Category: History

102922 • Thrift Store Finds

We only went to two thrift stores, and I went to a third. We’ve been to zero for a long time, so this was fun. Almost made it to a fourth store, but something came up and we had to call it a day. Amazing that I found no music, but that’s okay as I have plenty keeping me busy.

• Western Apache Raiding & Warfare • I have read a bit of this already, it is full of first-hand accounts, including the 100-year-old woman, born in 1830, daughter of an Apache chief!

• War at Sea • Full of fantastic paintings by the same artist, illustrating a history of the World War at sea.

• United States Navy Destroyers of World War II • The different classifications for ships has been explained to me a lot, but I still don’t understand exactly what the differences are, which is made far more difficult in that different countries have different definitions, and there are a lot of gray areas. But it looks to be very interesting and I wasn’t going to see it again if I passed it up.

• Science Fiction: The Illustrated Encyclopedia • I almost didn’t get this one, but it goes into a lot of authors and has a lot of great book covers in it. Maybe I’ll keep it, maybe I won’t. But I will read it!

• Hellfire Boys • This looks to be a very interesting book on the logistics of trying to kill and maim the enemy in new, innovative ways. So glad I wasn’t a part of this war.

• Churchill By Himself • A big book full of quotes big and small and in context. Not many people can have a book like this made about them, and this is the only one I know of like this. There might be one on Abraham Lincoln in my dad’s library, but other than that, this is it!

• Grant • I saw this when it was on television, and it was great. Thanks to this, I have an interest in learning more about Grant. Picked it up on DVD at Walmart for three bucks!

• Act of Valor • I did see this a long time ago, and all I remember is that all of the action was really, really good. After watching Open Range last month, a movie I saw years ago and only remembered it as boring, that movie upon re-watch was very good, so maybe this will be the same for Act of Valor. Also, I’m far more interested in this kind of movie after American Sniper, 13 Hours, 12 Strong, Lone Survivor, and Hurt Locker.

• Lone Survivor / American Sniper • I didn’t have a copy of Lone Survivor and only the DVD of American Sniper. Considering that all of the Blu-rays I found today were two dollars or less, it was time to get them.

• Lord of War • I watched this years ago, and every once in a while catch a little bit of it on cable. It’s a bit depressing, but interesting and like I said, it was two bucks.

• 1883 • Paid full price for this at Walmart today, on the strength of Yellowstone. Just finished the first episode, and it’s very good so far. I don’t buy full-price, new Blu-ray series very often, it has to be something I know will be really good.

040222 • Thrift Store Finds

Brad Thor: Black Ice • I’m eleven books in on my Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills/Brad Thor read-a-thon, and this was the final book that I didn’t think I’d find this soon as it was published last year! In my little reading project, it will be the final book I read, unless it takes longer than I think to accomplish and another Brad Thor book is released before I’m done!

040922 • Same thing with this book, found a week later! The latest and only one I needed to be up-to-date! Amazing. Finding books this new at a thrift isn’t something that happens to me very often.

The Lost Tomb • The thought of finding something this old is incredibly interesting. And sad, that so much of history is lost forever… we barely know anything about most of human history.

Persuasive Images • I have a few books like this; as someone who is always looking at things for their message and how it has been presented, this is a really good book. So much of it applies to today as nothing but refinement to these techniques has gone on since the images in the book were originally implemented.

Rommel • Oh no, this looks like part of a set! I can’t find this set anywhere, though. I don’t know that much about Rommel.

Spitfire Summer • Nobody really understands how important, and how close the world was to a very different conclusion… Churchill wasn’t exaggerating about so many owing so much to so few.

Witness: Voices from the Holocaust • Self-explanitory, and the kind of first-hand account book I really like to read.

The Best of Signal • I have a collection of these already, and it is interesting in that it is all German propaganda. An excerpt for example: “When, after his work is completed, the Führer gives free rein to his thoughts and talks, these are the most beautiful hours for his closest collaborators. Drawing upon his limitless store of recollections, he tells the merriest anecdotes and the most delightful stories. Whenever he touches on a subject, which seems to him worth dwelling upon, he sketches his ideas in a lively manner, delves deeply into the past and develops his creative and far-reaching ideas for the future.”

From what I’ve read, the guy would go on endless diatribes and everyone would have to listen like good little subordinates.