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JEFFREY'S 50 BOOKS READ IN 2011
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FEBRUARY1.
Wuthering Heights by
Emily BrontëFinish date: Feb. 22, 2011
Rating: A+
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it's over 150 years old, the writing is still fresh. One of my all-time favorites.
2.
American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies by Michael W. KauffmanFinish date: Feb. 28, 2011
Rating: A+
Review: Kauffman is extremely thorough in his research and it shows in his documentation. Can anything more be possibly written about John Wilkes Booth? He really covered a lot of interesting material. This one will become a classic for the size and scope of his research.
MARCH3.
The Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth..... by Finis Langdon BatesFinish date: March 8, 2011
Rating: D-
Review: Don't waste your time with this book. It was poorly written with bad grammar and facts that don't sync with the true historical record.
4.
The Importance of Being Earnest by
Oscar WildeFinish date: March 15, 2011
Rating: A-
Review: Hilarious! The humor is quite dry but there were some good scenes which made a guy who enjoys dry humor laugh quite loud. Enjoyed it.
Jeffrey wrote: "1. Wuthering Heights by Emily BrontëFinish date: Feb. 22, 2011
Rating: A+
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed..."
It is really good, isn't it. I re-read this a few years ago and really loved it.
Jeffrey wrote: "4. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar WildeFinish date: March 15, 2011
Rating: A-
..."
I agree with you here as well. Wilde is quite witty.
Jeffrey, you are off to a great start and have most of the format down. Don't forget to put a month header for the first book completed in any particular month. It should be the first line before the book, as in the sample above. The month should be in bold. (Mea culpa, I had the moth in the sample but it wasn't bolded and it should have been so you may not have noticed it. I've amended it.) You can add it to your posts #2 and 4 above.Loved the movie so much and I know the book is a classic, have often thought I should read it one of these days. your review inspired me to put in on my list.
by
Emily Brontë
5.
The Authentic Adam Smith: His Life and Ideas (Enterprise) by James BuchanFinish Date: March 24, 2011
Rating: C
Review: The information is interesting, but I can tell the author is a PhD. He uses a lot of archane words to prove his point. There are a lot of words and concepts that the average people cannot understand because of his poor word choice. Unfortunately, because of this, it became difficult to read and understand. Also, he jumps around all over the place chronologically, which made it more difficult to figure out. I will praise him for the depth of research and the ability to show the relationships between Smith and other leading figures of the day viz. David Hume and Voltaire, but the confusing nature in which the material was presented left a lot to be desired.
Sorry the previous book was just average. Great citations, only thing is if you have a book cover, listing the title is unnecessary:
James Buchan
6.
by
Joseph ConradFinish Date: March 27, 2011
Rating: B+
Review: This was an interesting read. Like the metaphorical snake in the beginning of the book, this tale winds and winds and winds through the murkiness of an African river. Even though it was a difficult read, it was a fascinating tale.
7.
by
Virginia WoolfFinish Date: April 12, 2011
Rating: C
Review: I enjoyed some of the concepts that Virginia Woolf brought forth in her plot. I also her selection of word choices in conveying her message, that's what made it a powerful read. However, this was one of my least favorite books because of her chronic use of run-on sentences and poor transitions from one character to another. I realize that this is what makes Woolf unique (aka the "woolfian" sentence in modern literature derives its title from this structure), but it was confusing. While the story itself took place in one day, I think it took me one full day of reading and assistance from Sparknotes to interpret. Much more work than it was worth. If you need or want to read anything from Virginia Woolf, do not start with this book. Some of her other works would be suitable for the novice Woolf reader.
8.
by Kate Clifford LarsonFinish Date: April 12, 2011
Rating: B+
Review: Dr. Larson did a magnificent job in describing the trial of Mary Surratt, the appeals process and the subsequent hanging of Surratt and three other conspirators. Unfortunately, she asked way too many questions that with a little more cursory research, she would have found the answers, especially when discussing the Booth conspiracy. Some of those questions were answered in some of the very sources that she cites, which I had previously read, and a couple of minor facts, she even got wrong. (Mainly the rationale for Booth's "failed" kidnapping attempt of March 17, 1865.) Furthermore, for being a PhD, she does a sloppy job in her citations.
Other than the technical aspects that I just mentioned, it was still a good read. Once she got into the trial, she had my attention and it did become a page turner towards the end.
With more exhaustive research into the conspiracy, not asking so many questions that her sources already answered (leaving us hanging), and getting a couple of minor facts correct, she would have earned an A or an A+. But in history, one needs to do due diligence, especially when her biography on the book cover states that she "holds a doctorate from the University of New Hampshire." Because of her academic credentials, I have to hold her to a higher standard.
Is this the book the new movie is based on? I am seeing the previews, directed by Robert Redford.
Yes, this is the book that Redford's movie is based upon.
9.
by James L. SwansonFinish Date: April 26, 2011
Rating: A+
Review: I find it quite uncanny to note that I started reading this on April 14, 2011 - the 146th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater and ended it at dawn on April 26, 2011, the anniversary of John Wilkes Booth's death (almost to the minute).
Swanson does yeoman's work in telling this story. Like Michael W. Kauffman's American Brutus, Swanson is meticulous in the details, flushes out some of the details that most other author's overlook, and give the reader a feel for what it might have been like if he were in Booth's shoes. He does not romanticize Lincoln's assassin, nor does he condemn him. Swanson tells the story professionally and accurately.
He does not venture into too many details about Booth's childhood or early relationships as some of the other authors do. Nor does he discuss any of the events that influenced Booth with the exception of things that occurred during the manhunt. He saves that for another author or another volume and keeps his eye on the narrow scope of his work. That just makes this book that much better.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an accounting of the twelve days between the shooting and the capture.
Mod
The funny thing about this is that I have to read four books and two scholarly articles about this topic for my "Reading in History" class. That's why you've seen my reviews for American Brutus and Assassin's Accomplice so far. This book just was the next one in the group, plus I'm halfway through with My Thoughts Be Bloody, which will be finished in the next day or two. When I started Manhunt, I actually forgot that it was April 14th that day. Because I have so much to do in so little time, I read the last 160 pages last night and the final words were read just after dawn as the sun came up (Eastern time) - which was the same time that Booth breathed his last. This is really freaky. BTW - When I started this project, I had no idea the movie 'The Conspirator' was even filmed. I didn't know about that until I finished reading Assassin's Accomplice. That's what's amazing about this whole thing - it's completely unplanned.Glad you liked the review.
Mod
Michael W. Kauffman
Kate Larson
Nora Titone
James L. SwansonYou must have some previous karmic connection to these events; that is all I can fathom.
Thanks so much for your review on Brutus and Manhunt. I heard good things, but you are the first I met that read them. I will have to add them to my list.
Michael W. Kauffman
James L. Swanson
May10.
byNora TitoneFinish Date:May 1, 2011
Rating: A-
Review: After reading three other books on the Lincoln Assassination all in succession, this one was quite different. While the others focus more on John Wilkes Booth and the assassination, this one is a biography of the Booth family. While J.W.B. died before anybody could fully understand motive, and the remaining Booth family members refused to discuss this in public, Titone does an amazing job with her meticulous research and presentation of the facts. This book ends where the others begin.
Understanding the rivalry of J.W.B. and his brothers, namely Edwin, puts the motives of the Lincoln assassination fully into place. She fills in the gaps in the story and answers questions the the other books miss - largely because it was the all-important back story. After reading this, the first thing I said was, "Ahh, I get it now."
We are getting much closer in scholarly research to fully understanding the Lincoln Assassination, the players and even the motives.
However, that being said, I rate this an A minus because she gets a few basic facts wrong about the assassination that others have already corrected (including some of her source material), plus it had a tendency of droning on and on mid-way through the volume.
Still, it was better than rating it a B or a B plus - and is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to understand why the events happened on that fateful day.
If asked about what sequence to read this volume I can only say this - make it first on your list of the four books I recommend, or make it the last, don't read it in the middle. If you read it first, you will find a few gaps and discrepancies that are corrected in the later books. If you read it last, as I did, it will shed some light on the previous readings. If you read it in the middle, you will be utterly confused. Nonetheless, make sure you read this book.
11.
by
Arundhati RoyFinish Date: May 3, 2011
Rating: C
Review: Arundhati Roy wrote a very interesting story and has a good command of the language. Unfortunately, I was lost in the stream-of-consciousness style of writing. She jumped from person-to-person much like Virginia Woolf, without using the Woolfian sentence structure. If that's not difficult enough, I had to unravel the chronology. She jumps between two different time periods and often jumps again within the same time period. It made for a confusing mess, to say the least. Nonetheless, the plot lines are solid and the writing itself is solid.
If you understand Indian culture or have been to India, you would probably get a lot out of this book. If you have no interest in India, feel free to skip this one.
12.
by David ZimmermanFinish Date: May 26, 2011
Rating: B+
Review: Zimmerman did an adequate job with the limited material that he had. It was an easy read, though redundant in a lot of places. I learned a few things about Lambeau, though most of it was a rehash of old material that's been floating out there for quite awhile.
He does an excellent job in discussing some of the players of a bygone era, though he doesn't describe much as to the way the game was played back then and the different rule changes that have occurred during his 30+ year reign. The NFL today is drastically different than the game in Lambeau's era and Zimmerman did not do that justice. As a football historian, this part disturbed and distressed me greatly.
The stuff about Lambeau's personal life was the area that Zimmerman excelled at, which makes up for some of the deficiencies in the football narrative.
JULY13.
by Joseph O. BarrettFinish Date: July 10, 2011
Rating: A-
Review: Joseph O. Barrett does a good job in presenting the abbreviated history of "Old Abe" the American Bald Eagle that was carried into 42 engagements during the Civil War with the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. There were a lot of good stories here that gave a good indication of the eagle's accomplishments. Unfortunately, it wasn't properly integrated with the history of the regiment, so some of the context was lost and it was a confusing read at times. The eagle's career after the war was fascinating stuff and presented properly - it was just the stuff in the middle during the war time years that gets lost in translation. Nonetheless, it is an important book for anyone interested in Old Abe's history to read.
14.
by Michael P. MiddendorFinish Date: July 18, 2011
Rating: B
Review: If you are looking for a book that has a lot of great historical information on the New Testament that puts everything into proper context, you found it. If you are looking for a textbook on the New Testament, you also found it here. If you are looking for an easy read that is not in APA style format - keep looking.
Schuler and Middendorf do a wonderful job examining the New Testament from an academic/historical viewpoint. Unfortunately, most books are not written in APA style. Academic papers are, but not a majority of the books on the market (they use Chicago Manual of Style). If you can get over the APA formatting and the different chronology (the books of the New Testament are presented in chronological order from when they were written, not in the chronological order that we accept them in through the canonization process), you will find a goldmine of useful information.
Mod
APA-style is an academic stylebook put out by the American Psychological Association. It has to do mainly with the in-text citations for reference purposes. Most books use Chicago Manual of Style, which is either footnote driven or, more commonly now, chapter notes. Very rarely do you actually see in-text citations in a published work, but they are quite heavy in academic papers. English, Literature and Humanities courses use the Modern Language Association's stylebook, known as MLA style. History, political science, theology and other disciplines use APA. The in-text citations are usually denoted with the use of parenthesis at the end of a sentence with a reference to the work and the page number [APA also adds year of printing] like this (Schuler-Middendorf, 2009, pp. 316-318). Again, this is common among academic papers, but not in formal written published works. Hope this clears it up a bit and not muddle it up further.
well said Jeff about APA I actually prefer it to MLA style when writing papers in Highschool and college. It's easy to use and more commonly used. sample
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
http://my.ilstu.edu/~jhkahn/APAsample...
Mod
Vicki - If you ever write a book, please don't use APA or MLA and you can avoid comments like these. LOL
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Called by the Gospel: An Introduction to the New Testament (other topics)History of Old Abe, the Live War Eagle of the Eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers. (other topics)
Lambeau: The Man Behind The Mystique (other topics)
The God of Small Things (other topics)
My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry That Led to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Joseph O. Barrett (other topics)David Zimmerman (other topics)
Arundhati Roy (other topics)
Nora Titone (other topics)
James L. Swanson (other topics)
More...
JANUARY
1.
Finish date: March 2008
Rating: A
Genre: Autobiography, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Review or a Few Words about book: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.
Once you get going, I will delete this sample.