The History Book Club discussion

30. by Charlie Campbell (no photo)
Finish Date: June 3, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: B-
Review: My rating for this book isn't necessarily a true reflection of my enjoyment of this book. It's more a reflection of the fact that I expected a little more, perhaps. I shouldn't have been too surprised, though, since it is a pretty small book. It's not likely to be as complete as it could be, or go into as much depth as I hoped for. So I'll say that I really enjoyed most of what was there, but hoped for a bit more. The overall tone is lighthearted, which makes for a fun read, but there are times that call for a bit more seriousness. But he covers examples and some explanations (could have used more of this) for some of the classic scapegoats in history: Jews, Women, Christians (in the early days of the church), etc. I learned a lot in an entertaining way. I just hoped for a bit more depth.

31. by Olen Steinhauer
Finish Date: June 5, 2016
Genre: Espionage Fiction
Rating: C
Review: this is the lowest I've rated a book by Olen Steinhauer. It just didn't work for me. A terrorist incident at Vienna's airport leads to suspicion that there is a mole inside the CIA's Vienna office. This is the investigation into the identity of that mole. One of the problems for me is that it is taking place five years or so after the incident, long after several key people have retired. Five years? That's the soonest they could get around to it? Besides, it was obvious to me who the real mole was less than halfway into the book (although motivation proved to be a little surprising). Just not one of Steinhauer's best, in my humble opinion.

32. by Mary Doria Russell
Finish Date: June 22, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: A
Review: This book, along with its prequel, Doc, are right up there among the best novels I've ever read for character creation. Russell obviously did a lot of research to get the fact right and avoid the mythology that has surrounded the Earp brothers in Tombstone, Arizona. But it's the characters that really grip you and make you want to keep turning the pages long after bedtime. Even very minor characters are well sketched. I would really like to meet the Doc Holliday that Russell has created.

As for the plot, we see what really was behind the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral that came to define Wyatt Earp. It was a blend of politics as well as lawlessness near the Mexican border, a bit of northern-southern hostility still left over from the Civil War as well as personality conflicts. And of course, the story doesn't end with the gunfight. There's vengeance on both sides and many pay the price. It's a classic tragedy from the Greeks or Shakespeare, transplanted to America's frontier.

by Mary Doria Russell

Looks like that might have to go on my tbr list, Dave. Thanks!!

33. by E.J. Dionne Jr. (no photo)
Finish Date: June 23, 2016
Genre: Current Events, Politics
Rating: A-
Review: This book provides a fascinating look at the conservative movement for the last 50+ years. Dionne is a columnist for the Washington Post, and yes, he leans left, but with the number of conservatives that he interviewed for this book, I'm willing to believe that it is a fairly even-handed treatment of the topic. No, tea-party members won't agree, but most moderate to mid-rightish conservatives will certainly find themselves nodding their heads at some sections.

The author documents a number of political trends since the early 1960s, among them the gradual southern shift from Democratic control to Republican stronghold, beginning as early as Nixon's 1968 election.

Another fascinating fact for me is found in the origin of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Yes, we know it's based to some extent on Mitt Romney's plan in Massachusetts, but did you know that Romney's plan borrowed heavily from the Republican plan that was offered in the 1990s as an alternative to then First Lady Hillary Clinton's plan? So key elements of Obamacare that far right Republicans now label socialism had their origins in a Republican plan. That's just one example of how far right things have gone in the GOP.

Dionne provides plenty of numbers to back up his claims and examples - election and poll results primarily. Occasionally I felt a bit bogged down in them, but the book wouldn't have been complete without them.

The book proceeds chronologically from Eisenhower to today. It was written recently enough to have the beginning of the current primary season, but not the conclusion.

It's an interesting blend of history, politics and current events. At times, I felt overwhelmed by this book when combined with all the national political stories in the press, but I think this is a good year to catch up on books like this.

34. by Neil Gaiman
Finish Date: June 26, 2016
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: A-
Review: I was an avid comic book reader as a kid (mostly DC with occasional Marvel on the side). So why haven't I read any graphic novels until now? I don't know, but I guess that's going to change. As part of a local library challenge to read things I don't normally read, I had to pick a graphic novel. Art styles and printing quality have come a long way from my old Superman comics of the 1960s.

Since I enjoy Neil Gaiman's writing, I decided to start with a character he created, The Sandman, aka Dream. He's one of the gods who generally keeps the world going, and you don't want to mess with him. He's been imprisoned for many years, waiting patiently for an opportunity to escape. This first volume deals with that escape and his efforts to regain his strength, his powers and his tools.

As the title indicates, this is a prelude to many more adventures to come. I believe that the original novels have been collected in nine volumes. Guess I'd better get busy.

JULY

35. by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Finish Date: July 2, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: What a powerful book! It's a story of the fall of South Vietnam, the lives of Vietnamese who managed to escape to America and lives of those who remained in the united Vietnam under Communist rule - and it's told by a Communist undercover agent working for a South Vietnamese general. It's a story of three friends. And it's a story that echoes Thomas Wolfe's famous line, "You can't go home again." Some scenes are graphically violent, but it's worth fighting your way through those.

36. by Truman Capote
Finish Date: July 8, 2016
Genre: True Crime
Rating: B-
Review: It's a classic, I know, but I'm still not thrilled by some of the liberties Capote took. He does a great job introducing us to the main characters and dramatizing the events. And even though he billed it as a non-fiction novel, I think he leaned too far toward the "novel" side than necessary. As many people are aware, this book tells the true story of the murders of a family in western Kansas. Through extensive interviews and a great deal of research, he is able to bring the people, the town and the times to life. You'll never forget the killers, that's for sure.

You and I have about the same feeling about the book. It really read like a novel rather than a true crime and Capote got personally too fond of Perry to be objective. Have you seen the eponymous film with Robert Blake?

I vaguely remember seeing the film when it first came out, but I don't remember much at all.

37. by Don DeLillo
Finish Date: July 13, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: C+
Review: What's this book about? Family relationships, mortality, the messed up world we live in. Probably a few more things that I missed. Jeffrey's wealthy father, Ross, informs Jeffrey that Ross' second wife is undergoing an end-of-life cryogenic treatment that Ross has funded and which they expect will preserve her until a cure for her multiple sclerosis is discovered. That's the basics of the plot. There's a lot of philosophizing, angst and some just plain odd situations that probably mean a lot to some people but kind of went over my head. The facility where the procedure will take place, The Convergence, is especially odd. Jeffrey's relationships with others and his idiosyncrasies with words and names are odd (turns out his father changed his own name, which Jeffrey learned about from his mother before she died, which may explain a few things). The book is well written but not my style, I guess.

38. by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Finish Date: July 16, 2016
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Just catching up on another of the classics I feel I should have read when I was younger. In this effort, I occasionally run into a book whose language is a bit archaic and challenging to read. I'm happy to say that isn't the case with this book. What is foreign to me are the characters - wealthy socialites in the early 20th century for whom actually working for a living is almost unthinkable.

39. by Ronald L. Numbers (no photo)
Finish Date: July 18, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: D+
Review: The low grade I give this book is my own perception, of course. Someone with a more scientific background will probably appreciate it much more. Still, I do read a fair amount of science books, but this one was just too dense for this layman. Also, I think the synopsis on the inside cover over promised. While I enjoyed most of the essays mentioned there, the vast majority in the book concerned myths that were totally obscure to me. Of the 27 myths debunked, there were probably seven or eight that I could truly relate to.

40. by Daniel James Brown
Finish Date: July 23, 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Fascinating and emotional! Fascinating to me because this book tells a story of the 1936 Berlin Olympics that most of us were not familiar with. And because the author shares insights from rowing crew coaches and athletes into a sport I was not at all familiar with. And emotional because these kids from the Pacific northwest, unlike so many of the eastern elites who take part in the sport, really overcame a lot in the depression to achieve success. As an aside, there's a fun little story of the boys from the University of Washington taking a field trip to just pop in on President Roosevelt's Hyde Park home while they're in upstate New York for a regatta. If that doesn't illustrate what a different time it was, nothing does.

41. by Margaret MacMillan
Finish Date: July 30, 2016
Genre: History
Rating: A+
Review: I loved this book. If you like looking behind the scenes at how professionals do their jobs, you will too. This is a short book, but it contains a lot of meat. She explores the dangers of non-professionals writing history books - inadequate research, one-sided reporting, not asking enough questions. And she gives examples of good and bad uses of history. I know I'm a history nerd, but the result was a book that intrigued me throughout.

She is a wonderful historian, Dave, so I see why you gave it an A+...plus we are all history nerds and that's a good thing!!!!! I goes on my tbr. Thanks for the tip.

42. by Timothy Zahn
Finish Date: July 31, 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: I had to leaven all the heavy reading I've been doing with something light. Nothing better for that than a Star Wars novel. This is part two in a trilogy set in the years shortly after the third movie. The rebels have defeated the empire, the emperor is dead, but pockets of empire influence and power remain. A surviving Grand Admiral threatens the shaky new republic, which is also facing internal dissent. It's up to those movie heroes Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Calrissian - the whole familiar gang (including droids) to save the day.

AUGUST

43. by Joshua Hammer (no photo)
Finish Date: August 3, 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: B
Review: I enjoyed this book, but didn't come away enthused about it. I think part of it is the disconnect between the almost comic-book title and the deadly real-life threats they faced. I also had a little bit of a hard time getting settled into the book because in the opening five chapters or so, while he's setting the scene, he seems to jump chronologically without proper transitions. But once things settle down, it's a dramatic story that rivals anything a novelist could conjure up. Residents of Timbuktu, once a crossroads south of the Sahara, had accumulated more than 300,000 manuscripts over the centuries. Now, Al Qaeda jihadists had overrun the area, killing residents and destroying cultural treasures. And many of the manuscripts that these people risked their lives to save speak to the more peaceful side of Islam - which is precisely the reason Al Qaeda wanted them destroyed. These librarians embark on a mission to transport these treasures over hundreds of miles of rough terrain to safety in Mali's capital city. 300,000 manuscripts! Amazing!

My 4th grade teacher at a small Catholic school was also the school librarian. Sister Matthew repeatedly told us "Books are our friends. Treat them as such!" At about 4' 7", she was a pretty bad-ass librarian herself. I'm sure she'd be proud of the efforts of these dedicated librarians in Mali.

Dave I also enjoyed Boys in the Boat and might actually watch some in this Olympics. The Admiral Thrawn trilogy is still my favorite of the Star Wars books. Glad you enjoyed it.

Brina, when mentioning books, do not forget to put proper citations at the end of the post. Thank you!

by Daniel James Brown

by Timothy Zahn

44. by Alain-Fournier
Finish Date: August 14, 2016
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: B
Review: This is a classic French novel published in 1913 by an author who tragically died a year later in WWI. It apparently influenced many writers of the time, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, who many say used its title as the inspiration for his title, The Great Gatsby.

It's about a group of school boys led by newcomer Augustin Meaulnes for a time, until he disappears for a few days, and has an adventure that he never really recovers from. He meets a beautiful woman, falls madly in love (this happens in books, especially from that time period), but is separated. Most of the book is spent pining for her and trying to find her. Complications ensue and we have the makings of a classic tragedy. It's told from the viewpoint of Meaulne's best friend, Francois Seurel, son of the school master. It's not really my style of book, but I'm glad to have been exposed to it through a classic fiction book club I belong to.

45. by Annie Proulx
Finish Date: August 16, 2016
Genre: Historical
Rating: C-
Review: When I say this is historical fiction, I mean sweeping, epic historical fiction, following the descendants of two Frenchmen who arrive in North America as indentured servants to become lumbermen in the 1700s. I love Annie Proulx's imagery and story line, but the characters - normally a strong point for her - are almost missing in action. You barely get to know them. There are too many, for one thing, and many pass from the pages so quickly that you wonder why she even bothered to introduce them.

And then there all of the "Anton Chekhov's guns" left unfired. So many incidents, people and objects that you sense are important to the story, but are suddenly dropped.

Perhaps if Annie Proulx had spread this out into two volumes, or possibly a trilogy, she could have done it justice. Or maybe she was just so focused on getting her "nature good, logging bad" message out that she lost track of the story. She's done much better in the past, and now that this is out of her system, I hope she will do better in the future.

46. by Simone Zelitch (no photo)
Finish Date: August 26, 2016
Genre: Alternate History
Rating: C-
Review: Boy! Two so-so books in a row for me. That doesn't happen often. This book is set in an alternate world where, after WWII, a new state is set up by the Jews who survived the Holocaust, not in Palestine, but in Saxony - the area of Russian influence that became East Germany in our history. And the new nation looks to Russia rather than the West for its survival and support - even sending troops to support Russia's crackdown on Hungary in 1968. The Stasi, East Germany's secret police is alive and well in Judenstaat. There's even a Wall, just like in our time - but this time the wall is between Judenstaat and West Germany to protect the Jewish state from their former oppressors. But things might be changing. It's 1988, and the 40th anniversary of the nation's founding is approaching. Judit Klemmer, a documentarian working on a film to commemorate that anniversary, is swept up in events beyond her control as she finds evidence of events surrounding the founding that were long buried.

It's an interesting premise, but I couldn't get into it as much as I expected. Perhaps things were too tangled. Perhaps the implications of some events weren't as obvious as the author felt. Or perhaps I'm a little slow on the uptake. Whatever the answer, it didn't work for me.

Dave wrote: "45. by Annie Proulx
Finish Date: August 16, 2016
Genre: Historical
Rating: C-
Review: When I say this is historic..."

I loved this one, Dave, although I agree she did beat us over the head a bit with the environmental message.

Donna wrote: "Dave wrote: "45. by Annie Proulx
Finish Date: August 16, 2016
Genre: Historical
Rating: C-
Review: When I say thi..."

Donna: I went to the Goodreads reviews of the book after I posted my review because I was curious as to whether I was the only one who was less than impressed. I wasn't, but I'm definitely in the minority. Most of the readers agree with you.

Dave wrote: "41. by Margaret MacMillan
Finish Date: July 30, 2016
Genre: History

Rating: A..."

Added to my list....thanks!

September

47. by Jim Butcher
Finish Date: September 1, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: B+
Review: This is the first book in a new fantasy series set in a world where the planet isn't very friendly to humans so civilization has built tall spires to live in, each spire being the equivalent of an independent nation. Our heroes live in Spire Albion, which is unexpectedly attacked by Spire Aurora. The characters are a little predictable but still interesting enough to enjoy. And then there are the Cats. Also perhaps predictable, but fun nonetheless. The stage is set for more adventures as something is going on behind the scenes on the planet's deadly surface that led to the war, but we've only been given a glimpse through a vision experienced by one of the characters. It's a good start to a promising series.

48. by Andrew Lipman (no photo)
Finish Date: September 1, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: This recent history of early colonial America turns things around for a fresh perspective. Instead of starting at the coast and looking west, it looks east toward the ocean and explores the arrival of Europeans as a meeting between two maritime peoples. We don't think of Native Americans in that way, but Lipman provides solid evidence that this flip is worth considering. I believe that he sometimes stretches the point, but it's a fascinating read. The geographic area that he focuses on is from the New York area to the Boston area.

49. by Edmund S. Morgan
Finish Date: September 11, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: B
Review: This 1975 book has become a classic study of colonial Virginia, including the transition from indentured servants to slaves. The attitude toward Native Americans is especially eye-opening when you learn the details of the early days of the Jamestown colony. For various reasons (mostly idleness), the early colonists just couldn't grow enough food to feed themselves, and they regularly turned to the local tribes for corn to survive. Yet they would murder Natives, burn their villages and BURN THEIR CORN over minor offenses - yet a few months later, they would go to these same people and beg for corn to survive. This and many other stories of the first 100 years or so of Virginia were new to me.

50. by Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker
Finish Date: September 18, 2016
Genre: Atlantic History
Rating: B-
Review: This is a history, as the authors say, told from below, of 17th, 18th and early 19th century interactions across the Atlantic - primarily between England and its colonies. While it tells some fascinating stories, my overall impression isn't as favorable as it could be. The authors make many historical references, assuming we know all of them. They use the term "jubilee" frequently early in the book, and then finally decide to explain the term in depth on page 290. But it is a rare example of history in the words of the slaves, sailors, dock workers and other "lower class" people. And I think Edward and Catherine Despard (Chapter 8) are my new historical heroes.

51. by Kate Haulman (no photo)
Finish Date: September 24, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: B+
Review: This book is definitely a different perspective on US history - a view of history seen through the lens of fashions in the colonies, during the War of Independence and during the early years of the nation. Fashion had more influence than you might think. Initially the colonies' upper classes strove to mimic English and French fashions. During the revolution, it was seen to be more patriotic to wear local leather and homespun clothing. But shortly after the war, people were eager to return to the European fabrics and styles that many had abandoned. It's an interesting book that looks at fashion and politics, the economy and society. The 18th century cartoons are fabulous -0 especially depictions of the fashion fops. And who knew that hoop skirts were so lewd?

52. by Lee Child
Finish Date: September 26, 2016
Genre: Thriller
Rating: A
Review: I haven't read a straight action thriller in some time, but that's exactly what you get with this book, the first in the Jack Reacher series. I never saw the first movie, but it didn't get great reviews. People kept telling me the books were much better than the movie. I'm inclined to agree, because the book is a page turner. It's not art, but it's fun - and a great break when you need it from heavier reading.

Good job, Dave.

OCTOBER

53. by Walter Johnson (no photo)
Finish Date: October 2, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: This is a study of the lower Mississippi River valley in the 19th century with a focus on the economy and thus the slavery in the region. It's fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Johnson doesn't pull any punches in describing the treatment of slaves during this period. In the space of a few decades, a million human beings were sold and transported from states like Maryland, Virginia and Georgia. This book is well documented, pulling from many sources including accounts from escaped slaves like Solomon Northrup (12 Years a Slave) and others.

54. by Jeffrey L. Pasley editor (no photo)
Finish Date: October 9, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: B
Review: This book is a collection of essays that seeks to look at the early years of the American republic, but without the recent emphasis in popular history on the founding fathers. It's not "great men" and momentous times, but a look at everyday lives and people who were also a part of the making of the nation. An occasional big name makes an appearance - such as Thomas Jefferson and his big cheese (literally) - but it's mostly people and movements that most of us haven't heard of, such as:
- Young Federalists in the War of 1812
- The Anti-Rent wars of upstate New York
- Early electioneering rituals
- An enlightening look at the 2nd Amendment as it was interpreted around 1800
- and a lot more. It is sometimes dense reading, sometimes fun, and very enlightening.

55. by Catherine A. Brekus
Finish Date: October 15, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: B+
Review: In the study of religion in early America, here is a rarity. An evangelical woman who actually preached and was published in the 1700s. She lived into her 80s, although was blind and crippled in her later years, but still dictated her thoughts and lessons to friends almost to the end. This book which gives insight into the evangelicalism in the 18th century is possible because she wrote a memoir and kept a daily diary (only part of which has survived). It's difficult to read her own self abasement, but mankind's unworthiness and baseness was drilled into the churchgoers of the time.

In addition to the insight into the religion of the time, this book is an eye-opening look into the life of an impoverished struggling woman in Newport, Rhode Island during this time - as well as a look at the society of Newport itself. Just getting enough wood to avoid freezing in a New England winter was a struggle. Very interesting and amazing story.

Certainly an amazing story, Dave, but very grim as well.

56. by William J. Novak (no photo)
Finish Date: October 23, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A-
Review: I really enjoyed this look at the development of laws and regulations in the early United States. I know it sounds boring, but it isn't really. We see the development from English Common Law to the regulations that create a "well regulated society." An early example is found in disaster - a fire in New York that threatened the entire city. The mayor ordered blocks of buildings torn down as a firebreak, and that saved the day. Should the people whose buildings were torn down be compensated? Or what if the exercising of your freedom impinges on the freedom or "pursuit of happiness" of another. Who has to give? That's a conflict that is still the subject of court cases today. If you're curious about how our legal judgments evolved, this is a good start.

57. by Smith Henderson
Finish Date: October 24, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: C
Review: This novel, set around 1979-1980, was highly recommended but I couldn't get really into it. It's certainly well written and the story is engaging, but I just found I didn't really care about any of the characters except perhaps one. And that one uses language that seems a bit old for her age - especially when her social worker asks her questions and she seems to not understand what he's saying. If she could put together those fancy sentences of her own, she surely could understand the questions.

The protagonist is a social worker in Montana who really cares about the kids and the families he's trying to help, while making bad choices himself that ultimately cause his own teen daughter (now living with his estranged wife in Texas) to run away and fall into a hard life. It was an interesting book with several quirky characters, but not quite what grabs me.

58. by Daphne du Maurier
Finish Date: October 28, 2016
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Once again, a local book club for the classics is helping me catch up on books I should have read long ago. Yes, this is a romance, and yes it feels a bit dated, but it's still a well-written novel that captures the countryside and local characters wonderfully.

Great book, great film!!!

59. by Seth Rockman (no photo)
Finish Date: October 29, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: This is a fascinating look at the wage laborers at the very bottom of the economic food chain in the early 1800s. Historians have written about the artisans in this time period, but for the most part have neglected the poorest of the poor - women who do the wash and work as seamstresses, men who constantly worked to dredge the Baltimore Harbor or were "street scrapers" (use your imagination - horses were the basic mode of transport, so what do you think they were scraping?) Baltimore was an especially interesting city to study in the 1800s because it was part northern, part southern. There were many freed blacks as well as slaves. The freedpeople worked not just to feed and shelter themselves, but also often were trying to save enough to buy a family member's freedom. During a time when many fortunes were made in America, this is a picture of the workers whose labors enabled that wealthy class to rise.

NOVEMBER

60. by Ned Blackhawk
Finish Date: November 5, 2016
Genre: Native American History
Rating: A
Review: Here is a story from Native American history that you probably aren't familiar with. Historian Ned Blackhawk studies the American Indians who lived in the Great Basin, from New Mexico to Montana, in the period from the Spanish conquest to the early 20th century. He especially focuses on the Utes and Shoshone, with some mention of the Navajo, Apache and a few others whose stories intersect. As the title indicates, there is violence aplenty, committed by all sides: Spanish, French, Native Americans, and toward the end of the book, Mormons and the US government. It's fascinating because it shows some of the tribes wielding power that we don't normally think of them having. As long as they were useful to the European powers, they were able to negotiate favorable treaties from a position of relative strength. Of course, that usefulness ended, the treaties were generally broken, and the members of the tribes were largely left to live in poverty. That part, you've probably heard before.

61. by Michael Zakim (no photo)
Finish Date: November 11, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: B+
Review: This is a collection of essays by nine historians who study the early years of capitalism in the United States. Some get a little heavy at times, but most are very readable, and provide a background to our economy that most of us are not aware of. Think the toxic debt for the 2008 crash was new? The essay by Edward E. Baptist outlines an all too similar situation that led to the Panic of 1837. Why don't we learn from history? There is much to learn in these essays.

62. by Patrick O'Brian
Finish Date: November 12, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: D
Review: I was really looking forward to this series, following the adventures of Jack Aubrey in Her Majesty's navy during the Napoleonic wars. I've heard so many people say so many positive things about it. But I was underwhelmed. He spends so much time talking about the setting of the sails (something I'm sure readers who are into sailing appreciated), that the action was almost lost. And the transitions between scenes were often poorly handled. I'll give him another chance, just in case he was getting his sea legs, so to speak, in his first book. But this one was a disappointment.

63. by Thavolia Glymph
Finish Date: November 18, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: Historian Thavolia Glymph disabuses us of all of those stereotypes of the quiet, demure plantation mistress of the antebellum and Civil war era. Gone With the Wind, this ain't. Instead, through painstaking research, she paints a picture of women who, like their husbands in the fields, ruled their slaves with violence and threats. It's not a pretty picture. What's much more appealing is the later chapters when the slave women have been freed, and now perform some of the same services, but for pay - and often on their own terms. These are images that the standard popular histories don't give us. It's a fascinating book.

64. by Thomas Hardy
Finish Date: November 22, 2016
Genre: Classic Fiction
Rating: C
Review: My Classic Fiction book club picked this up, and I was pleased because it's one of just a couple of Hardy's novels that I haven't read. For me, it definitely does not stand among his best. This romantic adventures of a woman who comes into possession of an uncle's farm just didn't do anything for me. I wasn't convinced of the various characters' motivations. The best part for me were some of the farm workers and townspeople with their commentary, along with the look at farming in England in the 18th or early 19th century.

65. by Cormac McCarthy
Finish Date: November 26, 2016
Genre: Fiction
Rating: C
Review: A father and son travel a road, heading south toward warmer weather after an apocalyptic event killed most of the population along with animals and vegetation. The relationship between the two is interesting to observe, and yet I'm left unsatisfied. Some of the conversations are just...dumb. There are just so many unanswered questions and occasional logical disconnects. I know the questions are intentionally left unanswered, but they are still distracting from what we're supposed to be reading. Just didn't work for me.

Great progress, Dave!!

DECEMBER

66. by Gregory P. Downs (no photo)
Finish Date: December 2, 2016
Genre: American History
Rating: A
Review: A trivia question for you. When did the American Civil War end? If you answered April 9, 1865, with the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant, you'd be wrong. You may know that fighting continued for a little longer before other Confederate armies elsewhere in the U.S. surrendered. But did you know that the war didn't officially end until peace was declared on February 1, 1871? Yup, 1871. Almost SIX YEARS after what most of us think of as the end of the Civil War.

That's what we learn from historian Gregory Downs in this book that tracks the political and logistical reasons for not officially ending the war sooner. The main reason - the South was still a pretty violent place. In fact, one estimate holds that 50,000 freed people were murdered between emancipation and 1877. 50,000! Martial law was used to keep the toll from being even higher.

At times, the book drags a bit when getting into the nitty gritty political infighting between both parties as well as with President Andrew Johnson. Overall, though, it's worth reading if you want to know all you can about this period in history.