After finishing Of Mice and Men I looked at a list of other books that John Steinbeck wrote. The Moon is Down is the one I selected. I had never heard of this book before this week.
It is a very quick read and I enjoyed the story. I learned after I finished reading it that it was written as propaganda during World War II.
The books begins when a small town is invaded and quickly conquered by an enemy army. It is quickly learned that they were able to conquer the town with the help of one of the townspeople who had provided vital information.
Several times throughout the book the Colonel of the conquering army speaks with the mayor of the town. Here is an excerpt from one interchange between Colonel Lanser and Mayor Orden:
“It is your duty to protect them from harm. They will be in danger if they are rebellious. We must get the coal, you see. Our leaders do not tell us how; they order us to get it. But you have your people to protect. You must make them do the work and thus keep them safe.”
Mayor Orden asked, “But suppose they don’t want to be safe?”
“Then you must think for them.”
Orden said a little proudly, “My people don’t like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people.”
The story goes on to show how the townspeople become rebellious and defiant to the commands of the invaders and how the invaders become more ruthless. This in turn leads to more insurgency.
Overall I enjoyed this book and rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
This month this community will focus on Natural Law. What is Natural Law? How is it applied in real world situations? What are the alternatives to Natural Law? These are some of the issues that will be discussed this month.
Rabow-Edling released this book in 2025 for the 200th anniversary of the Decembrist Revolt. My knowledge about this event was limited to the page or two that would be covered in Russian history books that spanned centuries. I got this book from the library and looked forward to learning more.
She began by writing about the current view of the Decembrists in Russia today and how their ideals are antithetical to the current ruling class. The Decembrists were members of the aristocracy. They had lands and titles. They also fought in the Napoleonic wars. They traveled across Europe and saw the differences between those countries and their own. Russia still practiced serfdom.
These men longed for liberty. Rabow-Edling writes about how they believed in heroic sacrifice. She also notes several times how the Decembrists were unique because they acted against their own self interest. They were wealthy, well educated, and had a bright future. Yet they were disillusioned with the Russian government. ...
