Defender of the Realm

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The two main characters, Alfie and Hayley couldn't be more different but the friendship they form is completely believable. Add to that the contrasting personalities of Brian and LC and you have scenarios and dialogue that are both funny and moving. There is no limit to the number to be honored with this award. It can also be conferred on foreign citizens as an honorary award. It does not carry any title.

There were a lot of things this book tried to be, some that worked, some that fell horribly flat. As far as storytelling goes, this was supposed to be a YA book, but ended up reading more like a middle grade story. I ask the question 'who is this book for' a lot when reading, and this is the first time I really couldn't tell. The characters were high schoolers who read like middle schoolers throughout except for in one or two key moments. This book took itself more seriously than it needed to, but not seriously enough at the same time. The book boasted two main characters, but only one of them read like a protagonist. The other reads like another side character who occasionally gets to tell you what's going on in her head.As was his wont, Churchill worked past midnight and well into the early hours of May 9. Hundreds of telegrams had to be answered; the box was in dire need of attention. As he worked on, London officials doused the searchlights in hopes of encouraging the crowds to disperse. In the streets, Churchill's Englishmen, victorious, made for their homes.

Kabal's unmasked face is based on his "Freaky Face" Fatality. Additionally, his pre-disfigured face is also shown in the show.This was a long read, but well worth the time. While this book is the last in a trilogy by William Manchester on the life of Winston Churchill, it covers World War II from the British perspective. Paul Reid was selected by Manchester to complete this this volume using Manchester’s research notes. The writing style is very readable. While reading this biography, I always felt compelled to keep reading, not just to finish a long read, but to understand this man without whom the world today would be completely different. Churchill's sarcastic barbs are well-documented. Reid reminded me of one: When, in 1960, Churchill was told of Bevan's death, he mumbled a few words of moderate respect, then paused for effect before asking, "Are you sure he's dead?" Reid took over the task of completing this third volume of Manchester’s trilogy on Churchill when strokes damaged his ability to write. He emulates Manchester’s narrative approach, but not his lofty style that often was laced with quirky metaphors and touches of humor. Reid noted in the introduction that Manchester was not an academic. Instead:

After VE Day, despite Churchill’s unmatched popularity, his Conservative party was turned out in July 1945. Though devastated by the defeat, Churchill remained the party leader. He returned to office in 1951 to preside over a waning empire and escalating cold war until he finally retired in 1955. As a further note William Manchester (from my understanding) had little to do with the actual writing of this book. He basically left a series of disconnected interviews, notes... But to this final volume. In 1940, Churchill became the war leader. [Read Lukacs' June 1940 for a detailed account of how that happened.] Churchill had served in WWI (and in The Boer War), in the field but also at the Admiralty, but he was best known for the disastrous events at Gallipoli which he championed but was not really responsible for the execution of. After the war and throughout the 30ies, he was seen as a warmonger, especially as the rise of Hitler caused him to champion the need for Britain to rearm. He continue to serve in Parliament (to which he was first elected during the reign of Victoria. In June of 1940, he was already 65 years old. My answer is that, in another circumstance, I would not admire it. But in the unique moment of history that he occupied, it came in pretty handy. Men of his generation in England had no humility or self-doubt about how the world should be. That gave him an advantage in rallying his country to war against the Nazis.I read the first two volumes years ago and was awaiting the third, but as Manchester got older and older I was afraid he would never finish it. Evidently he was afraid too and finally enlisted journalist Paul Reid to finish it. Manchester had done most of the research. The book finally came out last fall.

Gameplay--the mechanics are pretty similar to Pandemic. Armies will be multiplying on the board, tainting the land, and generals will be advancing to your home city (Monarch City). Too many armies of a single color, too much taint (12 crystals), or any general getting to Monarch City, and you lose. Kill off the 4 generals, you win! Things can get a little fiddly as the game progresses and more components are placed, and sometimes it is a pain to figure out where to place minions on a map with unfamiliar locations on it (Pandemic has a map of the world, so this doesn't happen there) but familiarity with the game and the board does help this eventually. As the game progresses, the tension really escalates as well, and that a big part of the fun. There are 3 ways to lose, and only one way to win, so you'll spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to keep any one of those 3 ways from happening--those strategic choices are critical to surviving the game to the end. In many ways Churchill remained a nineteenth-century man, and by no means a common man. He fit the mold of what Henry James called in English Hours “persons for whom the private machinery of ease has been made to work with extraordinary smoothness.” Reid grants the reader an comprehensive study of Churchill from WWII to his death in 1965. I enjoyed above all reading Churchill's own words, that Reid quoted him frequently, and I often found myself amused and impressed with his genius. Churchill was obstinate in his defense of the British Empire and lived to see it crumble before he died.That is the flavor of Manchester versus Reid. Manchester looked along the beam. He somehow managed to channel Churchill himself, immersing us in the experience, giving us a first-person view of the world. Reid looks at it. He sees it well—he sees clearly and his writing (so far) is enjoyable—but it is a different experience.