Month: July 2015

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Review of ‘Literature: A Student’s Guide’ by Louis Markos

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Louis Markos, Literature: A Student’s Guide (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012). Paperback | Kindle The Greek poet Archilochus said, “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” By that standard, I am a fox. For as long as I can remember, I have tried to gain a generalist’s understanding of the world rather than a specialist’s. And I have tried to do this from within a Christian worldview. So, you can understand why Crossway’s Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series is appealing to me. It consists of brief introductions to various academic disciplines—e.g., liberal arts, natural sciences, … Continue reading Review of ‘Literature: A Student’s Guide’ by Louis Markos

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Review of ‘Siding Star’ by Christopher Bryan

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Christopher Bryan, Siding Star (Sewanee, TN: Diamond Press, 2012). Paperback | Kindle An astronomer discovers a supernova. A detective investigates a murder. A conspiracy grasps for control. Their stories collide in Christopher Bryan’s supernatural thriller, Siding Star. It is the first in a series of three novels (so far) featuring Detective Inspector Cecilia Cavaliere of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary. It is written self-consciously in the vein of Charles Williams’ novels and C. S. Lewis’s space trilogy. If you like those novels, you’ll like this one, though—as with any supernatural thriller—a willing suspension of disbelief is key to enjoying it. … Continue reading Review of ‘Siding Star’ by Christopher Bryan

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Review of ‘Vertigo 42: A Richard Jury Mystery’ by Martha Grimes

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Martha Grimes, Vertigo 42: A Richard Jury Mystery (New York: Scribner, 2014). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle Vertigo 42 is the twenty-third mystery novel Martha Grimes has written, and like the others, it is named after an English pub or bar, this one high atop a skyscraper in downtown London where the action begins. And like the others, Scotland Yard Superintendent Richard Jury sleuths the mystery with help from his friend, Melrose Plant (the former Lord Ardry); his sergeant, Alfred Wiggins; and the cast of characters (in every sense of the term) from Long Piddleton. The mystery in this case … Continue reading Review of ‘Vertigo 42: A Richard Jury Mystery’ by Martha Grimes

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Review of ‘Sharpe’s Story: The Story Behind the Sharpe Series’ by Bernard Cornwell

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Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe’s Story: The Story Behind the Sharpe Series (West Chatham, MA: The Sharpe Appreciation Society, 2007). Paperback Several years ago, a friend recommended the Richard Sharpe stories by Bernard Cornwell. I had been reading Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin stories, and my friend thought I would like the Sharpe stories, which also were set in the era of the Napoleonic Wars. I didn’t take him upon the recommendation then, but when I finally did, I realized how right he’d been. Bernard Cornwell is a terrific storyteller, and Richard Sharpe is a terrific character. A rogue, but as Cornwell puts it … Continue reading Review of ‘Sharpe’s Story: The Story Behind the Sharpe Series’ by Bernard Cornwell

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Review of ‘The English Spy’ by Daniel Silva

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Daniel Silva, The English Spy (New York: Harper, 2015). Hardcover | Kindle When the glamorous ex-wife of the heir to the British throne is murdered, Israeli intelligence reveals to British intelligence that the murderer was Irish terrorist-for-hire Eamon Quinn. Then it offers to put legendary Mossad agent Gabriel Allon on the case, and Allon brings on Christopher Keller—ex-SSA officer turned assassin-for-hire—for good measure. Turns out, Allon and Keller have a personal beef with Quinn, and when it’s personal, things get messy. Daniel Silva’s newest installment in the long-running Gabriel Allon series is fast-paced and full of plot twists. If international … Continue reading Review of ‘The English Spy’ by Daniel Silva

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Review of ‘What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an’ by James R. White

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James R. White, What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2013). Paperback | Kindle What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an presents an introduction to and a critique of Islamic scripture (Qur’an) and tradition (ahadith) as they touch on matters pertaining to orthodox Christianity. Author James R. White is a Christian theologian who has engaged in debates with Islamic scholars. As befits a scholar, White’s tone throughout is measured and reasonable, and his arguments are nuanced and fair-minded. The first three chapters introduce readers to Muhammad, the Qur’an, and Islamic monotheism … Continue reading Review of ‘What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an’ by James R. White

America, Current Events, Politics & Culture1 Comment

The American Creed and the Christian Gospel

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On the Fourth of July, when I have raised the American flag over my house, I will step back, put my hand over my heart, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance aloud. No one will see me do this. No one will join me. It will be a personal expression of love for my country as well as a fervent prayer that “the Republic” will indeed become “one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” My patriotism is part family history, part intellectual conviction. As far as I can tell, my father’s and mother’s ancestors all came … Continue reading The American Creed and the Christian Gospel

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Review of ‘Sharpe’s Fortress: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803’ by Bernard Cornwell

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Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe’s Fortress: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803 (New York: HarperCollins, 2000). Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle There is a line between war and murder, and Ensign Richard Sharpe keeps stepping over it in this third volume of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series. On the one hand, we see him devising and leading the 33rd Light Infantry and a ragged assortment of Scots, Sepoys, and cavalrymen up a ladder in the escalade of the Gawilghur fortress. (Sharpe is fictional; the escalade was not.) On the other hand, we see him revenge-killing a sergeant and two privates … Continue reading Review of ‘Sharpe’s Fortress: Richard Sharpe and the Siege of Gawilghur, December 1803’ by Bernard Cornwell