All Consuming : colleenFL

The Sentinels: Fortunes of War

nobody@allconsuming.net (colleenFL) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:31:34 GMT

by Gordon Zuckerman

In 1932, a group of German industrialists and financial leaders supported Adolf Hitler’s rise and the rearmament of Germany as a way to increase their wealth. They conspire to get Karl von Schagel appointed to the position of deputy minister of finance. In 1938, a group of six graduate students gives a presentation on their theory of “The Power Cycle.” The leader of the group is Jacques Roth, the heir to the Roth banking empire. The other members of his group all have similar privileged backgrounds, although they come from many countries. They claim that their theory shows that Germany is heading for war in Europe. They suggest a watchdog organization be founded to avert these situations in the early stages.

The book picks back up in 1943. With the war going against Germany, the industrialists are anxious to get their riches out of the country. A member of the old student group finds out about the money being moved and the whole group goes into action. They conceive and implement their own plan: block the German’s access to the money and steal some of it to fund their group. They want to have a group of sentinels that can watch for these events so they can stop them earlier in the future. The Sentinels put their plan into motion and get their hands on millions of dollars belonging to the Germans. Once the Germans find out about the theft the game is on. The Germans hire people to track down their stolen money. The Sentinels are either on the run or in hiding. The war is coming to a close. The action heats up.

The Sentinels: Fortunes of War was a riveting historical thriller. Set during the World War II years, the plot revolves around the powerful money men backing the Nazi regime and the Sentinels that try to shut them down. The Robin Hood type good guys go after the Nazi-backing bad guys. It makes for a great book and kept me up late reading. Overall, there was plenty of action and suspense for any thriller reader. Especially recommended for any thriller readers that like the World War II setting.

review copy (ARC) rec’d from publicist – Planned Television Arts

Consumed "The Sentinels: Fortunes of War"

nobody@allconsuming.net (colleenFL) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:31:34 GMT

The Sentinels: Fortunes of War

by Gordon Zuckerman

WORTH IT!

A review of "The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders"

nobody@allconsuming.net (colleenFL) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:42:29 GMT

The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders

by Anthony Flacco

In 1926, at thirteen years of age, Sanford Clark was given away by his mother to his uncle, Gordon Stewart Northcott. Northcott took the boy from Canada and illegally brought him into the United States where he was used as slave labor on a chicken ranch and sexually abused. Northcott also brought other boys to the chicken ranch to sexually abuse and murder. He forced Sanford to help him dispose of some of the boys. He used that and the fact that the boy was in the US illegally to keep Sanford from reporting Northcott for his crimes. While Sanford was held captive on the chicken ranch he was not allowed to go to school or play with local children. His only escape was in reading books in secret.

The abuse finally ended when a visit from Sanford’s sister scared Northcott into fleeing. Once the police found out about the murders, they captured Northcott and after his trial he was executed. Sanford was sent to Whittier Boys School and then released at age seventeen. He went back to Canada and lived a normal life.

Due to the title, I expected more of the book to be about Sanford’s life after his uncle was caught, but the bulk of the book deals with his time spent with his uncle on the chicken ranch. I was quite impressed that Sanford managed to make a good life for himself despite all he had gone through. One often hears about criminals claiming that childhood abuse is the reason why they are criminals. Sanford proves that this does not have to be true. It depends on the person. He was an amazing person to be able to have such a good productive life after the torture and abuse he endured.

Flacco writes a riveting recounting of the horrors endured by Sanford Clark as his uncle’s captive and his recovery and adult life. It is also an uplifing tale in that Sanford had the strength of character to shape his own life rather than allow his uncle’s abuses to shape him. A well written book, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading true crime books.

Consumed "The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders"

nobody@allconsuming.net (colleenFL) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:42:29 GMT

The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders

by Anthony Flacco

WORTH IT!

A Great Book for Learning About California Wines (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (colleenFL) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:32:11 GMT

California Wine For Dummies (For Dummies (Cooking))

by Ed McCarthy

Before reading this book, I had no idea that California produced so much of the wine enjoyed in the US. I also had no idea of the amount of wine they produced overall. The statistics mentioned at the beginning of the book were enlightening. I found out that almost 70 percent of the wine consumed in the US is from California. This book really opened my eyes to the amount and quality of wines from California.

The book contained many helpful features. The cheat sheet located in the front of the book was loaded with good information. One section that I found most helpful was the pronunciation guide. I was unfamiliar with some of the wines so this section should help me avoid embarrasing pronunciation errors when trying a new wine. Another great feature was the inclusion of websites for locating availability and prices of wines. The definitions of regulated terms and explanations of unregulated terms and other information found on wine labels helps one to understand the language of wine labels.

After decoding the wine label, the authors include a short history of wine making in California. Descriptions were given of the major wine regions in California. They even include information about visiting California wineries, such as information on winery tours and local accomodations and restaurants. Descriptions of varietals and listings of the author’s recommended wines to try is another helpful feature.

McCarthy and Ewing-Mulligan explain everything clearly while not being condescending. I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed putting my new knowledge to work the next time I bought wine. The authors credentials in the wine field gave me confidence in their writing. The authors also give websites for locating availability and prices of wines. Overall, I thought it was a fairly comprehensive first guide to California wines. It is quite a lot of information in one book and a great place to start for people that want to learn more about California wines.

I would recommend this book for anyone that is interested in learning more about California wines.