The wages and spoils of war are the focus in this week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers, along with two other issues vexing the homeland. Describing how former warriors can recover from the trauma of the battlefield, and how the U.S. Navy acquired the most valuable prize of World War II are subjects tackled in two non-fiction selections. Then, there is a discussion of government’s dilemma in preventing serious harm to its citizens while protecting our basic rights, and also an in-depth look at the country’s failing foster care system. And, for fiction, there are the latest doings of old familiar friend.
“Return to Sender: A Longmire Mystery,” by Craig Johnson (Viking)
This No. 1 bestseller and the 21st volume of Craig Johnson’s popular Walt Longmire series of mysteries opens with a missing person case of a female letter-carrier. Her route stretches 300 miles every day, so the initial question becomes where to look for her? Longworth follows her route posing as a replacement letter-carrier “and finds himself enveloped in the intrigue of an otherworldly cult,“ according to the publisher. This one is filled with the twists and turns that fans of this New York Times bestselling series have come to expect. “Great yarn,” wrote Al in his review for GoodReads. “Craig Johnson’s trademark keenly honed characterization and clearly articulated sense of place. Superb plot. Bunches of surprises. Great dialog(ue). All of the ‘usual suspects’ plus many more. Now I just hope Mr. Johnson finishes the next one very soon!” [Fiction]
“From Trauma To Joy: Life changing lessons that fellow US Marines taught me after traumatic events occurred in my life… Lessons that apply to ANYONE,” by Michael F. McNamara (Post-Traumatic Winning Company, LLC)
The greatest toll of war isn’t the dollars spent on armaments deployed, or lost or destroyed property — it’s the human toll: both in lives lost and those who feel lost due to the trauma of war. Consider this book a step-by-step instruction manual for anyone who has been traumatized by war and their loved ones. “Trauma to Joy” includes the stories of 24 others who have rediscovered life’s joys after experiencing battlefield trauma. “The Post Traumatic Winning Program that was created by Mac and so adeptly explained in his book Trauma to Joy immediately made sense to me because it was full of truths,” said Peter Ostrovsky for Amazon. “Mac’s book encapsulates his program and the universal experiences of those dealing with trauma and the universal solutions. Because after all, we are all the same, we are humans. This book will save you time, your relationships and your life. Read it Now!” [Nonfiction]
“Phantom Fleet: The Hunt for Nazi Submarine U-505 and World War II’s Most Daring Heist,” by Alexander Rose (Little, Brown and Company)
Nearly everyone who lives in or near Chicago has visited the Museum of Science and Industry to check out the captured World War II German submarine — U-505. In “Phantom Fleet,” New York Times bestselling author and historian Alexander Rose tells the amazing story of how sailors aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer were able to acquire this prize without destroying it. It marked the first time that U.S. Navy sailors had boarded an enemy vessel at sea since the War of 1812, and with this spoil came an even bigger one — the acquisition of a German fabled encode-decode machine called Enigma. “What an informative and entertaining book! It read more like a thriller than a military naval history book. The depth of the research gave insight into the men and the mission to capture a German U-boat,” wrote Laurie for GoodReads. “Owing to his conversational writing, the book is a captivating account of a single incident during World War II, highlighting its relationship to the war effort. I don’t usually read World War II-era books, but I’m glad I made an exception for this book.” [Nonfiction]
“The Preventive State: The Challenge of Preventing Serious Harms While Preserving Essential Liberties,” by Alan Dershowitz (Encounter Books)
This is the latest work from Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor emeritus, noted trial lawyer, prolific author and Newsmax contributor. In it, he argues that government’s job of preventing serious harm to the citizens while protecting their fundamental rights becomes more problematic in this increasingly dangerous world. He discussed the book with Newsmax host Greta Van Susteren, where he made a remarkable statement about his latest offering. “In my book ‘The Preventive State,’ I actually predicted with real precision what was going to happen in the District of Columbia last week when these two wonderful young people were murdered,” Dershowitz said, referring to Yaron Lischinsky, 30, an Israeli Christian citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, a Jewish American who were killed May 21. “The RIGHT Book for the RIGHT time….truly inspiring…and RIGHT,” wrote an Amazon Top Reviewer. “This Book should be required reading at all Law Schools…not just Harvard.” [Nonfiction]
“Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care,” by Claudia Rowe (Abrams Press)
In “Wards of the State,” author Claudia Rowe demonstrates that the American foster care system is a road built on good intentions but leading to failure. It fails society, but worse, it fails the children, by denying them permanent role models. As a result, they more often wind up in prison rather than benefitting society. Investigative journalist Rowe interviewed psychologists, advocates, judges, and former foster children, to present what The Seattle Times calls “an immersive, devastating look at foster children’s lives” as told through the stories of six former foster youth. “Claudia Rowe’s new book Wards of the State is a powerful look at the child welfare system across the country with a focus on Washington State. Her main argument is that the system creates ‘the foster care to prison pipeline.’ She’s not wrong,” wrote Ross Hunter for GoodReads. “It’s a compelling read. This isn’t true of most things I wind up reading on the policy side. She weaves the argument around the stories of five or six main actors and what happened to them in their childhood, and how it’s affected them throughout their lifetime.” [Nonfiction]
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