Howling Frog Books

Pershing: Commander of the Great War , by John Perry (The Generals series) General John J. Pershing is probably the most-forgotten eminent general in American history. Before I read this biography, I knew the name but could not tell you what he did--and yet he was one of the most famous men of the early 20th century, and the first man to be appointed General of the Armies. Overall, the book is a good short biography, excellent for those of us who want to learn but don't want to tackle one of those 800-page definitive biographies. It's readable, flows well, and is suitable for adults or high-school students interested in history. I thought it was fair to Pershing; it didn't whitewash his flaws or blame him for being a human being. The book mainly focuses on Pershing's career and family relationships. There's not much about his childhood, but his life at West Point and in the military before World War I is thoroughly explained, and really interesting to read. Per...

50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know , by Kay West, John Bridges, and Bryan Curtis The young lady's etiquette manual has been updated for modern life in this little book. It's not too short and not too long, very readable, and full of good information for a younger teenage girl. I'd say that this is one step up in maturity from the excellent American Girl books on how to behave, and aimed at girls 11-15. My own 11-year-old daughter is reading and enjoying it. I think she'll be glad to have it to refer to now that she's a little older. West divides her material into tiny little chapters, one to each topic. Each section gives basic directions, a list of do's and don'ts with reasons, and then two or three rules to sum up. Topics include everything from making introductions and dealing with fancy table settings to cell phone etiquette and rules for Facebook. Those features of modern life are discussed in detail and the rules given are quite good, so ...

Fyodor Dostoevsky (Christian Encounters Series) , by Peter Leithart This book puzzled me a bit at first. It's a sort of slightly fictionalized light biography of Dostoevsky, told in vignettes. Leithart's narrative frame has the novelist sitting with an old friend, arguing about the Russian soul and reminiscing over old times. Each chapter starts that way and then leads into flashbacks to important times in Dostoevsky's life. The flashbacks happen in approximately chronological order, but it's not always entirely clear where or when you are; it ends up a bit jumpy. There is plenty of conversation in these vignettes, which are descriptive and short. Much of the dialogue is taken directly from Dostoevsky's own words, and I did feel that I was hearing his voice. The author knows his material very well and tries to evoke 19th-century Russia and its issues without getting too heavy or difficult, but those might be conflicting goals and I thought there was not enough dept...