Based on True Story Archives - Page 2 of 5

Complex Genius…”Leonardo da Vinci”, by Walter Isaacson

Most literate, and perhaps some not so literate, people around the world know Leonardo daVinci for his two most famous paintings…….The Last Supper, and Mona Lisa, but there was so much more to be learned about this complex genius. As with most extremely creative people, DaVinci had an insatiable curiosity for just about everything. He used his curiosity about many subjects….. anatomy, engineering, the heart, flying, machines, botany, geology, weaponry……. just on and on……to give a dimension to his art work that very few other artists, if any, could accomplish. He was much ahead of his time displaying just as much interest in science and technology as he did in his art. Being able to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, which was illustrated by his famous drawing of Vitruvian Man, led his critics to think of him as one of history’s most creative geniuses.

How many times do you hear children ask inquisitive questions such as where does rain come from? But, as children grow older, that inquisitiveness seems to lessen and lessen until it all but disappears. Isaacson found that the childlike trait in Leonardo daVinci never did disappear. DaVinci kept many notebooks about all of his thoughts on subjects, and all of his drawing collections, making a perfect source for Isaacson’s biography. He found him to be a very complex man, but very comfortable in his own skin. He was born illegitimate and was known to be homosexual, so it was used to his advantage. Nobody had set ideas that he was expected to live within or parameters that he was expected to honor. He was very at ease with himself, and gave himself the freedom to take his imagination in many directions. The biography of DaVinci is the newest for author Isaacson who is well-known for his acclaimed best sellers…….Steve Jobs, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin. It is a lengthy, beautifully illustrated book that should be savored.

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Integrity, Trust in God, and the True Power of Forgiveness…”Higher is Waiting”, by Tyler Perry

When one thinks of Tyler Perry, the actor, we think of his comedic character Madea. He created the character which has brought him much recognition and success as actor, director, and producer of the Madea movies. However, with the publishing of his book, Higher is Waiting, Perry also adds serious author to his resume.

The novel is very poignantly written, describing Perry’s life in vivid, moving prose, even though his early childhood and life were filled with brutality, depravation, and fear. He chose to be thankful for those people who helped him survive, rather than dwelling on the negatives. He gave praise to people such as…….his Aunt Mae who gave care to her grandfather, and who was born a slave and sewed quilts that told generational stories; Mr. Butler, a blind man who sold penny candies; and, his beloved Mother, Maxine, who endured abuse, money problems, and the daily struggle growing up in the old south. Perry very tenderly creates portraits of these people who taught him the important life lessons of integrity, trust in God, and the true power of forgiveness.

One reviewer says this of Tyler Perry…….despite his experiences early on in life, and despite having that natural ability to “sniff out” danger or ill intention, Perry has managed to develop an accepting and loving graciousness toward people, even toward those who have wronged him.

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The Great Motivator…”Darkest Hour: How Churchill Brought England Back from the Brink”, by Anthony McCarten

It has been said of Winston Churchill, “He was speaking to the nation, the world, and indeed to history……..Author, Anthony McCarten, has written a very descriptive non-fiction novel, The Theory of Everything, about Winston Churchill, the man, the politician, and the Prime Minster of Great Britain. He faced many daunting and stressful moments during the Nazi terrorism in Europe. His main goal was to make sure that Great Britain retained its sovereignty, even secretly giving a passing thought that a peace treaty with the Nazis Regime might have to be a consideration.

Many of our oldest citizenry can remember as children, their families huddled around a radio which had a very weak signal, causing it to sound like a scratched record. They were waiting on the next speech from either our President or Winston Churchill as to what was happening in the war. Churchill was known for his inspiring speeches. Those speeches were not in any way impromptu, but instead were rehearsed and revised as needed before being given publicly. One reader said that one speech made them.want to sign up for a war that happened even before their parents were born. Churchill was most definitely a great motivator when it came to his speeches.

We tend to place such people as Churchill on a pedestal, thinking they do everything with perfection, but McCarten’s novel shows the human side of such a leader, the side that we all have of human vulnerability. The vulnerability of a man on whose shoulders rested the fate of the world during the spring weeks of 1940. He, like every other human being, wrestled with self-doubt, actual failures, and the baggage given to him from a distant and judgmental father.
The Theory of Everything is considered by most reviewers to be a very interesting and worthwhile read about Churchill, World War II and just in speech writing in general. The book is slated to become a movie starring Gary Oldman.

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Too Afraid to Take The Chance on Going After Your Real Interests?…”Soar!”, by T.D. Jakes

In this inspirational book, author T. D. Jakes gives anyone who has an interest in being an entrepreneur, the basic skills to build upon that basic interest. Many begin their adult careers in jobs that they are not really happy with, but are too afraid to take the chance on going after their real interests. T. D. Jakes gives practical advice with a touch of inspirational life coach advice thrown in for good measure.

SOAR! combines the corporate mentality and the self-fulfilling drive of the non-profits into the creation of a flight plan for capturing that drive that we all have inside us. The subtitle of Build Your Vision from the Ground Up, pretty much says it all. The book works best for those who already have a vision or an idea that they would like to pursue. It is not an instruction of how to determine those visions or ideas.

As quoted by T. D. Jakes…….you don’t have to be an entrepreneur to think like one and take flight with your dreams.

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Codenpendence, Eating Disorders, Abortion as Well as Many Others…”I’m Fine…And Other Lies”, by Whitney Cummings

You expect a book by Whitney Cummings, stand-up comic, actor and creator/co-creator of two network sitcoms, including the long-running “Two Broke Girls” would be funny. What you wouldn’t expect is that her memoir “I’m Fine … And Other Lies” would be such a frank, deeply moving account of her experiences with codependence, eating disorders, abortion, consent, fertility as well as many others.

“I feel I had dealt with a lot of my codependence in my personal life and professional life but it still was rearing its ugly head in other ways,” she told me. “Codependence is like a game of whack-a-mole. You think you’ve dealt with one part, another part pops up.”

“I so badly wanted everything to be easy that I ignored reality,” she continued. “The same mentality can be, ‘Oh, this guy will change. He’s done this with every other woman but if I just love him enough, he’ll change.’ Or, ‘My boss yells at me every day but if I just dress a certain way or get this brief in on time, she’ll stop.’ These things that we tell ourselves to self-soothe but ultimately end up putting us in dangerous situations, for me is a slippery slope.”

The theme of her book mimics her comedic style. There will be honesty and humor enough for any “2 Broke Girl” fan.

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Reinforcing the Idea That We Owe our Forefathers Much Respect….”Killing England”, by Bill O’Reilly

It has become a very popular series of books from authors, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, and the latest, Killing England, is considered by some to be the best yet. Some readers say that this book about the Revolutionary War, told through the eyes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and King George III, is a true chronicle of America’s battles to become independent of England. A protest resulted in a world war that would bring many casualties and create complete chaos.

It has always been a horrendous thought of how savage the combat in such a war must have been. Fighting face to face, hand to hand until death is the true brutality of such a war. The authors give realistic accounts of some of the iconic battles such as Yorktown, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Long Island. The real characters come to life as they are either brave Americans or known traitors. The book demonstrates how people who really want their lives bettered can accomplish the impossible.

Some readers may get a better idea of the roots of American Democracy, and why so many are so angrily defending the National Anthem and Flag. Killing England reinforces the ideas that we owe our forefathers the respect for all they endured to create our independent country. Being a former history teacher, O’Reilly is adept in presenting the subject with historical accuracy. Not only is the book narrative given from the American leaders, but also from the points of view of the English Monarchy, and even explains French society at the time of the war. In the words of one reader……..it is both an amazing and very instructional read.

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Untold Heroism…”Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned With the U.S. Army to Fight Hitler”, by Bruce Henderson

There have been numerous books written about Nazis Germany and the Holocaust, but the non-fiction book, Sons and Soldiers, is a very unique story among all others. It is the little known story of ten teenage, German Jews, and their fight to survive by escaping to the United States. Once safe, they wanted to do something to help, as well as be able to search for the families they left behind.

The U.S. Army considered the German-born Jewish boys to be an invaluable secret weapon in defeating Adolf Hitler. There were 2,000 of them who joined with small, elite interrogation teams throughout Europe. They would interrogate POWS, obtaining crucial information that ultimately helped save American lives and assisted in the victory over Hitler.

The ten who were featured in Sons and Soldiers, were called the Ritchie Boys, because they went through training at Fort Ritchie in Frederick, Maryland. Their interrogations provided key tactical intelligence on the strength of the enemy, troop and armored personnel movement, and defensive positions. It was discovered after the war, that the Ritchie Boys alone were responsible for 60% of the intelligence information collected!

Reviews for Sons and Soldiers are glowing from readers who previewed the novel. The subtitle gives the description pretty accurately…….The Untold Stories of the Jews who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with the US Army to Fight Hitler. Henderson writes the true story behind these ten brave young men, and their mission to defeat Hitler, and to also search for relatives who had been left behind.

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The Miracle Of Dunkirk, “Dunkirk”, by Joshua Levine

We have all heard about the battle of Dunkirk with the Allied troops against Hitler’s Nazi army. It was truly a miracle that 400,000 Allied troops were trapped against the coast of Dunkirk, and sure to perish. However, 338,000 of those troops were rescued, and within eleven days were evacuated into England. Many wondered how that was possible against such a forceful army as Nazi Germany.

Author, Walter Lord took on the task of laying out the happenings of May 24, 1940 in the same methodical, deliberate method with which he wrote his most famous, acclaimed book, Titanic: A Night to Remember. It is said that he is so precise in his detail that he documented the sound in Titanic by counting the number of plates, cups, and pieces of glass that were breaking all at once. Some have said that had Lord only written that one book, he would still be the favorite author of many.

The Miracle of Dunkirk is a fast paced novel, with no explanations of how the Allied troops got themselves into that position in the first place, but jumps right into the rescue. Lord’s “in the weeds” perspective is focused on individuals, not a chain of events leading up to the battle, which some critics find to be problematic. But many wholeheartedly agree with the author’s method because he introduces interesting characters, from the soldier waiting to be rescued, to the captains dodging German torpedo boats, even including civilian day-sailors crossing the Channel to lend assistance. This rescue of so many by non-military transports surpasses any other similar attempt. Lord was totally immersed into the experiential aspect of the situation.

The Miracle of Dunkirk will be adapted to screen by Dark Knight director, Christopher Nolan. The film will be called Dunkirk and was shot in IMAX, and is a big budget film, retelling the BEF’s remarkable escape.

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Great Achievements As Well As Personal Failures…”Charlton Heston: Hollywood’s Last Icon”, by Marc Eliot

The New York Times bestselling author, Marc Eliot, has presented another iconic biography in his series. Charlton Heston, who lived a larger than life existence, had a major presence in the history of American film, television, stage, and theater. Heston’s career lasted more than beyond the second half of the 20th Century, with his films being popular worldwide. Other icons in author Eliot’s books include: Cary Grant, Walt Disney, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, and others. Eliot has stated that he received unprecented access to Heston’s family, friends, private papers, diaries, journals, and writings. The book describes a tale of someone who lived an extraordinary life.

Like all human beings, Heston had great achievements, but also had personal failures. Sometimes we only see what Hollywood wants us to see in such a cultural great as was Heston. Eliot tells a very complex story of how a small boy from Michigan grew up to become one of Hollywood’s most legendary stars. Heston was also one of the Greatest Generation true-life war heroes, having seen action in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After the war, he moved to New York City to try to find success in theater. It was his performance on live television where he was “discovered” by Hollywood. The book explains the unparalleled saga of Heston’s three movies for Cecil B. DeMille, and two films for William Wyle which included film greats, The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. It was Ben Hur for which Heston won his Best-Actor Oscar.

In his later years, Heston became affiliated with political issues, the NRA, and being at one time asked to run for President by both Republican and Democrat parties. The novel covers Heston’s amazing life with great detail, that will please longtime fans, Hollywood movie lovers, and the new generation just discovering the work of Charlton Heston for the first time.

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From The Bravery on the Battlefield, to Their Journey to Recovery…”Portraits of Courage”, by George W. Bush

President George W. Bush has published a new book (Feb. 2017) that is a beautifully done tribute to some soldiers that he had to send in harm’s way after 9/11. It has been described as a vibrant collection of oil paintings depicting 66 of the soldiers, and a four-panel mural. President Bush painted the portraits, then gave the story of each soldier written in his own words.

It is a very daunting job, as President of the United States, to have to ask our military to travel into harm’s way for months, sometimes years at a time. President George W. Bush has made it his mission to create an initiative, The Military Service Initiative, to help post 9/11 veterans and their families in making a successful transition to civilian life. They also address issues such as veteran wellness, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury. Readers can see the faces of those who answered America’s call to service, and learn life lessons from their bravery on the battlefield, but also from their journey to recovery and the contributions they are making as civilians.

Net profits from all books will be donated to the Bush Institute Military Initiative, through the George Bush Presidential Center on the Dallas campus of SMU. The exhibit is open from March 2 to October 1, 2017.

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