Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts

Sunday, April 13, 2025

War Dogs, A Movie Based on True Events That Had Me Saying “No Way This Happened!"

War Dogs, A Movie Based on True Events That Had Me Saying “No Way This Happened!"


My Personal Review of War Dogs - A Wild Ride of a Movie I Couldn't Look Away From!

I watched War Dogs, and it completely surprised me in the best way possible. 

Starring Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Pollak, this movie is based on true events that are almost too unbelievable to be real! Yet here it is, brought to life on screen in the most entertaining, jaw-dropping way.

I don't always gravitate toward this type of movie, but I could've watched this one twice in a row. 

That's how much I enjoyed it.


Based on True Events – Wait, This Really Happened?

What drew me in immediately was that War Dogs is based on a true story. 

That always adds an extra layer of fascination for me. As the story unfolded, I kept shaking my head in disbelief. Two young guys—barely out of their twenties—manage to land a $300 million arms deal with the U.S. government? It's crazy outrageous, reckless, and somehow, true. 

And despite all the antics, I found myself rooting for them a little! Even though I knew they were headed for disaster, I was hoping they could pull themselves out of the mess they ended up in!

The film makes you feel like you're right there with them—caught up in the adrenaline, the risk, and the denial of just how far over their heads they really are.


Outstanding Performances All Around

The acting in this movie is top-notch. Jonah Hill absolutely nails his role—he plays Efraim Diveroli with this mix of charm, manipulation, and just enough unhinged energy to keep you guessing. It's probably one of my favorite performances of his.

Miles Teller brings a grounded, relatable quality to his character, David Packouz, who helps balance out the chaos. You can feel his inner conflict as things spiral out of control. And Bradley Cooper, in his brief but impactful role, adds that mysterious power-player vibe that always enhances a film.

Even Kevin Pollak as the dry, slightly confused but ultimately helpful investor brought a quiet layer of humor to the mix. Every performance felt authentic and engaging, which is probably part of the reason the film held me from start to finish.


The Tone: Dark Humor Done Right

I especially appreciated the film's tone—it had just the right touch of dark and dry humor—the kind where you're laughing but also slightly horrified at the absurdity of what you're seeing. It's not slapstick or overdone; the humor comes from the situation itself, the ridiculousness of it all, and the characters' overconfidence and greed.

It reminded me a bit of The Wolf of Wall Street or American Hustle, in that you're watching this rollercoaster of bad decisions, but you can't look away—and somehow, you're still entertained the whole way through.


A Story That Keeps You Hooked

From the very beginning, the pacing is solid. It's one of those movies where you're never left wondering, "When will this pick up?" It is picked up. Right from the start. The narration works well, too—it helps to walk you through the chaos, especially when you're sitting there stunned by what's happening.

Every twist and turn just pulls you in deeper. I didn't find myself checking the time once, which says a lot. It's the kind of movie that fully immerses you—and even when it's over, you're still thinking about it.


Just a Heads-Up: Not Everything Actually Happened

As much as I loved War Dogs and was blown away by its true-to-life basis, it's worth mentioning that the movie definitely took some creative liberties. 

Not everything played out exactly the way it's shown on screen. For example, that intense and crazy road trip through Iraq's "Triangle of Death"? Yeah, that never actually happened. It made for great suspense, but in real life, the guys never did that themselves—they hired someone else for the job. 

While the core of the story is true, quite a few dramatic moments were added to give it that Hollywood punch. 

Still, knowing that doesn't diminish how entertaining and wild the whole thing is—it just adds another layer of "Can you believe this?" to the experience.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, May 25, 2023

Book Review - Lost Roses

 

roses
AI Image
In this exciting prequel to Martha Hall Kelly's best-selling Lilac Girls, we follow the lives of Eliza (Caroline Ferriday's mother) and her two friends from Russia-Sofya and Luba Streshnayva.  Sofya and Luba are cousins of Tsar Nicholas II and although all three women have grown up in privilege, they all have a strong desire to help others.

Background

Like Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls the characters in Lost Roses are real people from history.  Martha Hall Kelly did meticulous research to make sure her facts were correct and then built a wonderful work of historical fiction around events from history.  This second book in the Lilac Girls series takes place in 1914 in the days leading up to and during the Bolshevik Revolution.



Plot Summary

The book begins as Eliza Ferriday from New York City is going to visit her good friend Sofya in St. Petersburg, Russia.  They had met years before in Paris and become good friends.  Even though it is 1914 and the world would seem to be on the brink of war, Eliza is excited for her trip and a visit with her good friend.  She arrives safely and all seems to be going well till there is word that they must flee the city because of the revolutionaries are nearby and are trying to overturn all the wealthy ruling class.  Eliza sails home to New York and Sofya and her family escape to their summer home in the countryside.

While they are in their summer home they hire a local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, to work in their household.  This turns out to be a very bad decision. As time goes on the revolutionaries kidnap the family and keep them captive in an outbuilding of the family's luxurious summer home.  The storyline continues and keeps us on edge as we wonder how the family will survive and will they escape to Paris as they hope.

As the story continues, we see the ways both Eliza and Sofya work in these troubled times to help those in need.

I found this book to be very interesting.  Martha Hall Kelly has a way of making her characters come to life and I found myself reading into the night to find out what would happen next.

Book One of the Series

The first book in the series, actually chronologically comes after Lost Roses.  It is set in a World War II time frame and features Eliza's daughter Caroline.  It too was a very compelling story that I had a hard time putting down.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Can I Give Him My Eyes Book Review

Can I Give Him My Eyes Book Review
Can I Give Him My Eyes is a biographical book that was written by Richard Moore with the assistance of his long-time friend and supporter, Don Mullan. It tells the story of a ten-year old boy who loses his eyesight on May 4, 1972, on the way home from school when he is shot by a soldier during The Troubles in Ireland.

According to Moore’s book, he was just passing by when he was shot. The rubber bullets were supposed to be used to control crowds and riots but to this day Moore does not know why he was shot.

In any case, those rubber bullets, which were thought to be a relatively safe way of controlling riots, turned out to be more dangerous than anticipated. Moore survived being; other children did not.

If you would like a look at The Troubles in Ireland, this book will be a good education. I learned of it while on a trip to Ireland in 2018 during which I visited both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Of course, 2018 was a safe year to visit, unlike the years of the Northern Ireland Conflict, which spanned approximately 1968 to 1998. During those years there were riots, shootings and bombings almost every day. In the end, the conflict killed almost four thousand people and of course it also left many victims behind. The antagonism between the Irish Catholic population and the British army and especially the events of Bloody Sunday caused fear and hatred of the army from the people and no doubt fear and hatred in return. The tense atmosphere was likely the reason that Moore was shot despite the fact that he was a child passing by and not participating in a riot or public gathering.

Can I Give Him My Eyes is not just about the loss of Moore’s eyes. The catastrophe happens early on in the book, which is also about his journey in life, about how he learned to cope as a blind person, about the upheaval it caused his family and about how it changed and set the direction of his life.

Moore manages to accept the fact of his blindness almost right away. He carried forward no bitterness or anger, which he attributes to his parents who were peaceful and never spoke bitter or angry words. The Dalai Lama, who Moore eventually met and who Moore considers to be both a hero and a friend, once said and Moore agrees that, “Forgiveness is a gift to yourself.” Moore could have been bogged down by the event and the reality of being blinded but instead he moved on and let his situation propel him forward to experiences that he might not otherwise have ever had.

He has a university degree, has had two businesses, is a musician and, as a peace and reconciliation worker, started an organization called Children in Crossfire to help children in troubled situations around the world have opportunities that they might not otherwise have. He had lots of support and kindness as a child and as an adult and he wants to make sure that others in difficulty do, too.

Interestingly, Moore eventually goes on to meet the soldier who shot the rifle that injured him. They have become friends and they have even worked together. On the cover of Can I Give Him My Eyes, His Holiness the Dalia Lama, says, “I encourage people across the world to read what Richard has to say. Despite his own loss, he has found freedom through forgiveness.”

This book is RECOMMENDED by me. Not as a page turner but rather as a look at the troubled times in Ireland and at one man’s lifetime journey because of his injury. You can find your copy on Amazon by clicking right here.

See you
at the bookstore!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

Quick Links:


In the Name of the Father, Irish movie review.
My Left Foot, Irish movie review.






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Kristin Hannah’s Home Front Book Review

Kristin Hannah’s Home Front book cover
HOME FRONT is an excellent fictional story by Kristin Hannah. I previously reviewed and loved Hannah’s The Nightingale, which sent me looking for more titles by this author.

It is a relationship story and a war story. It features a husband and wife who seem to be perfectly situated with a wonderful marriage, great careers and lovely children. However, as happens, they have drifted apart and are headed for disaster and when she is sent overseas to Iraq and the rift is almost too much for this family to bear.

This novel presents an interesting role reversal with the mother a helicopter pilot and the man trying to maintain order at home. What happens is dark and dreadful and presents a mountain for this family to surpass.

Here is the official video book trailer. In this trailer, I think the book is represented in a very light and fluffy manner especially given that divorce and military service are not easy things to deal with.



I believe that this second video, in which Hannah Kristin discusses the book, does a better job of representing the issues faced by the family in Home Front and by families in the same situation.



Hannah calls the book “the best, most emotional book she has ever written” and goes on to say that it is about “love, honor, duty, commitment, sacrifice.” I agree that it was an emotional book. It is RECOMMENDED by me and yes, you will cry. For what it is worth, I preferred the book The Nightingale.

Have you read either book? What did you think?

If you are interested, you can see all of Kristin Hannah’s books including Home Front on Amazon here.

See you
at the book store!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy Home Front from Amazon.
See all of Hannah's books on Amazon.


Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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