AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 09 - THE AMERICAN LION BY JON MEACHAM



Jon Meacham

OCTOBER 09 (FOR A FEW MONTHS - WEEKLY SYLLABUS TO BE PUBLISHED) - SPOTLIGHTED BOOK - LEISURELY GROUP READ - No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin






NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 09 - A. LINCOLN BY RONALD C. WHITE



Ronald C White

FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL 10 - AMERICAN SPHINX: THE CHARACTER OF THOMAS JEFFERSON BY JOSEPH J. ELLIS

So for November & December it is the White book - not the David Herbert Donald book - right?

Yes, it is solidly the White book; more accessible.

I just finished White's A. Lincoln last night... lol, I couldn't wait!

I wrote a short review, if anyone is interested. I thought the book was fantastic, and am anxious to read what other people have to say. Well, we'll be discussing this in a few weeks, and I'm looking forward to participating.

Joe, I hope you will participate now that you have gotten way ahead (lol). Any ideas for the next book after this will be starting in February. I could put a few books with different president choices out for a polling vote.

No worries there, Bentley. Lately my passions have been with Lincoln, and I will probably read a few more Lincoln related works in between our regularly scheduled stuff. I'll probably follow up White's A. Lincoln with Douglas Wilson's Lincoln's Sword. I really want to better understand Lincoln's writings in more detail, and hopefully our discussions here will help in that as well. Also, I would love to read Michael Burlingame's Abraham Lincoln: A Life while everyone else is reading White's biography to get a more detailed insight of significant events in his life.



How about in February we pick some Theodore Roosevelt biographies like Edmond Morris's two volume work? I have read these, but they were excellent and well worth rereading. Or maybe TR or Traitor to His Class by HW Brand? Or Douglas Brinkley's recent accomplishment, The Wilderness Warrior, which looks quite interesting.



I have been wanting to read some more Washington, John Adams, James Monroe, US Grant, and/or Andrew Jackson. Or how about lesser known Presidents like John Tyler, John Q. Adams, William Jennings Bryan, or Grover Cleveland? Also, David McCullough's 1776, John Adams, and Truman are essential Presidential biographies that everyone should read, as everyone probably already knows. The list just goes on and on!

I have read Washington's Crossing, but it won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2005 because it was phenomenal, and that James Monroe book just came out last week.

There is so much presidential reading to choose from and so much of it is high quality! I've been wanting to read more about T. Roosevelt also, but they all look interesting.

I will try to get out some polls this weekend. The next Presidential selection after A. Lincoln and FDR will not begin until February. We will be reading A. Lincoln in November and December. FDR is a long spotlighted read. So February is a good month to start the next choice...gives us some time to get some input.

So, is January a catch-up month for presidential reading?

Hi Elizabeth,

We have a lot going on. We are just starting FDR, we will be completing A. Lincoln but if we need some carry over room we will have it in January. We are doing also the Federalist Papers. After completion of FDR, we have Keegan's First World War from the way the list is stacking up.

In other words, we will still be going strong in January; but will not start another Presidential Series read until February 1st; I guess it will be catch up month for some folks...that is true

Thanks, Bentley. That helps me figure things out. I'm definitely on for the FDR, I think I've decided to do Federalist after all, but haven't been able to see myself having time for Lincoln as well. But if the next Presidential doesn't start 'til February, and if I maybe have extra reading time over the holidays... Maybe I'll put the Lincoln book on my Christmas wish list. What a joyful burden to have too much to read.

Too much to read...how could that possibly happen (smile).

The Federalist is really only one paper per week so I am hoping most folks can find the time to cover the papers with the group. I even have found a site where one can listen to each paper being read to you while you keep pace with the written version. Most likely only ten minutes of a person's week.

David Herbert Donald's biography of Lincoln is excellent for anyone that is interested in other books regarding him. I read it a few years ago.

Thank you Chris; I will add the author and cover link.



Lincoln

David Herbert Donald