This month we are reviewing three books from our last “What We’re Reading This Month –A Bit of This and A Bit of That” post. This was what was on our reading desk:

And we added a book since that post that was “hiding” on the upstairs reading table: “Introduction to the Intertestamental Period” by Raymond F. Surburg.

  1. “The Jackass Frigate” by Alaric Bond. I read and reviewed the first book in this British Naval Fiction, “His Majesty’s Ship” last month. I gave it high marks. Now that I read the second installment in the series, I like it even more. I learned that the author does not center the series and each book around the captain. All the other series are about the captain rising from humble or noble beginnings to the end of an illustrious career. In Bond’s world, he follows a cross section of the crew, from the lowest to the captain. You are never sure who will survive and who will not. In the first book, the captain, who I liked, died at the very beginning of the climactic battle. In this second, the captain, again who I like as a character, survives. I hope to see him again. The other touch I like in these books is that the author gives insight into ‘minor’ details. For example, he discusses the construction and materials of a cello wielded by one of the lieutenants. He also discusses the construction and materials of a small, rifled pistol which plays a key role in the plot. I am looking forward to the third installment “True Colors”.
  2. “Introduction to the Intertestamental Period” by Raymond F. Surburg. This book is an ‘introduction’ to the “Intertestamental Period” between the Old Testament (ending in Malachai, not Micah as I state in the video) and the New Testament. It is important to understand the political, cultural and documentary changes that occurred during this period to understand much of the New Testament writings. A particularly good video presentation by Dr. R.C. Sproul is “Dust to Glory (New Testament)”. All said, I was somewhat disappointed in the book. This was due to my expectations and not any shortcomings of the book in any sense. It is an excellent ‘introduction’ to the subject. But I was expecting more, maybe more analysis. I would recommend it as a starting point on the subject.
  3. “”Before I Go” by Arie J Korving. I got the recommendation from Helen’s Page on Instapundit. The information is sound, but I was disappointed. There is no checklist. Note that there is a companion volume, “Before I Go Workbook”, that presumably contains the checklist. The book contains too much “filler” and even a few advertisements for his services. I would not recommend this book. Perhaps the checklist book would be better? I would suggest that the two books be combined so all the information and materials are immediately at hand.

Here’s the video review of the above three books: