revolution, even though the United States didn't have one. The presence of the French navy and many of George Washington's shrewd battle decisions were what really turned the tide of the war. For years the British had been clearly winning, but had yet to strike the crippling blow. The arrival of the French fleet and the subsequent victory at Yorktown changed all that. An engrossing and enlightening read. Not just for history buffs!

Why Read Moby Dick?

I listened to the audio-book version and it started out promising but I was quickly bored. I never really had any desire to read Moby Dick and reading this almost, almost, made me mildly interested in picking up the classic. Author, Nathaniel Philbrick, brings together history, Melville's personal letters, and the original work itself to make a convincing argument on why it's worth reading this imposing classic American tome... close buddy, close. I was really intrigued by the historical aspects, but as the two discs droned on... I lost the will to read Moby Dick. It was worth a shot though!