Wholesome History Reads Group discussion
What I'm Reading
message 451:
by
'Aussie Rick', Moderator
(new)
Oct 07, 2021 11:05PM
Mod
reply
|
flag
Finished Operation Thunderbolt: Flight 139 and the Raid on Entebbe Airport, the Most Audacious Hostage Rescue Mission in History last week; excellent writing, and oddly made me a bit nostalgic for 'proper' terrorism; I've now started on Marc Morris's A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain. Medieval history's not usually my thing, but I'll look forward to a bit of an antidote to Hollywood's portrayal.
Mod
I figured with all the historical locations and castles scattered around the UK that you would enjoy some medieval history Jonny! I would love to be reading that book while doing a tour of England :)
I'll have to have a good think about why that may be so Rick.... although some of our castles are quite awesome - we took a couple of extended trips down to Warwick when Oliver was little, it's awesome but over commercialised (but they do have an operative trebuchet, which makes up for it). My favourite it's Dunstanburgh, which isn't much to look at but has an amazing location. And then of course we have the Wall...https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...
Mod
It's beautiful country Rick, Robson did have a decent wander didn't he? I'll dust off the old Cadet DPM's and get the maps in if you ever manage to get over!
Mod
I'll let you know for sure :)
I've finished reading
The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China by Dieter Kuhn. This is quite a fascinating study of the period before the arrival of the Mongols (and Marco Polo). The Song period of Imperial China — because of its own state ideology of putting the civil principle first over the military ones — neglected the many reforms concerning military aspects of their own kingdom. Choosing the policy of coexistence instead, Song China paid tribute in such enormous quantities to the militarily superior nomadic states that surrounded them. That is until the Mongols arrive.Here is the link to my full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Now I'm going to follow up by reading the next book in this series which is
The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties by Timothy Brook. The Mongols, after occupied China, established themselves as the legitimate heir of ruling Imperial China. Though their rules won't be permanent as they soon will also be replaced by the Ming dynasty.
Mod
Mod
The War Before Independence: 1775-1776 by Derek W. Beck
I'm making a start on a second First World War book ('tis the season), this one a bit closer to home...
Devils Carnival
Mod
Devils Carnival"That sounds like quite an interesting book Jonny, let s all know how it goes.
Finished reading
The Troubled Empire: China in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties by Timothy Brook. (My review). This is a robust description of environmental disasters due to the Little Ice Age period in the Yuan-Ming eras of Imperial China. But what I found most fascinating is; there are some passages related to the American silver as the main commodity which the Spaniards use to have a trade relation with Ming China."The Spanish and Portuguese were quite as ready as the Dutch to fight their way into the region, but what got them into exchange networks and kept them there was a commodity over which they, the Spanish in particular, had near-monopoly control and what they thought was an endless supply. It was also the commodity that the Ming economy valued above all else as the medium of exchange: silver. It came from mines in the Spanish possessions in the Americas, principally Potosi (in modern Bolivia) and Mexico."
"Within a few years of setting themselves up in a Manila, the Spanish were bringing silver down from the Andes to the coast of Peru, shipping it up to Acapulco, and stowing it on board the one galleon that made the Pacific crossing at the end of every winter."
"Fujian merchants responded with alacrity, loading as much merchandise as they could warehouse onto junks and sailing it out to Manila to exchange for the precious metal. The annual departure of the cargo junks was timed to coincide with the spring arrival of the Manila galleon. After the ships had arrived on both sides, prices were negotiated, duties paid, and then the goods and silver switched holds. Both sides made sure to put to sea before the June monsoons created their annual havoc with ocean shipping."~page 229-230
If I'm correct, I recall that J.H. Elliott once mentioned in
Imperial Spain, 1469-1716 that enormous quantities of silver actually didn't go inside the Castilian's treasury but exported back to Genoese bankers (as loan payment), private enterprise, and others. Perhaps, one of the channels that harboured supposedly enormous quantity of Spanish silver, was Ming China?"As regards the King's portion of the bullion imports, this tended to be mortgaged in advance to his foreign bankers, who might well transfer it abroad at once, without its in any way touching the Spanish economy."
"In spite of the prohibitions on the export of precious metals from Spain, it is perfectly clear that the silver used to buy these foreign goods did not stay in the country, and that its registration at Seville was often a mere formality before its owners sent it abroad at the earliest possible opportunity."
In regards to highly inflationary prices in Castile because of American silvers: "Similar results could have been produced by the lavish expenditure of the Spanish aristocracy on building, clothes, and jewellery, part of which may have been financed out of de-hoarded silver."~page 193-195 from Imperial Spain
Now we knew that there were demands from the Spanish aristocracy for importing luxurious products and at that time, Ming China did produce a lot of high-quality luxurious objects.
Well, I think that's an interesting finding from two separate historical studies!
Nice when sources align eh Cherry? Thanks for posting.
Mod
Great State: China and the World by Timothy BrookFunny enough I also have a copy of "Imperial Spain, 1469-1716" by Elliot to read. I tracked down a copy after reading this book of his which I really enjoyed:
The Count-Duke of Olivares: The Statesman in an Age of Decline by J.H. Elliott
Jonny wrote: "Nice when sources align eh Cherry? Thanks for posting."Yes, indeed!
I'll put the Great State: China and the World in my to-read list.I've read the Count-Duke of Olivares as well. Including
The Revolt of the Catalans: A Study in the Decline of Spain, 1598-1640, both are Elliott's masterpieces.
Mod
I've read the Count-Duke of Olivares as well. Including [bookcover:The Revolt of the Catalans: A Study in the Decline of Spain, 15..."
I recently picked up a copy of "Revolt of the Catalans", another good book on my to-read list :)
I made a start last night on John Terraine's Business in Great Waters; it's an interesting look at the unrestricted U-Boat warfare of the first and second world wars. 
Mod
Mod
The Siege of Acre, 1189-1191: Saladin, Richard the Lionheart, and the Battle That Decided the Third Crusade by John D. Hosler
Looks like a good one Rick; I've not long finished God's Wolf: The Life of the Most Notorious of All Crusaders: Reynald de Chatillon so that might tie in nicely; I'll look forward to hearing what you think. I'm reading about a more recent siege, but in the same corner of the world, The Longest Siege: Tobruk, The Battle That Saved North Africa. I'd also started on A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Secret Game that Revolutionised the War: but it's taken 100 pages of 270ish to not get to the point; moreover, the author doesn't get the Battle of the Atlantic and at my age I can't be wasting time; to the charity shop it goes (note to self to beware (some) journalists writing history...)
So since I've just enjoyed watching my favourite historical comedy, I thought I'd have a go at Freedom's Sword: The Scottish Wars of Independence. With proper armour, not sourced from L'oreal.
Mod
Why don't we let Hollywood loose with history? Er, because...We know little of William Wallace's early years, not even his age, although he was still young. He was 'a tall man with the body of a giant, cheerful in appearance with agreeable features, broad-shouldered and big-boned, with belly in proportion and lengthy flanks, pleasing in appearance with a wild look, broad in the hips, with strong arms and legs, a most spirited fighting-man, with all his limbs very strong and firm. In a world of small men, Wallace stood out from the crowd. His family came from Shropshire and moved to Scotland in the eleventh century as followers of Walter FitzAlan, progenitor of the Stewarts. His father held land in Elderslie as a vassal of the Steward. It is a long way from his farcical representation as a wild and hairy highlander painted with woad (1,000 years too late) running amok in a tartan kilt (500 years too early).In further highly comedic takeaways from Freedom's Sword: Scotland's Wars of Independence, I've learned again to beware the effect of Smoggies* on England's fortunes - turns out the Bruce clan (of multiple Roberts fame) were originally from Guisborough (not far from where the Washingtons originally rocked up.
*The inhabitants of most of Teeside, for those not initiated into North Eastern tribalism.
Mod
I recently read the following book:
The Golden Age of Burgundy: The Magnificent Dukes and their Courts by Joseph Calmette.The great state of Burgundy in the 14th and 15th centuries is a topic that I have wanted to learn more about recently, and this book was the perfect find. It is primarily a political history of the four great dukes and their lands and it succeeds in delivering a detailed survey. I learned a lot from reading it.
Here is my full length review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire by Bart Van Loo
Mod
Of Living Valour The Story of the Soldiers of Waterloo by Barney White-Spunner
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Great review Elliot, thanks for sharing. This new book may also interest you:The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire by [author:..."Thanks for the recommendation. I'm always happy to share a review when I get around to writing them. That seems to be an issue lately, but I did enjoy writing this one.
Mod
Agreed. It is always easiest to review a book you don't like! I also find it much easier to review non-fiction than fiction.
Mod
Luckily in that regard I no longer read any fiction :)
Yesterday I finished reading
Agincourt: A New History by Anne Curry.It is somewhat of a dry read, but there is a lot of valuable information in it. The author uses extant financial and administrative records to show that the English and French armies might have been much closer in size than common myth has it. Overall, I enjoyed reading it and learned quite a bit too.
Here is my full review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Mod
I'm currently reading The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service Since 1945 and thoroughly enjoying myself. The section covering the early R.N. intelligence gathering operations 'up North' in the 1950's:Operation ‘Offspring’ was the first intelligence-gathering operation coordinated with the United States Navy and was conducted by HMS Tabard under the command of Peter Samborne. ‘We were patrolling and nothing much was happening,’ recalls Richard Heaslip, then a junior navigator on board Tabard. ‘Then the entire Russian fleet came out. The natural thought is “They’ve got us”, but that proved not to be the case. They were all coming out for an exercise. But they were all around us, the whole lot: planes, helicopters, destroyers. We were at action stations for about four hours in the Control Room. Samborne loved that. The tighter it got, the more he enjoyed it.’and a somewhat less light hearted situation on another patrol:
Roake found himself having to deal with an Electrical Artificer who had developed a very high temperature. There was no doctor on board, only a ‘book of words’ that contained medical advice, together with a wallet of ‘spanners’ (a medical kit). Roake was dogged with ‘much heart searching and worry’ as all of the indicators seemed to point to polio. Worse, this occurred just as Turpin was in the thick of the action:We were in a very vulnerable situation and unable to break radio silence. With no one to ask you have to make your own decision and decide your own priorities – rather as in Nelson’s day. Supposing he had some contagious disease, or died? Do you head for home? Bury him at sea – in ‘peace time’? These are the sorts of questions that go through your mind; although no different from those which face any other C.O. who may find himself in this sort of operational situation.Fortunately the man recovered.
Mod
Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila by James M. Scott
Sounds like a good one Rick,if not exactly the most cheerful!
Mod
Good point Jonny!
Bit of a different look at things, but I thought Engineers of Victory was a fairly decent look at the causal links in the Allied victory in World War Two; the long version is here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers who Turned the Tide in the Second World War
Mod
Currently reading The Nile by Terje Tvedt.
Mod
Let me know how that goes as I have an unread copy sitting in my library waiting for me :)
Mod
The Earth Is All That Lasts: Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand of the Great Sioux Nation by Mark Lee Gardner
Mod
The Road to Dien Bien Phu: A History of the First War for Vietnam by Christopher E. Goscha
Looks good Rick, I've hit a copy of Embers Of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America's Vietnam on the shelf, but I'm keen to get more on the French experience under my belt, so I'll be interested in what you think. 
Mod
Walking into work on Friday, I was inspired to put "The Real Cruel Sea" to one side for a wee while (there's only so much sinking merchantmen you can take at a time) and instead read the equally cheerful "Cholera: The Victorian Plague". Heavier on the clinical side than the other books I've read on the subject, so far, but good stuff (but bring a strong stomach).
Mod
Mod
Exodus from the Alamo: The Anatomy of the Last Stand Myth by Phillip Thomas Tucker
Wholesome History Reads Group
Books mentioned in this topic
The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 (other topics)A Campaign of Giants—The Battle for Petersburg, Vol. 2: From the Crater's Aftermath to the Battle of Burgess Mill (other topics)
The Secret Expedition: The Anglo-Russian Invasion of Holland 1799 (other topics)
Saipan: The Battle That Doomed Japan in World War II (other topics)
Defeat In Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912-1913 (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rick Atkinson (other topics)A. Wilson Greene (other topics)
Geert van Uythoven (other topics)
James H. Hallas (other topics)
Edward J. Erickson (other topics)
More...
