Review: The Dirty Tricks Department

The Dirty Tricks Department by John Lisle is an excellent new additional to historical nonfiction. This untold story of the Research and Development Branch of the Office of Strategic Services documents the sad, horrifying, and funny efforts to improve the craft of spying. Highly recommended.

Review: The Collaborators

The Collaborators by Ian Buruma tells the story of three liars from World War 2. Each had their reasons; each rewrote their own lies; each ultimately believed their own lies. While history cannot forget what they were a party to, Buruma shows how they weren't outliers. Highly recommended.

Review: The Nine

The study of history is a conversation that the present has with the past. History professors and hardcore historical hobbyists are probably saying, "Well, duh." But it's taken me a long time to understand how the present affects the past. The Nine by Gwen Strauss helped me view this conversation in a new way. Strauss … Continue reading Review: The Nine

Review: Russia Resurrected

Russia Resurrected documents just how far Russia has come since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kathryn E. Stoner created a clear analysis of Russia's use of its power towards its foreign policy goals, and hopefully, copies of this book will be passed around in the new presidential administration. Highly recommended.