The History Book Club discussion

This is the format for the books dumped and why thread.

Format must be followed:

Book Citation first - book cover, author's photo if available and authors' link

Date Book was Abandoned:

Rating:

Why:

In all instances, a book you dumped or abandoned may be a fan favorite with somebody else, so please try to be as respectful and civil as you can be.

This thread was requested by a group member.

We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam

Harold G. Moore

Abandoned: 29/3/2013

Rating: 2/5

Why: Military history is a hobby of mine (reading the books, playing mini wargames) and I had high hopes for this book having enjoyed the film version. So when I spotted this book in a charity shop I was over the moon. In fact I was so happy, I paid double the asking price.
Alas, this title proved to be a let down. It was far too descriptive and analytical, with too much switching between characters and too much inclusion of the various men who fought in this battle. For want of a better term, there were too many 'secondary' characters (hope that doesn't offend any veterans on this site) and although this approach can be interesting (see various books on the battle of Stalingrad for effective use of this approach)it can test the reader's patience at times.
I take nothing away from the brave men from both sides, but when you get a lengthy description of Private X (background, where he went to high school etc.) and in the next sentence, Private X is killed, and then the process begins anew with Captain Y, it can be monotonous at times. I felt the maps added little to help the reader understand the important role terrain played in the battles, and the overall impression was one of an opportunity wasted. This book had the potential to be a better than it was.

It happens sometimes - often it is because our expectations are so high or in other instances the book just did not measure up to our personal standards.

Bentley wrote: "It happens sometimes - often it is because our expectations are so high or in other instances the book just did not measure up to our personal standards."

Don't get me wrong, there are some great books about the Vietnam war out there (one or two of my favourites have been recommended by this very group) that focus on individual soldiers and/or units, but this wasn't one of them. Perhaps the problem is because I watched the film first. Whenever I hear the name Harold G. Moore, I automatically think Mel Gibson!

First, add the author - you mentioned him again (smile) - I understand.

Harold G. Moore

Mel Gibson

Anyway, Bentley, I said my piece. Time for you to put your money where your mouth is and post a book you abandoned! :)

I am one of these odd folks who feel that it is a badge of courage to finish the &%$# book - even if it takes years. It comes from my chidlhood - I am afraid.

I know what you mean Bentley and never used to give up on a book, no matter how much I hated it. Then I realized that there was so much out there that I wanted to read and that my TBR lists was stretching to infinity. I decided that I was not going to waste time reading something that was a chore....I like to read for enjoyment and knowledge and don't want to have to struggle to get through a book. So the first book I dumped and I dumped it more than once since I thought I really should read it was:

by Henry James

Abandoned: First in approximately 1989, then maybe 1998, and finally last year.

Rating: D

Why:
I cannot abide the writing style of Henry James......it takes him two chapters to describe a situation that could be explained in a paragraph. I don't mind descriptive narrative, in fact, if done within reason, it can be quite a plus in the overall story.......but "within reason" is the key phrase. James' is so wordy, so over-the-top, that I just fall asleep. I tried, I really tried, but I just couldn't do it.

Jill wrote: "I know what you mean Bentley and never used to give up on a book, no matter how much I hated it. Then I realized that there was so much out there that I wanted to read and that my TBR lists was str..."

I have to agree, Jill. Although I was able to finish this book (it's really short), it was a case of reading through to get the "gist" and just getting over with it.

Hello, I'm just curious about why this question is being asked here . . . and where is this info being collected? I can think that the only time I haven't finished a book that I started was because it was a library book that was due back . . .

by Robert R. McCammon

Abandoned: Jan 24, 2013

Rating: F

Why:
The writing style and the events that the author lines up are extremely crude, salacious and incredible. Incredible in two ways:
1. The details are not historically accurate.
2. The characters, given their past life experiences, would not behave as they do.
When I read historical fiction I want the historical facts to be as accurate as possible.

It is against my nature to drop a book but sometimes I do. I hope I have presented this correctly. ;0)

Agree with earlier posters - life's too short for bad books. I don't mind books being liberal on historical accuracy, but as somebody once said: " I can forgive a man many things except bad prose."

You did, thank you.

Tomerobber wrote: "Hello, I'm just curious about why this question is being asked here . . . and where is this info being collected? I can think that the only time I haven't finished a book that I started was because..."

Tomerobber - I am not sure what you mean by where is this info being collected? A member asked for a thread where they could discuss those books they abandoned and whereas most of us are like you - we carry on to the bitter end no matter what - there really was not a place. So this thread was set up. We do feel that an author's livelihood comes from their writing and it is only fair not to just post a book without citing it, telling us when it was abandoned, your rating and why you felt you did not finish it. Authors deserve that much and we want to be civil and respectful. These are books that folks could not finish. Many times I have found that by persevering through a dense book I got a lot out of the journey. So everybody's perspective is their own and does not reflect the group's.

Bentley wrote: "Tomerobber wrote: "Hello, I'm just curious about why this question is being asked here . . . and where is this info being collected? I can think that the only time I haven't finished a book that I ..."

Thanks for the info Bentley . . . I wasn't aware that there was a request for this . . .

Yes, I get many requests (smile)

Robert Rankin
Abandoned: April 21, 2013
Rating: C
Reason dumped: This just isn't for me. It's not badly written at all, but it combines two genres that, for me, just don't combine well: Humor and dark fantasy. I won't spoil the plot for anyone who wants to pick it up, but it's both a sort of parody of small-town England and a fantasy about the appearance of .... well, I said I wouldn't spoil it.

I'm generally not a fan of dark fantasy, but I find that combining it with humor just doesn't work. Others may disagree.

by Veronica Roth

Abandoned: April 22, 2013
Rating: B for content, D for violence

Reason dumped: Recommended to my sons by a middle-school English teacher, this book (which I believe is being made into a movie?) is well-written but WAY too violent for middle-schoolers. After bloody fights between characters leading to near fatalities, as well as the brandishing of all sorts of weapons, I realized this is not a book I want to share with my children. Of course, they've already read it on their own so maybe this is more of a statement for myself than anything else.

I hate to think I'd have to monitor my pre-teens book-reading similar to monitoring TV, film, video game or computer usage, but I guess that's life of a parent in this age of violence.

Hello,

I feel that this a not only a legitimate subject but also a useful tool for those who tend to struggle on to the bitter end. If you see a book listed which exhibit things that turn you off, you can consider other reading choices thus not wasting your precious time on a to the bitter end book. I fall in the camp of being willing to dump a book. Life is too short and there are far too many books I want to read for me to waste time on something I am not enjoying. I do not take dropping a book lightly and I try to give it a fair hearing. I also might struggle longer if I really want the information that is contained within and there is not a better selection. For those who refuse to quit this would also be a good site to list your bitter end books, as they for all intents and purposes amount to a book dumped. My entry at this time is actually a bitter-end book. It fell into the worst category of books for me. Just barely good enough to not stop. The book is "Ricard and John: Kings at war" by Frank McLynn. It is a combined biography of Richard the Lionhearted and King John. The author committed one the cardinal sins of a historian in my judgement. We all carry our biases and it will come through in the writing. Some writers though let their bias overwhelm their writing. I will admit that King John has a deservedly bad reputation but I felt like I was reading one long King John bashing session. Instead of presenting me with the information and allowing me to draw me conclusion, the author exhibited such a vitriol towards his lead subject that I questioned how trustworthy the material was. The best biographies of histories villains are those that give a full portrait both good and bad. An excellent example of how to do this is Ian Kershaw's outstanding 2 volume "Hitler: A Biograpy." Hitler is clearly a monster but Kershaw did not repeatedly tell us how horrible a person Hitler was, instead he presented a complete picture of Hitler and allowed the reader to draw the appropriate conclusions.

by Frank McLynn (no photo)

by Ian Kershaw

So you like the Kershaw book and his approach but McLynn's was just a bashing session. I wanted the readers to know which one was which. Thank you very much for this very helpful information.

William liked this author and historian:
Ian Kershaw

William did not like McLynn's bias and approach:

McLynn Frank (no photo)

Hi me again.

It dawned on me that a good King John Biography could be useful. So if you want to read a balanced biography of King John, I would recommend W. L. Warren's 1978 biography "King John." It is a part of the Yale English Monarch Series. Sorry I could not do the usual citing but it is apparently not in the Goodreads files.

by Wilfred Lewis Warren (no photo)

Do you mean the above? It appears to be the same - but the author's name was spelled out. Thanks.

That is the one.

Good to hear.