Greece: A History | Greece

There’s something beautifully tragic about Greece—foreshadowed in the work of Euripides or Sophocles—that’s both enchanting and sad.

Spies of the Balkans | WWII

Costa Zannis is helped, and sometimes hindered, by a cast of characters who show that heroism is something that regular people can do on a regular basis during extraordinary circumstances.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece | Greece

I picked up The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece by Nigel Rodgers on a whim. I thought, “Hm, this might be nice to thumb through.” Did I thumb through it? No. I read it, and it was quite the endeavor. Overview: This book starts with the Minoans and Mycenaeans, the precursors to the Greeks, and works…

The Republic | Greece

When it came to picking a Greek classic for my month of Greece, I was inundated with choice, except I’ve already read most of the big ones: The Iliad, The Odyssey, Euripides, Sophocles…check, check, check check. And I didn’t want to read Herodotus’ Histories. So Plato’s Republic it was. I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t easy to get through….

The Diary of a Young Girl | WWII

This book defines the human spirit and its ability to find joy in adversity and goodness in people, even after everything it suffers.

Sarah’s Key | WWII

When I first saw the short description for Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, I thought it would be a cute book for young readers (well, as cute as Jewish victims during WWII can possibly be)…but oh, I was so wrong. It was a good book, but I wouldn’t say cute. More like tumultuous. Overview:…

The Secret War | WWII

Success was not due just to bigger navies or faster planes or better soldiers; it was due as well to the intelligence gathered by secret warriors.

D-Day, June 6, 1944 | WWII

Only the bravery and courage of the troops, the leadership of their superiors, and the force of the human will to conquer got the Allies up the beaches.

The Lost City of Z | Brazil

The point of this book is the journey that you take with both Colonel Fawcett and David Grann, the journey through both the jungle and the avenues of the mind.

Band of Brothers | WWII

Band of Brothers follows one company of men with extraordinary courage through Europe to victory.

The Alchemist | Brazil

Any book that combines following dreams, love, suffering, and God without being sappy is worth reading.