Books I Read in 2022

Here is my annual look at the books I’ve read this year. Unless my short “review” notes otherwise, I recommend these books for anyone’s reading pleasure. You may find a title or short review to pique your interest and perhaps get a copy of the book for yourself.

As usual, a few books were repeat reads for me for various reasons—those will be noted in blue. For the most part the titles should tell you what the subject is. The list is in the order in which I read them.

A Dark History: Celts. The History and Legacy of One of the Oldest Cultures in Europe, by Martin J. Dougherty. 219 pages, hardbound. The title sums up the subject. A very, very interesting history book.

Cosmos, Creator and Human Destiny: Answering Darwin, Dawkins, and the New Atheists, by Dave Hunt. 553 pages, hardbound. The title sums up the topic. I was give this book by my retired pastor friend. Since I’m in discussions with an atheist who loaned me his book on the new theism, I felt this would give me some good ideas — and it did.

Indianapolis, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic. 552 pages, hardbound. This book’s long sub-title explains the subject: “The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in the U.S Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.” Fascinating story of the cruiser which delivered the atom bomb to the war zone and was sunk by a submarine while heading to another base. The errors of higher ups led to the sinking as well as the disaster that kept survivors floating for five days as they watched huge numbers taken down by sharks. A real page-turner!

Is God On America’s Side? by Erwin W. Lutzer.  Very interesting small book of 105 pages published in 2008 but still relevant. The point he makes is that, first, the USA has no covenant with God. Then the next seven chapters lay out seven principles about God as seen in Scripture: 1) God can both bless and curse a nation; 2) God judges nations based on the amount of light and opportunity they are given; 3) God sometimes uses exceedingly evil nations to judge those that are less evil; 4) When God judges a nation, the righteous suffer with the wicked; 5) God’s judgment takes various forms; 6) In judgement, God’s target is often His people, not just the pagans among them; 7) God sometimes reverses intended judgements.  The last three chapters are: 8) Whose Side is God On?; 9) Siding with God in Our National Life; and 10) Winning Even When We Lose.  Quite a thought-provoking little book.

The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, by Nathaniel Philbrick. 417 pages. I’ve read many books about the battle of the Little Bighorn but this is one of the best. It tells the story from both sides, using lots of interviews with Indians taken a few years after the battle. It parallels the story of Custer with that of Sitting Bull, the leader of the Indians.

Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity, by David Limbaugh. 426 pages. From 2004, I picked this up in a STUFF store.  Although things have gotten much worse than when this book was written, it is still a good reminder of what is in store for Christians. (2 Tim. 3:12).

The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion, by Rodney Stark. 418 pages. Highly recommend for every Christian. See my full review.

No Surrender: A Father, a Son, and an Extraordinary Act of Heroism That Continues to Live On Today, by Chris Edmonds and Douglas Century. 345 pages. Chris Edmonds is a pastor who discovered that his father, who was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and spent the next few months as a POW, was a bonafide hero who saved the lives of many people. An excellent, faith-promoting story.

Love and Valor: Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner , Edited by Charles F. Larimer. 455 pages. I read this one to my wife. We found it in a quilt shop (which also carries fabric for Civil War re-enactment uniforms) in Muscatine, IA. The Ritners were from Mt. Pleasant, IA and Jacob spent the war with the 25th Iowa Infantry Regiment. Lots of history of the war in the letters. The editor also added historical information from unit records, etc, so you get the context of from where Jacob was writing. Well worth reading.

A Bridge Too Far, by Cornelius Ryan. 640 pages. In-depth study of “Operation Market-Garden” and especially the battle for Arnhem in September 1944. An excellent movie by the same name gives a pretty accurate portrayal of the book. I had seen the movie several times and read about the battle in books about World War II but never read this in-depth book before. WOW. Britain’s General (later Field Marshal) Montgomery totally discounted reconnaissance as well as information from the Dutch underground and sent thousands of American and British paratroopers to their deaths. Some of the most courageous fighting in history.

The God-Men: Witness Lee and the Local Church, by Spiritual Counterfeits Project. 79 pages. A short, but concise study of the “Local Church” cult and the heretical teachings of Witness Lee.

Barbed Wire University, by Dave Hannigan. 183 pages. The story of Jewish professors, scientists, musicians, artists, and other intellectuals who escaped Germany and were living in England when war broke out. They were then interned for several months on the Isle of Man, where they decided to have a sort of “university” teaching classes to each other. Interesting bit of history of which I was unaware.

Battlefields & Blessings: Storied of Faith and Courage from World War II, by Larkin Spivey. 438 pages. This daily devotional was given to me by one of the veterans I meet with on Wednesday mornings. I read it like any other book—I just don’t do devotionals. It was an excellent collection of short stories about individuals who fought in the war and how their faith helped them survive. Some good encouragement for Christians, especially those in the military.

The Complete Roman Army, by Adrian Goldsworthy. 216 pages. 8X10 paperback, illustrated with very small font text. Everything you wanted to know about the Roman army from about 600 BC to 400s AD. Uniforms, equipment, forts, ways of fighting, areas conquered, etc. Very interesting history.

Royal Deceptions: Exposing the KING JAMES ONLY Conspiracies Against God’s Word, by Fred Butler. 162 pages. Excellent defense against the KJVO ideology, proving that the KJVO position is untenable.

Iowa Firefighters Memorial History, by Joan Reuman. 92 pages, 8X10 format. Published in 2019 and I was recently able to find a copy. The firefighter memorial for the entire state of Iowa was constructed in Coralville, about 15 minutes south of my home. The idea for the memorial park was begun in 1989, site selected in 1992 and construction initiated in 1993. Dedication of the memorial was in April 1994 even though it was not all complete. Since that time they hold an annual memorial service. The book chronicles all these events with stories and photos. In 2000 I was contacted to play for their ceremonies and have played every year since (so there are a few photos of me), leading in 2010 to me being voted as an honorary firefighter. It’s an excellent history and shows how a memorial park can be built.

A Patriot’s History of the United States, by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen. 867 pages, plus 85 pages of end notes.  This book took me two months to read, mainly because my reading was slowed due to all the highlighting I did! An OUTSTANDING history book which should be required reading for all high school students at the very least, but especially all adults! After writing this review I ordered the book for a friend and what arrived was the 15th anniversary edition and I had read the 10th, published 2014. Whereas the 10th ended at the first year of Obama’s presidency, the new version, published 2019, ended during Tump’s reign. So I had to read this one from where I left off at the last one! (And I transferred all my highlighting!)

Operation Mincemeat, by Ben Macintyre. 350 pages plus 40 pages of endnotes. I previously read this book when brand new in 2011, then again in 2016 when I read it to my wife after watching the movie, The Man Who Never Was. This time I read it because friends invited us to see a new movie with them, with the same title as this book. After watching it I decided to read the book again to see how accurate the movie was. Very accurate except they added a silly romance story, with the only other movie incident worth “yelling at” was a guy spying on his buddy so the military would bring his brother’s body home. The original book/movie from the mid-1950s didn’t have all the later declassified information and also added things that weren’t real. This new book is an excellent story about a mission, including spies, to deceive the Germans about the invasion of Sicily in 1943.

How the West Was Won: The Neglected Story of the Triumph of Modernity, by Rodney Stark. 370 pages plus 30 pages of end notes. The story is about how the philosophy of western civilization, especially when undergirded by the Christian faith, led to technological, medical scientific, etc advancements over the eastern parts of the world. It’s a fascinating read and should be required reading for all Americans as well as Europeans. The author often counters the false narratives of LEFTISTs.

The Forgotten Theater of WWII of China-Burma-India: The Untold Story of the First Chinese Expeditionary Force, by Ally Diwik and June Han. At 46 pages this is more of a booklet but it is a standard-sized paper-back. The title tells what the book is about but the main thing was how the British and Americans didn’t trust the Chinese, and for all the lack of cooperation they allowed the Japanese to take over Burma early in the war.

The Man Who Never Was, by Ewen Montagu. 102 pages. Look above to the report on the book Operation Mincemeat. This book was noted as having existed. I didn’t know that the 1956 movie was from a book by the same title, written in 1953. So I just had to get the book. The 1956 movie added some extra stuff, such as an Irish rebel spying for the Germans and the person who wrote the love letters was “Pam’s” flat-mate rather than “Pam” herself. It’s a good book to read first before reading Operation Mincemeat.

What Is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti M. Anyabwile. 120 pages.  This was given to me so I read it. It would be a good resource for new/immature believers as to participation in the church.

Redeemed From the Pit: Biblical Repentance and Restoration From the Bondage of Eating Disorders, by Marie Notcheva, 300 pages. I read this the first time in November 2011 when I first got it and this time I read it to my wife. The author of this book, Marie, “met” me via my blog not long after I started it. During that time we not only had our apologetics ministry but we also were called on for Christian pre-marital, marital, and family counseling and had attended a few seminars. Marie asked me to review her manuscript and then when it was ready for publication she asked me for an endorsement, which is with others on the front page. Some of the counseling we’ve done include eating disorders so this was a very good reference source. We decided it was time to renew our minds with its contents. 

The Battle of Midway, by Craig L. Symonds, 391 pages plus 37 pages of end notes. I’ve read several books over the years about this famous WWII battle and this is one of the best. If you are not familiar with the battle, it was the pivotal battle which stopped the Japanese advance in the Pacific.

In the Ranks of Death: The Irish in the Second World War, by Richard Doherty. 268 pages, hardbound. Naming all the Irish people who fought in WWII and what they did, who they fought with, and even medals earned. Many of the battles at sea and on land described. Irish were from all over the world, although those in the American military couldn’t really be tracked. Very interesting stories. Those familiar with the famous Irish song, “The Minstrel Boy” will recognize the origin of the title.

Wired for Intimacy: How pornography hijacks the male brain, by William M. Struthers. 189 pages. This book was given to me by a pastor friend because we have both counseled men “addicted” to porn. While the book has some good information, I was very disappoint the author included—and accepted as real—transgender ideology when discussing the differences between men and women. For that reason I destroyed the book and I can’t recommend it.

The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth About the New Psychology, by William Kirk Kilpatrick. 184 pages. An examination of how popular psychology is nothing more than nonsense and is often looked to virtually replace religion. The HUGE errors come when Christians try to blend psychological teachings with Christian teachings.

Silent Wings: The Saga of the U.S. army and Marine Combat Glider Pilots During World War II, by Gerard M. Devlin. 396 pages, plus 96 pages of captioned photos; hardbound. Last year I read the book, Silent Wings at War: Combat Gliders in World War II, by John L. Lowden, and it was a fantastic story of the same topic. However, this current book was more thorough, had many more photos and went into a lot more detail about the topic. With these books, especially this last one, I learned so much more than I ever knew about glider operations during WWII. Fascinating reading, leaving me in awe of the courage of the glider crews and troopers. The sad thing is how many died from being shot down or by making bad landings. The gliders not only brought troops, artillery, vehicles, food and other supplies needed to support the troops, but also were used to evacuate the wounded. If you can only get one of these two books, get this last one.

The Last Battle, by Cornelius Ryan. 520 pages plus appendices. A thorough history of the World War II battle for Berlin. The allies decided to let Russia take it after many units were “racing” to get there first. 

Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II, by Robert Matzen. 347 pages including chapter notes. Excellent, and highly recommended story of this very talented woman. It’s a very sad story of what she had to endure living in Arnhem and nearby Velp during the war (and a witness to “A Bridge Too Far”), turning 16 four days after VE-Day. A good insight as to how people lived under the Nazi brutality. Spoiler; she did help earn money for the Resistance and assisted in the hospital.

American Historical Documents,1000-1904, 462 pages, hardbound; found at STUFF. Originally copyright 1910, then 1938, my copy is the 62nd printing in 1969. The earliest document is “The Voyages to Vinland” with the latest being “Convention Between the United States and the Republic of Panama” regarding the construction of the canal. Lots of good historical stuff, but my favorite is an 86-page “Haskell’s Account of the Battle of Gettysburg,” written as a letter by Frank Aretas Haskell to his brother shortly after the Battle, and never intended for publication. Haskell died on 3 June 1864 leading a charge a the Battle of Cold Harbor.

Images of Aviation: Dayton Aviation, The Wright Brothers to McCook Field, by Kenneth M. Keisel. 127 pages, a gift from my mother. Lots of great historical photos with descriptions, as well as a lot of history of aviation in the Dayton area. Learn about all the aviation manufacturers as well as the beginnings of what later became Wright-Patterson AFB.

Entebbe: A Defining Moment in the War on Terrorism; the Jonathan Netanyahu Story, by Iddo Netanyahu.  223 pages.  While the book highlights the brother of the author, it is also a fascinating story of the planning and raid on Entebbe to rescue over 100 hostages from an airline captured by terrorists.

The Jews In the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History, by Martin Gilbert. 8 1/2” by 10 1/2” format, hardbound, 365 pages. The title says it all.

Psychological Seduction: The Failure of Modern Psychology, by William Kirk Kilpatrick. 235 pages. Essentially comparing modern psychology as the anti-thesis of Christianity when it comes to lifestyle and salvation; they are contrasting religions.

Dodge Power Wagon Photo History, by Monty Montgomery. 116 pages, every photo described. Ever since I drove the 3/4 ton M37 while on roving patrol guard duty in the Army, I had fallen in love with that machine and learned its civil incarnation was the Power Wagon. I found the book at the Iowa 80 Truck Museum, and I really wish the book continued into the Ram series more, but the book was published in 2000. The author gave the connection, but I want to know more about the Ram series.

Well, that’s it for this year. I’m working on four books at this time; bedside is a book about why the Pearl Harbor commanders didn’t know about an impending attack; reading to my wife is All Creatures Great and Small; living room book is about Old Testament chronology; and doctor/car visits book is about Christians and the social justice movement.