history – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews Ultimate Spy by H. Keith Melton

Today Caramel reviews Ultimate Spy by H. Keith Melton, published in 2002. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So what is this book about Caramel?

Caramel: This is about the equipment and weapons that spies use.

S: I see. After reading so many Spy School books, you needed to get to some of the facts!

C: Yep. You know me and facts. I like them.

S: Okay, so what kind of equipment and weapons are we talking about here?

C: Some of them are really cool gadgets, like the match box pistol.

S: Sounds like something out of a James Bond movie. What is the match box pistol?

C: Yes, it sounds like it’s from a movie and it does look like it, too. It basically looks like a metal match box, but a barrel can be attached, and it can shoot one bullet. So you can carry it around without anyone being suspicious that you are carrying a weapon. Or you could simply let it sit on a coffee table and they would not suspect anything.

S: I see. That is cunning.

C: Yes, it is, it’s crazy. There are so many little and big things that they have made that spies can use as secret weapons.

S: And these are real, not for movie sets and such?

C: Yep, they are all things that were used at some point.

S: Oh wait, you used the past tense. So these are real but maybe no longer classified, like the government no longer needs to keep them secret.

C: Yeah, at least I think so. The author is a historian and the foreword of the book is written by some real people from the intelligence world. Some guy named Richard Helms who was apparently a former director of the CIA and Markus Wolf who was the former head of the East German Foreign Intelligence Service, the HVA. This is the real CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency! And I didn’t know about the HVA, but now I do.

S: Wow! That is pretty cool. This all probably means that they have a lot of other cool stuff they are using these days, and we don’t know about them.

C: Yeah, most likely a lot. And this book was published all the way back in 2002, so definitely they must have a lot of new tools and gadgets that they are not telling us about.

S: I did notice that our copy is from 2002. There is apparently a newer edition, from 2015.

C: Oh, that is cool. Maybe that edition has a few new things. But this book was more than good enough; it definitely has enough neat things to keep me busy!

S: I can see that!

Caramel is reading Ultimate Spy by H. Keith Melton. — Caramel is reading *Ultimate Spy* by H. Keith Melton.

S: Okay, so tell me a bit more about the book.

C: Sure. The content is organized around some themes like Famous Spying Operations, World War II, Cold War, Post-Cold War Spying, and Equipment and Techniques. Under that last one, there are pages on Cameras, Secret Operations, Counterintelligence, Clandestine Communications, and Weapons. Finally there is a section on How To Be a Spy.

S: Hmm, it is interesting that there is some historical context to this all. And there are lots of big words in there. Did you know what “clandestine” means for example?

C: Of course. It means secret.

S: Of course, I should have guessed that. You are a little bunny with a huge vocabulary. Anyways, what else can you tell us about the book?

C: There are 206 pages. And there are many, many, many pictures on each page.

S: That makes sense. You’d want to see these gadgets of course!

C: Yeah, I definitely liked looking at them.

S: So what was your favorite gadget?

C: Probably the match box pistol, it’s small, even a bunny spy could carry it around!

S: Wait, are you interested in becoming a spy?

C: Not really. I was teasing you. It is too dangerous. But it is neat to read about them. And you know I love my Spy School books, so this book helps me put what is going on in those books into some context.

S: Alright, so maybe this is a good place to wrap up this review. You seem to have really enjoyed this book.

C: Yes. And yes.

S: So what would you like to tell our readers as we end this post?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Ultimate Spy by H. Keith Melton and learning about cool gadgets and some history, too. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Ultimate Spy* by H. Keith Melton and learning about cool gadgets and some history, too.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #9: Major Impossible by Nathan Hale

Caramel has been going through the books in the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series one by one and today he is talking to Sprinkles about Major Impossible, the ninth book in the series by Nathan Hale, first published in 2019.

Sprinkles: So today we are talking about another Nathan Hale book. This is called Major Impossible. Can you please tell us about it?

Caramel: It is about a guy named John Wesley Powell, who started a journey to the Grand Canyon, and nearly died multiple times.

S: Wow! That sounds fascinating! So when is this happening?

C: 1869.

S: Cool. Okay, so why does he nearly die multiple times? Tourists go to the Grand Canyon by the millions today.

C: Well, at that time, it was not as safe, and they had to go through all of the rapids and things. The Colorado River is a serious, big river.

S: I can see that. The place is a lot more accessible today but I think it is still a place where people could get hurt if they are not careful. And Caramel, you have not been to the Grand Canyon yet. Did this book make you want to visit it?

C: No, I feel safer here, thank you very much.

S: I like that you feel safe at home but Caramel, I do hope you will see the Grand Canyon some time. It is the only monument I have seen, natural or manmade, that I think is more impressive than its best promotional pictures. So I do hope one day you will get the chance to experience that.

C: Maybe I will, but not for a while.

S: Yes, maybe when you are a bit older, we can go there together on a family trip.

C: That may be interesting.

S: Okay, back to the book. Why is it titled Major Impossible?

C: Well, John Wesley Powell was a major in the Union army during the Civil War. And he is trying to do something that seems almost impossible. So Major and Impossible. I think it makes sense.

S: Yes, it sure does.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #9: Major Impossible by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #9: Major Impossible* by Nathan Hale.

S: So is the book only about John Wesley Powell and his Grand Canyon expedition? Or do we learn more about the Canyon or the Colorado River? Or do we learn more about Powell’s life before the expedition or after?

C: We learn about his childhood and what led to his interesting life. For example, when he was a little kid, he was hit with a rock because his father was disliked by everyone in his town for being a preacher. This made him very angry. He was working hard and not being appreciated.

S: Hmm, that is rough.

C: Yep, it feels so unfair!

S: Yes, and any child would be sad and angry. Does the book also talk about Powell’s life after the expedition? Apparently, he served as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey from 1881 to 1894.

C: Huh, that’s cool to know. But no, the book does not go there.

S: Does it then end with the successful completion of the expedition?

C: Yeah, it does. But at the end of the book, after the “The End” note, there are a few more pages about what happened to the others on the team. A couple died, but many of them lived.

S: I know you enjoy graphic novels and these are also fact-full, so I am guessing you enjoyed this book too?

C: Yep, very fact-full, I loved it.

S: So does this read like a typical graphic novel?

C: Mostly. But it is cool that it is about real people and real events. And there are a lot of maps and such, they are all very useful to see how the canyon looked back then. I mean, I saw pictures of the Grand Canyon before, but most of those were the promotional photos you mentioned earlier, so they do not give you a real sense of the dangers that Powell and his men were facing.

S: That all sounds great Caramel. It seems like you enjoyed the book a lot and you learned a lot from it, too. What is not to like? So this is probably a good place to wrap up this review.

C: Sure. It is almost my bedtime, so I can go to my room and read…

S: Yes. So what would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #9: Major Impossible by Nathan Hale and recommends it to all other young bunnies who are curious and want to know more about the world. — Caramel loved reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #9: Major Impossible* by Nathan Hale and recommends it to all other young bunnies who are curious and want to know more about the world.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #8: Lafayette! by Nathan Hale

Caramel loves history and he loves graphic novels. So Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales are perhaps the ultimate series for him. (Except there are no dragons or robots in these books! Oh well…) So as you might expect, he has already read several of these quirky books and reviewed them for the book bunnies blog. Today he is talking to Sprinkles about Lafayette, the eighth book in the series, first published in 2018.

Sprinkles: So here we are, with yet another Nathan Hale book. This is called Lafayette! And it is book eight, right?

Caramel: Yep, and what a good eighth book it is!y

S: Glad you have enjoyed this one too!

C: Yep, so am I.

S: So Lafayette is a French man from the American Revolution days. His full name was apparently Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, but in the United States people called him Lafayette. Wikipedia tells us that he volunteered to help the Continental Army led by George Washington and commanded the troops “in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War’s final major battle, which secured American independence.” And then he went back to France and got involved with the French Revolution. As a result he “continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States.”

C: Yeah, he was a really good fighter, wasn’t he?

S: It seems like it. What part of the story does Nathan Hale tell us?

C: The part of him helping the Americans by coming from France and fighting alongside the American colonists rebelling against the British Crown.

S: That’s cool! You remember the song from Hamilton about Lafayette and the Battle of Yorktown?

C: Yep, it was good. Marshmallow really liked it!

S: Yeah, it says “Everyone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman: Lafayette!” That’s where I first learned about the details of the role he played in the American Revolutionary War. But I bet you knew about Lafayette before that, no?

C: Well, not really. I was really small when Hamilton came out, remember?

S: That’s true. But at least you knew of him before you began to read this book.

C: Yep, and it helped a lot. Because, you know, a lot was happening in the book, and knowing a bit about who was who helped me keep track of things.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8: Lafayette! by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #8: Lafayette!* by Nathan Hale.

S: Okay, so who besides Lafayette is in the book then?

C: All the other big names from those times. George Washington, of course. Then, Alexander Hamilton, William Howe, Benedict Arnold, and some others.

S: And you are right, there are so many things to remember about each of these people and each of the different battles and such, I can see how knowing a bit of something before you start reading could be helpful. But it is after all a graphic novel. You would probably still get something out of reading it even if you had known nothing about any of these people.

C: Yeah, it explains some of the lives of the other characters. And yes, I would have still learned a lot.

S: So given that you did know a bunch already, did you still learn something new?

C: Yep, some things about what Lafayette did came as new to me. For example, I did not know that he joined the war as a young man of around twenty. They were all really young men. Hamilton was in his early twenties too.

S: That sounds incredible.

C: Washington was in his forties though. Much older.

S: As the adult in this conversation, and of some considerable age, I should remind you that the forties are still not too old!

C: Don’t get touchy Sprinkles!! I know you are always young, at heart at least!!

S: Okay play, I know you are still so young… Anyways, the book worked! You liked it!

C: Yes! These books are good! And I am ready for book nine!

S: Okay, that sounds reasonable to me. But it will have to wait till next week.

C: I can still start reading it!

S: Sure you can! So this might be a good time to wrap this up then. What would you like to tell our readers Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading and talking about Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8: Lafayette! by Nathan Hale, and is now ready for the next book! — Caramel enjoyed reading and talking about *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #8: Lafayette!* by Nathan Hale, and is now ready for the next book!

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale

Today Caramel is talking to Sprinkles about Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale, published first in 2017. This is the seventh book in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series.

For Caramel’s reviews of the six earlier books, please check out: One Dead Spy, Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood, The Underground Abductor, Big Bad Ironclad, Donner Dinner Party, and Alamo All-Stars.

Caramel reviews Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale. — Caramel reviews *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return* by Nathan Hale.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you are back this week with a new Nathan Hale book!

Caramel: Yep! This one is a WW2 one.

S: It is about the second world war, you mean?

C: Yep, it is about the U.S. bombing campaign on Tokyo, which is apparently called the Doolittle Raid today. It starts with a summary of how the second world war began and then the Pearl Harbor attack.

S: That is interesting. Most of the earlier books in the series were about earlier parts of American history. So this is getting a bit closer to today.

C: Sprinkles, it is not that close! The Pearl Harbor attack was in 1941. That is still the last century.

S: You are right of course. It is also the last millennium!

C: Yeah, see, I was right! It is still quite ancient history, especially for a little bunny like me.

S: True, for older bunnies like me who were born in the last century, maybe it feels closer. Anyways, so the book is about the battle in the Pacific Ocean then.

C: It is even more specific than that. There is a little bit about how people viewed the Pearl Harbor attack, from both sides (American and Japanese), and then the rest of the book, we focus on the experiences of the pilots who flew the U.S. bombers over Tokyo.

S: I see. I had of course heard about the Pearl Harbor event, but I had not read about this retaliation. From the Wikipedia article it looks like this was a very outrageous plan, not terribly likely to succeed–

C: Yes, but it somehow worked. They did manage to bomb some important military targets, I think.

S: And the war escalated from then on of course.

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale. — Caramel is reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return* by Nathan Hale.

S: Okay, so I am guessing that you were excited to read this book. It has been a few months since you last read a new Nathan Hale book.

C: Yeah! And this one came in a box of three, like the other books I read from this series, and I loved all three!

S: Hmm, maybe you will review the others in the coming weeks.

C: Maybe. If I do that, can we get the next three books? These were really good!

S: Sounds like a good deal to me.

C: Okay, good. I know what I will be reviewing next week then!

S: Alright. Let us get back to this week though. So this is the seventh book in the series. Does the same framing story continue? I mean, the other books are all narrated by Nathan Hale, that famous spy who is about to get hanged. Is this one continuing the same thing?

C: Yeah, it is.

S: I am a bit curious about how they will finish the series. I mean Hale did get hanged in the end. But maybe since this is for young bunnies, and there are so many other interesting historical tales to tell, maybe we will not ever get to those bits.

C: Yeah, I hope that it never ends.

S: I know you love graphic novels and you love history and you love facts. This is just the right book series for you!

C: Yep, it is.

S: So then is it fair to say that you would recommend it to other young bunnies?

C: Yes! Any bunny who loves books or history or graphic novels would like these too! And you know, they don’t have to read them in order, so they can just jump right into any of them after the first one.

S: Great! Maybe this is a good place to wrap up this review. What do you think?

C: Sure. Then I can go back to reading and rereading the next book!

S: Sounds good to me. What do you want to tell our readers then?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return by Nathan Hale and is eager to read the next book in the series. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales #7: Raid of No Return* by Nathan Hale and is eager to read the next book in the series.