The History Book Club discussion

I am almost at the end of by Ian W. Toll. I didn't know a lot about WWII in the Pacific and my dad served in the Navy during that time period. This is an excellent book, extremely well written and researched, and full of great insights. It's the first of 3 books and I plan to read them all. Highly recommended.

I have a few books I need to finish from last year, but I'm back to reading more of the Mitch Rapp Series!
by Kyle Mills

How To Be a Liberal: The Story of Freedom and the Fight for its Survival
Currently reading 'How to be a Liberal' by Ian Dunt. - a history of the development of the ideas of liberalism. Absolutely loving it. Dunt is an engaging writer.

by Julia Cooke


by Sun Tzu

Glynn and David, the books you both are reading sound interesting. Thank you for your comments.

Gordon wrote: "How To Be a Liberal: The Story of Freedom and the Fight for its Survival
Currently reading 'How to be a Liberal' by Ian Dunt. - a history of the development of the ideas of liberali..."

Gordon, thank you for your comment. This sounds like a fascinating book. However, to be in accordance with our form of book citations, your book citation should look like this:

by Ian Dunt

Thank you.

Christine, what interesting books you are reading. I am sure that the one about Pan Am is quite good. You did a great job on your book citations except remember to indicate when there is no photo.

by Sun Tzu

Thank you.

by

Nancy, this is one of my favorite books. Great job on your citation, just remember to include the link after the author's photo.

by Wallace Stegner

America's Racial Karma by Larry Ward. It cuts. But it cuts to heal.

Just finished The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson.

Just Finished the Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Small wonder that this is never included in American History courses (nor is the Rights of Man). I am sampling Anacharsis Cloots next.

I am reading a history of my state, part of a US bicentennial series for which one was done for every state and DC.

Missouri: A History
by Paul C. Nagel (no photo)

I have just finished 'Black Gold; The History Of How Coal Made Britain', by Jeremy Paxman.

I'm back to reading history with the Killing Series:
by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

I've read the books preceding this one so far.

by Guy de Maupassant

Meredith wrote: "America's Racial Karma by Larry Ward. It cuts. But it cuts to heal."

Meredith, thank you for your comment. To be consistent with our guidelines regarding book citations, your book should look like so:

by Larry Ward (no photo)

Erskine wrote: "Just finished The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson."

Erskine, that is a wonderful book by Atkinson. I am looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.

by Rick Atkinson

Jeff, what an interesting book Missouri and the series about bicentennial celebrations. And a wonderful job on your citation.

by Paul C. Nagel (no photo)

Spencer wrote: "I have just finished 'Black Gold; The History Of How Coal Made Britain', by Jeremy Paxman."

Spencer, thank you for your comment. It looks like an interesting book. However, in order to be consistent with our guidelines for citations, your book citation should look like so:

by Jeremy Paxman

David, thank you for your comment. And an excellent job in your book citation.

Peter, thank you for your comment. However, to be consistent with our guidelines, your book citation should look like so:

by Guy de Maupassant

Lorna wrote: "Peter, thank you for your comment. However, to be consistent with our guidelines, your book citation should look like so:

[bookcover:The Works of Guy de Maupassant Volume 2: Monsieur Parent and Ot..." The entry box would under no circumstances accept the book selected from Goodreads nor Amazon nor a pic. I tried several methods: your guidelines need to accept text links to books in order to handle this. Thanks.

Lorna wrote: "Erskine wrote: "Just finished The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson."

Erskine, that is a wonderful book by Atkinson. I am looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.

[bookcover:The Brit..."
I loved the Ary at Dawn WWII trilogy, but you've got to admit, Atkinson's books are anything but light reading. I put this one down and I will have to pick it up again.

Christine wrote: "Andrea,
I have not as this is my first book by him. Should be done with the book by tonight. Thanks for the recommendation tho."

I have read which I really enjoyed.

I am currently reading the 3rd book of the Pacific War Trilogy, by Ian W. Toll. The first 2 were amazing and this one so far is also great. Even though it only covers the last year of the war, it is the longest of the three (700+ pages!) The author explains the reason in an author's note at the beginning.

Sweetwilliam wrote: "I loved the Ary at Dawn WWII trilogy, but you've got to admit, Atkinson's books are anything but light reading. I put this one down and I will have to pick it up again. "

I had the same problem with and have yet to pick it up again. For me, was a much easier read and I really enjoyed it.

Currently reading A mix of personal memoir and personal commentary on the 'Beautiful Game' by one of football's more insightful reporters.

Glynn, thank you for all of your comments regarding the books by Rick Atkinson. I just want to remind everyone that the first book in the The Revolutionary War Trilogy was read by the History Book Club a year ago. I will provide the link so that anyone who may be interested may access all of the threads. They are still open and we welcome your comments. This is the link for all of those threads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

by Rick Atkinson

Thank you for your comment, Spencer. Your book sounds interesting but now I can't think football as I am immersed in March Madness. You did a great job on your citation but you have to remember the author in your citation.

by Michael Calvin (no photo)

Reading - Homo Deus

Prashant wrote: "Reading - Homo Deus"

Prashant, thank you for your comment but to be consistent with the guidelines of The History Book Club, you need to cite your book as follows:

by Yuval Noah Harari

Thank you Lorna for helping so many. Yes, we do have citation rules and we follow them to maintain our standards. Lorna is absolutely correct.

Finishing up by Edward O. Wilson

Finished by Mary Roach as well, she's a great author!

Then going back to sci-fi (spent last 2+ years reading SciFi Hugo award winners, which i did finish, but still reading books in those author's universes. Like Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, she had I think 3 winners, but there's 16 books overall. Got 4 left, plus books like the sequels to 3 body problem, dune, hyperion, etc. Been now bouncing between history and sci-fi...

SciFi? Have you read any Connie Willis? A British friend and SciFi addict introduced me to her; she was completely off my radar.
Regards,
Andrea

Connie Willis

Andrea - I have not but Marc may respond. Thank you both for your posts and citations.

My next book I've just begun is another in The Killing Series!
by Bill O'Reilly

I just finished Bruce Campbell's second autobiography:
by Bruce Campbell

Marc wrote: "Then going back to sci-fi (spent last 2+ years reading SciFi Hugo award winners, which i did finish"

Connie Willis won 3 hugos for best novel. good books, I did enjoy them, read all 3 (or 4, really blackout/all clear were two books, all clear being part 2 to blackout, both published the same year) earlier this year.

by Connie Willis was her first win in 1993.

by same author in 1999

/ by same author in 2011

I have on my to-buy/to-read by her as well!

Great, Marc. I’m a big fan of hers!
Regards,
Andrea

Connie Willis

Finished by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Now onto by Dan Jones

I am finding this one fascinating, if a little pinball-machine-like:

New York Diaries: 1609 to 2009.

The editor has assembled intriguing entries from diarists across the centuries: Some, residents of New York, some just visitors, and others, invaders.

The challenge to the reader is that the book is not chronological in time, but rather in month-and-day order, so that each chapter is a calendar month, divided into each day of the month, and then finally, each day's entries are in order by year. It means we read of certain tragedies before the happier times that preceded them, for example, but it's easy enough to follow for those who know the history already.

Being set in New York, the collection is dominated by writers, actors, painters, and other artists, but also includes military men, business leaders, and politicians. The book mentions many US presidents (Washington, of course, served there) but I'm up to December and have not yet heard from or about Herbert Hoover, who lived there post-presidency.

I'm really enjoying this, and will probably replace my used copy that reeks of cigarette smoke.

by Teresa Carpenter (no photo)

I am currently reading two books, Chris Wallace's book covers the days leading up to the Osama Bin Laden complex raid. I do intend to expand my knowledge of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. Chris Wallace's book is a part of it. The second book is an overlook of police work.
The Ebook, by Chris Wallace
For the physical book I am reading, by Adam Plantinga (No photo)

Thank you for your comment, Demetrios. They both sound like very interesting books.

And a great job on your citations. Thank you.

I am currently reading Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West. West was a Chief Usher in the White House for thirty years from the Roosevelts to the Nixons. It is a funny and revealing novel about the private lives of the First Family.

by

I am currently reading All The Living and The Dead, a good book concerning the people that work with the deceased- homicide detectives, embalmers, executioners, crime scene cleaners, etc. Interesting look at what most of the time is hidden for the public.

Currently picked up four books:

by Mohammad Ayub Khan

by Max Hastings

by Joe Abercrombie

by Nicolas Martin

Of these, focusing on the fourth and its been a superb Anthropological study and ethnography so far. Would highly recommend it to people interested in the informal structures of power and society in Pakistani rural Punjab

P.S: Not used to the formatting at all

I am currently reading 'Zealot: Life and times of Jesus of Nazareth' by Reza Aslan. It reads like a thriller and is wonderfully written.

I have read six Civil War Biographies so far this year in between reading novels.

Currently, I am back to the next Pendergast Novel in the series:
by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

I have enjoyed all of Preston and Child's works, including those they write separately. Even the ones that are not as good as their best books are still entertaining books! I also learn something with each novel.

I'm currently reading The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur. It's a YA mystery/thriller set in Korea in the 15th century about a teenage girl looking for her missing detective father and also coming across the mysterious disappearances of over a dozen girls in the process. The author's main thing is historical mysteries set in Korea, and I've enjoyed what I've read from her so far. She includes a lot of rich historical details. I had previously read her book The Silence of Bones which was set in 1800 and about a girl who worked as an indentured servant to the police department and followed the investigation of a brutal murder. I honestly really want to read more from her, her books really hit the spot in terms of balancing historical details (in places and times that are hard to find stories about in English) with an engrossing mystery and compelling protagonists.

by June Hur
by June Hur