Rome and Parthia: Empires at War: Ventidius, Antony and the Second Romano-Parthian War, 40-20 BC by Gareth C. As we settle in for a long, socially-distant winter, you won’t find better company than the people of Knightsbridge – and you can continue to follow them in two sequels and now the prequel too! Themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal unfold alongside those of religion and hypocrisy as the townsfolk continue the decades-long effort to build a cathedral.
I’m usually not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I could not put down Follett’s spellbinding tale of lively characters in an English town during the Middle Ages. I’ve just ordered The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, which is a prequel to one of my favorite books of all time, The Pillars of the Earth. Bennett’s book is riveting and beautifully written, and will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Their stories continue through their grown daughters, who face their own challenges with identity and the family secret that unknowingly affects them both. Their lives diverge as teenagers, when one decides to pass as white and cuts herself off from the rest of her family. The story starts in the 1960s, with two twins who grow up in a town of African-Americans with very light skin. It’s an easily readable but nonetheless thought-provoking story about the meaning of identity, and how family secrets extend across generations. Even better, it helps the reader tell when oft-touted “strategies” aren’t actually strategies at all.īoth of my pandemic-inspired book clubs picked The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett, and for good reason. The reason is simple: This easy-to-read book is the tool to dissect the elements of strategies and permits the reader to easily identify the difference between a good strategy and a bad strategy. This should be required reading for anyone involved in developing, discussing, or executing strategy. Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard Rumelt. This is a timely and important book that can help us grapple with what is happening now, and begin to think about how this cataclysmic global disruption will forever alter significant elements of our world. Christakis breaks down this staggering event and its projected aftermath into recognizable phases, but the timelines he chooses may rattle you: immediate (through 2022), intermediate (perhaps through 2024), and post-pandemic (2024 and beyond). The author, a physician, sociologist and Yale professor, jumps out ahead of the pack to provide vital insights on the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how its cascading effects will shape much of the rest of this century. One of the first, and so far best books out on the coronavirus pandemic and its implications. Of key importance to us today, this account describes a remarkable wartime marriage of civilian scientists and senior military leaders that the United States would be hard-pressed to duplicate in a future conflict.Īpollo’s Arrow by Nicholas A. Written with droll humor, this book provides fascinating insights not only into the critical wartime relationships and fast-moving science, but into life as a civilian in war-torn Britain. Jones was a 28-year old scientist at the beginning of the war who quickly rocketed to the top of British scientific intelligence, and whose brilliant insights on German rocketry, radar and direction-finding capabilities helped saved countless allied lives. A classic World War II account of the British battle for scientific supremacy over the Third Reich. Happy holidays from all of us to all of you. We hope you’ll find something for everyone on this list, whether your taste runs to nonfiction or sci-fi. To that end, here is our annual roundup of favorite books from the War on the Rocks family. This year perhaps more than most a good book is a welcome companion for the wintry season.