THE CREATION OF ANNE BOLEYN: A New Look at England’s Most Notorious Queen

By Susan Bordo. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 368 pages. $27

By Suzanne Wardle | suzanne.wardle@roanoke.com

When Susan Bordo began researching Anne Boleyn for another project, she found conflicting representations — Henry VIII’s second wife was the ultimate sinner, a misunderstood saint, a raven-haired schemer, a blond intellectual, the deformed bearer of a deformed fetus, the dignified mother of the king’s healthiest child.

Entranced not only by these depictions of Anne, but also by the woman herself, Bordo compiled her findings, thoughts and research into “The Creation of Anne Boleyn,” a book that examines Anne’s portrayal in books, movies and television. The result is a feast of feminism and history.

Bordo begins with the history of Anne and analysis of the historical sources from which we draw our information — most of them, she points out, are detractors eager to smear her. Their unreliable commentary turned into myth then crystalized into information commonly accepted as facts — Anne’s infamous sixth finger, her alleged sex with her brother, her machinations against various figures at court. Bordo pokes holes in each one, with assuredness and a touch of humor. It’s necessary background and a must-read for anyone who thinks “The Tudors” or “The Other Boleyn Girl” are factual, but it does drag a little for those familiar with Anne and the Tudors.

The most interesting parts are the research into Anne’s death — a fate even her critics admit she faced bravely — and an analysis of Henry VIII’s abandonment of the woman for whose hand he caused years of turmoil. Read more »

CHILDREN OF THE DAYS:A Calendar of Human History

By Eduardo Galeano. Nation Books. 432 pages. $26.99.

Reviewed by Michael L. Ramsey

MICHAEL L. RAMSEY is president of the Roanoke Public Library Foundation.

Eduardo Galeano lives in Uruguay where he works as a journalist and writer of books. He has won awards for his writing.

Now he has written a collection of stories and commentary. Each of the entries is associated with a day of the year. The entries are varied in subject and tone.

Here are two excerpts:

“June 6

“THE MOUNTAINS THAT WERE

“Over the past two centuries, four hundred seventy mountains have been decapitated in the Appalachians, the North American range named in memory of the region’s native people.

“Because they lived on fertile lands the Indians were evicted.

“Because they contained coal the mountains were hollowed out.”

“June 28

“HELL

“Back in the year 960, Christian missionaries invaded Scandinavia and threatened the Vikings: if you persist in your pagan customs you will end up in hell where eternal fires burn.

“The Vikings welcomed the news. They trembled from cold, not fear.” Read more »

Alabama author Skip Tucker will leave April 29 on a 1,500-mile drive to promote the national paperback release of his historical adventure novel, Pale Blue Light, at the annual re-enactment of the Civil War’s Battle of Chancellorsville, Va., May 3-5. The trip is timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the death of Stonewall Jackson and the historic battle.

Tucker will hold an 11 am news conference on May 4 at the Spotsylvania County Museum at the Chancellorsville Battlefield to announce the book release.

Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a central figure in Tucker’s novel, was wounded at the May 2 battle and died of pneumonia May 10. “Pale Blue Light” is a lesser known nickname for Jackson, whose pale blue eyes would seem to shine with light from adrenaline before a battle.

Tucker says Jackson is a particular hero of his.

“Pale Blue Light is not a work of history, but historical fiction, and I intended it to bring people a living, breathing Jackson,” the author said. “It’s actually a spy thriller, and it questions whether Jackson was wounded by friendly fire or whether there might’ve been something more sinister in play.”

Positive reviews and strong sales of the first hardcover edition encouraged NewSouth Books in the release of the book in trade paper.

Chancellorsville will be the first major stop on Skip Tucker’s national roll-out tour that will include stops in the Shendandoah Valley, where “Stonewall Jackson is a superstar,” Atlanta (at the Georgia History Museum), and New Orleans (at the Confederate Memorial Hall Museum).

“This is really an exciting time for me,” said Tucker. “I intend to rough-camp along the way and follow the trail, sometimes, that Jackson took in his historic campaign through the Shenandoah Valley.”

“I’ve read just about everything I could find about Stonewall. I feel I know him. He’s a hero for all ages and all seasons.”

Read a preview of Pale Blue Light at http://www.newsouthbooks.com/palebluelight.

–Press release send in from New South Books

Discussing: “Remarkable Creatures” by Tracy Chevalier

When: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Where: WVTF/Radio IQ Broadcast Center, 3520 Kingsbury Lane, Roanoke

Cost: Free

Contact: 989-8900; www.wvtf.org/

Upcoming discussion schedule:

May – “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave

June – “The Shadowcatcher” by Marianne Wiggins

July – “Truman” by David McCullough

Aug. – “Dissolution” by C. J. Sansom

Sept. – “Sister Carrie” by Theodore Dreiser

Oct. – “Wish You Well” by David Baldacci

Nov. – “As We Are Now” by May Sarton

Dec. – no regular meeting

THE SIX GUN TAROT

By R.S. Belcher. Tor Books. 368 pages. $25.99

Reviewed by Jason Barr

JASON BARR is a teacher in Harrisonburg.

People who will discuss Roanoke author R.S. Belcher’s “The Six-Gun Tarot” will most likely sprinkle the phrase “if that’s what you’re into” liberally throughout the conversation. That’s because Belcher has taken a genre already famed for its weirdness — steampunk — and ramped that weirdness up to another level.

Belcher’s desire to tweak the conventions of steampunk — a sub-genre of science fiction — even more than usual leads to an unusual cast of characters: psychic and aged Chinese men, angels, a child who carries his father’s artificial eye, and a talking coyote all populate the work, and give it a certain colorful verve that is often lacking in steampunk.

Even so, there are so many characters and so many unusual circumstances that I sometimes lost track of who was who, and what their motivations were. Read more »

OPERATION STORM: Japan’s Top Secret Submarines and its Plan to Change the Course of World War II

By John J. Geoghegan. Crown Publishers. 478pages. $28

Reviewed by Richard Raymond

RICHARD RAYMOND III is a former Marine who also served as historian for the 116th Infantry, Virginia Army National Guard.

After any major war — and even after the minor ones — one may expect a tide of memoirs, many by generals, admirals or other high government officials, trumpeting their successes and excusing their failures, and far too often blaming the latter on the incompetence or cowardice of anyone but themselves.

After a pause of 20 years or so, when the immediate passions have cooled a bit, another trickle of accounts may arrive, typically offering revisions to the first batch.

Finally, when many decades have elapsed, historians will discover enough material for yet a third wave up the beach, long after all or at least most of the principal figures have left the scene. Read more »

A DISEASE in the PUBLIC MIND: A New Understanding of Why We Fought the Civil War

By Thomas Fleming. DaCapo Press. 368 pages. $26.99

Reviewed by Michael L. Ramsey

MICHAEL L. RAMSEY is president of the Roanoke Public Library Foundation.

The sesquicentennial of the American Civil War is a time for reflection. Thomas Fleming’s “A Disease in the Public Mind” is a thoughtful examination of the root cause of that costly conflagration that interrupted the lives of the entire nation.

Fleming is an honored historian and a prolific writer. He has narrated or provided commentary for documentaries on the War of American Independence for PBS, A&E and The History Channel.

Fleming’s on-air storytelling projects his passion for history — especially the story of the beginning of America as a nation. His passion translates to the written word so well that if you have ever heard him speak, you will hear his voice as you read his books.

Fleming follows “that peculiar institution,” slavery, from its appearance in North America to its demise at the end of the Civil War (both occurring on Virginia soil). It is important to note that Fleming illustrates it was not slavery itself that caused the war. It was turning away from the sense of brotherhood generated by the framers and their masterpiece, the U.S. Constitution. Read more »

Description: Kiera Cass’s new book,”The Elite,” is the sequel to her wildly popular title “The Selection.” This new book is a must read for fans of dystopian fiction, fairy tales and reality TV. The sequel will enchant teens who love “Divergent” and “The Bachelor.”

In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. America is one of only 6 girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon and life as the queen she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

Kiera lives in Blacksburg, VA.

When: Saturday, April 27 2013 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Where: Christiansburg Barnes & Noble, 110 Conston Ave, Christiansburg, VA, 24073

Contact: (540) 381-4923

Poet Eduardo Corral will be at Hollins for two events.

Corral’s collection of poetry, “Slow Lightning,” won the Yale Series of Younger Poets competition, making him the first Latino poet to receive the honor. His book was also selected by “Publishers Weekly” as one of the best poetry books of 2012.

Author Reading

Green Drawing Room, Main Building, Hollins University

Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Discussion with the Author

Hollins Room, Wyndham Robertson Library, Hollins University

Friday, April 26, 2013 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Contact Information: (540) 362-6451

Description: The New River Historical Society and the Fine Arts Center of New River Valley will hold a dinner event at Rockwood Manor in Dublin featuring period music and food. After dinner, guests will be treated with a presentation and book signing by award-winning author Sharyn McCrumb.

McCrumb will talk about her book “Ghost Riders” which chronicles the Civil War in the Southern Mountains.

McCrumb will be in character for the dinner. Costumes are optional.

When: Saturday April 27, 2013 from 6:00 pm to ? Doors will open at 5:30.

Cost: $50

Tickets can be obtained at the Wilderness Road Regional Museum on Wilderness Road in Newbern (Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30 – 4:30) or at the Fine Arts Center on Main Street in Pulaski (Monday – Friday, 9:30 -4:30).  Tickets are $50 each or $75 at the head table with Sharyn McCrumb.  Tickets can also be ordered by phone with a credit card from the Fine Arts Center by calling 540-980-7363.

Where: Rockwood Manor, 5189 Rockwood Rd, Dublin, VA 24084