The History Book Club discussion

Dave, here is your new thread in 2016. Happy reading in the new year.

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2016
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

JANUARY

1. by Ian Fleming
Finish Date: January 5, 2016
Genre: Thriller
Rating: B
Review: I've been wanting to read some of the original Bond books by Ian Fleming, so I may as well start with the first one. Not a lot of depth in the character, the expected attitude toward women of the 1950s, some great action scenes, a good story, and hey! I learned the rules to Baccarat.

2. by Marlon James
Finish Date: January 9, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: This was a challenging book. It took me quite a while to finish it. James gives us a look at Jamaica during the turbulent 1970s and 1980s - the governments and opposition governments fighting it out and trading places, the gangs (posses) of Kingston, the cocaine and crack traffic that passed through Jamaica on its way to New York, and the attempted assassination of singer Bob Marley. It's fiction, but the facts are there and you feel the times through the eyes and words of a number of different characters - gang members and leaders, a journalist, CIA agents and station chiefs, even a ghost. It took some time to get there, but the final section pulled it all together and was worth every minute. Occasionally I wished for a glossary of Jamaican slang terms, yet I always knew pretty much what they meant. Not an easy read, but powerful.

Dave wrote: "2. by Marlon James

The author is going to be on the Leonard Lopate show on February 17: http://www.wnyc.org/story/were-readin...

Kressel wrote: "Dave wrote: "2. by Marlon James

The author is going to be on the Leonard Lopate show on Febru..."

Thanks. I'll check it out. I was fortunate to hear him speak at the National Book Festival in Washington DC, which prompted my curiosity about the book. It surprised the heck out of me to learn that he lives in the Minneapolis area - about as far, climate-wise, as you can get from Jamaica.

Really! Brrrr!

3. by Stacy Schiff
Finish Date: January 19, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: What an amazing story. I am in awe of historians who can sift through barely legible letters and diaries, make sense of what they've found, and turn it into a well-told tale. So yes, I guess I'm in awe of Stacy Schiff. Like pretty much everyone, I was certainly aware of the Salem witch trials. But until I read this account, I had no idea what an ugly picture they painted of people. A few girls put on an act and more than a hundred people are imprisoned. Twenty are hanged. We're talking pious grandmothers, a few ministers and yes, a few disagreeable neighbors. Judges saw what they wanted to see, led the witnesses, pressured the jury to change their verdicts. Some of the accusations were likely politically motivated, or the result of family feuds. And sadly, some things never change. People today are no different than people 300+ years ago, and we see the same behaviors today. Sigh...

Great review! I'm even more interested than I was before.

Dave wrote: "3. by Stacy Schiff
Finish Date: January 19, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: What an amazin..."

Thank you, Dave. I'm adding this to my list.

4. by Paula Hawkins
Finish Date: January 30, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: Boy, talk about unreliable narrators, you get three of them in this book. The story unfolds through the eyes of three women: Rachel rides the commuter train to London each day and invents a story in her mind of one couple that she sees from the train almost every day. The woman in that couple, Megan, becomes our second narrator, and Anna provides the third. Anna is the new wife of Rachel's ex-husband. Hang in. It gets even more convoluted. A woman is murdered and Rachel (who also happens to have a bit of a drinking problem) inserts herself into the investigation. The only negative for me was that the murder was solved a bit sooner than I expected, and while there's certainly interest after the revelation, it's a bit anticlimactic. A great read, though.

I got a recommendation for that book from one of my HBC friends and your review helped me decide that maybe I should read it. Thanks, Dave.

FEBRUARY

5. by James A. Michener
Finish Date: February 11, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: When I was much younger, I read most of James Michener's fiction, as well as his autobiography. I enjoyed them very much, especially the historical detail in many of them. Somehow I missed this (and a couple of others), so I'm catching up now. But this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. Not awful, but the characters were flatter than usual. He was writing in the 4early 1970s about the baby boomer culture of the 1960s - sex, drugs, rock & roll - and the six characters he developed to represent the generation couldn't help but be stereotypes. There's the draft dodger, the angry black man, the drug addict, the folk singer, a Jewish student who can have citizenship in three countries - Israel, USA and England (okay - he's the least stereotypical, I suppose).

The narrator is a man in his 60s who has connections to some of these young people as they drift through Europe and Africa. His perspective and that of another friend in his 40s provide much discussion on the differences between the generations - a hot topic at the time.

6. by Firoozeh Dumas
Finish Date: February 17, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: I know that I'm not exactly the demographic for this book, but a book club I occasionally join was reading it so I thought I'd give it a shot. The cover claimed it was hilarious. I won't go that far, but it was amusing, and often through a clever use of language, which I always appreciate. It's the memoirs of an Iranian woman who came to the U.S. at the age of seven, and provides an inside look at the Iranian culture that is fascinating at times. Also interesting is the view of life in Iran before the 1979 revolution. What a difference!

I remember reading by James A. Michener and liking it, back near the time it came out. But it seems like a book that would not age well

7. by Erik Larson
Finish Date: February 26, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: I've read other books about Nazi Germany, and they all leave me shaking my head. This one really helps you feel the shock, the fear, the helplessness of a normal world falling apart around you. Through access to letters, diaries and official communications, it also makes you angry, not just at the Nazis, but at members of our state department and Congress who sat back and did nothing to even attempt to stop, or even criticize violence by the German government.

And this book only deals with the first year of Hitler's rise to power - 1933-34. It only got worse, and still England, France, the USA did nothing and paid the price later. But not as high a price as many innocents in Germany, which we see through the eyes of the American ambassador to Germany and his family. Erik Larson weaves many sources together to tell a very real story that, at one time, might have been unbelievable.

Peter wrote: "I remember reading by James A. Michener and liking it, back near the time it came out. But it seems like a book that..."

I think you're right. That's probably my problem with the book.

Jill wrote: "I got a recommendation for that book from one of my HBC friends and your review helped me decide that maybe I should read it. Thanks, Dave."

Hope you enjoy it.

8. by Eric Flint Editor
Finish Date: February 29, 2016
Genre: Alternate History
Rating: C+
Review: This is a collection of short stories set in a fictional universe created by Eric Flint and David Weber, with contributions by 15 authors, including Flint and Weber. In this universe, a modern West Virginia town is sent back in time to Germany, 1632. It's the heart of the Thirty Year War, and in addition to dealing with the shock, the residents have to deal with surviving in a brutal time and place.

These stories help to flesh out some of the changes that take place - like the establishment of a United States Navy in this time period, introducing the locals to baseball, convincing doctors of the era the value of modern medical advances while avoiding charges of witchcraft, and building alliances with neighboring warlords.

Some of the stories are interesting and well-written, others just aren't, bringing the overall score down. But it's a fun premise and it's interesting to see how it's handled. It's also fun to occasionally run into historical figures that we might be familiar with, and how they react to the "up timers," as the West Virginians begin to call themselves.

MARCH

9. by Philip K. Dick
Finish Date: March 4, 2016
Genre: Alternate History
Rating: A-
Review: Even though I've read science fiction since I was a kid in the 1960s, there are some classics that I somehow missed, and I've been trying to correct that in recent years. Sadly, some of these classics don't hold up very well. You can understand why they're still considered classics for their time, but they are too much a product of their times and difficult to read. The Man in the High Castle is not one of those. It's very readable. It feels surprisingly contemporary in many ways. The dialogue is believable. The situation - Germany and Japan victors in WWII - has been explored by many authors. Dick sets up the scene quickly with no wasted time, and gets to the characters trying to get by in this world. It's set in San Francisco, under Japanese control, but potentially threatened by its old ally, Germany. We see everyday people, as well as agents of the two governments trying to avert disaster.

Not exactly Dave but close

by Philip K. Dick

One of the editions does have a book cover which is missing in the above.

Glad you managed to check off that classic.

Another add to my list - thanks.
Were you aware that Amazon Studios has made a series based on the book?

Yes, I heard something about that. In fact, that's probably what reminded me that I should read it. I haven't seen any of the series. I wanted to read the book first. I'm curious about the series, but I don't have high hopes for it.

I haven't seen the series either. I'm like you, I want to read the book first.

10. by Ted Koppel
Finish Date: March 5, 2016
Genre: Current Events
Rating: C+
Review: This book is an investigation into the USA's preparedness, not just for general cyberattacks, but specifically for cyberattacks on the digital systems that manage our nation's power grids. We've probably all lost power in a storm for a short time, maybe even a few days. But the type of shutdown that Koppel is writing about here is one that could shut down major portions of the country for months at a time. Do you have enough food and water stored to get you through months? Or gasoline for your generator? Me either. And that question of gasoline brings up another problem. With such a widespread outage and no electricity to run gas station pumps, how would we evacuate so many people to an area that does have power? It's a very real concern, and Koppel digs into the issues like the good journalist that he is. And he lays out the problem in depth again and again and again. Yes, it seems a bit repetitious. I suppose that reflects the number of interviews he conducted with people involved in all aspects of the problem - industry, government (local, statewide and national), computer experts and others. But it gets a bit old in the first half of the book. The second half comes alive a little with his story about the Mormon Church." The Mormon Church," you ask? Yup. They are apparently prepared for many kinds of disasters and their members have a very good chance at being covered. So...I guess that if you were considering conversion, here's another reason for you. Seriously though, that section of the book was fascinating. Overall, though, it could have made a multi-part magazine series, but not a book.

I think the premise of this book is excellent but you have also pointed out some of the weaknesses. which may have me looking for another book on the same subject......and I'm sure that there are readers out there that can provide recommendations. The Mormon Church preparedness surprised me. The power grid vulnerability is something we had better be aware of as a very real threat and we never think of the ripple effect of it.

11. by Christopher Golden
Finish Date: March 10, 2016
Genre: Horror
Rating: B+
Review: I realized as I read this book that I hadn't read a good horror story in a long time. This one was pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty danged good. We've heard that we all have a doppelganger somewhere. In this case, though, the novel's doppelganger characters have the same voice, virtually identical features and, apparently, their memories. Who are they? HOW are they? You'll just have to read to find out.

12. by Jon Meacham
Finish Date: March 22, 2016
Genre: Biography
Rating: B+
Review: Jon Meacham has written a decent, and at times fascinating, biography of George H W Bush. Early in the book, he occasionally slips into what sounds like a less objective tone, but for the most part he maintains a fairly even tone. Meacham had access to Bush's diaries, and those entries were often the most fascinating parts of the book for me - giving his thoughts at crucial moments as events unfolded - like the fall of the Berlin Wall, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, or Nixon's visit to China when Bush was the envoy to China.

I may not share Bush's politics, but he comes across as sincere and well-intentioned. And it may be that his was the last generation of politicians willing to work with the other party to actually find what common ground they could and get things done, rather than just stonewall or force a government shutdown to get their way, as is much too common these days.

Good review, Dave.

APRIL

13. by Vladimir Nabokov
Finish Date: April 2, 2016
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: I've been trying in the last few years to catch up on some of the classics I should have read in high school and college, so when another group I'm in decided to read Lolita, I figured it was time to find out what all the fuss was about. It's a very difficult book to read due to the subject - a 40 year old man obsessed with what he terms a "nymphet" - a 12 year old girl. But the language is so wonderful and descriptive that it often sweeps you along. At times, it's comic, but then you come back to what's really going on and you stop smiling.

14. by Mary Beard
Finish Date: April 7, 2016
Genre: Ancient History
Rating: A+
Review: I don't give many five star or A+ ratings. A book has to really impress me. There are so many aspects to this book that impressed me that it's hard to know where to start. Part of the beauty of this book is that Beard lifts the curtain and lets you see some of the ways that historians work - taking small clues, often sketchy after thousands of years - and finding the meaning in them. She illustrates the care that must be taken to avoid jumping to conclusions or making assumptions with too little evidence. She also does a nice job of telling the common tales - often myths - that we are most familiar with, and laying out new evidence for a different story. I've often wondered about the two stories of Rome's founding - twins Romulus and Remus, and Aeneas escaping Troy to found Rome. How can two founding stories continue to exist side by side all this time - and what's the truth. Of course we can't know the whole truth because wood buildings and other evidence from the early days of the town are long gone, but she lays out a plausible story. Beard's history ends at 212 CE, when the emperor granted citizenship to all free residents of the empire. For that and other reasons, she feels that the next thousand years of Roman history are very different from the first thousand years, and states that the second thousand years are a topic for another book and another author.

Dave wrote: "14. by Mary BeardFinish Date: April 7, 2016
Genre: Ancient History
Rating: A+
Review: I don't give..."

Oops, Dave, you need to put Finish Date on its own line. I love Mary Beard and am looking forward to reading this.

15. by Terry Pratchett
Finish Date: April 10, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: A+
Review: I have enjoyed all of the Discworld novels that I've read so far, but even I have to admit that some are better than others. I must say that "Jingo" is one of the best. Certainly among the most amusing. Maybe it's because it satirizes such a serious subject war, and the eagerness for men to fight them. But it's also because Pratchett weaves so many elements from our world into this story - politics, prejudice, a nod to the JFK assassination, even a bit of quantum physics (in a distinctly Discworld fashion, of course). It all blends together in a wonderful mix that you just won't find anywhere else.

16. by Chris Bohjalian
Finish Date: April 13, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B-
Review: I'm batting about .500 with Chris Bohjalian's books. I've read four so far, and have absolutely loved two of them ("The Double Bind" and "The Sand Castle Girls") and been, at best, neutral, about the other two. This is a neutral one. (The other is "The Night Strangers," if you're interested).

The problem for me is that I couldn't get over a number of implausibilities - the first of which is crucial in setting up the problems for Richard, the main character. Others occurred throughout the book, but were much more minor. Still, I kept reading because when I could manage to block out my problems with the set up at the beginning, Bohjalian tells a great story and keeps you turning the pages. And this is another book in which the ending absolutely startles you.

He also has a poignant story within the story that helps make the book worthwhile. It concerns Alexandra, an Armenian sex slave who has been brought to America.

by Chris Bohjalian
by Chris Bohjalian
by Chris Bohjalian

17. by Brian Clegg
Finish Date: April 20, 2016
Genre: Science
Rating: B
Review: The subtitle of this book is a bit misleading since a good portion of the book describes science in science fiction stories that isn't likely to be possible in any future. Still, it was an enjoyable read just to get an overview of progress in a wide variety of scientific fields from nanotechnology to biotech. I originally chose to read this as a bit of research into future tech for something that I'm writing, but wound up enjoying the book on its own. Part of the fun was the discussion of science as it appeared in a number of books, movies and TV shows over the centuries, being reminded of books I've enjoyed and learning about a few classics that I haven't read - yet.

18. by Theo Czuk (No Photo)
Finish Date: April 22, 2016
Genre: Western Fiction
Rating: A
Review: this is likely the most literate western I've ever read. In some ways, it reminds me of Charles Portis' "True Grit,' which featured a formal style and vocabulary that at first struck me as a little odd but quickly grew on me. The classics are all here - the honorable lawman, an orphan raised by Indians to give him a greater appreciation of and skills in nature, a fiery and independent woman who also happens to be a school teacher, a vile gang of outlaws. But they're presented in such a way that they don't feel stale at all. Through flashbacks, we learn each character's story as we work toward a resolution of the current crisis that involves foul weather, treacherous terrain, attacking Indians and the aforementioned gang of villains. The underlying theme in the back stories is "home," and what it means to each of these people.

by Charles Portis

19. by Loren D. Estleman
Finish Date: April 28, 2016
Genre: Mystery Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: This is a fun, fairly short mystery set in Hollywood featuring a film historian and archivist who stumbles onto a mystery when he purchases a rundown old movie theater that hides a couple of secrets: original reels of a lost film classic and the skeleton of a man that, judging by the cracked skull and the fact that it was bricked in behind a false wall, met with foul play. Film buffs will probably enjoy all of the references to stars and moments on the silver screen. Overall, it's a light-hearted tale, which is kind of refreshing once in a while.

20. by Toni Morrison
Finish Date: April 30, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: It's a total coincidence that I followed a western with home as its theme with this work by Toni Morrison, set in the US in the 1950s. I've been meaning to read some of her novels for many years, and finally got around to it. And this was a great start. In rich language, she tells the tale of a black Korean War veteran working his way home from the Pacific northwest to Georgia to save his younger sister. From the opening flashback of the two as children, he has done his best to watch out for her. And by the end of the book, you feel like Morrison is contradicting that other famous southern writer by saying that perhaps you can go home again.

MAY

21. by Jo Nesbø
Finish Date: May 2, 2016
Genre: Fiction Thriller
Rating: B+
Review: Since Stieg Larsson's success with his Lisbet Salander novels, a number of other Scandinavian noir authors have appeared on American shelves. I'd heard good things about Jo Nesbo, but didn't really want to start another series. This standalone book was just what I was looking for. Yes, there are times when you must accept a far fetched plot development, but the main character is as likeable as an escaped convict heroin addict can be, or even more so; and the action flows well. It starts out as a tale of revenge, but there's a twist that makes it more complicated. Due to the aforementioned required suspension of disbelief, it's not perfect, but it is a very enjoyable read.

Stieg Larsson

22. by Larry Niven
Finish Date: May 8, 2016
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: This is a collection of short stories, written in the 1960s and 1970s and all based in a universe that Niven created, generally known as "Known Space." He provides some commentary for some of the stories to help set the stage, since these are not the complete tales from that universe. Mostly classic tales of adventure, dangers of space, and clever heroes, they're a nice diversion.

23. by Tom Lewis (no photo)
Finish Date: May 12, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B
Review: I recently moved to the Washington DC area and wanted to learn more than just the big picture many of us have of the city's history. This recently published book seemed like a good place to start. And I definitely learned a lot that I wasn't aware of. I've read that much of the area was quite swampy and hardly seemed to be fit for the nation's capital. You forget that even swamps were owned by someone, and some of those original owners' names have been attached to neighborhoods, streets and suburbs in the area. Although poor Jenkins is pretty much forgotten. It was his land (Jenkins Hill) that became Capitol Hill.

Lewis takes us from the compromise over slavery that led the Founding Fathers to locate the capital here to the peaceful protests and violent riots of the 1960s, right up to the present day - though he spends much more time on the city's early history than on the last 50 years or so, and that was fine with me.

It's impossible to chronicle a city like this completely and stay under a thousand pages or so, but Lewis does a nice job introducing us to well known and lesser known figures and events. In addition to learning the history of some of the buildings and neighborhoods, we learn much about the politics of the city - and the fact that today's efforts to secure representation in Congress isn't new. It's a fight that goes back to not too long after the city's founding.

Summing up - it's an interesting, but by no means complete story. One big boost for it would have been inclusion of maps detailing the changes we were hearing about in the text.

Dave......you don't need the blank avatar if there is no author picture. Just the link followed in parenthesis by (no photo).

by Tom Lewis (no photo)

Jill wrote: "Dave......you don't need the blank avatar if there is no author picture. Just the link followed in parenthesis by (no photo).

by [au..."

Yup. remembered that and just as I went back to fix it, your note popped up. :+)

Thanks, Dave. I figured it was just a slip of the finger!!

24. by Timothy Zahn
Finish Date: May 19, 2016
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: I read a lot of science fiction, but rarely dip into those based on the big media properties like Star Trek and Star Wars. But a friend recommended that if I try Star Wars, a good series is the Thrawn Trilogy, of which this is the first volume. He didn't steer me wrong. It's a fun adventure story in the vein of the original three movies. In fact, it takes place about five years after "Return of the Jedi." The New republic (the Rebellion of the movies) is still trying to establish itself. There are a few remaining holdouts for the Empire, and they're pushing back. The classic characters are here, along with the intrigues, challenges and dangers you'd expect. One warning - if you expect it to reflect the most recent movie, The Force Awakens, don't. I'm told that the new movie and those that will follow will pretty much stay based on the old films, and ignore what has happened in the Star Wars universe of the books.

25. by Jack Lynch (no photo)
Finish Date: May 21, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: A-
Review: I admit it. I'm a nerd. Who else but a nerd would read a book about the history of reference books and finish it, saying, "Gee, that was fun." Okay, it wasn't all fun. It occasionally dragged a bit, and could be shortened a bit by eliminating a few of the different types of dictionaries profiled. But it was often fascinating. The author did a good job of keeping it from lagging too much by keeping the chapters short. Each chapter focused on two similar books from roughly the same era - different approaches to similar material. Then there are "half chapters" that cover bits of reference-related info that anyone who loves trivia will appreciate. From dictionaries to encyclopedias, medical manuals to chemical tables, atlases to, well just about anything, you'll find its history here. Even such trivial reference books as the Guinness Book of Records are covered, and believe me, it's origin story is absolutely appropriate.

26. by Arthur Miller
Finish Date: May 23, 2016
Genre: Drama
Rating: A-
Review: It's been years since I've seen this play and I was surprised at how many details I had forgotten. A book club decided to read this so I dove in again. It is so sad and depressing, in part because I've known a couple of people like Willy Loman, the salesman of the title. During the Great Recession in 2008, I know several people who seriously contemplated the fact that they were worth more to their family dead than alive. None of them acted on it, but it's hard to face that point in your life.

27. by Dave Eggers
Finish Date: May 25, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: In conjunction with Death of a Salesman, my book club decided to combine it with this book, depicting, as one review stated, a "modern-day Willy Loman." Like Willy, Alan Clay is an aging salesman whose life, both personal and financial, has definitely not gone according to plan. In some ways, he's worse off that Willy because his wife has divorced him yet continues to be a thorn in his side. Willy at least had a very supportive wife.

The action here takes place as Alan has a shot at wrapping up his career with a big win, selling IT services (including holographic remote meeting services) to the king of Saudi Arabia. The delay he faces are reminiscent of Willy's son Biff waiting all day for a chance to talk to an executive about an investment in Biff's business idea.

The story moves along and is well written - and not nearly as depressing as Death of a Salesman, although not exactly uplifting. The main drawback for me was his relationship with two women in the story. Surely there are enough western men visiting or working in the kingdom that they would find someone more attractive than this middle-aged, sad sack, emotionally unavailable man. Other than that, it's a good story. I'm now curious to see the movie.

by Arthur Miller

28. by Michael Connelly
Finish Date: May 30, 2016
Genre: Mystery
Rating: A+
Review: I'm working my way through Connelly's books in the order of publication, so I know I'm not at the end yet, but so far, this is one of the best. The story brings "The Lincoln Lawyer," Mickey Halloran and detective Harry Bosch together working on a murder. Not exactly always working together, but they get there eventually. It's interesting because it's told from Halloran's perspective, so we get to see Bosch, the hero of so many other titles, as someone else sees him. We're used to getting Bosch's viewpoint, and we don't get that here.

The thing I've come to expect from Connelly is believability. You don't see a twist or plot development as far-fetched. It always seems to make sense in the universe of his characters. That's certainly the case here too.

by Michael Connelly

JUNE

29. by Ian Tyson (no photo)
Finish Date: June 1, 2016
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: B+
Review: I enjoyed the harmonies of folk duo Ian & Sylvia for many years. After their breakup, Ian gradually found a place for himself reviving cowboy tunes and writing many of his own, which I have also enjoyed. But he was no urban cowboy, or a rhinestone cowboy ala Glen Campbell and other country singers. He was the real thing in the days when it was hard to find a place for real cowboys to do their thing. He wound up buying a ranch in Alberta and was still working it as recently as 2010, in his late 70s. In fact, singing/songwriting was a second career for him. He learned to play the guitar while he was laid up in a hospital after a rodeo accident in the 1950s.

He lived a fascinating life, but is a classic example of our heroes not always being as perfect as we might like them to be (Come on, marrying an 18 year old at age 44? Really?) That aside, he did what he felt to be right, and most of the time, steered a good course. This memoir is obviously in his own words. I'd be willing to bet that it was dictated more than written because it just sounds like a natural discussion, sometimes in a "stream of consciousness" kind of way, but always straightforward.

Interesting, Dave. I had almost forgotten about Ian and Sylvia.