The Anglo Files, by Sarah Lyall

This audio book was obtained from Overdrive Audio through the Alachua County Public Library. It was 9 hours and 53 minutes long, and was narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

Subtitled "A Field Guide to the British", this could have been a lot funnier, but it is instead a very thoughtful, revealing, and even alarming look at Her Majesty's subjects. Ms. Lyall is American-born, but married to one of the natives. She uses her inside knowledge and an overview of recent British history to explain the self-deprecating humor and low expectations of those who are descendants of a world empire. For instance, the devastating effects of WW2 left a lot of wartime rationing in effect for a decade after peace finally came. There was no "Peace Dividend" for the British, who did not really join post-war prosperity until late in the Thatcher government.

She manages to shed some light on the inscrutability of cricket without helping us to understand it, and reveals a nation's rampant alcoholism that is famous all over Europe as Brits go on drinking tours of Eastern Europe. This book has many light moments, but I found it mostly sad. I didn't want to live there, and was less inclined to visit it, although I may watch BBC programming in a new light. I give it 2 and 1/2 stars.

America Alone, by Mark Steyn

This audiobook was a free download from Overdrive Audio, made available through the Alachua County Public Library web site. It is in MP3 format, is 6 hours and 15 minutes long, and was read by Brian Emerson.

In Mark Steyn's opinion, radical Islam is taking over western nations that are too timid to stop them. He also has some numbers that are difficult to deal with, as that timidity manifests itself in the form of birth rates that are too low to replace these western nations. Meanwhile, the Islamic immigrants to Europe are having babies at double the rate of the native populations, and that is not an opinion.

Meanwhile, America has a birth rate that is barely at the replacement rate, which leaves it as the world's last best hope to keep Islam from overrunning what has been a progressive, liberating, democratic civilization.

If you are a non-Muslim, and you are the least bit concerned about your children and your children's children living under Sharia Law, This is definitely worth the read. It is a subject that our politicians are not willing to campaign on or to which they might apply their leadership. It's a demographic challenge to Europe that may very well leave America alone as the sole free society in the 21st century.

This is very provocative, and difficult to talk to your friends about. But you might want to buy them this book. It's a four star page turner.

The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva

This audiobook was obtained from Overdrive Audio through the Alachua County Public Library. It was 10 hours and 47 minutes long, and was narrated by Phil Gigante.

This is the 7th novel by Silva to feature Gabriel Allon, an Israeli intelligence agent who wishes the world were a safer place so he can go back to work as an art restorer. But, once Allon is on the job, he is totally there, and it's bad guys beware.

In this novel, Allon is sent on a humdrum assignment to purge the papers of an Israeli intelligence asset after he is murdered by an Islamic nut job. While he is there, he finds that he is being shadowed by a man who turns out to be a former terrorist asset who is disillusioned and wants to make sure his name is not in any of the documents either. Through this chance encounter, Allon begins to unravel a plot to kidnap the daughter of the American Ambassador to the Court of Saint James in London. He is almost in time to stop it, but not quite.

Working with the CIA and MI5, Allon is now trying to rescue the woman, and his chance encounter with the former terrorist is indeed fortuitous: one of the kidnappers is his son.

If you are one of those people who is deeply ambivalent about offending radical Muslims or putting the squeeze on suspected terrorists, you will not like this. This is the kind of book Jack Bauer reads on vacation. And that is not the only reason I give it 4 stars. The writing is top notch for the genre and it is very thought provoking.

Adams Vs. Jefferson: (The Tumultuous Election of 1800), by John E. Ferling

This audiobook was obtained for free from NetLibrary.com, was 11 hours and 33 minutes long, and narrated by Jack Garrett.

You don't know how little you have really been taught about American History until you start reading books on the Founding Fathers. I got the same names and dates drilled into my head year after year with precious little light ever entering that would have helped me understand my country and its system of government.

The Election of 1800 was the first contested election in American history. The Election of 2000 has nothing on this. And the opposing forces come right out of the same molds that popped out our current leaders. The Federalists were the party of law and order and a strong military. They fought to enact the "Alien and Sedition Acts". These were the Patriot Act on steroids. The Republicans (not the same party we know today) was anti-military and in love with the French Revolution, although a bit queasy about the acts of terror. It's funny how little really changes; only the names and places.

This was a gripping and vivid story of the men who guided our nation in its formative years, their feet of clay, and a lot of surprises for people who thought they knew their American History. Well written and well ready by the narrator, Jack Garret; this book is a 4 star champ.

Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy, by Pietra Rivoli

This audio book came free from NetLibrary.com, was 9 hours and 35 minutes long, and was narrated by Eliza Foss.

An economist is both annoyed and inspired by a protest against globalization by impassioned college students. After hearing one of the open-air speakers demand to know if we know were our t-shirts come from, economist and professor Pietra Rivoli goes to a souvenir shop, buys a t-shirt, and begins tracing its origins...and its destiny.

This is one of the most readable and interesting stories of the economic food chain you are likely to come across. It was a real page-turner with a stunning conclusion, that we all should be able to come to on our own: both the sweat shops and the protesters are important ingredients in the global ecosystem.

If you are a rabid free-trader, you must read this! It will alter your view of those naiive kids and their signs. If you are one of those capitalist-hating anti-globalists, you also should read this. If you have an open mind, it will temper your outrage and help you focus your efforts.

From the heavily protected and subsidized cotton fields of West Texas to the wide open, unregulated global recycling market in Africa, your t-shirt and been places and one things. And then it may come back again as it is broken down and respun into new thread!

Warning: there is lots of history in this book about the folly of working too hard to prevent trade. The English woolens industry kept cotton out of its markets for centuries. But regulations got weaker and weaker in the face of the eager public adoption of cooler cotton clothes. The last regulation to die was the one that required that the dead had to be buried in a wool suit!

Great stuff. Four stars. Oughta be a text book in our schools...

Lords of the North, by Bernard Cornwell

This audiobook was obtained from the Alachua County Public Library, was 13 hours and 8 minutes long, and was narrated by Tom Sellman.

This is the third in the series about the times of King Alfred the Great, as told through Uhtred, a dethroned Lord who was captured and raised by Vikings as a youth. This latest installment introduces us to Guthred, a slave who becomes king of his own small realm. He want to be a good king, and is always wondering, "What would Alfred do?" Guthred is a good man, but a ruler of questionable judgment. He is single-minded enough to be dedicated to preserving his kingdom, but weak-willed enough to let powerful men into his confidence only to betray him later.

This is still very much Uhtred's story, however. He is a pagan who detests the Christians, is endlessly critical of the duplicitous priests, and amazed at the way they all revere the bones and teeth and hair of saints and near-saints. Uhtred reminds me of King David's warrior, Joab, who was always looking out for the King's interest, but did not seek the Lord. Uhtred is effective as a warrior, intuitive as a politician, and not afraid to frame someone with a throw-down piece if he needs to.

The first two books have been relentless in their attack on the Medieval church, but there are some Christians who actually distinguish themselves heroically in this story. Just like today, there are some blithering idiots in th spotlight, but the poor are still made rich in faith. (James 2:5)

In the author's epilogue, he reveals that he is actually descended from a man named Uhtred who lived in those times. And he further reveals that this saga is not over yet. I am glad and look forward to it. This one got 4 stars.

The Pale Horseman, by Bernard Cornwell

This book was obtained from the Alachua County Public Library, is on CD, and is 14 hours and 35 minutes long. It is ably narrated by Tom Sellwood.

Uhtred returns, and he is nastier than ever. Perhaps it only seems that way because he is no longer the youth we made excuses for. He is also much more focussed on regaining the lands of his noble heritage, and he has the best chance of gaining them back under Alfred, who is trying to get England free of the Danes.

Alfred (one day to be referred to as "the Great") has tried negotiating his way to peace with the savage invaders, and each time he is betrayed. Lives and lands are lost, but Alfred, who is portrayed here as a bit of a religious nincompoop, keeps trying to use peaceful means while trying to save his enemies' souls. Uhtred finds this insufferable. Even though he likes the Danes, he is willing to kill all that he must to regain his own security. As you recall, Uhtred was raised a Dane after being captured as a boy, looks and dresses like a Dane, speaks the language, and is a very capable warrior and spy.

In spite of Alfred's well-meaning incompetence as a military leader, enough things break his way to keep him in the hunt for a unified English nation. So far, the Angles, the Saxons, the Britons, and the Northumberlands have warred on each other from time to time, and it is only now that a common enemy is making them work together. Although Alfred is pretty hard to take by the warriors, it is his vision that eventually saves England and its future.

Uhtred and the other bloodthirsty Saxons are indispensable, lethal tools in the service of Alfred. Neither could have prospered without the other. In this book, Alfred is a much better character than he was in the last. And he seems somewhat vindicated in his steadfast faith that God is for him, even when Alfred keeps screwing things up.

There are historical notes at the end. This one only gets 3 stars because it was not quite as interesting as the first one. I am going to take a break from Uhtred for about a week. Then I will take up the latest installment, Lords of the North.

The Last Kingdom, by Bernard Cornwell

This book came from the library. It is 12 hours and 58 minutes long, was on 11 CDs, and was narrated by Tom Sellwood.

Be warned: I am on a Bernard Cornwell bender. I saw an add for his latest novel and decided to check with the library to see if they had added any of his titles lately. I struck gold. They had all 3 novels in this new series, begun in 2005. When I put them on reserve, I had no idea that all 3 would be available in just a few days. I must take this opportunity!

This is not one of those smutty romance novels disguised as historical fiction. This is more like "Braveheart", only without the romance and idealism.

Cornwell uses some real persons from history, but his protagonist is almost always some nobody who is on the scene and taking an active part. Uhtred is the son of a minor nobleman in the late 9th century. At 10 years old, while his father's army is repelling Danish invaders, Uhtred is captured, enslaved, and eventually adopted by a danish warlord named Ragnar.

Uhtred's brother had been killed while spying on the Danes before the conflict began which killed his father. Now Uhtred is being raised by Ragnar as a Dane, unencumbered by any rules or priests, and he begins to prefer it. Nonetheless, Uhtred grows up wanting his former estate more and more, which frequently leaves him swinging between the 2 sides when it serves his own interests.

Eventually, Uhtred ends up serving Alfred the Great, Lord of the last Kingdom in England. He is all that has stood between the Danes and a complete conquest of England. This is very much a religious war as well as a war for land, which is what motivates the Danish raiders in search of better lands than their own. The church, portrayed as a hobbling factor to devout English monarchs, wants peace at any price and is always pressuring its secular rulers to let God do their fighting for them. This only encourages the pagan Danes, who see the English as weakened by their Christians. After a bad storm takes out half the Danish fleet, the church and Alfred feel vindicated, but Uhtred is still unconvinced. He still wears Thor's Hammer charm around his neck, and believes more in fate than in any personal god.

Uhtred is 20 at the end of this book, and you can tell there will be more. There is an epilogue in which the author tells about his approach to using the history, and embellishing it, in the service of telling a fictional tale. It is good to know these things if you are a stickler for detail. This is a 4 star book, well-read by the narrator.