Manuel's comments (member since Oct 19, 2008)

Manuel's comments from the Our History group.

The fair is used more as a back drop to the murders happening in and around Chicago.

I found I didnt mind the split focus on the fair and the murders. I thought both were very interesting and he did a good job interweaving the story lines.

It is always a nice surprise to learn about something new. Before I read the book, I knew virtually nothing about the great Chicago fair. When I was finished with the book I continued to do research on the fair. Seemed like a very exciting place to be...

Initially I read the book for the serial murder aspect, but I became fascinated by the background of the Chicago World's fair.

I only wish there had been a better picture of the doctor. I was curious to see what this charismatic serial killer looked like.

I think many people forget that Europe had been at peace since the Congress of Vienna at the close of the Napoleonic wars. Yes there had still been fighting among individual European countries with some of their neighbors, but European wide wars had been unknown for almost a century.
The biggest change to this mix was the rapid industrialization of unified Germany.
Sooner or later economic tensions were going to make war unavoidable.
Randy mentions Germany and Britain were having naval maneuvers as proof that tensions were lower, however the naval arms race was still going on. I dont see this as proof of lower tensions.

The saddest part is realizing that a 20th century war was fought with 19th century tactics.

Sorry Randy
I dont agree.

Great Britain and Germany had been having a naval arms race since 1905.
German industry was about to overtake or match Britain in many key sectors.
By 1914 Germany was the leading trading partner in virtually every country in Europe, including Britain.


Coal Production 1900:
G Britain 250 million tons
Germany 150 million tons

Coal Production 1913:
G Britain 300 million tons
Germany 500 million tons

Pig Iron 1900:
G Britain 10 million tons
Germany 10 million tons

Pig Iron 1913:
G Britain 11 million tons
Germany 30 million tons

Rail Road Construction built 1900:
G Britain 50 thousand Kms
Germany 300 thousand Kms

Rail Road Construction built 1913:
G Britain 50 thousand Kms
Germany 400 thousand Kms

Sooner or later, economic forces were going to push these two titans into conflict.

My understanding is that the term BCE is more politically correct than saying BC "Before Christ"

Subsequently "CE" (Common Era)is used instead of "AD" (Anno Domine=Year of our Lord)

Ive heard other people say the terms are ridiculous, since they mean the same thing as BC and AD and are based on the western calendar measuring the years since Christ's life.

It was assumed that since they were all grandsons of Queen Victoria; the cousins who ruled Britain, Germany and Russia would step in to stop any potential conflict.

Unfortunately family ties couldnt do anything to control the unleashed nationalism once the war started.
King George even changed his last name from Saxe-Coborg Gotha to a more patriotic "Windsor"

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at those awkward family reunions after the war.

For example Queen Sophie of Greece was King George's cousin and queen of an allied country; however she was also sister to the Kaiser. When she visited England after the war, it was stressed how Greece had been an ally of Britain and her German ties were conveniently overlooked in the press.

I think a European war would have broken out eventually. In this case it took a political assassination to bring down the whole pack of cards.

Remember only a few year earlier the Agadir crisis in Morocco almost brought the European powers to war.

The economic power was changing too fast between Germany and Britain, also France was aching for a chance at revenge after the Franco-Prussian war and France's defeat.

War was inevitable, despite the fact most heads of state were related to each other.

Perhaps you are thinking of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Actually he is Colombian, and the general in his book is Simon Bolivar.

This isnt a genre that I usually follow.
However I did enjoy reading:
"Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King" by Antonia Fraser.

I thought it was a really interesting look into the private life of Louis XIV. Detailing his relationships with his mother, sisters-in-law, nieces, his wife and all manner of mistresses.

I was really intrigued that in the end he fell in love with an older woman who was in charge of raising his bastards.

I remember reading a book about the history of Mexico City from the time of it's foundation by the Aztecs all the way to the modern era.

It was actually very very interesting to see the transformation of a swampy island into a town, into a gleaming Aztec metropolis, into the colonial capital and then into the chaos of being the world's largest metroplex.

I especiall enjoyed reading about the happenings during the Spanish colonial era, full of scoundrels and heros, romance and evil.

The book was called
La Capital, I dont remember the author.

Wow,
I've read many of the books mentioned above:
John Adams by David McCullough
Peter the Great by Robert Massie

So far the most unforgetable biography (autobiography in this case)was:
The Autobiography of Katharine Graham.

A woman who was content to stay in the shawdows of her family's life, until a personal tradgedy put her behind the seat of one of America's most influencial newspaper. Unforgetable reading as she dealt with President Johnson and then Nixon's Watergate.

Surprisingly candid in detailing some of the most painfull and personal chapters of her life.

The Holocaust Kingdom
by Alexander Donat.

Its been a while since I read it, but I remember it was the first book about the Holocaust I had ever read.

The memoir of a middle class Polish-Jewish survivor's family. Written from the view point of a child's memory. Detailing life before the Nazi invasion and then life in the Warsaw ghetto.

I remember feeling my fingers grow cold as I held this book in my bed at night.

I recently read "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet.

I like this era of English history, Henry II and the struggle for the throne in post Norman England. However the book was rather tiresome.

It takes place over the course of several decades seen through the eyes of characters as they build a cathedral.

It was a huge book, I had already ready read more than half of it when I was tempted to just throw it away, but I pushed on until the climax of Thomas Beckett's assasination.

I couldnt wait for this book to be finished.

My interest is very elastic.
I generally prefer European and Ancient Civilizations: Egypt,Rome,Greece,Babylon.

I also like reading about pre-Columbian: Aztec, Maya and Inca civilizations too.

The great thing about history is that if you come across an interesting new or old book, it will trigger a great hunger to learn more about an era or location that never got my attention.

I recently read a book about the end of the British Empire, which has suddenly triggered an interest in Sub Saharan Africa; especially Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. etc etc etc.

Even though I love ancient Egypt, I would love to learn more about Egypt during the Ptolomies and the Christian era under the Byzantines.

Any suggestions?