History is Not Boring discussion
What are you reading?
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I am reading I Am Malala, the young readers' edition. Although it is an autobiography it has a pretty good history of the rise of the Taliban in the Swat area of Pakistan, where Malala livedI'm reading the children's version of the book because I plan to give it as a gift. I believe the main difference between the adult's and the kid's version is that the graphic violence is toned down.
Here is an interview with Malala about the books.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
I'm reading Margaret MacMillan's new book about World War I, The War that Ended Peace.
I love Margaret Macmillan's book Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World.Yesterday, I listened to
. Today I plan on continuing
and maybe starting
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Reading Des Teufels General
(The Devil's General), a play from 1946 by German émigré Carl Zuckmayer. The main character is based on WWII Luftwaffe general and WWI ace Ernst Udet. It's serious and comical at the same time, and gives good insight into the mindsets of various Germans in powerful positions. Good stuff.
It's in German, but apparently there's an abridged translation in The Devil's General/Germany: Jekyll and Hyde
.Made into a West German movie with Curd Jürgens and it's on YouTube.
I just started reading
and have been listening to
While doing research on my historical novel about 18th Century California, I came across an amazing book written in the latter part of that century by a Jesuit priest who had spent 17 years serving in an isolated mission in Baja California.Observations in Lower California by Johann Jakob Baegert, S.J. Published in 1772 and available online @ http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpresseb... is an amazing work giving a first-hand account of what life was like. As an example he indicates the problem with the language of the people who lived there. In many families the husband spoke one language, the wife another. He even describes the rocks and plants – or lack of them.
This is an amazing work and is giving me great insight into what my main character, Captain Don Fernando de Rivera has to contend with.
I am reading Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan.
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They're not really historical, well one is kinda
and
I continued listening to
(Audible.com) and reading
(my bookshelf) yesterday.Plan on starting
today which has been nominated for the National Book Award (nonfiction).
An Unsung Hero: Coming of Age in the Dust Bowl - William ForsytheTrees Tall as Mountains - Rachel Ford (JourneyMama)
The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I read that the end of last year and found it very interesting."Who knew all that was going on at the same time? Very interesting.
I just finished Necropolis: London and It's Dead by Catharine Arnold. I loved it!
Finished reading
(Kindle Unlimited) and
(library) yesterday.
I am reading Chaucer's Tale: 1386 and the Road to Canterbury,by Paul Strohm, a memoir of Chaucer's prime years and a book I won through a goodreads giveaway. I am also reading Red Dirt Jessie which is a kid's book by Anna Myers about a girl living in Dust Bowl era Oklahoma who is dealing with her father's depression.
I'm reading
for an online class. Pretty interesting so far.
Just started three biographies last week: "Lift Up Thy Voice" about the abolitonist members of the Grimke family; "Crusader in Crinoline" about Harriet Beecher Stowe; and one about E. B. White, author of many books including "Charlotte's Web."
Bonnie wrote: The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien"I had to read that for school, and thought the writing quality was subpar to the subject material. What do you think?
Reading 1492 And All That by Robert Royal. With Columbus Day approaching in the US, this is a timely read. Author discusses how modern writers distort Columbus' record for partisan purposes.
Emily wrote: "Bonnie wrote: The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien"I had to read that for school, and thought the writing quality was subpar to the subject material. What do you think?"
I thought it was written like an old soldier would converse. It definitely lent to the feel of the book being one written by someone who was not a professional, but who knew the subject matter and tried to convey it from his "gut". Does that make sense?
I just started reading Ireland: A Luminous Beauty which I won through firstreads. It's mainly a coffee table picture book (but oh, what beautiful photographs) but I'm discovering amazing history about Ireland in the book. There are photos of Tara and photos of medieval abbeys and castles, walk-in grave mounds from 2000BC. It's a spectacular book.
@ Bonnie - Yeah, that makes sense. I don't know a lot of old veterans, and the ones I do know don't tell many stories, so I guess I'm unfamiliar with that style.@ Linda - That does sound beautiful! Someday I'll get to Ireland!
@Emily - Both grandfathers, two uncles, father and husband all vets - the tone was very familiar. :) Currently reading:
A dog named Boo
F'in A: Fixing America
Speaking of Vietnam, has anyone read The Green Berets: The Amazing Story of the U. S. Army's Elite Special Forces Unit? I probably won't get my hands on it but I am just interested because one of the characters was based on a Finn. I think in the book he was Irish... (and played by John Wayne in the movie).
Tytti wrote: "Speaking of Vietnam, has anyone read The Green Berets: The Amazing Story of the U. S. Army's Elite Special Forces Unit? I probably won't get my hands on it but I am just interested b..."I read that a LONG time ago. You can probably pick it up in a used book shop. It wasn't a type of book on my preferred reading list, but I probably learned a lot from it. Quite graphic, as I remember it. My brother was in Viet Nam at the time, two tours of duty there, in the US Army's Signal Corps - no jungle fighting for him, thank the Lord!
Speaking of veterans, I just learned this weekend that a friend of mine, John McNamara, a WWII Marine who fought on Okinawa, passed away on October 1, 2014. His wife called to let me know. "Johnny Mac" was 91, badly crippled with arthritis and disease, and ridden with disfiguring warts, but with a fire in his eye that couldn't be quenched. He had been working on his autobiography for three or four years, and showed me the proofs when I visited him on Memorial Day this year. In August, he sent me an autographed copy of the finished product, "Millville's Mac: The Life Story of a World War II Combat Marine" which I was thrilled to read. It is not a literary book, but if you try, you can imagine yourself sitting across the kitchen table from John, listening to these tales over a cup of coffee. John even had the publisher include a flash drive in each book which records John telling many of his stories himself. I am humbled that he called me "friend." Go well, Johnny Mac!
Sally wrote: "I read that a LONG time ago. You can probably pick it up in a used book shop."Eh, probably not in this country and I am not that interested that I would order it from the net...
Sally wrote: "Speaking of veterans, I just learned this weekend that a friend of mine, John McNamara, a WWII Marine who fought on Okinawa, passed away on October 1, 2014. His wife called to let me know. "Johnny ..."There was a family friend/acquaintance who was interviewed by another friend of my father's about his experiences as a spy. He died when I was a kid and I didn't have a chance to meet him but his old neighbour later wrote her thesis about him bases on those tapes and made it a biography. It was pretty interesting, though he still probably didn't tell everything.
Tytti wrote: "Speaking of Vietnam, has anyone read The Green Berets: The Amazing Story of the U. S. Army's Elite Special Forces Unit? I probably won't get my hands on it but I am just interested b..."I have it in my kindle to read, but haven't made it to that one yet. It's coming up soon though. :)
Sally wrote: "Speaking of veterans, I just learned this weekend that a friend of mine, John McNamara, a WWII Marine who fought on Okinawa, passed away on October 1, 2014. His wife called to let me know. "Johnny ..."A man of honor! I will look for the book with special interest now. Thank you for posting this. Hu-rrah, Marine - enjoy your well-deserved rest!
The additional fun will be giving it to my husband to read as he was born in Kilkenny, IR and will enjoy reading the stories of another Irishman!
Just finished listening to
by Nora Roberts. Would've loved giving it a higher rating, unfortunately I think she pedalled back at the end of the book. You can read my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kirsten wrote: "Just finished listening to by Nora Roberts. Would've loved giving it a higher rating, unfortunately I think she pedalled back at the end of the book. Y..."I think you accidentally posted this comment in the wrong book discussion group.
No, you asked what I've been reading. Not what historical/history book I've been reading. If I misunderstood, I am sorry.
Mod
That sounds interesting, Crazy Cat Lady. (How crazy? How many?) I'm going to put it on my list.
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It's pretty smoothly written. I did not know that Joseph Smith had run for President. Also, President Tyler, under the delusion that he can be re-elected (both parties hate him), is going around to everyone in Washington whom he thinks is a viable presidential candidate to offer a seat on the Supreme Court. (No takers so far!)
Fall of Giants. Finally get to read it. So far so good.
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "(One at present, but she's exceptionally wacko.)It's pretty smoothly written. I did not know that Joseph Smith had run for President. Also, President Tyler, under the delusion that he can be re..."
Tyler was kind of fiesty. When political opponents referred to him in the press as "Robin Hood" ensconced in his "Sherwood Forest" (his James River plantation), Tyler was so delighted with the insult that he renamed the plantation "Sherwood Forest." His grandson Harrison Tyler (yes: grandson, not great-grandson or great-great-grandson, but his grandson) lives there still, raising horses and running a tree farm. I met Mr. Harrison Tyler about 15 years ago, and learned his story. Contact me if you'd like to know details about this close-up connection to the 19th C - it's pretty interesting.
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Currently delving into Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, for fiction research. Astounding revelations everywhere you look.
I'm reading Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine. I picked it up on a whim off of the new book shelf at the library. Turns out it's very interesting!William Moulton Marston wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times in the 1930s saying that women would rule the world within 100 years. He and his wife co-invented the lie detector. He appreciated strong, intelligent women and worked to gain access to graduate schools for woman. For instance, medical schools capped enrollment of women to 5% of the student population. His mother-in-law was imprisoned for opening the first birth control clinic in the United States. Yes! Birth control was illegal. His wife's aunt was Margaret Sanger, famous advocate for birth control.
But I don't want you to think he was perfect. He sure wasn't but I don't want to cover the whole book here!
That's cool Linda. I only got into Wonder Woman through the Justice League comics after I borrowed the graphic novel sets from a friend. Was great!And the "History" in fiction always confuses me, haha. Whenever I see the making of a superhero or tv show guide on a cartoon labeled as Non-fiction it astounds me!
I've been reading Capital in the Twenty-First Century
by Thomas Piketty. A lot of it is quite over my head, but not as much it as you would think. He gives a wonderful history of economic inequality, capital, and culture. He even uses literary references to Jane Austen and Honoré de Balzac as examples of many of the concepts.
im reading gangpire by sentu taylor. interesting read
History is Not Boring
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A perfect storm of many different things came together to make all of civilization collapse in 1172 BC. The autho..."
Sorry, must have been a typo. I don't know why I wrote 1172 when I had the book right in front of me.