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Written by by our Reviewer, John H. Manhold
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Thursday, 02 April 2009 |
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The Virtual Book Review Network brings you... Infinite Exposure  Infinite Exposure ISBN 978-0-9770866-8-9 is an e-book by Roland Hughes, published by Logical Solutions in 465 pages. The story begins with a secret international team of al-Qaida fighters following and apprehending an offshore web master who is part of an al-Qaida cell, which, in turn, is part of a far-ranging network. From here, the scene shifts to the financial districts of the United States, and their never ending search for ways to save money. The CEO of a huge American bank, with large branches in France and Germany, is approached by a marketing company to offshore their operations. Such a move will save millions of dollars and, in the thoughts of the executive, produce a lucrative advancement. He is more concerned with this personal gain, and does not think through the proposition, even when given hints by his second in command, who is most knowledgeable. A software company becomes involved and contributes further to the maneuvers, and the story progresses to a horrendous financial debacle, and many associated reactions. A third element enters the picture - a group of traders who deal with insider information, have ties to Account Executives in Russia, with the Russian Mafia, with China, and with the coordinator of the occult al-Qaida fighters.
To provide more details would spoil, for the reader, a most interesting and thought-provoking proposal of a possible future American agenda.
With respect to the writing, Roland Hughes quite masterfully juggles the various elements, as they shift from one to the next. His characters are interesting, and the story’s progression is at a fine pace. I read an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book which contained spelling and grammar problems. However, I understand the author has since had the manuscript fully edited and corrected. With removal of this jarring note, I should like to say that Roland Hughes has provided added enjoyment to a highly recommended read that presents some very serious thoughts to ponder, as well.
Buy the book here: http://www.infiniteexposure.net
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 April 2009 )
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Written by Our Reviewer, Stuart Nachbar
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Saturday, 17 January 2009 |
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A Story Of The German Resistance To Hitler by Helena P. Schrader
An Obsolete Honor is a work of historical fiction that takes place in Adolf Hitler’s Germany from 1938, before the Aryan nation invaded Poland, through 1944 after the attempted assassination on Der Fuhrer at the Wolf’s Den.
 An Obsolete Honor That assassination is the subject of Valkyrie, a recent movie. I saw the movie, but this book is far better. The author of Obsolete Honor is a career Foreign Service Officer who lived and worked in Berlin for two decades, conducting interviews with over 100 survivors of Nazi Germany. Among her interviewees was Nina Stauffenberg, widow of Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg, the German colonel who attempted to assassinate Hitler. As a result of her research, An Obsolete Honor is richly detailed and very well written. This was the second novel that I have read that devoted considerable effort to civilian life in Germany during World War II. The first was Chris Bohjalian’s Skeleton’s at the Feast, a more romantic tale based on a German woman’s personal diary. If you prefer romance to historical detail and politics, read Bohjalian’s book. I have, and it’s very good.
An Obsolete Honor is a family saga of two brothers and a sister who are placed into the real life living history of Germany and its relations with allies and enemies. The main character, Philip Baron von Feldberg is a commissioned army officer, a lieutenant colonel who rises to a position on the General Staff in Berlin, and aligns himself with peers and superiors who are distressed with Hitler’s military strategies and policies. He also owns an apartment building that has rented to Jews, a dissident and a Gestapo (secret police) investigator. These tenants become prominent in the story. Philip’s brother Christian is one of the Luftwaffe’s best pilots while his sister Theresa is married to a self-made businessman who attempts to enhance his fortune in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, Poland.
The most interesting aspects of Obsolete Honor were the funnels of communications between the Nazi leadership, the ranks within the military branches, and the German civilian population. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 January 2009 )
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Written by Our Reviewer, Stuart Nachbar
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Thursday, 04 December 2008 |
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I am presently working on a novel set in modern day Gettysburg, so I’ve been reading Civil War novels to get a flavor of that city at the time of the famous battle there. I am not drawn to military fiction, stories of armaments, battles and generals’ strategy, as much as the state of civilian community at the time and the lives of citizen soldiers. Yet, I am also not interested in the romanticism of a work such as Gone with the Wind.
 Bedlam South If your reading preferences for Civil War stories are like mine, you will like Bedlam South. The novel’s main setting is the Wingate Asylum, an insane asylum for captured Union soldiers as well as truly insane brothers of the Confederacy. Summoned by Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, Dr. Joseph Bryarly leaves England to take over the asylum, which has been run by an abusive, and quite possibly insane, Captain Samuel Percy. Bryarly not only battles for the minds of the truly insane; he has to balance them against his disputes with the captain and his own inner demons.
The novel’s secondary venue is the frontlines of battle, first Fredericksburg then Gettysburg, where two brothers, Billy and Zeke Gibson, live on, but become separated. Zeke makes it back across enemy lines with his comrades, while Billy is taken prisoner by the Union Army. While healing from battle-inflicted wounds, Billy falls for Sally Stearns, his nurse, and Sally gives birth to Billy’s son before she passes on, but after they become reunited. Billy returns to the Confederacy in a prisoner exchange and makes his way back home. Along the way, he fights for his meals, and a superior officer’s amusement. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 17 January 2009 )
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Written by Lauren Smith
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Friday, 02 November 2007 |
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The Virtual Book Review Network brings you... An Interview with David Dent, author of Alex Webster and the Gods  David Dent VBRN: What inspired you to create a work of science fiction? David Dent: Science fiction and fantasy have always been obsessed with the nature of godhood. The idea came to me in 2002 after reading an article in the Atlantic Monthly on the explosion of new religious movements. The article noted that there were about 10,000 religions competing for our souls and that some sociologists use the idea of a religious economy or spiritual marketplace to explain what helps a religion succeed in gaining followers. One could say that Darwinism had its start in the heavens. Because the capitalist marketplace is the dominant metaphor, if not mythology, of our age, I thought it would be interesting to examine a world where gods are the producers of religious services, competing to meet the demands of humans. VBRN: How did you arrive at the idea of Yahweh as the first capitalist? David Dent: About the same time that I was considering ideas for my book, I was also taking a course in world religions. During one class the professor asked about the nature of god as presented in the Old Testament. Rather than responding from a theological perspective, I considered it from a modern reading of the Bible, asking, What kind of business leader was Yahweh? This was not by chance because my career at that point dealt with issues of corporate governance and management. Interestingly, I found that one can argue Yahweh’s management style evolves from an entrepreneurial, hands-on deity to a maturing manager who, overtime, introduces more sophisticated management and control methods to achieve his goals. The cause for these changes is that Yahweh, like any good manager, learns from experience. His evolution is similar to that of many entrepreneurs who create new ventures and navigate them to successful organizations. In Yahweh’s case, his brand dominates the religion market, with Christianity taking about a 32 percent share worldwide. In other words, Yahweh’s story is not unlike that of Bill Gates or Henry Ford, evolving from a temperamental, even eccentric, entrepreneur to the avuncular, but distant, Chairman of the Board. And the idea tied in beautifully with the notion of a religious market. Arguably, Yahweh is the world’s first and oldest capitalist and, to this point, most successful. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 02 November 2007 )
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Written by Lauren Smith
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Wednesday, 08 August 2007 |
 Loss of Innocence Sneek Peek inside this book!
Read Chapter 1 of Anne Newton Wather's book here.... I Early Summer 1789 The Bordeaux Valley, Château de Beaumont The young rider urged his mount on, propelled by the thunderheads building on the distant horizon and by his need to reach the Château de Beaumont to inform its countess, Eugénie Devereux, about what he had learned. Sitting alone in her sun-drenched garden, Comtesse de Beaumont was unaware of the gathering storm. She was the last in a long and proud lineage dating back to the reign of Charlemagne when the emperor rewarded her ancestor’s loyalty with substantial holdings in the Bordeaux valley. Down through the generations, the de Beaumonts’ fidelity and political astuteness were invaluable to the reigning powers of France. Groomed from an early age by a doting mother and father, Eugénie Devereux assumed the mantle of responsibility at the time of their premature death and carried it lightly on her young shoulders. Now, no longer a young maid, she is a woman in the prime of life, a person of influence and an active member of the nobility’s inner circle. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 18 August 2007 )
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