Daniel's Updates

Daniel is 15% done with Feet of Clay

Sat, 10 May 2025 07:53:04 -0700

Daniel Greear is 15% done with Feet of Clay.

Daniel is 58% done with The Once and Future King

Fri, 09 May 2025 20:02:44 -0700

Daniel Greear is 58% done with The Once and Future King.

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Fri, 09 May 2025 05:48:22 -0700

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Fri, 09 May 2025 05:47:18 -0700

Daniel started reading 'Feet of Clay'

Thu, 08 May 2025 19:37:15 -0700

Daniel started reading Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

Daniel added 'The Sinking of the Bismarck'

Thu, 08 May 2025 18:40:02 -0700

Daniel gave 4 stars to The Sinking of the Bismarck (Kindle Edition) by William L. Shirer
The Sinking of the Bismarck by William L. Shirer:

William L. Shirer is known for his epic Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which details the history of Nazi Germany. Shirer, an American news correspondent in Berlin, had a first hand look into Hitler's regime and had to ultimately flee for his life. I read it several years ago, and it's worth the read. I also have his copy of The Collapse of the Third Republic, which is about France and her surrender in World War II. I started it years ago but never finished.

The Sinking of the Bismarck is about Britain's naval struggle against the mightiest battleship of all time, the Bismarck. These were dark days for Britain, France had fallen, America was not yet in the war, and the British stood alone. They had been virtually kicked out of Europe, were under constant bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, and were sustaining defeat after defeat at sea. They desperately needed a victory.

It took everything they had, including the mightiest ship in the British Navy, the HMS Hood. and various other ships and aircraft to bring the mighty ship down. The Hood was lost early in the struggle, and of the 1,400 men onboard, only 3 survived. Ironically, when the Bismarck was sunk, the British, despite under threat of U-boats and German aircraft, were able to save a couple scores of German sailors. This was an epic struggle in a desperate and dark time for the world.

The Bismarck lives on and has been immortalized in Johnny Horton's song, 'Sink the Bismarck". It was the greatest battleship ever and the last German ship to enter the seas in World War II. Shirer brings the story to life in this short book, which only spans 170 pages, and is far shorter than his other works. This book is concise and direct, there isn't much detail or backstory. You must have a strong understanding of World War II and a decent understanding of naval warfare. Luckily, I have quite a bit of the former and just enough of the latter.

This was a great read, but could have been expanded upon.

Daniel wants to read 'Remembering Johnson City'

Thu, 08 May 2025 11:56:56 -0700

Daniel wants to read Remembering Johnson City by Bob L. Cox

Daniel added 'Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War'

Wed, 07 May 2025 16:28:49 -0700

Daniel gave 5 stars to Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War (Kindle Edition) by Robert K. Massie
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War (Kindle Edition)
by Robert K. Massie:

This was one of the greatest works of history and non-fiction that I've ever read. I simply am amazed by Massie's scope, detail, and near-novel like writing style. This is a massive book, the Kindle edition is 1,250 pages, and it took me just over 5 weeks to read it. I would have finished it sooner had I not had two trips during this time period along with finishing other books.

The title is misleading. This is not simply a book about the Dreadnought, dreadnoughts, or even naval warfare. Dreadnought is a history of Germany and the United Kingdom from the Victorian Era to August 1914 when World War I began. The ensemble of characters is Ware and Peace like in scale, with figures such as Kaiser Wilhelm II, Jackie Fisher, and Winston Churchill. This great work is not simply limited to the U.K. and Germany, as the pages take you all around the world to various crucial points in the build up to the war. Such places include Agadir, the Sudan, and South Africa.

I have long been fascinated by this era. I think high school would be a fair estimate of when my interest first was gained. I took a class on World War I in college and loved it. All along the way, I have been fascinated by this forgotten war, which is more interesting to me than World War II. I always say, you can't have one without the other, and Henry Kissinger wrote that the two were really Europe's second Thirty Years' War. I think that it's all a damn tragedy, the world was truly upended and remade and so many millions were lost forever.

Dreadnought shows you the build up. It shows you the events and characters that led to Armageddon. It shows you how avoidable it could have been, or maybe how unavoidable it really was. It's a tragedy, through and through.

Daniel started reading 'The Sinking of the Bismarck'

Wed, 07 May 2025 15:24:16 -0700

Daniel started reading The Sinking of the Bismarck by William L. Shirer

Daniel added 'Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War'

Wed, 07 May 2025 11:16:31 -0700