Some good books

For this blog I wanted to share some books that I read recently that people might enjoy reading. Here goes –

1. A War like No Other – This is a work by Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and political essayist of the first rank. It's a look at the Peloponnesian War, in which Sparta and Athens fought to the death. By the time you finish reading this, you have a good feeling for the weapons, the psychology, the culture of the people in those days.

2. Rocket Men – This is a historical look at the American space program. But it's more than just a gosh-wow study of the astronauts. Instead, it looks at the machinery, the engineers, the numerous people who helped put the entire program together.

3. The Fatal Shore – Another historical book, this one covers the founding of Australia. We get the story of the criminals who were sentenced and what life was like for them in this bewildering new world.

4. Theodore Rex – One of my favorite characters in American history is Theodore Roosevelt. This is the middle volume of a three-part series devoted to his life. This one focuses on his lively presidency.

5. The Voyage of the Vizcaina – Historians and divers have long sought for the remains of Christopher Columbus's ships that were wrecked in the New World. This gives the account of the search as well as the voyages of Columbus.

6. The Martian – Remember the famous book Robinson Crusoe? Well, this is the same story, but it's science fiction and takes place on Mars. It's what's known as hard science fiction, meaning a great focus on the sciences behind the story.

7. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses – The author does a thorough job of explaining why the Gospels are likely the result of eyewitness testimony rather than dim legends written down many years later. It's good to know we can trust the information in the Gospels to reveal the real Jesus.

As someone once said, "so many good books, so little time." I know that feeling, but it's a good problem that I can live with.