Books About People …

Swimming With Warlords: A Dozen-Year Journey Across the Afghan War

By Kevin Sites
Harper. $15.99

Journalist Kevin Sites made his first trip to Afghanistan in 2001. Since then he has returned five times to report on the war and people of this country torn apart by conflict.

In 2013 Sites retraced his first trip to examine what, if anything, has changed in Afghanistan. As he revisits the places where he first visited and became acquainted with the diverse land and population, the writer shares his memories of the experiences he had on the battle lines over the years.

Part of the narrative involves introducing the eclectic array of individuals he encountered. From warlords and ex-Taliban fighters to politicians, farmers and soldiers, the mesmerizing portraits of these diverse individuals make this book as fascinating as the experiences the author shares.

This up close and personal look at the Afghan war doesn’t just focus on American military objectives and U.S. men and women engaged in fighting the war; it adds a different dimension and perspective that is often overlooked.

With the American withdrawal, Sites also looks to the country’s future and what might be ahead for the Afghan people.

Marc Davis: Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man

By Disney Book Group
Disney Editions. $40

A master of many mediums from oil and watercolors to ink and graphite, Marc Davis loved sketching. He loved depicting animals, people and landscapes. Most importantly, he was never satisfied with his technique; in other words, Davis was continually seeking ways to increase his knowledge and hone his abilities as both a draftsman and painter.

Although this skilled individual would have been welcomed in any number of firms where his skills would have been appreciated, he was one of Walt Disney’s stalwarts. “Marc can do story, he can do character, he can animate, he can design shows for me,” said Walt Disney. “All I have to do is tell him what I want and it’s there! He’s my Renaissance man.”

During his 43-year tenure with the company Davis utilized his unparallel abilities to create characters, design Disneyland rides (Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean) and became one of Disney’s most lauded creative talents.

The ten chapters in this marvelous book are written by different Disney colleagues and staff. They range from animal studies, Davis’ sketchbooks and the anatomy of motion to Imagineering, fine art and special projects such as Chanticleer and the Divine Miss Alice (Marc’s wife).

Whether you are an artist, a fan of the Disney Studios or just someone who appreciates fine art, this beautifully illustrated tribute to Marc Davis will be a book you’ll enjoy paging through over and over again. It is truly something special and worth twice the price!

Killers of the King: The Men Who Dared to Execute Charles I

By Charles Spencer
Bloomsbury Press. $34.95

The tension due to political, social and religious differences between Charles I and the British Parliament ultimately resulted in a Civil War that began in 1642 with the clash of Royalist and Parliamentary armies. The bloody struggle ended with the Crown’s diverse enemies victorious, but then the question became what was to be done with the defeated King who refused to surrender?

In an unprecedented move, a tribunal of 135 men gathered in London to try the monarch. Charles I was held accountable for the slaughter of his subjects in the war and unanimously sentenced to die on a scaffold outside of Whitehall.

When his son, Charles II, was eventually restored to the throne, he set about dealing with the men responsible for his father’s execution. While some accepted the inevitable and awaited the retribution they knew was coming, others tried to hide or fled England.

In this book Charles Spencer looks at the factors that caused the Civil War and Charles’ subsequent execution as well as what happened to the men who dared to kill their king.

Featuring a highly readable narrative, “Killers of the King” is not only informative but also very entertaining. Anyone interested in British history will find this a captivating volume well worth reading.

Stand There! She Shouted: The Invincible Photographer Julia Margaret Cameron

By Susan Goldman Rubin
Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Candlewich Press. $16.99

Given her first camera when she was 48 years old, Julia Margaret Cameron was an early 19th century photographer who developed unorthodox techniques to capture the personalities of her subjects.

At a time when the typical portrait was stiff and rather uninteresting, Cameron posed her subjects and dressed them in ways that added a new element to the staid portraits of the time.

Among her famous subjects were Charles Darwin and Alfred Tennyson. During her eleven-year career Cameron created thousands of photographs and her one-woman shows created quite astir.

From her birth in India and her childhood in France, this short, well illustrated biography follows the life of a very remarkable woman.

Although this picture book is obviously directed at a young audience (eight years of age and older), any adult interested in photography and the role of women in the field will find this an interesting book. The selection of Cameron’s photos alone is worth the price of the volume.

Reporting Under Fire: 16 Daring Women War Correspondents and Photojournalists

By Kerrie Logan Hollihan
Chicago Review Press. $19.95

Beginning with World War One, Kerrie Logan Hollihan provides short portraits of a group of women who courted danger by documenting a number of armed conflicts and dangerous situations around the globe. Reporting from Berlin, Paris and Petrograd to Shanghai, Kabul and Baghdad, these journalists recorded the events and took the photos that kept the folks back home informed about what was happening on the front lines.

These stories not only illustrated the dangers they faced and the resourcefulness needed to perform their jobs, but they also often underscore the struggles women had to overcome to even be allowed to go on these assignments.

You’ll meet Margaret Bourke-White, who rode with Patton’s Third Army and brought back the first horrific photos of the Buchenwald concentration camp, and Marguerite Higgins, who covered the retreat as North Korean soldiers swept south.

Adults and teenagers will find this a fascinating series of profiles. Also, anyone engaged in journalism or interested in military history will want to read this informative, well illustrated book.