LIFE D-Day: Remembering the Battle that Won the War - 70 Years Later by Life Magazine.

"With stunning photography and graphic, detailed accounts of "storming the beaches of Normandy" and the following campaign, this magazine depicts the strategic and decisive planning needed to run a successful military campaign but it also shows how truly horrible war is."

3 Stars.

Pros: Absolutely stunning photography.

Cons: Some of the maps of the D-Day invasion and the following months campaign, as well as the Battle of the Bulge, were a bit confusing and hard to follow.

Full Review:

From the beginnings of the Allied forces gathering together to plan out "Operation Overlord" to the actual day of storming the beaches at Normandy, this magazine described it all in great detail. With stunning and horrifying photographs of the conflict and aftermath, these visuals bring home the difficulty that the Allied forces encountered. D-Day didn't just take place on June 6th, it lasted for months with heavy casualties on both sides.

From the first time I watched "Saving Private Ryan" and saw the opening sequence, which accurately depicts the horrors of Omaha Beach, I was morbidly intrigued. The other beaches were taken with far fewer losses but Omaha was a slaughter. Still, the Allied troops pushed forward and managed success. To see how it all came together, how Eisenhower, Truman, McCarthy, Patton even Stalin, worked together to shift the tide of World War 2 to the Allies favor, it was informative and educational.

But the end of the magazine served as a humble reminder of how many lives were lost on June 6th 1944 and the following months. The land, the beaches on the coastline of France may no longer be riddled with bullets and bodies but they will always serve as a reminder of the horrors of war.

Comments

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

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