Bill Stuart

Allie In Wonderland!

Allie in Wonderland – My review!!

We all know the story of Alice in Wonderland. But, do we know what happens when Alice grows up? What happens to Wonderland? How did it change? What happened to the other characters? Everett Robert tells us in his delightful play Allie in Wonderland!

The Play:

The play opens on the Mad Hatter and the Hare getting ready for a tea party. The tea setting and their costumes are a bit worse for the wear. The Cheshire Cat, invisible as always, prompts them to try a find Alice – now called Allie. Allie shows up, texting, checking her phone, going online to find friends on social media sites, and completely unaware of Wonderland.

Follow the play as the denizens of Wonderland do their best to try to make Allie remember who she was and what Wonderland once was. It was a cheerful reminder of the power of imagination and the wonder of being a child. Someone once said that we don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing. I think it sums this play up quite nicely!

Allie in Wonderland is a short, charming, and enchanting play and one that I truly enjoyed reading. I give Everett Robert credit for taking a tale from childhood, giving it a new spin, and telling us all that it is okay to dream.
My rating: 4.5 stars!!

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As some of you may know, I am a former submarine sailor and like to read novels about the Silent Service. My favorite of all time is Tom Clancy’s Hunt for Red October. It should come as no surprise, then, that I jumped at the chance to read Martin Roy Hill’s submarine based book The Killing Depths.

A Los Angeles class submarine called the USS Encinitas is the setting for the novel. The boat (and yes, a submarine is called a boat), is the first fast attack submarine to be coed. A NCIS agent has been airlifted to the boat to investigate the murder of one of the female crewmembers – originally thought to have hung herself. To add to the intrigue and suspense, the Encinitas is on a mission to stop a Chinese sub – recently sold to Iran – from ever reaching the Middle Eastern country.

While trying to find the Iranian submarine, more murders occur aboard the boat and everyone is a suspect. The investigator, Linus Schag, has a history with both the commanding officer and the executive officer. Tensions run high among them. In the escalating silent underwater search for the Iranian boat, and the efforts to stop a serial killer before he strikes again, the author weaves a suspenseful tale. I very much enjoyed reading this book.

To be sure, submarine veterans will pick out the inaccuracies of submarine life. A serial killer stalking the crew of a submarine was a stretch. Lastly, the ultimate battle between the subs was a bit contrived. Overall, though, I liked the book and the story.

Bravo Zulu Mr. Hill!

My rating: 4 stars!!

Connect with the author:

Find Martin Roy Hill on his Amazon Author Page or his website and pick up a book or two. Please consider leaving a review, too!

Josiah Trenchard!

Josiah Trenchard – My Review!

It’s funny how things work in this world. I became acquainted with author Jonathon Fletcher on Twitter when I saw a post of his referring to a space ship modeled on a submarine. As a former submarine sailor, my interest was immediately piqued and we exchanged tweets. Our conversation led me to provide some submarine knowledge to Jonathon (for authenticity in his books), but did not tell him I was going to read his book and write a review.

The Review:

I generally am not a huge fan of hard-core sci-fi as I tend to like fantasy a bit better. However, I’ve read some of John Ringo and Travis Taylor’s books and I found Josiah Trenchard Part One The Might of Fortitude to be similarly entertaining. The story begins with the hero, Josiah Trenchard, in a battle against insurgents. He is almost killed by a black clad assassin who slashes his throat and leaves him bleeding and with a whispered message. He survives to become the executive officer of the newest class of space ships that are based on submarines of old. This book deals with the actions of Josiah and The Might of Fortitude’s battle against space pirates. As always, I will not spoil the book by giving away details. There is plenty of action and enough blood and gore to satisfy those who crave that, and a hint of mystery with the would-be assassin.

As I mentioned above, I am a former submarine sailor, so the rude and vulgar language was a trip back in time aboard the boat. Sailors do tend to curse a lot, so that part was authentic. Jonathon Fletcher also got most of the terminology correct. I really liked the way he incorporated dolphins (submarine qualification pins) into the Space Navy.

The story was short, which made for a quick and easy read, but it did leave me wanting more. The book has good characters, good dialogue, and lots of action. I will certainly be checking out the next installment of the series and I hope you will give Josiah Trenchard Part One The Might of Fortitude a chance.

My rating: 4 stars 

Connect with the author:

Discover more about Jonathan Fletcher and his series on Jonathan’s Amazon Author Page or his website. Please consider leaving a review for any (or all) of his books! I know he’ll appreciate it.

That’s War!

That’s War – My Review!!

If you have read either The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian or Book Two: The Amethyst, you know that the character of Beebop was in the Navy. In real life, I was in the Navy for 10 years and served aboard submarines as a nuclear reactor operator and an electronics technician. Additionally, my father was retired Air Force and my older brother served in the Army. With that background, when I had the opportunity to read and review That’s War by Lt. William Sirmon and reproduced by his great-grandson Brannon Sirmon, I jumped at the chance.

The Review:

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. Having spent some time floating around on a submarine, I could easily relate to the repetitive training and excruciating boredom that often accompanies military service. But even more compelling to me was the matter-of-fact and humble account of the horrors of war. Not a blood and guts narrative, That’s War is Lt. William Sirmon’s diary of that last year (January through November 1918) of the War to End All Wars. it chronicles the dreadful conditions that the doughboys faced and their perseverance and determination to defeat the Germans and restore peace to the world.

The narrative, at times, seems almost lighthearted and irreverent – especially while Lt. Sirmon’s brigade was training at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. He laments the need to get up so early in the morning, how cold it is, how miserable the weather is. Many of these are common complaints among soldiers, airmen, and sailors everywhere. Yet, throughout, there was an overwhelming optimism about America and America’s role in the world. Throughout was the hope they would get to war and strike a blow against Germany. This was never more evident than during the transit across the Atlantic Ocean when many of the soldiers were seasick. They did not bemoan their circumstances but instead vowed to make the Kaiser pay for their discomfort!

Not a celebration of war:

The book was not, however, a celebration of war. There were horrors enough in it, but Lt. Sirmon chose not to dwell on those. Written in the style of the times, there is little in the way of foul language and no graphic description of horrible injuries. The descriptions of the beautiful French countryside and the brave people displaced by the tragedy of the war are haunting.

Lt. Sirmon’s account gives a great historical perspective to the conditions on the front and the fears that all soldiers who have been in combat can relate to. I particularly appreciated the patriotic and heartfelt love of country that he showed – even at the worst of times.

I can’t say that the book was enjoyable in the way a war novel can be, but it opened my eyes to the harsh realities of war. Told in a gentle humble way, I recommend it for anyone who wants to get a taste of war or see WWI through the eyes of a front line participant. Give it a try, and remember to thank those who served for the freedoms you enjoy! Thank you Brannon Sirmon for bringing your great grandfather’s words and experiences to us!

My rating – 4.5 Stars!!!