What We Are Reading Today: ‘When the Bombs Stopped’

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Short Url
Updated 18 November 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘When the Bombs Stopped’

Photo/Supplied
  • Fifty years after the last sortie, residents of rural Cambodia are still coping with the unexploded ordnance that covers their land

Author: ERIN LIN

Over the course of the Vietnam War, the United States dropped 500,000 tonnes of bombs over Cambodia—more than the combined weight of every man, woman, and child in the country.

What began as a secret CIA infiltration of Laos eventually expanded into Cambodia and escalated into a nine-year war over the Ho Chi Minh trail fought primarily with bombs.

Fifty years after the last sortie, residents of rural Cambodia are still coping with the unexploded ordnance that covers their land. In “When the Bombs Stopped,” Erin Lin investigates the consequences of the US bombing campaign across post conflict Cambodia.

 


What We Are Reading Today: The White Ladder by Daniel Light

What We Are Reading Today: The White Ladder by Daniel Light
Updated 30 November 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: The White Ladder by Daniel Light

What We Are Reading Today: The White Ladder by Daniel Light

Daniel Light’s “The White Ladder” is a captivating historical narrative that chronicles the thrilling ascent of mountaineering’s world altitude record. 

With a keen eye for detail and a poetic eloquence, Light brings to life the epic journeys of climbers, both renowned and unsung.

He delves into the innovative techniques and breathtaking ascents that pushed the boundaries of the sport, highlighting the crucial roles of local guides and indigenous mountaineers often overlooked in traditional accounts. 

By skillfully weaving together historical sources, Light presents a coherent and engaging narrative that is both accurate and captivating. 

His wry humor adds a refreshing touch to this remarkable tale of human ambition and the allure of the mountain.


What We Are Reading Today: Adam Smith Reconsidered

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 29 November 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Adam Smith Reconsidered

Photo/Supplied

Author: Paul Sagar

Adam Smith has long been recognized as the father of modern economics. More recently, scholars have emphasized his standing as a moral philosopher—one who was prepared to critique markets as well as to praise them. But Smith’s contributions to political theory are still underappreciated and relatively neglected.

In this bold, revisionary book, Paul Sagar argues that not only have the fundamentals of Smith’s political thought been widely misunderstood, but that once we understand them correctly, our estimations of Smith as economist and as moral philosopher must radically change.

Rather than seeing Smith either as the prophet of the free market, or as a moralist who thought the dangers of commerce lay primarily in the corrupting effects of trade, Sagar shows why Smith is more thoroughly a political thinker who made major contributions to the history of political thought.

 


What We Are Reading Today: Super Courses by Ken Bain

What We Are Reading Today: Super Courses by Ken Bain
Updated 28 November 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Super Courses by Ken Bain

What We Are Reading Today: Super Courses by Ken Bain

Book Review: ‘Rifqa’ by Mohammed El-Kurd

Book Review: ‘Rifqa’ by Mohammed El-Kurd
Updated 27 November 2024
Follow

Book Review: ‘Rifqa’ by Mohammed El-Kurd

Book Review: ‘Rifqa’ by Mohammed El-Kurd

Mohammed El-Kurd’s “Rifqa” is a searing and lyrical exploration of identity, resistance and the enduring impact of colonization. Named after El-Kurd’s late grandmother, the poetry collection captures the Palestinian experience with an intensity that is both personal and profoundly universal.

Through vivid language and raw emotion, El-Kurd weaves together memories, history and the lived realities of occupation, crafting a work that is as much a tribute to resilience as it is a call to action.

Through poems that shift between tender recollections of family and sharp critiques of displacement and violence, El-Kurd creates a narrative that refuses to separate the personal from the political. This duality gives the work a profound resonance, as it reminds readers of the humanity at the core of resistance.

El-Kurd’s grandmother, Rifqa, emerges as a symbol of steadfastness in the face of oppression, her life embodying the spirit of defiance that runs through the collection.

His language is evocative and unrelenting, often blurring the lines between poetry and protest. His verses are charged with anger, grief and a fierce love for his homeland, making every word feel urgent and necessary.

Yet, amid the rage and sorrow, there are moments of quiet beauty — glimpses of family life, the olive trees of Jerusalem and the enduring cultural traditions that tether the poet to his roots. These moments serve as a poignant reminder of what is at stake, grounding the collection in the everyday lives and stories of Palestinians.

What sets “Rifqa” apart is its refusal to sanitize or soften its message. El-Kurd speaks truth to power with unapologetic clarity, confronting readers with the stark realities of occupation and the complicity of global systems in perpetuating injustice.

Yet, his voice is not only one of condemnation, but also of hope and resilience. The poems are a testament to the enduring spirit of a people who continue to fight for their land, their identity and their right to exist.

“Rifqa” is a powerful and deeply affecting work that demands to be read as a testament to the resilience of a people and the enduring strength of a grandmother’s legacy.

It is a book that stays with you long after the final page, urging you to listen, to feel and to act. Mohammed El-Kurd has crafted a work that is both a lament and a rallying cry, a reminder that poetry has the power to witness, to resist and to endure.


What We Are Reading Today: A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central and South America

What We Are Reading Today: A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central  and South America
Updated 26 November 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central and South America

What We Are Reading Today: A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central  and South America

Author: Steven Poe 

Anoles are highly visible and aesthetically pleasing lizards that are abundant throughout Central and South America.

The subjects of countless evolutionary and ecological studies that have advanced our understanding of basic principles in biology, these colorful reptiles are notoriously difficult to identify, and species names are often confusing and inconsistent. 

“A Guide to the Anolis Lizards (Anoles) of Mainland Central and South America” is the first book to enable the identification of all known species of anole in the region while establishing baseline knowledge for further research.