Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the rise of Right-Wing Extremism, Toobin - B+

                     "The insurrection of January 6, and much else in the contemporary conservative movement, show how McVeigh's values, views, and tactics have endured and even flourished in the decades since his death. That makes the story of Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing not just a glimpse of the past but also a warning about the future."

                     McVeigh grew up in Lockport, near Buffalo, where "he had a troubled, but hardly extraordinary upbringing." In high school, he began his life-long consuming interest in guns. He obsessively collected them as he meandered through a broken home life, and the economic disenfranchisement of the Lockport region.  He began to read right-wing extremist tracts. In a famous white supremacist novel, the principal character drives a fertilizer based truck bomb into FBI headquarters. He was a racist who opposed immigration when he joined the army in 1988 at the age of 20. On his first day at Ft. Benning, he met Terry Nichols. Nichols had come of age in the midst of a farm crisis in Michigan and, like McVeigh "lost what they regarded as their birthright - opportunity, economic security, and cultural status."  McVeigh excelled as a soldier and loved the army. His action in Desert Storm was brief, but he did so well that he received a Bronze Star and was promoted to sergeant. His dreams shattered upon his return when he had to drop out of Special Forces training. Simply put, months in the desert eating C-rations and waiting in the heat had taken the edge off  his conditioning. He resigned six months later. He returned to Lockport and went to work for Burns Security as a supervisor. He spent a lot of time in his car and became further radicalized listening to Rush Limbaugh. After the election of Bill Clinton, he walked away from his middle class life. He gathered his guns and shortwave radio and drove off.

               He drove aimlessly around the country from gun show to gun show while sleeping in his car. He closely followed the siege of the Branch Davidian's compound and was quite shaken by the outcome in Waco. Indeed, it became his obsession. He was convinced the Clinton's were coming for his guns. He and Nichols decided they needed to do something, to take the offensive. They began to plan their bomb in the summer of 1993.  Their goal was to set it off on April 19, 1995, the second anniversary of the Waco siege. They assembled the materials through a combination of purchase and theft. They selected the Murrah building in Oklahoma City because of its proximity to the street.  They mixed the bomb in Kansas and Nichols drove away - McVeigh was on his own. On the night of the 18th, he slept in the rented Ryder truck in a MacDonald's parking lot about 40 miles north of OKC. He parked the truck in front of the Murrah building, lit the fuse, and walked away.  

             The bomb exploded at 9:02 AM. The front third of the six story building collapsed, killing 163. Ninety minutes after the bombing, McVeigh was pulled over by an Oklahoma trooper for driving a car without a plate, and was arrested after the officer noticed a firearm. Two days later, he was in FBI custody. Nichols was arrested the following day. McVeigh happily told anyone who listened that he was responsible for the bombing. The prosecution by the DOJ was narrow, i.e. focused on McVeigh and Nichols. Bill Clinton would have preferred a tie in to "the poisonous rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, and the right-wing zealotry machine." The two men were indicted in August. A major part of the case came from Mike and Lori Fortier, stoner friends who knew about the plot and turned state's evidence. Because of concern about objectivity in Oklahoma, the case was moved to Denver and overseen by Judge Richard Matsch. He opted for separate trials for the two men. McVeigh's trial began in April, 1997. The government presented an open and shut case proving McVeigh committed the crime. The defense presented a weak case of reasonable doubt. After a few days of deliberations, the jury convicted McVeigh. In the penalty phase, the government presented three days of heart-wrenching testimony from the victim's families. To no avail, the defense tried to paint McVeigh as the ideal soldier. He was sentenced to be executed. Nichols was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.  McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001.

            McVeigh had wished to start a rebellion and to an extent he did. He inspired militias around the country to act. After 9/11, the right tried to deflect the focus away from themselves and onto foreigners. There was an explosive growth in fanatical rhetoric when Obama became president, much of it fanned by Fox News and the Republican establishment. There were constant acts of white supremacist and anti-government violence throughout Obama's eight years. And matters severely deteriorated under Trump, who touted many of the extreme violent tropes of the far right. The Biden administration is working to label those who deem themselves to be patriots as the traitors they are.

          In so many ways, this is a brilliant book. The first half is as fine as anything I've ever read. I believe the author stumbles with his attempt to connect McVeigh to January 6th. It is my observation that in the long road from the John Birch Society to the MAGA movement, McVeigh was a bit player, not a leader.

              

The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole A Train, Stunned The West, And Broke The Republic Of China, Zimmerman - B

                      In the dozen years after its 1911 revolution, China fell into chaos as bandits and warlords battled and the government of the Republic of China sat helplessly in Peking. In 1923, a newly launched express train passed through bandit territory. "In early May, the inevitable happened - an attack on the Peking Express, a hostage situation, and a diplomatic crisis that captured the attention of the globe - it not only changed the lives of those caught up in the affair; it also changed China and its relationship with the rest of the world. This is that story." 

                    On May 5th, the fully loaded train pulled out of Shanghai. In Shantung Province, 25 year old Sun Mei-yao and his band were waiting.  Sun was bright, ambitious, and hoping to free the countryside from the brutality of the warlords. In the early hours of the next day, the train derailed, and 1,000 men attacked. They robbed the passengers, and then took over one hundred hostages. Twenty-eight were foreigners, including Lucy Aldrich, daughter of a late U.S. Senator and sister-in-law of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. They began to walk into the mountains. Most were in their nightclothes and many were barefoot. Government troops were soon in hot pursuit. The bandits split the hostages up and continued to try and march away from the government's soldiers. As word of the kidnapping spread, various western governments made demands on the Chinese government. Aldrich escaped when the bandits grew weary of trying to move the overweight older woman along.  

                A German priest was the first to speak to Sun about his demands. He did not want money, just the removal of warlords from the province. He threatened to kill the hostages. An American diplomat made the next approach. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Sun moved the hostages further away from the railway line. The central government was unable to exert any control over the warlords, who continued to threaten and surround the bandits. Sun sent an American newspaperman and two of his colleagues down the mountain to negotiate with the authorities. Sun received what he wanted, which was the dismissal of the local warlord, acceptance of his band into the army, along with a month's pay and a uniform for each man. On June 8, the hostages were released.

              The national government was humiliated and a coup led to an immediate change. At years end, those that Sun had humiliated sought and achieved their revenge. Sun's bodyguards were arrested and shot. He was beheaded. The chaos and violence in the countryside was ended when Chiang Kai-shek bought stability to the country in 1928. 

Zero Days, Ware - B+

                    The characterization 'page turner' isn't appropriate. Pages on fire might fit better. Jac Cross and her husband, Gabe, have a business testing companies' security systems. After a long night out, Jac returns home to find Gabe murdered. The next day, when she realizes she is a suspect, she hightails it off grid. With only a few dollars from her sister and some help from a friend, she is able to sort out that who might be behind the murder. Someone very close to them who was involved with some scary folks from the dark web had killed Gabe. The book trails off a bit toward the end, but all in all is a blast of a thriller.

To Kill A Troubadour, Walker - B+

                     This is another fine addition to the Bruno, Chief of Police series set in fictional St. Denis in the south of France. Because the author is an historian turned novelist, the books often tell an underlying story about the region. The background here concerns the medieval Occitan language, and the interrelationship between Spain and this section of France.  The story involves a group in the region that plays ancient instruments and sings songs from the distant past. Because they recently released a song about Catalan independence, they have attracted the attention of right-wing Spanish nationalists. The security forces orchestrate a very thorough and highly professional response in order to protect the troubadours and stop the would be assassin. At the national level, the French ascertain that Russia is behind the planned attack, which of course Bruno stops at the last minute. Excellent.

Sell Us The Rope, May - B+

                      This fascinating novel is an imagining of the famous 1907 Russian Labour Congress  held in London and attended by Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Litvinov, Gorky, Rosa Luxemburg and Elli Vuokko, along with hundreds of other socialists. Vuokko is a teenage Finn of vast talents and good looks, who catches the eye of the Georgian known as Koba. Luxemburg encourages Elli to have a fling with the brooding Stalin, who eyes all around him with great suspicion. Justifiably so, as Lenin orchestrates a tricky entrapment to link Stalin to the Okhrana, which Stalin sees before he is caught. 

                     The background insights into Stalin and Luxembourg are enlightening. The vivid descriptions of London's poverty, hopelessness, congestion and despair are on par with Dickens. Stalin's alleged connection to the Okhrana is based on a very slim reed that has never been confirmed in over a century. As we know, Koba ruled the USSR in a three decade reign of terror and is considered one of history's great monsters. The two women did not last long in Europe's caldron at the end of WWI. Vuokko was murdered by White Guards in Finland's 1918 Civil War. Luxembourg was murdered by a paramilitary unit in Berlin in 1919.

Operation Oskar, Herzberg - B

                 While his superiors are trying to decide if Lt. Reim has any responsibility for his boss's death, he is assigned to a really unpleasant undercover operation. He goes to work in the garbage dump where West Berlin drivers take capitalism's refuse and provide the east with hard currency. There's bit of black market activity, but not enough to merit a deep dive by the Stasi. Nonetheless, Reim's boss, Maj. Blecher is interested and wishes to pursue the investigation. Unfortunately for Blecher, Oskar is working for the KGB and Blecher's command is terminated with extreme prejudice. These books aren't very good, but they are written by a German who actually worked as an archivist for the Stasi, depict Berlin with extraordinary specificity, and set forth the ludicrousness of the paranoia that ruled East Germany with a deft touch.

Stasi Vice, Hertzberg - B

                     Lt. Reim is tasked by his superior to ascertain the whereabouts of Lutz Hofmann, the husband of Sylvie, the woman he is having an affair with. Reim very quickly learns that his boss, Maj. Frohlich, and Sylvie killed Hoffman. Further digging on Reim's part reveals that Frohlich has a very sophisticated plan to head west with Sylvie, and has already put together a paperwork trail that would pin Reim as the person who facilitated their exit. Reim is saved from the Stasi's vengeance when his estranged wife shoots Frohlich, and strolls across to West Berlin with Sylvie. The story is bit preposterous, but it is the first in a series set in East Berlin, and hey - they just don't do the Cold War as well as they used to.

The Aftermath: The Last Days Of The Baby Boom And The Future Of Power In America, Bump - B

                     A nation of 140 million saw 76 million births over a nineteen year period beginning in 1946. The boomers dominated their era, and are now fading from the scene. This book explores the cultural, economic, and political consequences of the millennials replacing them. The post-war boom led to massive economic changes. In the field of education, for example, millions of teachers and hundreds of thousands of classrooms alone were needed around the country. Size begets power. Today, the boomers who constitute 29% of the population hold 56% of the seats in Congress, and 70% of the nation's wealth. The end though is in sight. The Census Dept. calculates that there will be only 2.5 million boomers left in 2060, a mere 1% of the population. The fact that boomers are mostly white and  conservative points to a future whose political inclinations will change. The younger generation is considerably less white. Non-Hispanic whites are 70% of boomers and 55% of millennials. Because of the xenophobic immigration laws that existed from 1924 to 1965, boomers are less likely to be immigrants or the children of immigrants. Millennials tend to be better educated and boomers more religious.

                     It is in the arena of politics that we are seeing the greatest difference in the generations. Trump was elected by older whites without college degrees, who  focused on having lost their status in America. Immigrants, Blacks, Hispanics and women are cutting the line, leaving a minority that is fighting vigorously to maintain its position. Theirs is a "nativist reaction" similar to so many instances in our national past. Shockingly, MAGA supporters believe that white people are discriminated against. 

                     Culturally, the boomers created the modern film and music industry. Every aspect of the boomer's life growing up was inextricably linked to the emergence of rock'n'roll. They are still identified with it and, surprisingly, performers like the Beatles, Stones, and Jimi Hendrix still resonate with the millennials. However, the entire distribution system of both films and music have changed and has been fully adopted by today's younger generation. Financially, the boomers will eventually transfer over $70 trillion to their heirs. They already are  gifting significant assets to their Gen X and millennial offspring. There is a fly in the ointment though, and it is that the wealth is unequally held and it is the pampered children of the wealthy who will receive most of these bequests. As many, many younger people struggle with college debts, and the Social Security/Medicare financial structure requires either more workers or more taxes, the boomer wealth transfer may not be a panacea for the millennials. Politically, America has functioned under a minority rule system for decades, and is now faced with the possibility of a right-wing takeover. However, the threat is fleeting because the millennials are overwhelmingly opposed to the Trump/Republican agenda.

                    "What we can say with the most certainty is that the America into which the baby boomers were born is long gone and that the America they built is crumbling. The uncertainty is whether that America is replaced by ashes, once again, a phoenix." Some interesting points along the way, but not worth the effort.

The Good Turn, McTieran - B+

                      This is the third book in this series featuring Garda Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly in Galway. When his superior officer, Superintendent  Murphy,  fails to support him and his team while they are looking for a kidnapped child, Reilly begins to have his suspicions. Murphy uses all of the officers under his command to work on a successful interdiction of drug traffickers. Reilly checks around and finds that he is not the only one suspicious about possible collaboration between the McGrath gang and the Garda. Interpol and Internal Affairs are also looking at the matter. They set up a sting operation that totally backfires, and Murphy assures Reilly that he'll be soon out of work. By a pure stroke of luck, Reilly stumbles upon video proof that will prove the connection between Murphy and the McGrath's. The tables are turned, Murphy is off to jail, and we'll wait for the next book to see how Reilly is doing. Very well done. 

Down The River Unto The Sea, Mosley - B

                      This novel is set in Brooklyn and Manhattan and features Joe King Oliver, a PI. Joe was framed and forced off the NYPD a decade before and still seethes with anger about how he was treated. A client asks him to look into the conviction of a man who had killed the two cops that Joe was investigating when his life fell apart. He sees that there is a chance to solve his case while working on the new one. Plot, sub-plots and a vast assortment of evildoers send Joe all around the city in his pursuit of justice. Joe learns that he'll never be able to clear his name, but he does free an innocent man from custody and is well compensated for his efforts.

War And Conflict In The Middle Ages: A Global Perspective, Morillo - Inc.

                      The topic is introduced by a review of three battles from the era. Al-Qadasiyyah in 638 took place in southern Iraq when Bedouin Arabs, newly Muslim, attacked a Persian army. "The Arab Islamic army saw itself as representing an egalitarian society without hereditary rulers; the Persian army saw itself as representing a hierarchical society... and its supporting aristocratic elite." The Arabs had no military history and the Persians a thousand years of success. The Persians outnumbered the Arabs by probably 3:1. The Arab archers wore them down and defeated them in a days long battle. Within four years, the new religion conquered the entire empire. At Xiangyang, the Mongols besieged a Chinese city during the years 1268-1273. The Chinese empire was the wealthiest, most powerful, and innovative entity on the planet. The Mongols were masters of offensive dexterity. It "was a meeting of giants..." The Mongols engaged in an unusual war of attrition against the fortified city. They built forts around the Xiangyang and isolated it. Kublai Khan accepted the city's surrender and proceeded to conquer the entire empire in three years. China was too big though, and within a century, the Mongols were replaced. Morat was fought on June 22, 1476 by Charles the Bold of Burgundy and the Swiss Confederation. Charles' army was international, combat effective, had all types of arms, and laid siege to the city. The almost-democratic Swiss infantry pikemen surprised them, forced them into retreat, and killed 10,000 with minimal casualties on their part. Within a year, Charles was dead and Burgundy no longer an independent entity. "Armed conflict was, ultimately, a central form of communication and negotiation through which medieval people defined themselves and their world..." War and conflict were "a process...that contributed to the formation of a global Middle Ages."

                      Physical constraints imposed "universal patterns on the conduct of war and conflict." War was restricted "to geographic areas within striking distance of grain-growing communities." Similarly, societies were organized around the elites ability to control the food supply and the broader based society. It was the organized states that were able to fight wars.

                      To some extent this is fascinating and intriguing, but it is too academic for me.