Invisible Armies - Book Review

Invisible Armies
By Jon Evans
HarperCollins 2006
Website Trailer

This is a very exciting story. Mostly about how geeks and nerds save the world. By Hacking. Since I love stories about hacking, I started this one with great gusto. Half way into the book, the hacking was fine, but the violence got a bit much so I stopped reading it for a while. But have now been able to finish it.

The story starts off with Danielle (a wealthy upperclass young American woman) is asked by a friend to be a courier - to deliver a passport for an Indian woman who needs a new passport. India has a law that says Indian passports CANNOT be sent outside of the country for any reason. They must stay on the owners person or in the owners possession at all times.

This Indian woman (Jayalitha) worked for a social Justice group called Justice International. They wanted to expose a corrupt company that was illegally creating new medicines and using the people of Kerala in Southern India for non-sanctioned drug trials.

Jaya, was then forced to watch her husband and children die. She was forced to leave India with no passport. When Danielle gets to Jaya's home village, she is captured and told that Jaya is dead. The man captured with her is Laurent, who also works for Justice International. To avoid being tortured, they both escape and end up on the run in India with no papers.

How Danielle is sucked into the life of an activist, one who truely thinks she is helping people, is fascinating. The story moves from India to Paris to London to Los Angeles. And how Danielle gets herself out of activist circles with the help of some hacker friends, is just as thrilling.

Invisible Armies is a Cold War suspense of the modern age, a thriller that looks behind the power of protests and the politics of big business. [Back cover blurb]

A word of warning. These activists are violent. Unexpectedly so. Which is why I had to stop reading for a while. Whether or not they are typical of activist in the real world, I can't say. One has only to look to Greenpeace to find a commonality of sorts.

Even if Greenpeace claims that they are not a violent group, they have been affected by violence. in 1985 the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in Auckland Harbour. When it was later discovered to have been done by the French Government, it read just like a thriller story. French spies sneaked into New Zealand, planted a bomb and then left as quickly as possible. This bombing occurred because Greenpeace was actively demonstrating against the French Nuclear Bomb testing being done at Muraroa Atoll in the Pacific. This story has also been made into a movie.

Jon Evans has written 2 earlier books - Dark Places and The Blood Price.

From Love Field - Book Review

From Love Field
Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy
By Nellie Connally
with Mickey Herskowitz
Rugged Land 2003


Where were you on November 22, 1963?



Idanell Brill "Nellie" Connally was the First Lady of Texas from 1963 to 1969. She was in the same limousine as Jacqueline and President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas. Ten days after the assassination, Nellie wrote down some notes about the events as she remembered them. Then she stuffed the notes into a file drawer and forgot about them for 33 years.

Before she died (September 1st, 2006 - Just last year), Nellie dug out those old notes and fleshed out the story of what actually happened in Dallas on that day. She speaks about the short trip from Fort Worth to Dallas, arriving at Love Airfield and watching the secret service nervously try to get the President and Jackie into the car. Instead they chose to do a quick meet and greet amongst the crowds at the Airfield, thus delaying the caravan.

All the way into Dallas, crowds roared and cheered. On Elm Street, Nellie turned to the President and spoke the last words he probably ever heard. "Mr President, You certainly can't say that Dallas doesn't love you." The president smiled and Nellie turned back to the front.

That's when the first gunshot hit the President in the throat. Nellie is adamant that the second gunshot hit her husband (Texas Governor) John Connally. The third gunshot then hit Kennedy in the head.

Nellie writes about the interminable waiting as Parkland hospital while one team of doctors worked on the President and another team worked on the Governor. The president was pronounced dead at 1 oclock that day. Governor John Connally survived. He had suffered a collapsed lung, one broken rib, a hole in his chest and a broken wrist. (the magic bullet)

President Kennedy's funeral was held in Washington DC the following Monday. Since Nellie was keeping a hospital vigil beside her husbands bed, the Connally's eldest son John Junior (John Connally 111) aged 17 at the time, was selected to represent the family and the state of Texas.

Governor John Connally recovered and returned home to the governors mansion in Austin. He went on be governor for 6 years and after he left, he returned to Houston where he worked as a lawyer. In 1973 he was appointed as Secretary of the Treasury by President Nixon. Nellie also briefly mentions Lee Harvey Oswald, and about testifying before the Warren Commission.

At the time of her death in 2006, Nellie was the last surviving occupant of the presidential limousine that carried John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.

This book is short, just 156 pages, not counting the appendices.
There are lots of black and white photos from Dallas, Fort Worth and a few Connally family pictures as well.

A most enjoyable book. And since most of the story takes place in Dallas, I am claiming this book as my absolute final book for the Armchair Travellers challenge. [And I dare anyone to deny me this right LOL]

I Am Canadian

You are 89% Canuck!

You rock, you are an almighty Canadian through and through. You have proven your worthiness and have won the elite prize of living in a country as awesome as Canada. Yes I know other countries think they are better, but we let them have that cuz we know better than they do, eh?

How Canadian Are You?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Cleopatra's Needles Book Review

Cleopatra's Needles
By Anne Mustoe
Virgin Books 2003
website Anne Mustoe

Anne Mustoe used to be the Headmistress (Principal) of a private Girls School in England. At the age of 54 (in 1987) she retired and cycled around the world. Her first book was called A Bike Ride. In 1993 she cycled around the world again - in the opposite direction. The second book was called Lone Traveller.

Since 1993 Anne has done a number of Bike rides in various parts of the world. She spent 5 winters cycling around India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. That book is called Two Wheels in the Dust.

And in 2001 Anne cycled from London to Alexandria between the Cleopatra's Needles. On September 11, 2001, Anne was in Turkey. A Muslim country. Turkey did not react to 9-11, but other countries did. Anne was able to cycle through parts of Syria and Lebanon, but had to take the bus through Jordan and the Sinai Peninsula. She did cycle along the length of the Suez canal and eventually arrived in Alexandria. Her 4th book is called Cleopatra's Needles.

This was a fascinating book. Lots of interesting historical info about Cleopatra, Mark Anthony and the Emperor Octavius. Also tons of real info about life in Europe (and the Middle East) when seen from a bicycle. Anne travelled across France and Switzerland. She cycled across the Alps into Italy and followed the Adriatic coast down to Bari where she took the ferry to Greece. The entire trip took about 10 months over 2001/2002. The one major thing that Anne comments on, (other than 9-11) is that it RAINED during most of this trip.

Since this book was written, Anne has also cycled The Amber trail, the Santa Fe Trail and the Pilgrims trail to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. That book is called Amber, Furs and Cockleshells (combining all 3 trails in one book). I want to read more about the Amber Trail. The history of the Amber industry is fascinating, and I personally would love to read a lot more about it.

Speaking of Amber, I was at another festival here in Toronto on Sunday (The Cabbagetown festival) and one of the street vendors was selling Amber necklaces & pendants. When I asked the prices, he said from $12 and upwards. Pity. I would have loved to buy a real Amber necklace.

According to Anne's website, her last Bike ride was across Australia and South America. I've just cycled across Australia and South America, and I'm busy writing my next book Che Guevara and the Mountain of Silver, due out in December, 2007.

In between books, Anne has also written a book about Escaping the Winter All you need to know about spending the winter abroad.

Check out Anne's Book page for all the details. And yes she is now over 70 years old.
This is my last book for the Armchair Travellers Challenge - which is now DONE.

Todays Book sale went very well.

Well, Today turned out to be very hot with a lovely cool breeze blowing for much of the day. Up at 7am to pack up toys, books, clothes, computer bits & pieces and anything else. By 8am we were moving our stuff downstairs, and piling everything on the tables. We had 2 tables and a trolley.

We have never done this before. I mean, joined the buildings annual sale. Usually because I keep missing the dates, and only find out too late to book a table. I managed to spot a notice up last week, so had time to book a table & get our stuff organised.

The building organised hotdogs & pop and even live music. 2 guys on guitars, plus some nice oldies music - 70s & 80s disco & pop. Great music to tap your feet to.

We were outside on the sidewalk selling from 9am to 4pm and made close to $100. Most of this was from my books - 50 cents each or 3 for a dollar. Over half my books have now gone, and hubby sold quite a few computer items as well. 5 year old son also sold a few toys and books.

It's now almost 6pm, and we are all tired, burnt and exhausted. Son & hubby have fallen asleep and I'm sitting here quietly, reading & typing.

I have one more book to finish for the Armchair Travellers Challenge. Not sure if I will be able to finish the New Notions challenge, since I have 2 more books to do - and the Historian is over 500 pages. Damn my eyes for going wonky at the wrong time.

Descartes' Secret Notebook - Book Review

Descartes' Secret Notebook
By Amir D. Aczel
Broadway Books 2005
Author Biography at Wikipedia
Descartes Biography at Wikipedia

I love stories about people searching for and finding unusual ephemera - things associated with famous people. The Book Nobody Read was one such book, and I have just finished another. This non-fiction book is about the search for Rene Descartes' (1596 - 1650) secret notebook. The notebook that very few men knew about because it was said to mention forbidden things. Teachings that were not of the Catholic church, but of the brotherhood of the Rosy Cross. It seems that Rene Descrates may have been a member of the Rosicrucians. But noone knows for sure.

Anyway, for those of you have have never heard of Descartes, he was a French Philosopher, scientist and mathematician during the 30 years war. He invented the Cartesian coordinates upon which our modern GPS system depends. He also invented analytical geometry. A method of combining equations and formulae of algebra with the figures and shapes of geometry.

"Not geometry." I hear my readers groaning. I know, I know, geometry is just so boring. This book is not about geometry. Its actually a very good biography of Rene Descartes, his life and education in France, his travels around Europe, his family and so on. He lived in Germany, Holland and was even requested to tutor Queen Christine of Sweden for a short time. Unfortunately that first freezing cold winter in Sweden, was also his last.

This is not a book for light reading. Indeed, even I took several weeks to complete it. It is only 242 pages long, has a number of good illustrations, including some mathematical illustrations. I really did enjoy it.

Amazon

Conspiracy Nation

Book sale season has started again

Today hubby is sorting all his junk from the bedroom that he wants to A - get rid of or B - sell at our apartment building end-of-summer sale being held tomorrow. I have 5 or 6 boxes of books which I will be TRYING to sell.

I really need to get rid of these books. The apartment is just not big enough to keep them, especially when I keep buying new books.

I plan on giving any unsold hardback books to the local library. (hardbacks last longer). Not sure what to do with the paperbacks.

So if anyone in Toronto wants some really really cheap books, please email me & I will give you the address & directions. BTW The Cabbagetown festival is on tomorrow as well.

[Edited to Add]

Just had a brilliant idea. Any books I do NOT sell tomorrow, I can donate to the hospitals for the patients. Since Toronto has 4 or 5 hospitals within walking (sort of) distance, I can call them up and ask. Anyone know how receptive hospitals are to book donations?