The History Book Club discussion

Paul, on the above you did a good job with the citation of the book itself, but....there were many books and authors mentioned which need to have citations. Otherwise the powerful goodreads software cannot do its job.

So whenever you mention a book, make sure to include and add the book cover, the author's photo (if available) and always the author's link.

If you mention any author at all they also must be cited: then include the author's photo if available and always the author's link (which is the author's name in text which is linkable to their page)

I have cited the remaining books and authors you missed in the post above.

Also, we find it is best to try to shorten the reviews so that folks can read them more quickly.

Thanks so much for your enthusiasm so far.

However, when mentioning books or authors in your review; you also have to do citations on all of these.

Stephen E. Ambrose

Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus

Plutarch

Edmund Morris

Pearl S. Buck

Howard Pyle

My current book; "Waterloo Journal" by General Cavalié Mercer has started to slow down now that the Battle of Waterloo has finished so I've decided to start another book whilst finishing Cavalie Mercer's account.

My new book is also of a Napoleonic theme but on sea instead of land and is made up of first-hand accounts from French & Spanish participants at the battle of Trafalgar. This book; "The Enemy at Trafalgar" was first published in 1906 and re-published in 2004 and so far its been quite interesting.

by Cavalie Mercer

by Edward Fraser

You are quite busy Aussie Rick (smile)

I suppose Bentley at this stage I'm not involved in any of the group reads and I have so many books I have to get through before I die that sometimes I have to squeeze in as many as I can!

Normally I prefer to only read one book at a time but sometimes when one book slows down but I'm still interested I try to add another title to mix enjoyment with serious reading.

Well we will have to get you involved in one then; maybe in the next round. Plus I have a group of books I read at once all of the time to suit my moods.

So I understand only too well.

Mary Roach

I just finished this book by Mary Roach. It explores the challenges related to putting humans in space. In the introduction she points out that engineers don't like humans because we come in unique sizes and shapes, need to eat, and sleep, and breathe. All of this requires more engineering than say, a robot.

Roach covers all this from a historical perspective. So she covers the problem solving process as well as the solution.

It is important to realize that the human body is run in large part by gravity, and astronauts deal with zero gravity. The early scientists had so sort out which bodily functions were entirely gravity dependent and which weren't For example, it would put a huge kink in the operation if eating and digesting were gravity dependent. They weren't so the scientists were able to move on to excretions.

Excretions take up most of the book. Trust me you've never thought about excretions quite this way ever before! Even if you once inhabitted the body of a ten-year-old boy, you've never thought about your excretions this way!

She also uses footnotes like Terry Pratchet Terry Pratchett. A very high compliment I assure you.

I recommend this book to humans who want to travel in space. It is really interesting. I also recommend this book to fifth grade teachers to read aloud in class. You will have the close attention of everyone listening.

I do have one word of warning. A great deal of time is spent on motion sickness, and its result: vomit. Roach lists the ways to cause humans to vomit including the smell of other people's vomit, but she misses one important one! Reading in great detail about other people's vomit can also have this effect.

I have finally got a copy of Jared Diamond, so I will be starting it soon and hope to be able to catch up to the discussion!

Great Mary Ellen, we will be glad to have you with us. It is not tough reading so I am sure you will catch up.

Continuing with my Napoleonic theme I have just started one of my new books; "To War With Wellington" by Peter Snow.

by Peter Snow

I have decided to read my 1911 hardback edition of; "The Defence of Plevna" by Frederick William von Herbert.

by Frederick William von Herbert (not the edition I'm reading - mine is only 347 pages of narrative)

For those who have never heard of Plevna (I hadn't either until I came across this book), I have added a link to some details of the battle/siege:

Siege of Plevna

I just finished Whirlwind which is the last part of James Clavell's Asian saga. It's out of print, so it was hard to get my hands on, forgot about it for a number of years and discovered it in the library recently. Very enjoyable.

Right now I just started .I'm not as familiar with the Civil War as other parts of American history so it's been enjoyable so far.

Sean, sounds like some great stuff there! Thanks for sharing.

Please remember to always include the book cover, author photo (if available) and author link when referencing. It is the only way the goodreads software can do its job and point people to the precise work in question. You got part way there. This is how each referred work should appear ~
by James Clavell
by Bruce Catton

Thanks for sharing with the group.

Ahhh okay, thanks. Sorry!

You'll get the hang of it. The 'add book/author' feature above the comment box usually gets you there quickly. Feel free to ask any moderator for assistance, we are happy to help.

Hi Sean,

by James Clavell

and

by Bruce Catton

Both books look fabulous. You are fortunate to have found Clavell's book.

Be sure to remember to always follow our guidelines for citations so that we can take advantage of the power of the goodreads software.

In the case of both books and authors; you would have been able to add all three segements: bookcover, author's photo if and when available and always the author's link which is the author's name in text which is linkable.

They should look like the above.

Sometimes unfortunately goodreads does not have the bookcover available and then we would add the name just like you did for Whirlwind and then make sure to add the author's information.

But all were available. Thank you for adding the Catton cover, a good start for that book.

I hope you enjoy both books and if you have any questions on how to do the above, we have a thread called Mechanics of the Board thread.

Bentley, you and I seem to be posting at the precise same moment these days. :-) Sean gets twice the advise today.

Sean, Alisa has given sound advice too. (smile). Yes, it looks that way.

Sean...if you need any help, let us know. It looks like you were a minute before me Alisa.

I cannot remember if anyone has mentioned this site previously, or even if this is the right place to post the link, but I recent discovered manybooks.net. So far, I've downloaded 40 books of various lengths for my e-reader, including the Gibbon book. I'm not even halfway through the history section yet and have not even started on mystery, science fiction, or anything else.

Angie, I think this would be a good post for the Off Topic thread as well.

Great resource if you have an e-reader. Thank you.

Angie, thanks for the post. Remember when you mention an author or book to always include the appropriate display of the cover, author photo (if available) and author link. It is the only way the goodreads software works appropriately and honestly the only way other members know what you are referring to. By any chance are you referring to by Edward Gibbon
Thanks.

And thank you Alisa...you are absolutely correct and a good catch.

Thanks for the catch, Alisa. It was a quick post which I hoped someone would find useful. I know I've been like a kid in a candy store looking at the available selections.

Bentley wrote: "And thank you Alisa...you are absolutely correct and a good catch."

At the recommendation of fellow Goodreads reader, Michael in Tasmania, I've just started Laurence Rees book; "World War Two Behind Closed Doors".

by Laurence Rees

Hope you enjoy 'Aussie Rick'

Hi Michael, so far, so good :)

Current history reads: The Kit-Cat Club by Ophelia Field Ophelia Field
A History of Celibacy by Elizabeth AbbottElizabeth Abbott

Plus, I'm just finishing a reread of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe prior to teaching it. And I always have a volume of poetry on the go.

Leslie, thank you for your adds. You are really quite busy.

Hi Leslie, I've heard that "The Kit-Cat Club" is supposed to be a very good read. How are you enjoying it?


by Ophelia Field

I like it; I'm about three-quarters of the way through. Field's writing style is approachable but serious. The Club provides a useful lens to look at the intersection between politics and culture and a developing sense of national identity while sprinkling in lots of good personal anecdotes. So many interesting people were in the club or associated with its members: Vanbrugh, Jacob Tonson (the publisher), Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, Robert Walpole, the Duke of Marlborough (not in it but much admired and supported by its members), Matthew Prior (before he was thrown out), Dryden, plus various Whig aristocrats. Jonathan Swift hated them, of course, and Swift was a good hater. It's worth reading and very readable if you're at all interested in the period.

Ophelia Field

I've just started my signed copy (can't help but mention that :) ) of "Fire from the Sky: A Diary over Japan" by Ron Greer.

by Ron Greer

Started listening to by Stephen R. Covey. This was recommended reading on a Corrections Supervisor course I am undertaking, not normally my cup of tea.

I started by Jon Krakauer.

I have a coworker who is always trying to get me to read Krakauer, and I finally found a book by him that I was really interested in, I'm really enjoying it so far, great history of the Al Qaeda and Pat Tillman's life.

I am reading:
by Spencer J. Condie
AND
by Andrew Davidson

Kristi wrote: "I started by Jon Krakauer."

I just saw this one at Costco & thought it sounded really good. I have a few of his books on my tbr, but have not had a chance to read them yet.

Michael, I received by Stephen R. Covey for Christmas last year. I still need to jump back in & finish it, but what I did read, I really liked.

Liz wrote: "I am reading:
by Spencer J. Condie
..."

I read that a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Some people might not be as interested in the religious side of his life as I was, but the chapters about his work in helping create the heart-lung machine were amazing.

Elizabeth or Liz - could you add this to two other threads...one of course is the Mormonism thread under History of Religions and the other is the Medicine thread. Leave this great selection here by all means but add it AS WELL in the other two spots.

Here are the links.

Medicine

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

Mormonism:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

I think then the book will reach even more folks who might be interested in those subjects.

Thanks for the initial add Liz

Liz wrote: "Michael, I received by Stephen R. Covey for Christmas last year. I still need to jump b..."

Good add Liz and this makes me think that I should add a Self Help folder. They are of course non fiction books.

I am just about to start; "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne.


by S.C. Gwynne
"S.G. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon is many things—a thrilling account of the Texas frontier in the nineteenth century, a vivid description of the Comanche nation, a fascinating portrait of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son, the mysterious, magnificent Quanah—but most of all it is a ripping good read. Gwynne writes history with a pounding pulse and a beating heart. In Empire of the Summer Moon he’s given us an epic frontier peopled with real men and women, living and dying and hoping and dreaming at the bloody edge of civilization. I couldn’t put it down." - Jake Silverstein, Editor, Texas Monthly

I've just finished
A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan Michael Kazin.
William Jennings Bryan is remembered for his "cross of gold" speech promoting free silver, which is now a dead issue, and his part in the infamous "Scopes" trial concerning the teaching of evolution, in which most people would now view him as on the "wrong side." But WJB, despite many shortcomings was a voice for many progressive ideals that continue to resonate today, including the regulation of big business, the rights of workers, equal legal rights for women and (another lost cause) prohibition. He really picked up and developed the program of the progressive Christian left that had sort of stagnated after the mooting of the abolitionists. The book was well-written. Kazin doesn't overpraise Byran but doesn't belittle him either. It's a balanced and insightful view.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I am just about to start; "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne.

by S.C. Gwynne
"S.G. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon is..."
You will love the book, Rick. I read it this summer along with
by Hampton Sides and by Cormac McCarthy> They are all great books, although I must acknowledge my preference for Cormac McCarthy.

Enjoy the book!

Hey Rick.
Also liked all three (though I think McCarthy's too bloody for my taste to use the word "like").
They're so different. Wouldn't want to compare them.
Here are two more:

by Win Blevins a novel of the life of Crazy Horse - terrific writing!
by Nathaniel Philbrick

by Brian Michael Bendis

reading something a little different...

Andrea wrote: "I've just finished
A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin.
William Jennings Bry..."


Bryan is unfairly maligned by those who only know the cartoon version of him in "Inherit the Wind." The play/movie completely distorted Bryan's testimony in order to elevate the reputation of Clarence Darrow. The Scopes trial split the Democratic party between "progressives" (Darrow) and "populists" (Bryan), with the populists almost completely banished by the party (although FDR nearly managed to reconnect them). The progressive wing of the Democratic Party thereafter rewrote the history of the party, with the populists (e.g., southern Conservatives) serving as the villains.

According to Edward J. Larson in his masterful work, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial & America's Continuing Debate over Science & Religion, Bryan did not claim to believe the literal text of the Bible and was not intimidated by Darrow's examination of his testimony. Instead, Bryan argued that the taxpayers in Dayton, Tn., should have the right to determine what their children were taught in school. This is a populist notion that is widely held by many parents even today.

Larsen also explains how the American Civil Liberties Union, which defended draft dodgers and war resisters during World War I, took up Scopes' defense in order to erase in the minds of the public their reputation as radical pacifists. Scopes offered the ACLU an opportunity to turn the page and seize another 1st amendment issue: freedom of speech and academic freedom. Along with the Dayton city fathers, the trial was intended mostly to gain publicity for the city and the ACLU. And oh brother, did it ever.

For his part, Darrow was trying to salvage his own reputation, tarnished in part by his defense of Leopold and Loeb. Although the notorious child killers were convicted, Darrow argued vigorously that they were the victims of a secular education, which filled their minds with malignant ideas. During the Scopes trial, Darrow argued exactly the opposite, that the teaching of evolution would not corrupt the morals of children in Dayton.

Bryan also objected to the connection of Darwinism with euthanasia. We forget how the two were closely aligned in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Thanks to the Nazis, euthanasia got a bad reputation; today's advocates of natural selection as an explanation for evolution no longer call for a culling of our species.

I consider myself a "progressive," not a "populist," but I nevertheless admire William Jennings Bryan for his character and public service. When Woodrow Wilson cravenly provoked the Germans into attacking Anglo-American ocean vessels, Bryan resigned his post as Secretary of State in protest. We should be so lucky as to have statesmen like him around today.

Vheissu wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I am just about to start; "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne.

by S.C. Gwynne
"S.G. Gwynne’s Empire of t..."

Hi Vheissu, I am indeed enjoying this book quite a lot. I have read "Blood & Thunder" by Hampton Sides and also enjoyed that book along with Andre's recommendation of "The Last Stand" by Nathaniel Philbrick.

Bentley has opened a new series of threads on Native Americans so if you have an interest in this subject you can post some information about your favourite books there for furtehr discussion :)

by Hampton Sides

by Nathaniel Philbrick

Vheissu wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I've just finished
A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin.
William Jennings Bry..."


Bryan is unfairly maligned by those who ..."

From my reading of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings BryanI'd have to say that while Bryan is someone I admire in many ways, he IS fairly maligned for his racism, which was strongest early in his career, and his failure to address the lynchings and other atrocities committed by his white Southern supporters.

Andrea wrote: "Vheissu wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I've just finished
A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin.
William Jennings Bry..."


Bryan is unfairly malign..."

I agree completely, Andrea. Racism, or more to the point, white supremacy is an integral aspect of populism. One more reason I consider myself a progressive (in the context of our discussion), not a populist.

I just started reading by Anna Badkhen.

That should be an interesting read Michael. I've just started a US Civil War book titled; "The Battles of New Hope Church".

by Russell Blount Jr.

I've decided to read; "Heroic Voices of the Spanish Civil War" by Peter Darman.


by Peter Darman