YM
I am currently reading Dark Sun. It is indeed a very serious book. I found the Columbo reference very interesting as the author, Richard Rhodes, is not prone to making light hearted comments. Mr. Rhodes is not a reporter for some National Enquirer type TV show, he is a historian. His use of the Columbo character as a point of reference sort of makes Columbo into a bit of history himself.
Did you read Rhodes' previous Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Making of the Atomic Bomb?
Very interesting to see the reading interests of Columbo fans, and how they are similar! Yes, I started "The Making
of the Atomic Bomb". It is pretty heavy going, but I got bogged down part way in.
Thanks for reminding me about it, I will have to get back to it.
You are definitely right about Rhodes, he is no light-hearted fellow. His last book was about the Nazis and the Holocaust and he said researching it made him sick.
I also found it a little tough to get through the middle third of the book. Once it got to the mid 1930's I found it easier to read. Probably because I was more familar with the people and events of that era than with those in the early part of the book. Some very interesting information.