Reflection on Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger

Storm of Steel was a very fast read for me, in which Junger details his experiences as a German soldier on the western front of World War One. Junger adapted his memoir from his journal, so sometimes the narrative is not so clear, but he writes very descriptively and there were times when I couldn't put this book down. One example is how he describes weathering an artillery barrage, like being tied to a post while a man swings a hammer at you over and over, just barely missing you, sometimes hitting the post, and sending splinters raining down over you.

Reading Storm of Steel gave me a better appreciation for the different phases of the war, as it began in pitched battles that resulted in stalemate and trenches, followed by a war of materiel and artillery barrages, followed by some mechanized warfare at the end.

Some things that stood out to me included the general absence of life not on the front. Junger frequently tells us about when he has leave to go back home or when he goes to training or when he is in the hospital convalescing, but only to inform us that there is a pause. The action of the book does not take place in the hospital or Hanover (Junger's home). Rather, he tells us that he is gone for a while, and then, in the next sentence, we are back fighting in northern France. I also thought it was strange that the officers and maybe other men wore their awards in battle. It is strange to imagine them fighting with ribbons and iron crosses on.

Junger as a person at times seems like an absolute madman who sometimes really enjoyed the war. He writes about how "these short expeditions, in which a man takes his life in his hands, were a good means of testing our mettle and interrupting the monotony of trench life. There's nothing worse for a soldier than boredom." The book is highly emotional, as Junger is deeply introspective about his own reactions to war. He is enthusiastic at times, and at other times paralyzed with fear, sometimes throwing himself on the ground and crying, "sobbing hysterically," as he writes it. Other times, he finds himself experiencing no fear at all and experiencing "fits of laughter I was unable to repress."  Twice Junger thinks that he is about to die, and his descriptions of that are very interesting, especially the second time. He mainly describes surprise and relief as his emotions, where he gains a deeper understanding of his purpose in life. For Junger, war evokes the entire range of human emotion, often not the types that you would expect would match the situation. He is unapologetic for showing emotion. Junger reflects on seeing a dead English soldier who was so young that Junger calls him a boy-- "the state, which relieves us of our responsibility, cannot take away our remorse; and we must exercise it. Sorrow, regret, pursued me deep into my dreams." I think that is the best line of the book.

Reflection on The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Empire by Max Boot

Boot's biggest point in this book is that America's small wars (Nicaragua, Haiti, Philippines) are the way we fight wars and the big wars (WWI/II, Korea) are exceptions. I think he is right about that. He convincingly points out dozens of different operations that US forces have been a part of from our founding until the modern day, and it is clear that we have a long history of interventionism. The problem is that he ties this history to his own interventionist ideology, and pointing out past interventions is seemingly his way to argue that there is precedent for more interventionism in the future. But the book is weak in evidence that those interventions worked. Boot is always arguing that the occupation just needed to go on for longer, and I think he would always argue that even if we occupied countries for centuries.

This is definitely a well researched book, though it is not really systemic in its treatment of small wars. The book is really split with the time period from the Revolution through World War One just recounting different random small wars and then a big skip to Vietnam and a little bit about the nineties. I don't think I changed to many preconceived notions, though I think I am a little more appreciative not of how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not a pure waste. While we should have been focused on China, fighting those wars definitely honed the skills of a generation of American warriors, and so it was not a pure loss of time, blood, and money. However, I would still say that America should not be invading landlocked countries without planning to stay for the long haul. The clearest lesson that I can get from this book and my other readings is that you can't win an occupation unless you plan for it to be permanent. If there is going to be a handoff later, you are always going to lose the territory by design. The great empires of history did not invade lands so that they could do nation building and then leave.

Miscellaneous Facts and Quotes:

• "The strategy of guerrilla war is to put one man against ten, but the tactic is to pit ten men against one." -Mao Zedong
• Congress authorized the Medal of Honor for officers after the battle for Veracruz in 1914 and gave out 55 medals, which was probably too many. Smedley Butler tried to refuse his because he thought the award was now watered-down.
• Haiti invaded and occupied the Dominican Republic from 1801-05 and 1822-43. The Dominicans could not defend themselves and even volunteered to return to Spanish sovereignty in 1861, though Spain pulled out in 1865. The Dominicans asked the USA to annex them but the treaty was defeated in the Senate in 1871 even though President Grant was interested.
• Smedley Butler voted for the socialist candidate Norman Thomas in 1936 and shared speaking platforms with members of the American Communist Party. He also opposed US intervention in World War Two. 
• In the early twentieth century, marines were known as "State Department troops."
• General Victor Krulak was only 5'5" 138 pounds. 
• Between 2003 and 2008, 10,000 people died of suicide bombings in Iraq
• "Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." -Vegetius (Let him who desires peace prepare for war).

Reflection on Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan

 So in this book, Peter Zeihan talks all about a predicted decline in American leadership, an increase in isolationism, and how that will affect the world. The book is about international relations, but honestly is even more about geography. I don't feel like writing a big post, but I'll say that it was interesting, but had no sources for anything and he talked way too much about rivers. I know he was getting stuff wrong because he said Cuba is only 90 miles from Miami, which is false. Cuba is 90 miles from Key West. So I think he is bullshitting. Way too much about rivers and demographics, not enough hard facts. I will say he made one interesting point about how or people to have kids, they need space, which is something interesting about suburbs.

All in all, I would say this was a decent introduction to international affairs, but was too light on the facts and too heavy on the sarcastic comments and speculation.

Reflection on Nemesis Games (The Expanse #5) by James S.A. Corey

 I really didn't take notes on this one, but just another solid entry in the Expanse series. I will say that I hate the redemption arc for Clarissa Mao and I wish we had more protomolecule in this one. I think splitting up the crew was cool, but there was a lot of stuff revealed that felt like it came out of nowhere. Like this book had a lot of character development that we should have already known about. I'm sick of new villains who just keep popping up. I liked the overall plot point that occurred when SPOILERS Earth was basically destroyed, which I assume will force everyone through the ring.

Reflection on Cibola Burn (The Expanse #4) by James S.A. Corey

These books just keep getting better. Last time I said that the third one was the best but I like this one even more. The author introduces us to a few new perspective characters, but I found two characters to be especially interesting. Elvi is a scientist who goes to the newly discovered planet of Ilus, far outside of our solar system, only accessible by a mysterious alien ring. She is written so well as an awkward genius, and you can really feel how self-conscious she can be but also how absorbed she can be in discovery and she is such a good character. I just love parts where she "felt immediately uncomfortable with her phrasing" and when she doesn't know what to do with her hands. They got her just right. And then Murtry is a sort of security chief who ends up as a really good villain, probably the best of the series because he is the villain who is the most present that we have seen so far. He is totally committed to protecting his company's claim to scientific research on Ilus, and he will stop at nothing to ensure it. He doesn't care about living or dying and he makes some pretty interesting points for a villain about bringing civilization to the galaxy. His self-assuredness really stands out and he is like a fanatic dedicated to his mission.

My favorite thing about this series continues to be the constant discovery of alien artifacts and ruins and the unraveling of the mystery of disappeared alien life. SPOILERS. Ilus turns out to be a sort of giant gas station used to mine lithium billions of years ago, and the ruins on the planet seemed to have been used for that. Interestingly, one character notes that things weren't really evolving on Ilus until about 1.5-2 billion years ago, which is about the time the designers of the ring disappeared.

Another great part of this book: constant use of the word "carapace."

Reflection on Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin (Reread)

So in the hype of House of the Dragon next year, I had to do a reread, and damn I am so excited to see how they bring the Dance of the Dragons to screen. It's gonna be awesome.

I forgot how good the beginning of the book, before the Dance is. Like Area riding Balerion to Valyria. And like Elissa Farman's journey west (where they went even farther then the hairy men of Ib). I would also love to read a whole story about Johanna Swan, who was sold into a Lysene pillow house and eventually became the ruler of Lys.  I also feel like there's a story that could be made about Thaddeus Rowan's squire, who got his ear cut off for bearing steel to the Kingsguard.

Here's a little hint of what's gonna be in the Dance of the Dragons in the new HBO show, straight from the book itself: 

Those who sat at the black council counted themselves loyalists, but knew full well that King Aegon II would name them traitors. Each had already received a summons from King’s Landing, demanding they present themselves at the Red Keep to swear oaths of loyalty to the new king. All their hosts combined could not match the power the Hightowers alone could field. Aegon’s greens enjoyed other advantages as well. Oldtown, King’s Landing, and Lannisport were the largest and richest cities in the realm; all three were held by greens. Every visible symbol of legitimacy belonged to Aegon. He sat the Iron Throne. He lived in the Red Keep. He wore the Conqueror’s crown, wielded the Conqueror’s sword, and had been anointed by a septon of the Faith before the eyes of tens of thousands. Grand Maester Orwyle sat in his councils, and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had placed the crown upon his princely head. And he was male, which in the eyes of many made him the rightful king, his half-sister the usurper.

Against all that, Rhaenyra’s advantages were few. Some older lords might yet recall the oaths they had sworn when she was made Princess of Dragonstone and named her father’s heir. There had been a time when she had been well loved by highborn and commons alike, when they had cheered her as the Realm’s Delight. Many a young lord and noble knight had sought her favor then…though how many would still fight for her, now that she was a woman wed, her body aged and thickened by six childbirths, was a question none could answer. Though her half-brother had looted their father’s treasury, the princess had at her disposal the wealth of House Velaryon, and the Sea Snake’s fleets gave her superiority at sea. And her consort, Prince Daemon, tried and tempered in the Stepstones, had more experience of warfare than all their foes combined. Last, but far from least, Rhaenyra had her dragons.

“As does Aegon,” Maester Gerardys pointed out.

“We have more,” said Princess Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, who had been a dragonrider longer than all of them. “And ours are larger and stronger, but for Vhagar. Dragons thrive best here on Dragonstone.” She enumerated for the council. King Aegon had his Sunfyre. A splendid beast, though young. Aemond One-Eye rode Vhagar, and the peril posed by Queen Visenya’s mount could not be gainsaid. Queen Helaena’s mount was Dreamfyre, the she-dragon who had once borne the Old King’s sister Rhaena through the clouds. Prince Daeron’s dragon was Tessarion, with her wings dark as cobalt and her claws and crest and belly scales as bright as beaten copper. “That makes four dragons of fighting size,” said Rhaenys. Queen Helaena’s twins had their own dragons too, but no more than hatchlings; the usurper’s youngest son, Maelor, was possessed only of an egg.

Against that, Prince Daemon had Caraxes and Princess Rhaenyra Syrax, both huge and formidable beasts. Caraxes especially was fearsome, and no stranger to blood and fire after the Stepstones. Rhaenyra’s three sons by Laenor Velaryon were all dragonriders; Vermax, Arrax, and Tyraxes were thriving, and growing larger every year. Aegon the Younger, eldest of Rhaenyra’s two sons by Prince Daemon, commanded the young dragon Stormcloud, though he had yet to mount him; his little brother, Viserys, went everywhere with his egg. Rhaenys’s own she-dragon, Meleys the Red Queen, had grown lazy, but remained fearsome when roused. Prince Daemon’s twins by Laena Velaryon might yet be dragonriders too. Baela’s dragon, the slender pale green Moondancer, would soon be large enough to bear the girl upon her back…and though her sister Rhaena’s egg had hatched a broken thing that died within hours of emerging from the egg, Syrax had recently produced another clutch. One of her eggs had been given to Rhaena, and it was said that the girl slept with it every night, and prayed for a dragon to match her sister’s.

Moreover, six other dragons made their lairs in the smoky caverns of the Dragonmont above the castle. There was Silverwing, Good Queen Alysanne’s mount of old; Seasmoke, the pale grey beast that had been the pride and passion of Ser Laenor Velaryon; hoary old Vermithor, unridden since the death of King Jaehaerys. And behind the mountain dwelled three wild dragons, never claimed nor ridden by any man, living or dead. The smallfolk had named them Sheepstealer, Grey Ghost, and the Cannibal. “Find riders to master Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke, and we will have nine dragons against Aegon’s four. Mount and fly their wild kin, and we will number twelve, even without Stormcloud,” Princess Rhaenys pointed out. “That is how we shall win this war.”

All in all, great book, and I'm glad I reread it to refresh myself before the show comes out. I highly recommend. 

Miscellaneous Facts:

• After the civil war that happened in the Iron Islands after Harren the Black died, Martin mentions that krakens appeared by the hundreds to eat the dead. So that, in addition to all the mentions of krakens in the narrow sea in ASOIAF, makes me think that GRRM really wants to bring krakens into the main series.
• Apparently Maegor Targaryen went to the Stepstones to kill a pirate named Sargoso Saan, who must be an ancestor of Salladhor Saan. 
• I forgot that when Aerea rode Balerion to Valyria that Balerion came back with wounds. Like what the fuck could have actually done that? He had a "jagged rent down his left side almost nine feet long..." I think another dragon that was even bigger is most likely. 
• In 115 AC, Daemon Targaryen's wife Rhea Royce fell from her horse and died, freeing him to marry. That is suspicious...
• There is a dragon named Morghul- clear reference to Tolkien 
• The Battle of the Kingsroad (The Muddy Mess) is clearly supposed to be like the Battle of Agincourt, literally with longbows and all.

Reflection on Abbadon's Gate (The Expanse #3) by James S.A. Corey

    I think this was the best book in the series so far. In this book, the world expands a lot more with new point of view characters converging on a mysterious ring at the far end of the solar system. I'm really mainly into the protomolecule saga with the ring and all that, but the human stories were more interesting in this one. I like that we still get Holden's point of view but that it's just one of a few different ones. I won't write any spoilers here, but things are starting to get very interesting in this book and I'm officially hooked on the series.