American Soccer Nation (Mark C. Franek)

In American Soccer Nation: The Remarkable 150-Year History of Yanks on a Roll, from Mob Football to the Modern Game, author Mark C. Franek explores the history of soccer across the United States. Soccer has taken a long, arduous road to gain cultural acceptance in America, often battling outside detractors, as well as from within the sport’s American leadership itself. Franek highlights the rise, fall, rise, fall, and rise again of American soccer culture since people first started playing soccer in the 19th Century in campuses and industrial towns.

Franek’s book is a journey through several iterations of “soccer boom” - the first American Soccer League in the 1920’s, the American’s success in the 1930 World Cup, followed by a nadir in soccer during the Great Depression and World War II, before booming again in the 1970s thanks to infusion of money and international talent. Modern soccer has seen the rise of Major League Soccer (MLS), fueled by a better approach to acquiring international stars, although success at the national team level has been inconsistent at best and marred by bureaucratic and philosophical battles over just how the national team should operate. 

Franek closes the book by offering some suggestions on improving American soccer, including investing more in youth academies built around the twin pillars of soccer and education. He acknowledges that he’s employed by one of these academies that boosts the Philadelphia Union’s pipeline of youth talent; however, he correctly identifies that the way to grow soccer is not just from the top down but also from the youth pipelines on up. 

From a soccer fan’s perspective, the biggest challenge to get American soccer boosted in the mainstream remains improved access and coverage on national television (the author glosses past this point in the book). While MLS’s Apple deal has been a benefit financially, TV ratings for the few broadcast games that do occur and coverage and interest among casual fans have dropped. Getting a major sports broadcaster invested in covering MLS fairly is still the longest kick ahead for soccer domestically. However, American soccer is definitely closer to the “big 4” of American sport than at any point in modern history, and it’s likely it will be within the “big 5” sooner than many think.

MY RATING: 4

The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy (Josh Ireland)

Josh Ireland’s The Death of Trotsky is a detailed account of one of the more dramatic political assassinations of the 20th Century. Rather than presenting a dry historical summary, Ireland reconstructs the final years of Leon Trotsky with narrative energy, drawing readers into a tense world shaped by ideology, betrayal, and relentless pursuit. The author does a great job turning Trotsky’s final years into a historical account blended with a thriller novel.

The book focuses not only on Trotsky’s life after expulsion from the Soviet Union, but also on the network of agents, sympathizers, and enemies that surrounded him. Ireland pays particular attention to the psychology and motivations of Ramon Mercader, the man who ultimately carried out the killing. This approach deepens the story, transforming it from a simple recounting of events into a layered exploration of loyalty and manipulation. Ireland situates Trotsky’s exile within the broader context of Soviet power struggles, showing how Joseph Stalin’s influence extended far beyond national borders. The book’s pacing is brisk, and the tension builds steadily as the narrative moves toward its inevitable conclusion. 

Overall, The Death of Trotsky is an engaging and informative work that combines scholarly research with storytelling skill. It will appeal to both history enthusiasts and general readers interested in political intrigue and human drama.

MY RATING: 5

Carthage: A New History (Eve MacDonald)

In Carthage: A New History, historian and archaeologist Eve MacDonald offers a strong reassessment of one of the ancient world’s more misunderstood civilizations. Long overshadowed by the narratives of its Roman conquerors, Carthage is traditionally portrayed as a villain in the story of Mediterranean history. MacDonald challenges this perspective by reconstructing the history of Carthage from archaeological discoveries and a careful re-reading of classical sources, many of which were written by Roman authors. 

The book traces Carthage’s development from its origins as a Phoenician colony in the ninth century BCE to its destruction by Rome in 146 BCE. Along the way, MacDonald explores the city’s rise as a maritime and commercial power that dominated trade across the western Mediterranean and even down the West Coast of Africa. She highlights Carthage’s complex political institutions, extensive trading networks, and technological innovations in shipbuilding and industry, presenting it as a sophisticated and multicultural society rather than merely Rome’s enemy.

MacDonald’s narrative is particularly strong when discussing the Punic Wars and figures such as Hannibal Barca. MacDonald effectively discusses the practical realities of strategy, politics, and economic pressure that Carthage and Rome both faced. It’s important to note here that the Carthage of MacDonald’s book refers to the original city-state, not the subsequent colony that Rome established during its empire some time after Carthage was destroyed.

Although the scarcity of Carthaginian written records makes definitive conclusions difficult, MacDonald openly discusses these gaps and offers context as necessary throughout her book. The result is a balanced and engaging account that advocates for a stronger placement of Carthage in Mediterranean history. 

MY RATING: 4.5

The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History (Graham Robb)

Graham Robb’s The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History explores some of the deeper history of British geography and the nation itself. Robb challenges familiar narratives of Britain as a nation shaped primarily by Roman roads and later political boundaries. Instead he reconstructs an ancient world that once thrived across what is now England, Scotland, and Wales, revealing a sophisticated Celtic civilization that carefully mapped and measured its terrain.

Robb argues that prehistoric Britons possessed advanced geographical knowledge long before Roman occupation. Through field research and historical detective work, he traces these geographical alignments and boundaries across hills, rivers, and settlements. Very few boundaries in Britain are based on boundaries and roads established in Roman times, with a mix of eras and influences creating what ultimately became today’s geographic landscape of Britain.

Robb’s historical travel narrative is effective, clear, and narrated more like a series of stories than a hard dissertation. Occasionally, Robb ventures into the modern era politics and weaves in discussions on issues that affect Britain. However, Robb artfully uses several arguments from throughout the book to help shape how modern decisions, such as the vote for Brexit and the current issues regarding immigration in the UK, were made.  The Discovery of Britain reshapes how we imagine the origins of British identity and its relationship to the land itself.

MY RATING: 4