The History Book Club discussion

JANUARY

1. John Grisham
Finish date: January 5
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: A solid entry in the Grisham family. I enjoyed the story line.

Bryan wrote: "JANUARY

1. John Grisham
Finish date: January 5
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: A solid entry in the Grisham family. I enjoyed the sto..."

Dd Grisham actually write that novel? There's been a lot of talk about fiction factories and the ethics behind them.

I'm not sure, R.M.F. I haven't heard about the controversy.

2. Jon Meacham
Finish Date: January 25
Genre: Presidential History
Rating: B+
Review: This is a good up-to-date biography of Jefferson. What I like most about this book is that Meacham examines Jefferson as a politician, using power as a prism to tell the usual tale of his life.

I think the book would have been even better if he just focused on Jefferson and power. The biography parts seemed distracting, because he would introduce something, but not delve too deeply. He also could have fleshed out his examples of Jefferson using power even more.

However, because of the way Meacham portrays Jefferson, it is an important read.

I received this book from Random House through Goodreads and I thank them for their generosity.

FEBRUARY

3. Evan Thomas
Finish Date: February 12
Genre: Presidential History
Rating: A-
Review: I like how Evans focuses on Eisenhower's efforts on preventing a nuclear war. He knew how to bluff and had the skills and gravitas to succeed. On the outside, he held a strong line about keeping the option open to use nukes and keeping conventional forces spending in line, but in the White House, he tried to work out a detente to never make that kind of war a reality. I always enjoyed Evans' work, so it is another win.

4. William I. Hitchcock
Finish Date: February 13
Genre: European History/WWII
Rating: A
Review: I highly recommend this book to any WWII buff. It is not a topic you read much about. Hitchcock is a excellent writer and some of theses chapters are hard to read, but important.

Good start Bryan.

March

5. Amity Shlaes
Finish Date: March 19
Genre: Presidential Biography
Rating: B+
Review: I really enjoyed this book. What resonated with me was how she showed what the presidency was before the modern one. What a difference. Coolidge believed in refrain, waiting to act, then act at the right moment. His presidency was about fiscal responsibility as he cut the WWI debt. I did not give this book an A because I think Shlaes could have refrained her bias, especially during the time he was president. Some of her points about Coolidge's thinking, especially about his relationship with the farmers, is a little confusing. Yet, overall, I recommend this book to anyone interested in Coolidge or history of the presidency. It is great to learn about the more obscure presidents!

6. Henry M. Paulson Jr.
Finish Date: March 19
Genre: Global Finance/Economic History
Rating: B
Review: I highly recommend this insider account of the 2008 collapse. It reads very well and you get to understand the great partnership between Treasury and the Federal Reserve.

Six?? Is there a prize for the least read in 2013? Lol, yikes, kind of depressing.

Bryan I know - we have been so busy - sad really but we are dabbling in a lot of areas (smile).

Indeed, Bentley, and we are reading, which is good, just not as fast.

I wish I could count my typing about books (smile) and the number of posts - I would be sailing.

Bentley wrote: "I wish I could count my typing about books (smile) and the number of posts - I would be sailing."

Agreed :-)

July

7. by Richard Pryor
Finish Date: July 4
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: B
Review: Pryor's comedy is not for everyone, but I am a fan. I saw the new documentary "Omit the Logic" and picked up this book. It is a funny and sad read. He had such a messed up life and this book peels away some of the layers to answer why that was.

8. by John Milton Cooper Jr. (no photo)
Finish Date: July 4
Genre: Biography
Rating: B+
Review: I think this is probably the best one volume biography of Wilson I have read so far. I give Cooper the edge because of his writing. There is so much going on, but his writing style makes it enjoyable. Be prepared, it is a dense read, but Wilson had such a impact. I do wish the book was more of his life and times, though. Cooper refers to many situations that really could be expanded just a bit. Yet, the author presents a balanced view of Wilson and shows warts and all.

Bryan wrote: "July

7. by Richard Pryor
Finish Date: July 4
Genre: Autobiography
Rating: B
Review: Pryor's comedy is not ..."
I always liked RP . . . I never saw any raunchy stuff he did in his live performances . . . but I have several of his movies on DVD. His pairing with Gene Wilder was priceless . . .

He co-wrote Blazing Saddles...and wrote lines for Mongo, not the sheriff. He was supposed to star in the movie but the studio thought Pryor was too raunchy.

It seems to me that a lot of comics start out with raunchy material for it's . . . in your face - look at me style . . . and as they gain in popularity . . . they leave more of the raunchy stuff behind.

Sometimes that works . . . but sometimes it also works against you later on . .

It was the opposite for Pryor. He started out clean (a Bill Cosby) in the 1960s, then got more explicit as he developed. Lenny Bruce started his transformation. It is all in the book. Very interesting.

8. by Manel Loureiro
Finish Date: July 8
Genre: Horror
Rating: B+
Review: This is one of the better zombie books that have flooded the market. (The author is from Spain, so it has a European focus, which is good.) It feels realistic and it has some very tense moments. Recommend for the zombie/horror buffs.

9. by Mark Owen (no photo)
Finish Date: July 27
Genre: Autobiography/History
Rating: B
Review: The best parts of the book are the description of Owen's life as a Navy SEAL and the mission to capture Bin Laden. A solid entry, even though I got a sense of bias in the afterward.

August

10. by Edmund Morris
Finish Date: August 1
Genre: Presidential Biography
Rating: A-
Review: This is a great book. Morris' writing style is great, very effortless read. He really brings TR alive and presents a great picture of his times, as well.

Great book, Bryan.....I really enjoyed it as well.

I couldn't remember if it was you or another member just finished it, so I was inspired.

11. by Logan Beirne
Finish Date: August 15
Genre: military history
Rating: B+
Review: There are so many books on Washington these days. The strength of this book is Beirne's unique approach to his subject. He looks at Washington's military efforts in the Revolutionary War and how that influenced the creation of the Commander in Chief clause of the U.S. Constitution. I do wished he made more references to the actual deliberation of this clause and connect more to Washington. However, this does not detract from the overall work. His writing is great, this will be a fast read. I look forward to the author's future work.

I received this book from Encounter Books through Goodreads and I thank them for their generosity.

September

12. by Mark Tufo
Finish Date: September 22
Genre: Horror
Rating: B-
Review: This is a hard one to review. It is unique among the zombie novels and for that it deserves a higher rating. However, it seem to end abruptly. It is also very, very graphic. I was a little queasy, but was compelled to read on...like a car wreck, lol. For those who want something different in this genre, I would recommend it, though.

October

13. by Joseph E. Persico
Finish Date: October 8
Genre: military history
Rating: B+
Review: Persico's writing makes this a worthy read. his style is crisp and you don't feel bogged down. I learned some new things regarding FDR's skill in wartime strategy and his relationship with his higher level officers. I would recommend it.

I received this book from Random House through Goodreads and I thank them for their generosity.

November

14. by Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Rating: A
Review: I reread this classic and I'm glad I did. It has been a long time and it really holds up well. This is one of King's best.

I agree that this is one of his best books.........and it translated well to film.

It does, the movie's images popped in all the time while I read it, but it had a slightly different emphasis.

15. by Orson Scott Card
Finish Date: December 10
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: I read this book in hopes of seeing the movie. Well, the movie was getting lousy reviews, so I might wait on that one, but I'm glad I read the book. This was very good, and a unique perspective: a young boy coming of age, forced into a dire situation to become the savior of all humankind. I'm not sure I will continue the series, though, but I recommend this one.

16. by James Tobin (no photo)
Finish Date: December 12
Genre: Presidential Biography
Rating: B+
Review: This is a unique look at how polio affected FDR and his political career. Dr. Tobin is pretty careful not to get too far ahead of the primary sources, especially since FDR never wrote anything about how he really felt about it. He uses other polio victims' accounts to get a sense of what was going on, and also uses primary materials from the people around him. It is a fascinating book and highly recommend it for FDR and presidential history buffs.

17. by Rick Atkinson
Finish Date: December 23
Genre: Military History
Rating: A
Review: TBA