The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara: This fictionalised account of the Battle of Gettysburg is one of the best historical novels you’ll ever read. The characterisation is masterful and the plotting so good that you almost forget that you know the battle ended the South’s chances of victory in the Civil War. The individual chapters are so neatly bound that it is also a perfect book to dip into from time to time.
The Breach: One of the better films I’ve seen this year, it deals with the relationship between FBI agent turned defector Robert Hanssen, played by Chris Cooper, and the young FBI recruit, Ryan Phillippe, ordered to befriend Hanssen. The twisting nature of their interactions makes for classically gripping cinema. The only blot on the movie is its cartoonish depiction of Hanssen’s religiosity.
Dead Certain by Robert Draper: If you’re only going to read one book on the Bush presidency, this is the one to go for.
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