The History Book Club discussion

Since we seem to have a shy group, here is a thread where everyone might be able to contribute and share what they are reading at any time (fiction or non fiction) and whether they would recommend it or not. Please also add the book link or cover.

This thread is a good way to start contributing to the group and to share with other fellow members. As you begin any new books, let us know what they are and post them here.

Aside from the non fiction group selections which I am reading as moderator; I am also reading Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky.

So far so good, this is really two narratives in one; portraying life in France from June 4, 1940, as German forces prepare to invade Paris, through July 1, 1941, when some of Hitler's occupying troops leave France to join the assault on the Soviet Union. One of the narratives is fictional and the other factual which shows how the fictional came into account.

The author wrote "Suite Française" "in the village of Issy-l'Evêque, where she, her husband and two young daughters had settled after fleeing Paris. On July 13, 1942, French policemen, enforcing the German race laws, arrested Némirovsky as "a stateless person of Jewish descent." She was transported to Auschwitz, where she died in the infirmary on Aug. 17."

Those who read this book are astonished that the author could blend the factual events of the day with the contemporaneous considering the situation and how the events of the author's life unfolded. The book is actually a combination of two novellas. This is considered to be one of the first works of fiction about World War II. I would recommend it highly.

Bentley

This section is for The History Book Club membership and may contain all genres.

Irène Némirovsky

Note: Even though we did not start out this way; if posting in this section now; you must add the book cover, then the author's photo if available and always the author's link (which is the author's name in linkable text).

I recently read Create Your Own Economy The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World by Tyler Cowen, an interesting hotchpotch of ideas about autism, neurodiveristy, internet culture and a bunch of other stuff. It discusses the concept of your personal economy in the broadest of terms (all production and consumption, whether it has monetary value or not) and posits that a lot of our most valuable production is free (like being a member of this group) and/or interior (synthesizing the small bits of information we consume on the internet into larger narratives or bodies of knowledge).

A few weeks ago I read How Fiction Works, which was very readable literary criticism for the layman like me. I'm interested in any description of technique or craft - I like to know how things work - but this book is most valuable in explaining why fiction matters, why novels are such an important part of our culture.

Thank you Nick for your contributions. These books look great.


Tyler Cowen

by James Wood

I'm reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. Since I was reading a non-fiction book on western civilization, I thought it would be fun to take a look at eastern culture as well in a fictional context. The book is about the rise of a farmer in early 20th century China.

Pearl Buck was a Chinese-American born in West Virgina who lived in both China and America throughout her life. This was her second novel and she won a Pulitzer Prize for the work.

I have enjoyed it immensely.

Let us know how you like The Good Earth. It is a tremendous book. I added the link so that folks can access it if they are interested.


by Pearl S. Buck

Gypsy, this looks like a real spooky book and probably fun to read. I read Howe's bio...isn't that something that she is a descendant of women from that period.

Her background as you so aptly suggested would make this historical fiction selection a very good one. Very interesting. I will look for it.

I have a lot of books going on at the same time. And I have just started another book called Netherland. It is quite good and is by an Irish author of Irish/Turkish descent named Joseph O'Neill. I would highly recommend it.

Here is the Random House review:

In a New York City made phantasmagorical by the events of 9/11, Hans--a banker originally from the Netherlands--finds himself marooned among the strange occupants of the Chelsea Hotel after his English wife and son return to London. Alone and untethered, feeling lost in the country he had come to regard as home, Hans stumbles upon the vibrant New York subculture of cricket, where he revisits his lost childhood and, thanks to a friendship with a charismatic and charming Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon, begins to reconnect with his life and his adopted country. Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-like figure who is part idealist and part operator, introduces Hans to an “other” New York populated by immigrants and strivers of every race and nationality. Hans is alternately seduced and instructed by Chuck’s particular brand of naivete and chutzpah--by his ability to a hold fast to a sense of American and human possibility in which Hans has come to lose faith.

Netherland gives us both a flawlessly drawn picture of a little-known New York and a story of much larger, and brilliantly achieved ambition: the grand strangeness and fading promise of 21st century America from an outsider’s vantage point, and the complicated relationship between the American dream and the particular dreamers. Most immediately, though, it is the story of one man--of a marriage foundering and recuperating in its mystery and ordinariness, of the shallows and depths of male friendship, of mourning and memory. Joseph O’Neill’s prose, in its conscientiousness and beauty, involves us utterly in the struggle for meaning that governs any single life.

It is interesting to me that this is yet another book that has as a backdrop the 9/11 tragedy though it is very much not a book about the tragedy itself in any way. It really is a view of America and various subcultures seen through a quasi immigrant's eyes; it is interesting what a focal part the game of cricket plays in the novel. So far, I find the book engaging and interesting in its views of the various layers of culture and stratification in everyday American life that one does not necessarily see or recognize. This also was one of the books that Jon Meacham discussed with President Obama as being one that he has read recently.


Joseph O'Neill

I love to read history where two different cultures come into contact for the first time. So I am currently on a quest to read about many different explorers. I have recently finished the following histories:
- Cook: The Extraordinary Voyages of Captain James Cook (Nicholas Thomas)
-The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake: 1577-1580 (Samuel Bawlf)
-Over the Edge of the World: Magellans's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (Laurence Bergreen)
-Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu (Laurence Bergreen)
-Amerigo: The Man Who Gave His Name to America (Felipe Fernandez-Armesto)
I can't put these down, and dread the day when I can't find the next one to read.

I have been trying to find some fiction lately, since I have been reading so much history, but most stuff doesn't keep my interest for very long. Historical fiction is a obvious choice, so I am currently in the middle of The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat. I am really liking it! I'll have to find some more of his stuff.

Joe, that sounds like an interesting read. Thank you for letting us know about it.

Sid, thank you for your list of histories that you completed; I hope you don't mind but I have looked them up on goodreads and included some links so that folks can check them out here and on other sites if they want to get them or look at them more closely.







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I have just completed the book: which I had just started reading (message 8). I really liked it a lot. Interesting take on the various layers of American society from different viewpoints; it contains an interesting story thrown in to whet everybody's appetite.

I have just started American Lion Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. It begins in the first year of Jackson's second term when all hell is breaking lose. Jackson's vice president has just resigned and is headed back to South Carolina to potentially become the President of South Carolina which has threatened to leave the Union. The Brits are stirring the pot and may send aid to South Carolina. Jackson is 65 but is resolute in holding everything together. Thus opens up this engaging book.

Here is the write-up on this book:

Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson’s election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson’s presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama–the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers–that shaped Jackson’s private world through years of storm and victory.

One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will–or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House–from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman–have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision.

Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took.

Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.

I would highly recommend this book.

Liz, all three of these selections sound like books we should add to the potential reading list and bookshelves. It is interesting that you liked the other Vowell book better. Let us know how you get on with these two as you near completion and what kind of a final assessment you might have made. Sometimes an audio book fits the bill.

I am currently reading The Code Book The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh. From my understanding its about the history of codes and ciphers, how the were used then and how they will be used in the future.

Lydia wrote: "I am currently reading The Code Book The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh. From my understanding its about the history of co..."

Lydia, on Amazon this book seems to have some very highly rated reviews (5 stars); please let us know how you like it as you get into the book. It sounds fascinating.

Liz wrote:

"I definitely like Assassination Vacation better than The Wordy Shipmates. Though The Wordy Shipmates does pick up a bit after the first hundred pages or so. Neither are meaty enough to be a primary read for this group but Assassination Vacation may be a fun side read while reading about Abraham Lincoln or any of the other Presidents who were assassinated. Vowell reads like fiction and it a delight to listen to her read her own books. Both of these books are widely reviewed both on Goodreads and Amazon. You can really think of them as beach reads (or listens).

This sounds like a good idea. Thank you for the differentiation between the two.

So I guess that the colonists who were on the Mayflower were families from London and Southampton and the origins of New Haven were from Yorkshire and Hertfordshire.

It is sometimes better I suspect to read history from an wholistic point of view; so often American History is studied in a siloed way. Probably the same for other students studying their country's history. And of course, when that occurs, the recording of such events becomes so much more slanted. William of Orange's successful invasion of England really did change a lot from 1688 onward.

Thank you Liz for your three reviews. All three look like great selections.

I've read 41 books so far this year, but quality has been a little hard to find. I've been too tired with my own work to take on many history books, and most of those I've read have been disappointing. I have to admit that Jacques Barzun's book annoyed me so much in the first 40 pages that I had to put it down :( Sorry to be so curmudgeonly!

I did enjoy Herodotus' Histories, which I listened to on CD during a long car trip, and a few odds and ends of World War II and Civil War military history.

Otherwise, I've gone back to the well of authors I can count on, such as the always hilarious P.G. Wodehouse:

The Code of the Woosters

and one of the best pure writers the English language has ever seen, Raymond Chandler:

The Little Sister

A classic science fiction book surprised me, and may even succeed in bringing me back to the genre:

The Stars My Destination

I've also enjoyed good solid literature by John Buchan, G.K. Chesterton, Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling, Emile Zola, and Rex Stout; esoteric works by H.P. Lovecraft, Sax Rohmer, and William Hope Hodgson; and shameless potboilers by Ian Fleming, Alistair MacLean, Ed McBain, and the like.

Watching classic TV shows has also been sucking up rather too much of my leisure time ;)

Be seeing you!

Bentley wrote: "I have just started American Lion Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. It begins in the first year of Jackson's second term when all hell is breaking lose. Jackson's ..."

Bentley,

This sounds like a good read. I've not read anything on Jackson, but a bio of Davy Crockett (a distant cousin of mine) that I read last year piqued my interest.

Have you read this book on Jackson?

The Passions of Andrew Jackson

I heard it was a stinkeroo!

Joe,

The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat is one of my favorite books. After you finish, watch the classic movie with Jack Hawkins if you can get a hold of it!

Ed

Ed wrote: "I've read 41 books so far this year, but quality has been a little hard to find. I've been too tired with my own work to take on many history books, and most of those I've read have been disappoint..."

Ed, some of Barzun's personal observations can be annoying but I looked beyond that and tried to cull some of his great knowledge of cultural history; he is brilliant even though I too do not always agree with him (smile). But I think these areas of disagreement can be great springboards for energetic discussions. And this was one of the top vote getters. I btw did not vote for the Barzun book for a group discussion; but the votes dictate the choices so I am reading it. However, you may find this surprising but I have still found by staying with it; I have gained a lot from the process thus far.

Ed wrote: "Joe,

The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat is one of my favorite books. After you finish, watch the classic movie with Jack Hawkins if you can get a hold of it!

Ed"

This sounds like a great read with a movie to boot.




PS: I added the book jacket for all.

Ed wrote: "Bentley wrote: "I have just started American Lion Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham. It begins in the first year of Jackson's second term when all hell is breaking l..."

No, I have not. This is the first book about Andrew Jackson that I have read. From your comments I am glad that I did not read the other (grin).

Ed wrote: "I've read 41 books so far this year, but quality has been a little hard to find. I've been too tired with my own work to take on many history books, and most of those I've read have been disappoint..."

Ed, I absolutely love Raymond Chandler and his command of the language is the best. Great storyteller; was there ever a protagonist quite like Philip Marlowe?

Bentley wrote: "Ed wrote: "I've read 41 books so far this year, but quality has been a little hard to find. I've been too tired with my own work to take on many history books, and most of those I've read have been..."

I'm certainly not complaining Bentley, these things are a matter of taste. Barzun definitely has a lot to say, and under other circumstances I would have read the book through. The problem--if there is one--is with me, and not the group's selection!!! I'm just a little jaded, that's all :)

Ed wrote: "I've read 41 books so far this year, but quality has been a little hard to find. I've been too tired with my own work to take on many history books, and most of those I've read have been disappoint..."

Yup; you have to jump into one of our discussions (smile). But it sounds like you have been very busy. Thank you so much for your recommendations; all worthwhile comments.

Yes Liz so true. I think that history is often in the eyes of the beholder and what their hypothesis is and/or what they are trying to accomplish.

We will welcome you to the American Lion discussion.

Bentley

Sarah wrote: "I'm reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. Since I was reading a non-fiction book on western civilization, I thought it would be fun to take a look at eastern culture as well in a fictional context..."

My mother spent three years (when I was in high school) trying to get me to read The Good Earth. I still haven't read it and I regret that now! It definitely need to go on my TBR list, so thank you for the reminder!

I'm planning on reading the biography of Gabriel Garcia Marquez soon. Anyone else? I'm currently reading his memoir and it has the same feel of One Hundred Years of Solitude (which I love).

Unbridled wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I'm reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. Since I was reading a non-fiction book on western civilization, I thought it would be fun to take a look at eastern culture as well in a fic..."

I know that Sarah will respond on her own; but I did want to take the opportunity to welcome you to the History Book Club.

Be sure to post a brief intro on the introduction thread; it always helps folks get to know each other. When I saw your avatar, I was not sure if you were an individual or a bookstore.

Glad you posted right away and jumped right in. I have not read the biography of Gabriel Garcia Marquez; but it sounds like it would be a great read. I have added links to the write-ups of the works you referenced; but was unsure about the biography.

Who is the author of the biography you are referring to?

Great to have you with us.

Best,

Bentley

Hi Bentley! The biography is by Gerald Martin and was published in May. Honestly, I'm not sure when I'm going to have time to read it, but I'll share my thoughts when I do! And thanks for the welcome!

Thanks Rachel. Maybe on vacation when you are visiting those wonderful spots (smile)

I finally found it on goodreads and added the link below.




Also, a review for those folks who might be interested in finding out more.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09116/...

What am I reading right now? Short question, long answer. I'm always working my way through several different things.

I am enjoying my new-favorite fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson. I'm almost done with his Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set series. Impossible to put down, which is a "bad" thing since the books are 700+ pages. Great characters, creative and consistent magic systems, believable surprises.

I also recently found a new/old mystery writer, Charlotte MacLeod. Her Peter Shandy is a fun character. I'm reading all of her books that I can find at the local library.

Plus a couple of children's-type books. I'm revisiting the Raggedy Ann Stories by rereading all the ones I own and finding a few I missed at the library. They are still as enchanting as I thought as a child: simple and direct and enjoyable. I'm also reading all of Kate DiCamillo. So far, so fun.

For nonfiction, I recently finished "The Map That Changed the World":
, about William Smith and his contributions to modern geology. (On a side-note, it is interesting that William Smith doesn't appear to get even a passing reference in "Dawn to Decadence.") The topic was very interesting, but the book used multiple flashbacks to the point that it was difficult to follow at times.

I also recently read "The Tempest" as part of my personal plan to eventually read all of Shakespeare's plays. This was a new play for me, meaning I've never seen it staged or had someone describe it to me, although I've noticed a number of references to it in various books I've read. Now I feel better able to understand those references. I was surprised at the simplicity of the story, compared to "Macbeth" or "King Lear" or "Midsummer Nights Dream." I guess that is why those three are more often topics of school study.

Wow Elizabeth..you have quite a bit on your plate. They all look like great suggestions. A terrific post.

I love Shakespeare too and have read and reread the plays. It is odd in some ways but in every different production of Shakespeare that I have seen; there is always something new which you notice and didn't see in the same way before. I imagine that you will find that in rereading Shakespeare.

THIS MAY BE AN INTERESTING BOOK:

"Forces of Fortune
The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What It Will Mean for Our World"

BY VALI R. NASR

This is not showing up on goodreads yet; some good reviews on Amazon: (below is chapter one)



http://www.cfr.org/publication/20056/...

Other info on book:

http://www.cfr.org/publication/20207/...

Other books:

The Shia Revival by Nasr

(you can read excerpts - also not in goodreads yet)

http://www.cfr.org/publication/11179/...

I'm on vacation in Puerto Rico this week and couldn't resist starting Ronald White's A. Lincoln. I am enjoying it very much. I see myself referring back to Burlingame's "A Life" in spots for more detailed information.

Good for you Joe...we look forward to hearing your comments and a very good tip for the rest of us.

Bentley

Seeing The Good Earth mentioned here reminded me that it was required reading for class discussion my senior year of high school. It would be a good idea for me to reread it now, and whether all these years passing have made a difference, which it probably would, in my interpretation and feelings about the book.
While all of us do 'serious' fiction reading, I'd love to see how many Pat Conroy fans can come out and admit they are reading his current novel South of Broad. ??

I'm reading "Hemingway, A Life Without Consequences" by James Mellow.

I was in Key West for the Hemingway Festival this summer and so decided to enter the Hemingway look alike contest in summer 2010. I feel I need to know more about Hemingway in order to do a good job of imitating him. This book was recommended by one of the guides at the Hemingway House in Key West.

I'm about 100 pages in and so far I am enjoying it. Mellow does a good job of separating the myths, many of them promulgated by Ernest himself, and the truth. He also shows how Hemingway's real life experiences contributed to his writing. For instance: his romance with an American Red Cross nurse in Italy and the characters in a "Farewell to Arms."

While I've read most of his novels, I am woefully ignorant of Hemingway's short stories so will most likely have to do something about that.

I usually have two books going simultaneously, a "serious" volume, biography, history, memoir, or current events and a "pleasure" book, usually crime/thriller fiction or historical fiction. I'm currently reading the 18th book in the Richard Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell, "Sharpe's Revenge." I've loved the previous 17 and I'm loving this one too.

Just finished "Reckless Endangerment by Robert K. Tanenbaum, a pot boiler in the Karp/Ciampi series. You can access my reviews of this book and all the others I've read since I joined Goodreads 18 months ago at http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/....

Ed...a Hemingway look alike contest..well keep us posted on how you do. Thank you for your recommendations. Tannebaum's book looks interesting as does the Richard Sharpe series.

I'm reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserable with another book group. I'm really enjoying it. There are many digressions into history and long discussions of characters who are not necessarily major parts of the book. But Hugo is such a fantastic story teller that I enjoy it anyway. I'm reading the translation of Wilbour, a contemporary of Hugo's and many in my group are reading newer translations. I wonder if the newer translations lose anything, as many in the group seem impatient. One of the reasons I decided to join this group is the leisurely but definite pace of the readings. I hurry too much at work, don't need to do it at play. I'm also reading and then listening to in the car (really awkward sentence there) Dorothy Sayers' "Mind of the Maker" which deals with literary creativity as an analogy for the Trinity. While that may sound unpromising, as a writing teacher and someone with an interest in theology, I'm finding it fascinating. She has great insights into why some literary works "fail" in the artistic sense.

Andrea, you cannot go wrong with Les Miserables.

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Victor Hugo



That is a wonderful "almost" historical fictional novel. Hugo is a marvelous story teller (I agree).

It is odd that you mention translations...I remember when I was on a Russian Literature kick and I was reading all of Tolstoy...I found vast differences in interpretation depending upon what translator I used; I personally liked the older translations and was not too keen on the more modern ones; but many felt completely opposite. I suggested that folks go to the book store and read the same passage in the different translations and figure out which translation they actually felt more comfortable with and THEN buy the book.

We have both leisurely reads called our spotlighted reads and others that are a couple of months in length and then some ancillary reads like the Federalist Papers that we will do over 85 weeks (one per week). I think we have something for everybody. Our spotlighted reads are a maximum of 50 pages per week (no more and usually less).

Andrea, don't worry about awkward sentences (smile); we have a lot of those on this site. (lol)

Dorothy Sayers book sounds interesting:





Dorothy L. Sayers

This is a great post Andrea...a lot of food for thought. Just as an aside: I added the book covers, links and author photos, etc so that folks can link easily to the books you mentioned. You can access that feature in goodreads by selecting (while you are posting) the add/book/author feature which is above the message box.

Thank you for the instructions. I had been wondering how to do this, but hadn't gotten around to figuring it out.

Glad to help...great first post.

Currently reading (far too much!):

The Elizabethan Renaissance: the Cultural Achievement, by A. L. Rowse
Gone With The Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
Murder of a Medici Princess, by Caroline P. Murphy
Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Throes of Democracy The American Civil War Era 1829-1877, by Walter McDougall

and re-reading:

Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare.

The next play in the Shakespeare course I'm taking is Antony and Cleopatra, which I'll need to start soon.

Also on deck is a Swedish mystery, The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Steig Larsson.

Wow, Susanna, lots of books. Way to go. I very much enjoyed Gone With the Wind when I read it years ago. It was one of those that was impossible to put down, which became a problem because it was long enough to take too much time. :)

What kind of Shakespeare course are you taking?

My copy of Gone With the Wind is extra heavy - it's hardback! I only read it in bed, it's so heavy.

There's a local program that teaches enrichment courses, taught by a lot of retired faculty from nearby colleges. This one is one on "Shakespeare: Young Love, Old Love." We've already done A Midsummer Night's Dream, are doing Romeo and Juliet, and will finish up with Antony and Cleopatra, all from a professor who taught at my undergraduate college and whose Shakespeare sections one couldn't get into unless one was a Senior, the demand was so great. He's a complete ham and a great lecturer.

Sounds like a wonderful program. I like the idea of retired faculty teaching such classes. Much less load than when they were full-time, but still keeps them involved. And such a blessing for the community, too.

It's a very nice program; I've taken some great courses there, on everything from English history to modern India, Moliere, and Latin. They also teach things like knitting, basket-weaving, and wood-working, which is cool.