Friday, October 30, 2020

New Release: Behind the Black Mask by Gabriel Nadales

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Behind the Black Mask: My Time as an Antifa Activist


This is a new book by former Antifa turned Conservative Gabriel Nadales titled Behind the Black Mask: My Time as an Antifa Activist. It's a quick read at around 200 pages and reads as part memoir, part field guide to Antifa tactics, and well-documented with extensive endnotes. Definitely a timely book.

From the blurb:
What is Antifa? Who joins it? How does it operate? What do they want?

As a young Mexican immigrant, Gabriel Nadales grew up feeling alienated and distant from the American Dream that brought his parents to this country seeking a better life for themselves and their family. In high school, he was attracted to a left-wing ideology and soon found himself caught up in the anarchist subculture—attending punk- rock concerts, dressing up in garish outfits, and making t- shirts, flags, and zines to fund his activism. He learned about anarchist history and got involved in “direct actions,” including destructive acts of mayhem. Above all, he was angry: angry at cops, angry at Wall Street, angry at corporations that despoiled the environment, angry at America itself.

It was only after being exposed to works by classical liberal economists—such as Milton Friedman and Thomas Sowell—that Nadales began to reconsider his assumptions about capitalism and American society. Eventually he left Antifa and became a conservative activist, advising youth groups on campuses around the country on how to deal with left-wing students, radical faculty, and openly hostile administrators.

Behind the Black Mask is a rare and very timely inside account of what it is like to be an Antifa activist from a former member who has since become a conservative.


Gabriel Nadales is the Leadership Institute’s Student Rights Advocate. Originally from Los Angeles, Gabriel has been politically active for over ten years and has spoken at dozens of universities throughout the country to expose the extreme left. Gabriel has made several television and radio appearances, and was recently on The Ben Shapiro Show to talk about the book and share his experience with Antifa.

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Friday, September 25, 2020

New Release: Grow Up and Vote for Trump by Eddie Scarry

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Why 2020 Is Your Last Chance to Become an Adult


Grow Up and Vote for Trump: Why 2020 Is Your Last Chance to Become an Adult is a new just-in-time for the elections book from Washington Examiner columnist Eddie Scarry.

You may remember him from a recent Tucker Carlson segment on gay voter support for Trump.

Here's the blurb for the book:
Growing up isn’t easy or fun, but it definitely means voting to reelect Donald Trump.

Presidential elections divide Americans in a lot of ways—by political party, ideology, and religion. But now, there’s a new way. They separate the adults from the perpetual children who have come to dominate much of our national discourse. You see it in the hysterical news coverage of the coronavirus, the lawless rioting of the Black Lives Matter moment, and the endless persecution of a president who Democrats react to with the rage of a toddler.

As the 2020 presidential election approaches, the choice becomes clear: either join them all as another child, or grow up and vote to reelect Donald Trump.


I plan to read and review it soon. Stay tuned.

Eddie Scarry is also the author of Privileged Victims: How America's Culture Fascists Hijacked the Country and Elevated Its Worst People.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Long Live Death by A.H. Lloyd

The Real History of the Spanish Civil War

History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. And here's one the verses today's Left is trying to echo.

Add this to the list of history books that should replace the propagandized textbooks in our high schools; and definitely worth a read if you are home-schooling:

Long Live Death: The Keys to Victory in the Spanish Civil War.

Here's the blurb:
If you've ever wanted to know the real story about the Spanish Civil War, Long Live Death is the book for you. It strips aside the Leftist myths and lays out the causes of the war in a straightforward and fact-based manner.

It also explains the armies, weapons and tactics in a clear way and is the first book to dive into the strategies each side used.

It's perfect for the student of military history or someone wanting to know more about a conflict that is eerily similar to what is going on in the United States today.


A.H. Lloyd also writes science fiction and fantasy, including the A Man of Destiny series and Battle Officer Wolf, a retelling of Beowulf in space. You can check out his site at Chateau Lloyd

As of this time, these books are free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. If you want to see if subscribing is right for you, can get a Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial.

Sunday, September 13, 2020

The Translations of Marcus Aurelius

This week I made an effort to borrow as many different versions of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius as the local library had available. I want to find out which ones I prefer, and compare them to the very old and almost free translation by George Long I got online.
I got hold of these (putting initials at the end to id later):

Ok, so let's have a lookee-look at book 1, "chapter" 16, which starts off:
(GL): In my father ...
(AF/RR): From my father (by adoption) ...
(JN/JP): From my adoptive father ...
(GH): MY ADOPTED FATHER

and somewhere in the middle of the section:
(GL): He was most ready to give way without envy to those who possessed any particular faculty, such as that of eloquence ...
(AF/RR): A very strong point, to give way without jealousy to those who had some particular gift like literary expression...
(JN/JP): Importantly, to acknowledge without envy those who those who have special ability, be it in matter of public speaking...
(GH): This, in particular: his willingness to yield the floor to experts - in oratory ...

GH has the most modern, succinct translation, followed by JN/JP, AF/RR is more formal and GL is distinctly Victorian.

But let's return to near the beginning of 1/16, which actually has this *interesting* bit of information about the adoptive father:
(GL): And I observed that he had overcome all passion for boys ...
(AF/RR): Prohibition from unnatural practices ...
(JN/JP):
(GH): Putting a stop to the pursuit of boys

Nope, I didn't miss a quote - JN/JP omit that compeletely. In fact their 1.16 is a lot shorter than the others. I guess that "The Essential Marcus Aurelius" is an abridged version of Meditations. Of the remaining, AF/RR are very oblique, while GL is plain enough - in fact more direct than the modern GH. Never underestimate a Victorian!

Let's do one more look-see, at Book 2, "chapter" 4:
(GL): Remember how long thou has been putting off these things, and how often thou has received an opportunity from the gods, and yet dost not use it.
(AF/RR): Remember how long you have been putting off these things and how many times the gods have given you days of grace, and yet you do not use them.
(JN/JP): Remember how long you have been putting these things off, and how often you have received an opportunity from the gods and have not made use of it.
(GH): Remember how long you've been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn't use them.

GL with the thou and dost - you either like that or not. AF/RR is readable and I like the use of "days of grace" which clearly communicates the thought. In contrast JN/JP are less clear with "opportunity" and, moreover, uses the construction "putting these things off" which I find off-putting. GH is blunt, and sounds rather like a he's your boss upbraiding you on a missed deadline. And he uses the same construction plus he uses contractions. There's such a different tone to all each of them.

In summary, of the four translations I have in hand, just from a beginning look, I've managed to find fault in all of them.

I'm inclined to eliminate this JN/JP (Needleman) immediately because it's incomplete (abridged). If there's a complete translation it would be ok, I think.
GL (Long) is free from Gutenberg and you might as well have a copy, but aside from the ornate style, it is not numbered.
I actually do appreciate the brevity of GH (Hays) - it reads a lot like Marcus Aurelius jotting down his thoughts. It is readable. I'm not sure if it's too modern. I feel like I'd need to still have a less modern translation to compare it with though.
AF/RR (Farquharson) I think would be ok as that second copy - more effort to read but still clear.

(There's another translation I want to have a look at - one by Robin Hard. )

Tell me your thoughts!

CAVEAT EMPTOR: Be very careful when buying classics like these on Amazon - they have a terrible way of mashing all different versions and translations together. You'll be looking at one translation on hardcover, then you switch to the paperback or Kindle tab it's a completely different translation! Double check the ISBN and the "look inside" feature to make sure you are buying the one you want.

Friday, September 11, 2020

Benghazi: The Other 9/11


As we remember September 11, 2001, I'd like to also honor the heroes and the fallen of September 11, 2012. Nobody tells the story better than Zuckoff. This is a repost of my book review of 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff.

(The image above is of course from the very good movie based on the book.) 

Friday, September 4, 2020

Amazing Labor Day Weekend 99c or FREE Sale

Over 80 books for 99c each or even Free!


Check out this mega sale of conervative fiction books over at Ratburger. The sale is organized by Hans G. Schatnz, author of the Hidden Truth trilogy, the first book of which is part of this 99c sale. (Check out my review of it).

The authors participating in this Mega Sale include: A.J. Ponder, Alexander Hellene, Amie Gibbons, Andre Norton, Bokerah Brumley, Brian Niemeier, C.J. Carella, Cedar Sanderson, Christopher Lansdown, Daniel Humphreys, David Drake, David Weber, Declan Finn, Denton Salle, Deplora Boule, Eric Flint, Eric M. Hamilton, Fenton Wood, Gibson Buffa, Hans G. Schantz, J.D. Beckwith, J.M. Anjewierden, James Courtemanche, James W. Bartlett, Jeb Kinnison, Jeff Duntemann, John C. Wright, John Ringo, John Taloni, Jon del Arroz, Jon Mollison, Justin Robinson, Karl Gallagher, Kia Heavey, Kyle Adams, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Larry Correia, Loretta Malakie, Lori Janeski, Marina Fontaine, Matthew W. Quinn, Melanie Niles, Michael Z. Williamson, Mike Smith, Mikhail Voloshin, Neovictorian, P.A. Piatt, Paul Clayton, Richard Paolinelli, Richard Watts, Robert Kroese, Sean Jenan, T.J. Marquis, Thomas Plutarch, Tom Kratman, Travis J. I. Corcoran, Will Neely.

I haven't had a chance to check them all out yet, but I noticed that among the FREE books offered is book one of one of my absolute favorite series, Larry Correia's Monster Hunter International. Be sure to grab MHI right now, before you get distracted, for the very reasonable price of FREE!

So go grab some good reading!

Watch this space

I was locked out for a while


and now I'm back, kicking the tires and changing the oil.