Circus fire

Title: The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy
Author: Stewart O'Nan and Alice van Straalen
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub-genre: history
Pages:  384
Published: 2008
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN:  0385496850
Reader's Annotation: One of the worst entertainment fires in the 20th century, O'Nan tells the tale of all those invovled
Summary: Ringling Brothers and Co circus was/is one of the biggest names in circus names. The story of the Hartford Circus fire in 1944 harkens back on memories of other disasters and is heart wrenching. The account of how the fire started, the heroism, and the finality of the fire is one that is worth reading about.
My Evaluation: Wow... What a great book. I had never heard about this story before and I was really happy I picked it up. Now I want to read about other circus stories!. O'Nan does an excellent job of setting the story, telling what happened, and then mopping it up afterwards. The only reason is it didn't get five stars is that there were too many people to keep track of. I wish O'Nan had put a little more effort in to telling the reader who so and so is again instead of the reader having to remember as there are a lot of details in this book.
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Fall of Giants

Title: Fall of Giants
Author: Ken Follett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Sub-genre: romance, history
Pages:  1000
Published: 2011
Publisher: NAL Trade
ISBN: 0451232577
Series: Century Trilogy, #1
Reader's Annotation: Several different stories intertwine with the 20th century's first major war
Summary: Follett weaves a long tale of several stories of different families from different cultures and classes through the tale of World War I. From a lower class coal mine workers to a Lord from Wales, to Russian workers, Follett allows the reader to gain a new prospective on a war that was suppose to end all wars.
My Evaluation: Such a long book! I'm really glad I finished it. Follett, while over writes some details like the exact brand of gun or grenade, weaves a good tale. You grow to love the characters and wonder what happens to them. This and the fact that within each chapter, the story jumps from family to family so sometimes you have rack your brain as to what happened to that character because sometimes Follett takes a long break from them. I did get use to it after a while but it was kind of annoying
Rating:  4.7 out of 5

In the Garden of Beasts

Title: In the Garden of Beasts
Author: Erik Larson
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub-genre: History, Nazism, WWII, European History
Pages:  450
Published: 2011
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
ISBN: 0307408841
Reader's Annotation:A window into the American Ambassador in Germany as Hitler rises to power
Summary: Erik Larson provides a historical look into the lives of William Dodd and his daughter, Martha as he is made America's ambassador to Germany in 1933. Rich with fact, Larson's look provides a window into an American family's perspective to the rise of the Nazis
My Evaluation: Once again Erik Larson is an consummate historian. His research is outstanding. I only know of Dodd by name and not much else so this was an eye-opener. Once it again, Larson proves his point that had the US government listened to Dodd as well as others, 6 million lives would have not been lost to the mad men of Hitler and his cronies. Dodd, a very staunch Jeffersonian, wants a different way for the ambassadorship, especially in Europe but once again the old boys club in Washington at this time, fails to listen to him. Larson's research into Dodd's life as well as Martha's, was amazing. Martha's tryst with NKVD operative is especially astounding considering the atmosphere at the time. However, unlike the other two books of Larson's that I have read, this one was much drier. His other two books had a mystery element to them, as both involved a murder (Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck) so this book was harder to get through than the others.
Rating:  3.8 out of 5
Readalikes: 
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie
The Monster of Florence by Preston Douglas
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Liberators: America's Witnesses to the Holocaust by Michael Hirsh
The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood by Mark Kurzem
Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi

Getting to know the real Catherine

Title: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Author: Robert K. Massie
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub-genre: Biography
Pages:  625
Published: 2011
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0679456724
Reader's Annotation: One of the most influential and powerful women in history is not who most people think she is.
Summary: Massie, well known for his work in Russian history, brings to life one of the great women of the 18th century. He describes not only the life and court of Catherine the Great but brings in historical elements so that the reader can understand and gain perspective on the decisions that were made.
My Evaluation: There were two reasons that I read this book, One, I had read Massie's Pulitzer Prize winning book, Nicholas and Alexandra previously and I wanted to read this book after reading that book to gain some historical perspective on how previous Russian tzars had influenced the decisions that Nicholas made for his country.  Secondly, my relatives on my mother's side (they were German), joined Catherine in Russia, eventually settling on the Volga River and I wanted to learn more about what their life would have been like under this important ruler. Massie, ever the consummate historian, brings to life a story of a brilliant woman that few in the 21st century know about. This book is long but it is extremely well written and well researched. The life of Catherine both in Germany and finally in Russian is well versed in both brilliance and struggles. Massie is excellent at showing the reader that what happens in a person's past definitely affects their future decisions. The one thing I think readers will take away from this book, even not remembering a thing about Catherine is that: she did not die by having sex with a horse!
Rating:  4 out of 5
Readalikes:
Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty 

Events mentioned in this book that you might find interesting:
Push Not the River (Polish Trilogy #1) by James Conroyd Martin (Deals with late 1700s Poland and the carving it by Catherine the Great)
Against A Crimson Sky (Polish Trilogy #2) by James Conroyd Martin
Madame Tussard by Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction with a ton of real life research about her life during the French Revolution at the end of Catherine the Great's reign)