History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary discussion

Ed asked "Hey Candy,

When do you have time to read books or view movies? "

I don't know. I don't read as much as I did say...a few years ago. I have experienced that married life cuts into reading time ha ha. I was single my whole life until recently...and as a single parent I spent a lot of time reading. I can be quite compulsive about reading a book. I have found that sitting for at least four hourrs...like homework...makes for productive reading. Or laying down, persevering for at least a few hours aids in reading productivity. I tend to read in long durations..

And Ed...my real secret to how do I read so much? I don't do housework.

I don't go recreational shopping. I don't garden or cut a lawn. I do cook and prepare meals but I cook simple mostly fresh meals and many meals are raw or quick to fix...with minmal clean up needed. I procrastinate doing laundry. I do yoga, at home, not a gym which saves time. I don't play sports. No children living at home. I avoid full-time jobbs instead try to work a few contracts or part time work that way I tend to have less work hours than a 40 hour week.

Hey...Ed...I bet you didn't know I was going to give such a detailed explanation huh? From a young age I worked pretty hard at figuring out how could I not work too hard and live like a rock star. Not shopping, doing contract work making my own hours and doing the least amount of housework has been the secret to my success!

Hey...I hope those shingles have cleared up...we want you fast and lively around this joint!

Candy wrote: "Ed asked "Hey Candy,

When do you have time to read books or view movies? "

I don't know. I don't read as much as I did say...a few years ago. I have experienced that married life cuts into readin..."

Wow! I am impressed. I do not have your discipline. I suspect not many people do.

Shingles still here. I got some anesthetic shots, today, hoping they would deaden the pain long enough for me to get some things done. But, no luck.

Next, I'm going to try something called T.E.N.S., which one of the members recommended and see if that works. I also have a jar of Blue Emu Salve on its way. So I'm optimistic but still in a lot of pain.

Thanks for your concern.

Ed,
I have a TENS unit the VA gave me - it's good for muscle pain, anyway, and based on how it works it ought be good for other pain too. I like the fact that it doesn't involve any medications so I don't need to worry about developing a tolerance or having any weird interactions with anything I was already taking. Good luck with it! My stepdad had shingles - his tended to flare up when he was under more stress than usual.

Could you let me know how the Blue Emu salve works for you? I'd never heard of it, but from the customer reviews on Amazon, it might be something I should get for my arthritis/bursitis/etc.

Speaking of the Spanish Civil War, I strongly recommend this book:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40...

James wrote: "Ed,
I have a TENS unit the VA gave me - it's good for muscle pain, anyway, and based on how it works it ought be good for other pain too. I like the fact that it doesn't involve any medications so..."

Will let you know as soon as I get my hands on the Blue Emu.

Currently reading We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam. It'll take a while, maybe two weeks. So many names mentioned in so many actions! Almost couldn't keep track of it. My navigation sucks so maps of movements in every couple of pages would really help :(

Silvana wrote: "Currently reading We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam. It'll take a while, maybe two weeks. So many names mentioned in so many acti..."

Did you know they made a movie based on the book. Starred Mel Gibson. Pretty good movie.

That's one of the best books on the American Vietnam war, I think - I'm with you on the maps, though. Good maps should be a part of every history book, and it would be better if they were detachable so you could have the right map next to the page as you read...
It was one of the better Vietnam movies, too, although I don't care for Mel Gibson.

James wrote: "That's one of the best books on the American Vietnam war, I think - I'm with you on the maps, though. Good maps should be a part of every history book, and it would be better if they were detachabl..."

I used to like Mel Gibson before he went off on his religious craziness.

Yup. Anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers don't do a thing for me.

Ditto, Ed.

Same on Tom Cruise, actually.

Definitely... that patronizing performance when he lectured Brooke Shields about postnatal depression and informed her that she shouldn't have used antidepressants was obnoxious. I was glad she stood her ground and called him on his nonsense; technically, you could even say he was trying to practice medicine without a license. He's a very good actor, but a miserable human being.

Susanna wrote: "Ditto, Ed.

Same on Tom Cruise, actually."

Speaking of Tom Cruise, why do so many Hollywood celebs believe in Scientology?

There are some exercises that are part of Scientology that are actually very revealing of how someone sees themselves. However I looked into it back in the early 70s and found it to be a mish-mash of ideas that made little sense.

There was a Boston Legal episode involving Scientology that was hilarious.

If anyone reading this is a scientologist, maybe you can help us on this question.

It is a bizarre mishmash of "history" that no one could possibly know about and just plain mumbo-jumbo. A hack science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard started it - he had made a bet with a friend that he could start a weird religion/cult and people would buy into it. He was correct in that.

No idea why it's so popular with entertainers - maybe it has special appeal for narcissistic personalities.

Lately it has reportedly gotten even worse than it used to be in terms of harassing and almost stalking people who decide to quit. A creepy organization.

Jamestown: THe Buried Truth.
Recently visited Jamestown after the newest excavations. Fascinating to see the birth of the US. It is humbling.

Have you seen the movie "The New World"? It got lukewarm reviews but wasn't a bad movie. Tried very hard to be realistic, especially in the colonists relations with the Natives.

You can find information in the IMDB at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402399/

That movie is in my netflix queue. I wanted to see it when it came out, but the 8 year old always wins out. But netflix to the rescue.

Ed wrote: "Did you know they made a movie based on the book. Starred Mel Gibson. Pretty good movie. "

Yes, I watched it as part of my homework in a class during college. Not so memorable though. Or maybe because I never liked Mel Gibson even before his religious craziness ;p

The book is good so far. Too many praises for Moore, but the actions are very very very detailed. Maybe the most detailed battle account I've ever read. So many names. But apparently, there are maps. So stupid of me of not realizing it first.

I'm still reading along in 2666 Part B, and also reading How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed. It's a series of essays that relate to how women were treated under the Communist regime, and how they survived. Some of the stories will tear your heart right out.

The interesting point, to me, was that even though the Communist government fell, it was 'the same difference', life wasn't much different for these women. Not just the shortages, which fluctuated wildly, but the mindset. The generation raised under the Communists were still thinking that way, their so-called freedom still didn't provide them with the basics, for example acceptable toilet paper.
Very interesting and touching read. I'm a little more than half way through.

Pontalba wrote: "I'm still reading along in 2666 Part B, and also reading How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed. It's a series of essays that relate to how women were treated under ..."

The women under communism book sounds fantastic. Thanks for recommending it.

I happened upon a coy of Count Belisarius by Robert Graves today at a second hand store and am starting it later this morning. If it's half as good as I. Claudius and Claudius the God it'll be wonderful.

You're welcome Ed, hope you enjoy. :)

Haven't read Count Belisarius, but I enjoyed Homer's Daughter, another historical novel by Robert Graves set in the classical period.

And both I, Claudius and Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina are, as you say, wonderful.

I'm reading The Autobiography of Medgar Evers. It's been pretty interesting so far.

Currently reading The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan, and Their Br others, which is very interesting and nicely written.

I finally finished The Night Manager and The First World War. I'm going back to The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur to see if I really want to finish it. Update will follow.

Just finished The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur by Bernard Cornwell after reading Virgin in the Ice: The Sixth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters. Short reviews can be found under the Members' Reviews topic heading, http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2....

I'm having lots of problems getting into Hemingway: A Life Without Consequences by James R. Mellow. For someone who supposedly led such an interesting life, this biography doesn't grab.

You know, I once tried to read Martha Gellhorn's Travels with Myself and Another: A Memoirand from her descriptions, Hemingway seemed like a guy who went fascinating places, met interesting people and wrote arguably great books about them (I'm not a fan) but who was really not personally very interesting. But then, maybe Martha was nursing a grudge? She said she learned from travelling with him that it is better to travel alone so...

Andrea wrote: "You know, I once tried to read Martha Gellhorn's Travels with Myself and Another: A Memoirand from her descriptions, Hemingway seemed like a guy who went fascinating places, met inter..."

Thanks for the insight. Some people must have found him interesting given his many wives and fellow writer friends as well as buddies from his early years.

He liked to exaggerate his exploits. That can be very boring. He was more of a doer than a conversationalist. He also got drunk a lot. Drunks are usually boring. He loved to fish. Fishing can be exceedingly boring.

I'll keep trying to plow ahead in the book.

Hello all. I'm reading some history/current events again:
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan .

Horrifying, and charming at the same time: a terrible journey undertaken by mere children.

I'm currently reading Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics

Sports History. If you're into football/soccer, it's a definite must. Very detailed on the historical development of different football tactics. Trying to plow through this book. Will write more about this soon.

I am reading The Book Thief and really liking it. This is going to be a keeper once I am done. I should have been reading this book a long time ago! But better late than never.

Moony wrote: "I am reading The Book Thief and really liking it. This is going to be a keeper once I am done. I should have been reading this book a long time ago! But better late than never."

I started it but am having trouble staying interested. What has maintained your interest?

I like the prose style and how Death sees all the events tied to colors. I finished it and it is quite depressing for most of the time, but that might have been part of its appeal to me.

Moony wrote: "I like the prose style and how Death sees all the events tied to colors. I finished it and it is quite depressing for most of the time, but that might have been part of its appeal to me."

Thanks, I'll hang in there and see what happens.

Moony wrote: "I am reading The Book Thief and really liking it. This is going to be a keeper once I am done. I should have been reading this book a long time ago! But better late than never."

I read this last year, but had to force myself to finish, it just didn't seem overly realistic or hard hitting enough to me, by a long shot.


Quite by accident I came across a book new book out called The Wolf "How one German raider terrorized the Allies in the most epic voyage of WWI" by Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen. http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-German-Rai...

I have not heard of this before, and seemingly I am not alone in this. Looks to be fascinating reading.

Katherine M wrote: "Quite by accident I came across a book new book out called The Wolf "How one German raider terrorized the Allies in the most epic voyage of WWI" by Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen. http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-German-Raider..."

Thanks for the recommendation. Another TBR.

I also agree with your take on the The Book Thief. Don't know if I'll ever finish it.

Just finished Ajahn Brahm's Opening the Door of Your Heart: And Other Buddhist Tales of Happiness (due to my latest infatuation on Buddhist teachings lately lol) and now reading Pegasus Bridge by the great Stephen Ambrose. Not as thick as the others, but I'm excited since I finally get the chance to read about airborne troops again haha

@Katherine: Great recommendation! thanks

You are quite welcome. :) I rarely buy a "really new" book, but had to buy The Wolf immediately.

Anything by Ambrose has to be of the highest caliber. Thanks for mentioning, I hadn't heard of that one.

I just finished reading Hitler's Pope by John Cornwell. The author was a Catholic journalist and historian wanting to understand the bad press Pius X received and at the same time be considered for sainthood. It was well researched and seems to conclude that the centralist papacy is yet another example of absolute power corrupting. There seems to be no doubt that Pius was an appeaser extraordinaire and an anti-Semite who obfuscated around both accusations.

I picked up Adrian Goldsworthy's Caesar (2006) since his Fall of the Empire was not in our library yet. Looking forward to the summer topic so vote everyone...cheers

James wrote: "I just finished reading Hitler's Pope by John Cornwell. The author was a Catholic journalist and historian wanting to understand the bad press Pius X received and at the same time be considered for..."

Having attended Parochial school in the 40s, I have little doubt that what Cornwell alleges is true.

I just finished The French Blue. It is about Jean Baptiste Tavernier who discovered what is today called the Hope Diamond. It is historical fiction, in that the known facts are correctly portrayed but the author has reconstructed what is not known with plausible events. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a marvelous adventure tale of Tavernier's six voyages 1630-1668 to Persia, India, Indonesia, Bahrain and Burma. History is accurately depicted. An afterword states clearly what is fact and what is fiction. Please see my review if the subject seems interesting to you. We had quite a discussion going on. Even the author joined in!

Now I have begun Curiosity. I want to compare this with Tracy Chevalier's book Remarkable Creatures. Both concern Mary Anning who discovered fossilized skeletons at Lyme Regis, England. This was 40 years before Darwin published On the Origin of Species.

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished The French Blue. It is about Jean Baptiste Tavernier who discovered what is today called the Hope Diamond. It is historical fiction, in that the known facts are corre..."

Darn it! Another book for my TBR list.

Ed, It was tremendous. What a discussion we had going with the author!

I'm a good ways into The Vicomte de Bragelonne. If I keep with it, I should have the book done in a few more days.

I am currently enthralled with Dava Sobel's Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love. Her flair in combining science and history and memoir is definitely amazing. Fell in love with her works since reading Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time, which I think one of the best nonfictions I ever read.

I picked up The White Queen from the library and have been liking it so far.

I just started reading The Two Netherlanders: Humphrey Bradley and Cornelius Drebbel, a dual biography of two 17th century engineers of Dutch origin.

I tracked this book down after I read about the inventor Cornelius Drebbel in The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovationby Robert Grudin.I got it from a university library through interlibrary loan. It's not very available because it was published in Holland in 1961 which means it's pre-ISBN. The author actually died before the book was released.

This is the first book that I've ever had to enter manually into the GR database, so that I could shelve it.

I'm not sure how interested I am in Humphrey Bradley, but Cornelius Drebbel sounds fascinating. He's best known for inventing the submarine.

I'm just starting The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. I read the intro last night and am hooked! I grew up in Kansas and remember having "red outs" (I lived in the red gypsum hills of southern Kansas) where you couldn't see anything but red dust in front of you for hours, but that was in my elementary and middle school days (1980s), and absolutely nothing like they are describing! Amazing book already!

Shomeret wrote: "I just started reading The Two Netherlanders: Humphrey Bradley and Cornelius Drebbel, a dual biography of two 17th century engineers of Dutch origin.

I tracked this book down after ..."

I've never heard of either of these people. Let us know what you think about the book.