The History Book Club discussion

Bentley wrote: "The event notifications will be sent out this weekend."

I am confused. I just saw a thread created for the Churchill book and immediately frozen. ??

Jeffrey - I am setting it up and sorry for the delay. I will be sending out the event notification for the book. The book was delayed because I was away. Look for the event notification this evening.

by Candice Millard

All, we are sending out our event notifications for the next few months - you will receive one event notification per book and that is all. If you click on yes or maybe - then you will have the reminder placed as an event for you to mull over. If you select no then of course there is no other event notification - since we only send out one per book. I communicate with the members signed up during the discussions with links, etc to make it easier for those members.

Please be patient while we get these sent out. We very diligently cut down on the amount of communications. You can always reach out to me on this thread or via a PM.

Jeffrey wrote: "Bentley wrote: "The event notifications will be sent out this weekend."

I am confused. I just saw a thread created for the Churchill book and immediately frozen. ??

[bookcover:Hero of the Empire:..."

Thank you for your reply.

Absolutely no problem Jeffrey.

All, here is the event notification that was sent out by Simon on my behalf. You may not be aware but there is a limit on event notifications even if sent by the group owner during the same day or so. Simon was kind enough to send out the event notification for Hero of the Empire.

by Candice Millard

Here is a copy of the event notification:

On behalf of Bentley - this is the event notification for the Hero of the Empire - the British Series selection - being discussed during the months of September, October, November and December beginning September 1st.

A remarkable book about an iconic figure - "Churchill would later remark that this period, "could I have seen my future, was to lay the foundations of my later life." Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters--including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener, and Mohandas Gandhi--with whom he would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect 20th century history."

Please join Bentley for this discussion of this worthwhile book - Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill.

Bentley

Hero of the Empire begins the discussion on September 1st.

by Candice Millard

This is an extended read which is leisurely so as to allow our members enough time to enjoy the book and to discuss it at the HBC.

From New York Times bestselling author of Destiny of the Republic and The River of Doubt, a thrilling narrative of Winston Churchill's extraordinary and little-known exploits during the Boer War

At age twenty-four, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England one day, despite the fact he had just lost his first election campaign for Parliament. He believed that to achieve his goal he must do something spectacular on the battlefield. Despite deliberately putting himself in extreme danger as a British Army officer in colonial wars in India and Sudan, and as a journalist covering a Cuban uprising against the Spanish, glory and fame had eluded him.

Churchill arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, there to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels. But just two weeks after his arrival, the soldiers he was accompanying on an armored train were ambushed, and Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape--but then had to traverse hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate, and his wits to guide him.

The story of his escape is incredible enough, but then Churchill enlisted, returned to South Africa, fought in several battles, and ultimately liberated the men with whom he had been imprisoned.

Churchill would later remark that this period, "could I have seen my future, was to lay the foundations of my later life." Millard spins an epic story of bravery, savagery, and chance encounters with a cast of historical characters--including Rudyard Kipling, Lord Kitchener, and Mohandas Gandhi--with whom he would later share the world stage. But Hero of the Empire is more than an adventure story, for the lessons Churchill took from the Boer War would profoundly affect 20th century history.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Chosen as a Washington Post and New York Times Book Review Notable Book of 2016

"A thrilling account...This book is an awesome nail-biter and top-notch character study rolled into one...Could someone be persuaded to make a movie about this episode of his life? I’d watch."
—New York Times Critic Jennifer Senior's Top Ten Books of 2016

“Gripping…tremendously readable and enjoyable…”
—Alex von Tunzelmann, The New York Times Book Review

"[A] truly fascinating book."
—Financial Times

"A gripping story...It's a thrilling journey and Millard tells it with gusto."
—The Guardian

“Millard’s tome is a slam-bang study of Churchill’s wit and wile as he navigates the Boer War like [a] proto-James Bond.” 
—USA Today

Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of September 2016: It should come as no surprise that Winston Churchill was an ambitious, young go-getter long before he became Sir Winston Churchill—but you might be surprised by how interesting his young life was. The son of Lord Randolph Churchill—who ascended to the position of leader of the House of Commons and Chancellor of the Exchequer before dying at the age of forty five—Winston Churchill set off as a young man to find glory on the battlefield, with an eye toward ultimately emulating his father’s success in politics. The young Winston played a part in four wars on three different continents, the last of which was the Boer War. His experience as a prisoner in that war is the jumping off point of this book, and author Millard puts her narrative gifts to work as she describes his harrowing escape, setting the man in his time, and illustrating the man to describe his times. – Chris Schluep, The Amazon Boo

About the Author
Candice Millard is the author of three books, all New York Times bestsellers and named one of the best books of the year by publications from the New York Times to the Washington Post. Her first book, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and a Book Sense Pick, won the William Rockhill Nelson Award and was a finalist for the Quill Awards. It has been printed in Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean, as well as a British edition. Millard's second book, Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine & the Murder of a President, won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime, the PEN Center USA award for Research Nonfiction, the One Book-One Lincoln Award, the Ohioana Award and the Kansas Notable Book Award. Her most recent book, Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill, was an Indie Next pick, a top ten critics pick by the New York Times and named Amazon’s number one history book of 2016. Millard's work has also appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Washington Post Book World, the Guardian, National Geographic and Time magazine. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and three children.

Here is the link to the Event Notification for sign up:
https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/...

The Korean War: A History also begins September 1st.

Here is the event notification for the third book beginning September 1st.

by Bruce Cumings

This event notification is for the September - October - November - through December 15th Challenges discussion. This is an extended discussion selection to help satisfy the Koreas challenge. The book selection is The Korean War: A History by Bruce Cumings. Please join us for this extended read discussion of a book which has a lot of relevance today.

"In sobering detail, The Korean War chronicles a U.S. home front agitated by Joseph McCarthy, where absolutist conformity discouraged open inquiry and citizen dissent. Cumings incisively ties our current foreign policy back to Korea: an America with hundreds of permanent military bases abroad, a large standing army, and a permanent national security state at home, the ultimate result of a judicious and limited policy of containment evolving into an ongoing and seemingly endless global crusade.

Elegantly written and blisteringly honest, The Korean War is, like the war it illuminates, brief, devastating, and essential."

Please join us for this extended read discussion of a book which has a lot of relevance in today's world.

Regards,

Bentley

Here is the link to the Event Notification for sign up:
https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/...

A couple of Announcements:

Important Announcement - One of our moderators has returned - Jerome Otte
Jerome was trained as a moderator for the History Book Club back in the 2014 and earlier timeframe. He was quite instrumental in setting up our bibliographies and glossaries and is fully trained. He has been a familiar fixture in the group since then while completing his schooling - because he has added countless books that are going to be released on the majority of our shelves and threads even while attending college! You see Jerome came to us to help out when he was in high school. We are very fortunate to have him back in an official capacity again and he will be doing much of what he has been doing already for the past few years - adding books that are of interest as well as notifying our members of new releases that are due for publication. We are happy to have him return as our Assisting Moderator - Upcoming Books and Releases.

Second Announcement - On a Side Note to Publishers and Authors: If you have any books that you would like us to read or review - you must contact Bentley. You can contact me via PM or send a friend invite with your request and I will get back to you. We do entertain books for group reads and we will gladly explain it to you. We just do not do one-offs but offer our opportunities to our group members as a whole. Let's talk.

I also want to thank all of my other loyal cohorts - Andre - Music, Vicki - All things Roman, Simon - Web Integration, Sean - Administration, and Lorna who has done a great job with intros, the Supreme Court and the Civil Rights folder. Also a special thank you to Douglass who is our expert for the Business folders. Say hello to all of these folks - they help keep things going for everyone.

Thank you to all of you for your hard work and for keeping history current!

You are very welcome Jeff (smile). Thank you for your kind words.

I do appreciate all of you and the work you do. While I participate in a few online book clubs...when it come to history this is my favorite all time group. Followed closely by the WW2 group I follow. Thank you this is a massive resource that has been created.

Michael, we are delighted that you are with us and thank you for the kind words. We are all volunteers and I know that folks forget that sometime (smile). But we do our best and I am glad that you find our group useful, helpful and enjoyable.

Thank you all. This is a great group with very substantive content. I haven't yet had the time to participate in the book discussions and other threads as much as I would like but, when I do get a chance to stop by, I'm reminded how much time and effort goes into keeping it active and interesting.

Wow thank you Eileen - how very nice of you to post what you did. We try our best. And we try to make the discussions substantive and worthwhile with a great deal of ancillary info to make your reading even more fun. You are right - it takes a lot of time but is worth it when we hear from members like yourself.

Happy New Year to all of our members in the History Book Club throughout the world. Best wishes in 2020 to each of you! Thank you for all of your support throughout the year.

Beautiful photo Lorna.

Hello everyone,

I know everybody is occupied with the current pandemic and it is a scary time for all of us.

I am glad that you are all here and we will get this up and running again to help everyone get through this difficult period.

Special thanks to all of the moderators who keep things going on a daily basis.

Regards,

Bentley

You and all the moderators are to be commended that, during this difficult time, you post book reviews and welcome new members!!! Thank you so very, very much
Gratefully,
Andrea

Thank you Andrea - my thanks go to Lorna and Vicki for such selfless and wonderful help.

We need more folks to help out as we are a big group. So more help is always needed.

You are very welcome and thank you for your kind words which Lorna and Vicki so very much deserve.

Wow!!! Love the new lay-out. Boy, is it classy!!! Thank you so much to all those who had a hand in the beautiful upgrade. I wasn’t sure where to stick this, so I put it here.
Regards,
Andrea

Thank you, Andrea. I agree, but I am pretty sure that we should thank Bentley for a terrific job.

Hallelujah, and Amen twice! Thank you, Bentley!!!

Regards,
Andrea

Andrea wrote: "Wow!!! Love the new lay-out. Boy, is it classy!!! Thank you so much to all those who had a hand in the beautiful upgrade. I wasn’t sure where to stick this, so I put it here.
Regards,
Andrea"

Thank you Andrea

Lorna wrote: "Thank you, Andrea. I agree, but I am pretty sure that we should thank Bentley for a terrific job."

Lorna thank you but you and Vicki as well as Andre and Jerome are to be thanked tremendously.

Hello prospective members,

We welcome all new members who would like to join the History Book Club. We ask per our rules and guidelines that all prospective members post an introduction on this thread. We have found that those members who do that get off to a great start so when you do post other members will be comfortable when responding to you. We are like a big global family and we like to get to know everyone.

If you are a director for another organization, a moderator of another group, write a blog or a website, an author - please do not mention this in your introduction. Tell us why you want to be a member of the History Book Club and why you love history and what you think you will gain from the experience. Make it personal but not too personal - we want everyone to maintain their privacy too. Keep it short.

I am going to post our rules and our guidelines here, a note to prospective members who are in charge of media elsewhere and a link about private profiles. In case there is an issue, we value your privacy and we need to reach our members. You may contact me and give me a unique way to contact you if you do not want to go the PM route or you want to maintain your privacy. As long as we have a way to contact you - there are no worries.

Here is a link to our rules and guidelines:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Here is a link to our note to moderators or other social media outlets: (bloggers, and other on line digital media)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Here is a link about private profiles - we need the ability to contact you about any rules or guidelines if necessary
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Here is a link on how to get started in the group. We want you to get off to the best possible start:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Normally you will receive a welcome note when you join and when you introduce yourself - one of the assisting moderators will get you started off on the right foot.

You will hear from us when we send out an event notification for any book that we are beginning to read and we will ask you simply to click yes, no or maybe. Just to help us with our planning.

We are adamant about no spamming or spam in general and we protect our members from that kind of intrusion. We may send out a periodic newsletter as a broadcast message or ask you to participate in a poll; but we try our best to not bombard our members with loads of notifications. Everyone here is a volunteer so please be kind to each other and our moderators.

If you would like to know a little more about us - here is a link to a write-up:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We are thrilled that you have joined us - so please just post a sentence or two to say hello and that satisfies our introduction guideline. We are so glad that you are here that we want to welcome you personally.

I wish you all the best at the HBC. Thank you for joining.

Bentley

Moderators of other groups:

One of our rules and guidelines for moderators of other groups is that before joining you must contact Bentley and at that time we will personally review our rules and guidelines regarding your membership.

We have many moderators of other groups who are "great members" of this group too and contribute.

However, there is a contribution requirement for our group (not onerous in the least) and we ask that you simply follow our rules and guidelines.

Bentley will be reaching out to those moderators who joined and did not reach out to make sure that the guidelines are understood and to answer any questions that you might have.

We do not allow our membership list to be spammed.

For those who have just joined who are moderators - our first rule and guideline is to introduce yourself on the introduction thread and "not to self promote".

This also pertains to bloggers and owners of other digital media urls. We welcome you; but we would like you to contribute to "this group" while you are here.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We appreciate it very much and look forward to getting to know you.

Happy Reading!

Link to rules and guidelines - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Link to the introduction thread: - introduce yourself
(no self promotion of group, book, blog or url, etc.)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We have done a lot of work on the following folder:

NORTH AMERICA (US/CANADA/ETC.)

We have added a thread for every state, territory, as well as two general threads with introductory information. Not only is the US totally represented (every state and territory); we also have in this folder Canada and Greenland as well as a thread for the wonderful Great Lakes. Feel free to add to these threads so that we can begin to build them up.

Thank you as always for all of your help. And I will be adding to these threads in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

Link to folder:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

We have a great book that we have begun discussing - it is never too late to jump in and join the discussion:

Here is the link to the folder:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

by Rick Atkinson

This is a great book!

Second World War

We have added two new threads to the Second World War folder:

The Aleutian Islands Campaign
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Battle of Wake Island
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Feel free to add to these threads so that we can begin to build them up.

Thank you as always for all of your help. And I will be adding to these threads in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

Second World War

We have added another new thread to the Second World War folder:

THE MARIANA AND PALAU ISLANDS CAMPAIGN
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Feel free to add to these threads so that we can begin to build them up.

Thank you as always for all of your help. And I will be adding to these threads in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

Russia

We have added another new thread in the Russia folder.

Russian Aleutians - Commander Islands
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Feel free to add to these threads so that we can begin to build them up.

Thank you as always for all of your help. And I will be adding to these threads in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

New Book Discussion beginning - Sign up on Buddy Read thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

by Erik Larson

Synopsis:

On Winston Churchill's first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally--and willing to fight to the end.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless." It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it's also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill's prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports--some released only recently--Larson provides a new lens on London's darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents' wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela's illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill's "Secret Circle," to whom he turns in the hardest moments.

Reviews:

“An enthralling page-turner.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“Through the remarkably skillful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving.”—Candice Millard, The New York Times Book Review

“Fascinating . . . The entire book comes at the reader with breakneck speed. So much happened so quickly in those 12 months, yet Larson deftly weaves all the strands of his tale into a coherent and compelling whole.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“I have an early copy of this book on my desk and idly began reading the first pages—and suddenly time disappeared.”—The Seattle Times

“The popular historian Erik Larson has done it again. As I read this book, I kept wondering what the swelling of powerful emotion was that I felt, sometimes in an almost physical sense.”—Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, in Air Mail

“Still, it is a time of sadness, fear, grief and uncertainty for so many, and I find myself comforted by reading about other supremely challenging times in human history, and about resilience, and hope. For this, there is no better book right now than The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson.”—Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post

“Nonfiction king Erik Larson is back.”—PopSugar

“Spectacular . . . Larson, as America’s most compelling popular historian, is at his best in this fast-moving, immensely readable, and even warmhearted account of the battle to save Britain.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“William Shakespeare once wrote, ‘There is a history in all men’s lives.’ Certainly, this has been lived out in the remarkable writing career of Erik Larson. His dynamic ability to tell tales from deep within the dusty pages of history in a gripping and cinematic way has earned him wide acclaim. What sets his work apart is his signature way of using painstaking research through personal journals and historical records to spin a gripping nonfiction tale through the ordinary lives of the men and women who succeeded, failed, and perished as a result.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“The Splendid and the Vile delivers the great saga with a novelist’s touch. It’s like you’re watching and hearing the days and nights of 1940 as a passenger on a double-decker London bus.”—Chris Matthews, Churchill Bulletin

“A propulsive, character-driven account of Winston Churchill’s first year as British prime minister . . . Readers will rejoice.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Larson’s skill at integrating vast research and talent for capturing compelling human dramas culminate in an inspirational portrait of one of history’s finest, most fearless leaders.”—Booklist (starred review)

New Thread - Italian Campaign - Second World War II folder

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Feel free to add to this thread so that we can begin to build it up.

Thank you as always for all of your help. And I will be adding to these threads in the coming days, weeks, months, etc.

A wonderful Memorial Day Weekend to all group members

Let us not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day:

Flag of Flags

In this episode of NJEA’s Classroom Close-up, we visit Southern Regional High School where students place more than 6,600 flags to commemorate American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Memorial Day. The project, now in its third year, provides students – and the community of Manahawkin – with a clear representation of the Memorial Day holiday and gives them an opportunity to honor the sacrifice of those in the armed forces.

https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/res...

Source: PBS Learning

The moderators and Bentley will be enjoying and honoring this Memorial Day weekend just like everyone else; so please be patient.

And remember to honor those who lives were lost across the globe in places where they went to fight to protect us, our homes and our fiercely fought for liberties.

This weekend is about honoring them who made the ultimate sacrifice.

We have a lot of good discussions going on right now

Hello, we love for our members to post and to contribute to the benefit of this group site. We do not go to other groups and promote our site either or use their membership list for our benefit like you are doing now. When any member joins they are shown the rules and guidelines for the group, and there is a pop up window which also reminds them what those rules and guidelines are once again and that we allow no spam or self promotion. So posting on the Moderator's thread or on any other thread promoting yourself, advertising and marketing of any entity or site is not allowed and results in an immediate warning. The next time results in your being one group short.

That is very interesting Jeff.

Here are two threads where your post would be very much appreciated - I would suggest that you post the above in the following where I have provided some helpful links.

What is Everybody Reading Now?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

And you could also post the above post in another wonderful thread called - Recently Acquired Books. Here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Both of these threads would be great threads for the above post.

Jeff, have you introduced yourself on the introduction thread: (if you have great) - but if not one of our rules and guidelines is for everyone to post there and tell us a little bit about themselves.

Here is the link.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Also we have a wonderful thread which discusses the History Where you Live and it appears that Byberry was in the same city where you now reside.

You also might want to post some tidbits about where you live and the hospital's location and anything else with historical significance on that thread. I also provided the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Glad to have you post and please post often - we love to read everybody's posts and contributions.

Update: Almost forgot to tell you what a great job on your citation - Brilliant. But I have to ask this - you have Jeff as your name on your avatar and the author's name is J.P. (and I looked it up and saw John) - I do hope this is not self promotion because we do not allow it and we delete it immediately. I will be moving your post to one of the threads I recommended. I also was going to send you a message but you have a private profile without the ability to send a message. Please read this: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... and please introduce yourself on the welcome thread. Many thanks in advance for your cooperation regarding our posted rules and guidelines.

Just got in the wee hours of the morning my audible and kindle copy of The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir. I will begin set up this week and will begin the discussion. June 29th! Sign in and introduce yourself soon.

by John R. Bolton

Link to Discussion Thread:

Group Book Read/Discussions going on right now:

Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st-Century Memoir by Madeleine Albright
Link to BOTM Discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Madeleine K. Albright

This is a "Book of the Month Discussion" - it is never too late to join any discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week - we set up recommended topics and questions which we hope you will dive into or you can come up with your own topics about the book itself.

This is a single thread discussion so if you keep up - no spoiler html needed- if you go ahead - you must use the spoiler html. A recommended reading syllabus is found on the discussion thread.

You can jump in and sign up at any time!

The British are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775 - 1777 by Rick Atkinson
Link to Discussion Folder: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

by Rick Atkinson

This is a "multi - thread spotlighted discussion".

It is never too late to join any discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community; and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week - we set up recommended topics and questions which we hope you will dive into or you can come up with your own topics about the book itself.

This is a multi thread spotlighted discussion; so just post on the correct weekly thread for the pages you are commenting on - if you go ahead - you must post on one of the spoiler threads like the glossary.

There is a Table of Contents and Syllabus thread with a schedule of weekly recommended reading.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz by Eric Larson
Link to Discussion Thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Erik Larson

This is a "Buddy Read discussion".

It is never too late to join any discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week - we set up recommended topics and questions which we hope you will dive into or you can come up with your own topics about the book itself.

This is a single thread discussion so if you keep up - no spoiler html needed- if you go ahead - you must use the spoiler html. We also have a recommended syllabus with weekly assigned reading.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism
Link to Free Read Discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Robin DiAngelo

This is a "Free Read discussion".

There is no schedule, syllabus, formal beginning or end date.

You just want to read along or start reading whenever you would like. It is never too late to join any free read discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week when you are reading the book - the thread is a spoiler thread to begin with.

This type of read discussion is very much open ended. This is a single thread discussion which is open to spoilers, etc. - no spoiler html needed- you just post as you are reading. There is no recommended syllabus or schedule although if I am free reading the book - I will tell you my schedule but you do not need one to post and start. Everybody is welcome.

The Federalist Papers - This is a long term discussion:
Link to Folder: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

by Alexander Hamilton

This is a long term open discussion - so just come on by and sign up. Just post on one of the threads and join in. We will ultimately be discussing all of the Federalist Papers.

The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump by Andrew McCabe
Link to Free Read Discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Andrew G. McCabe

This is a "Free Read discussion".

There is no schedule, syllabus, formal beginning or end date. You just want to read along or start reading whenever you would like. It is never too late to join any free read discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week when you are reading the book - the thread is a spoiler thread and we usually set up an accompanying glossary thread.

This type of free read discussion is very much open ended. This is a single thread discussion which is open to spoilers, etc. - no spoiler html needed- you just post as you are reading. There is no recommended syllabus or schedule although if I am free reading the book - I will tell you my schedule but you do not need one to post and start. Everybody is welcome.

Salt: A World History
Link to Free Read Discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Mark Kurlansky

This is a "Free Read Discussion".

There is no schedule, syllabus, formal beginning or end date. You just want to read along or start reading whenever you would like. It is never too late to join any free read discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week when you are reading the book - the thread is a spoiler thread and we usually set up an accompanying glossary thread.

This type of read discussion is very much open ended. This is a single thread discussion which is open to spoilers, etc. - no spoiler html needed- you just post as you are reading. There is no recommended syllabus or schedule although if I am free reading the book - I will tell you my schedule; but you do not need one to post and start. Everybody is welcome.

The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir by John R. Bolton - kicking off June 29th
Link to Buddy Read discussion: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by John R. Bolton

This is a "Buddy Read Discussion".

It is never too late to join any discussion; simply go to the thread - sign in and post and say where you are reading from - general area - city and state or city/town/village and country since we are a global community and why you are interested in reading and discussing the book - keep it brief - then just post as often as you wish or once a week - we set up recommended topics and questions which we hope you will dive into or you can come up with your own topics about the book itself.

This is a single thread discussion so if you keep up - no spoiler html needed- if you go ahead - you must use the spoiler html. We also have a recommended syllabus with weekly assigned reading. And there is a Glossary Thread.

Note: Members, please note that on the Main Home Page for The History Book Club site - the goodreads site only allows us to show four (4) Books that we are currently discussing and two upcoming. So unfortunately we cannot list all on-going book discussions so some of the discussions did not stop or go away - we just could not list more than four. That is why I am putting together this note with links.

All, here at the HBC we try to present a modulated view on timely subjects and 2020 has had a plethora of "timely events, topics for discussion as well as a pandemic".

Please view the video just added. Jon Meacham and Annette Gordon-Reed (both Pulitzer Prize historians) discuss the current confrontation going on right now regarding protestors who would like to take history into their own hands regarding statues worldwide. Peaceful protesting regarding pivotal and important issues of the day like Black Lives Matter are critical to the dialogue that needs to be addressed on equality within the criminal justice system, police procedures, the chokehold, equitable housing and rights, etc. In fact, many different minorities face other pressing and needed discussions regarding immigration, equality in the workplace and salary. These are not new issues - just the same old ones that have not been adequately addressed. We also need to discuss our indigenous peoples and their needs too as well as white people who also face dire circumstances and injustices within their environments and who have healthcare and other basic necessity needs. Our inner cities also face challenges. And of course on top of all of this is the Covid 19 pandemic. 2020 has been quite the year.

Meacham and Gordon-Reed present another balanced and temperate approach on how to discuss our statues and our founding fathers - which is a timely discussion on this particular 4th of July.

President Trump deciding to have the 4th of July celebration during a pandemic at Mount Rushmore has only heightened and added fuel to the fire of these discussions.

With the backdrop of a very disturbing 2020 - today is also the 4th of July. We should celebrate our country and the values and ideals upon which it was founded - (if you are stateside).

If you are one of our global members - welcome to our site - we are a large global group with worldwide visitors from 171 countries and we are happy to have you with us on America's birthday.

Presidential Series Reads:

You probably noticed that there are two (2) Madison books coming up to be read and discussed on August 9th. That is not a mistake.

First, the Ketchum book was scheduled and then rescheduled - this is considered a phenomenal book on James Madison and has been out for a very long time.

I have a hardcopy of the book. And I am looking forward to discussing that book - now as a Free Read.

The reason that we are moving Ketchum to a Free Read is that one of our members brought up an excellent point (which is important during this covid 19 pandemic) - the book is not available as a Kindle or an ebook. Nor is it on audible.

Now I realize that you can purchase this on line from a variety of book stores and I am certain it is probably available from your library but with the Covid 19 situation we want to make sure that the books are easily available for the major Presidential read.

So therefore, for those of you who would like to read and discuss the Ketchum book - we will do that leisurely on the Free Read thread.

by Ralph Louis Ketcham (no photo)
National Book Award Finalist for Biography (1972) - Considered the best single volume biography of James Madison

James Madison: A Biography

by Ralph Louis Ketcham (no photo)

Synopsis:

The best one volume biography of Madison’s life, Ketcham’s biography not only traces Madison’s career, it gives readers a sense of the man. As Madison said of his early years in Virginia under the study of Donald Robertson, who introduced him to thinkers like Montaigne and Montesquieu, "all that I have been in life I owe largely to that man." It also captures a side of Madison that is less rarely on display (including a portrait of the beautiful Dolley Madison).

National Book Award Finalist for Biography (1972) - Considered the best single volume biography of James Madison

Praise:

"Madison's personality comes alive in these pages, his strengths and weaknesses of mind and character clearly outlined. His great services in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 are graphically portrayed. The analysis of his political theory, and of the way in which he sought to apply it to the establishment of of government under the Constitution, is excellent. The depiction of Jeffersonian and Madisonian foreign policy up to the outbreak of the War of 1812 is clear and succinct. This is an excellent biography. --(American Historical Review)

Utilizing the vast amount of source material made available in the last 30 years, Ketcham has captured the essential man in his times and in doing so has made him understandable for us in our own day. -- (Los Angeles Times)

This single volume has provided a penetrating and highly readable biography which merits distinction as the best one-volume life of Madison yet written. -- (Virginia Magazine of History and Biography)

Ketcham's long-standing familiarity with Madison's life and times is evident in this accessible work...Ketcham has written an enjoyable and scholarly narrative that will no doubt be considered of great value to Montpelier's more serious visitors, as well as students, scholars, and general readers with an interest in the founding couple. -- (Kellie Strickland, North Carolina State University North Carolina Historical Review)

Maxwell School Mourns Legendary Teacher and Scholar Ralph Ketcham



Ralph Ketcham, one of the longest-serving and most beloved and influential professors in the history of the Maxwell School, died on Wednesday, April 26, after a brief illness. He was 89.

A steadfast champion of the Maxwell approach to citizenship education — interdisciplinary, team-taught, and driven by deliberation on current events — Ketcham joined the faculty in 1951 as a graduate fellow and instructor in the original undergraduate citizenship course, Cit 1: Responsible Citizenship. After earning his PhD in American studies from the Maxwell School (1956), he taught briefly at the University of Chicago and Yale University, then rejoined Maxwell in 1963 as a tenure-track faculty member, eventually holding appointments in political science, history, public affairs, and American studies. In 1994, he was named a Maxwell Professor of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He retired in 1997, the subject of a colloquium attend by roughly 75 alumni, but continued to teach an annual graduate symposium on Foundations of American Political Thought. Prior to his death, he had made plans to teach that symposium one final time this coming fall.

Though Cit 1 was discontinued in the early 1970s, Ketcham continued to promote team-taught and other innovative approaches to the topic of democratic governance and citizenship. In the 1980s, he was a key member of a faculty team that launched public affairs courses with titles such as Religion and Politics and The Corporation in American Culture, team-taught by faculty members across the University (including Ketcham himself). These courses were viewed as direct precursors to the highly successful MAX Course program launched at Maxwell in the late 1990s. Ketcham was also one of the designers of a New York State high school curriculum about participation in government.

"As much as anyone to have served this School, Ralph Ketcham embodied the mission and unique philosophical province of Maxwell," said Dean David M. Van Slyke, who served on the faculty with Ketcham for more than a decade. "He was dedicated to dialog and discussion and a true exchange of ideas — genuine, expansive debate about the meaning and purposes of American democracy and, in actuality, all of public life."

As a scholar, Ketcham specialized in constitutional and political theory, especially as it emerged and evolved during the era of the first U.S. presidents. Ketcham’s books in this vein included acclaimed biographies of Benjamin Franklin and James Madison (1966 and 1971, respectively), plus From Colony to Country: The Revolution in American Thought, 1750-1820 (1974), Presidents Above Party: The First American Presidency, 1789-1829 (1984), Framed for Posterity: The Enduring Philosophy of the Constitution (1993), and The Madisons at Montpelier; Reflections on the Founding Couple (2009). He edited for publication the papers of both Madison and Franklin. He was also the author of Individualism in Public Life: A Modern Dilemma (1987), The Idea of Democracy in the Modern Era (2004), and, just two years ago, Public-Spirited Citizenship: Leadership and Good Government in the United States (2015).

Recognition of Ketcham's influence on generations of Syracuse University students took many forms — including, in 1987, his selection as national professor of the year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. He received from Syracuse both an honorary degree (1999) and the George Arents Medal (2003), given to SU alumni to recognize career achievements. Ketcham was an inaugural recipient of the Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Academic Achievement (1979).

In 1991, the Ralph Ketcham Endowed Fellowship Fund was established in Ketcham's honor in support of doctoral students in the history and political science departments. Once established, Ketcham wholeheartedly supported the fund, which has helped numerous students earn their PhD from the Maxwell School. Donations may be made online, at www.maxwell.syr.edu/ketcham-fund. Contributions may also be sent by mail to: The Ralph Ketcham Endowed Fellowship Fund, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 200 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244-1010. Checks may be made payable to Syracuse University with a note directing the gift to the Ketcham Fund.

"More than an accomplished scholar, Ralph was an engaging, warm, empathetic man," Van Slyke added. “It is not surprising that he had a truly global impact and following. Maxwell alumni from across generations and around the world — from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. — eagerly describe, with emotion, their involvement with Ralph. His more than 60 years of service to the Maxwell School has had a profound impact on all of us — thousands of alumni around the world, hundreds of colleagues, and anyone else lucky enough to know him."

More:
Ralph Ketcham Arents Award Biography
Link: https://youtu.be/m8ENZBvJID8
Summary: This video was prepared by Syracuse University in 2003 when alumnus and long-time faculty member Ralph Ketcham received the George Arents Medal for accomplished alumni. The video was recently shown, as well, during a memorial event for Ketcham, who passed away in April 2017. For more information about the life and career of Ralph Ketcham, visit https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/ketcham.

Source: Syracuse

The book that we will be doing as the group Presidential Read on Madison is:

The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President

by Noah Feldman

Synopsis:

A sweeping reexamination of the Founding Father who transformed the United States in each of his political “lives”—as a revolutionary thinker, as a partisan political strategist, and as a president

Over the course of his life, James Madison changed the United States three times: First, he designed the Constitution, led the struggle for its adoption and ratification, then drafted the Bill of Rights. As an older, cannier politician he co-founded the original Republican party, setting the course of American political partisanship. Finally, having pioneered a foreign policy based on economic sanctions, he took the United States into a high-risk conflict, becoming the first wartime president and, despite the odds, winning.

Now Noah Feldman offers an intriguing portrait of this elusive genius and the constitutional republic he created—and how both evolved to meet unforeseen challenges. Madison hoped to eradicate partisanship yet found himself giving voice to, and institutionalizing, the political divide. Madison’s lifelong loyalty to Thomas Jefferson led to an irrevocable break with George Washington, hero of the American Revolution. Madison closely collaborated with Alexander Hamilton on the Federalist papers—yet their different visions for the United States left them enemies.

Alliances defined Madison, too. The vivacious Dolley Madison used her social and political talents to win her husband new supporters in Washington—and define the diplomatic customs of the capital’s society. Madison’s relationship with James Monroe, a mixture of friendship and rivalry, shaped his presidency and the outcome of the War of 1812.

We may be more familiar with other Founding Fathers, but the United States today is in many ways Madisonian in nature. Madison predicted that foreign threats would justify the curtailment of civil liberties. He feared economic inequality and the power of financial markets over politics, believing that government by the people demanded resistance to wealth. Madison was the first Founding Father to recognize the importance of public opinion, and the first to understand that the media could function as a safeguard to liberty.

The Three Lives of James Madison is an illuminating biography of the man whose creativity and tenacity gave us America’s distinctive form of government. His collaborations, struggles, and contradictions define the United States to this day.

Praise:

A sweeping reexamination of the Founding Father who transformed the United States in each of his political “lives”—as a revolutionary thinker, as a partisan political strategist, and as a president. “In order to understand America and its Constitution, it is necessary to understand James Madison.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci

Illuminating and absorbing . . . [Noah] Feldman’s deeply thoughtful study shows that the three identities of James Madison constituted one exceptional life, which effectively mirrored the evolving identity of the American republic in its most formative phase. In Feldman’s capable hands, Madison becomes the original embodiment of our ‘living Constitution.’”—The New York Times Book Review

“Grand . . . Feldman is a very accessible and quietly stylish writer, and his approach to his subject is a fresh one.”—Esquire

“Groundbreaking . . . The Three Lives of James Madison studies all the aspects of Madison’s complicated public career, as both the main author of the Constitution to the country’s first wartime president to the co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party. . . . [Feldman is] uniformly excellent on Madison the political creature, which can’t help but resonate with the present day. . . . [A] superb account.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“James Madison was instrumental in framing the constitutional government that serves the American people today. . . . This is an insightful examination on how theories and ideals are applied and changed by real-life circumstances.”—Library Journal

“Feldman brings a scholarly rigor and a gift for narrative to this impressive account of the sprawling—and often perplexing—life of James Madison.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

“Feldman gives us a rich portrait of our fourth president in all his many aspects: constitution maker, politician, partisan, friend, slaveholder, husband, president, and elder statesman. The result is a fresh, bold, and much-needed look at a pivotal figure in American and, therefore, world history.”—Annette Gordon-Reed, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family

“Feldman skillfully explains the evolving genius of Madison with precision and clarity. The result is a narrative both epic in scope and intimate in detail.”—David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler, authors of Washington’s Circle: The Creation of the President

“The most stimulating political book that I have read in as long as I can remember. Madison was a young genius obsessed with the idea of constitution-making and government structure and who, in his early twenties, started designing the American government. Almost every debate we’re having now about politics comes back in some way or another to Madison’s vision and the questions Madison was thinking about in the 1770s and 1780s. . . . Madison was way more important to our country than Hamilton was.”—Jacob Weisberg, editor in chief of The Slate Group and author of The Bush Tragedy

About the Author:



Noah Feldman specializes in constitutional studies, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between law and religion, free speech, constitutional design, and the history of legal theory.

Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, he is also a Senior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard. In 2003 he served as senior constitutional advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and subsequently advised members of the Iraqi Governing Council on the drafting of the Transitional Administrative Law or interim constitution.

He received his A.B. summa cum laude in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University in 1992. Selected as a Rhodes Scholar, he earned a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from Oxford University in 1994. From 1999 to 2002, he was a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard.

Before that he served as a law clerk to Justice David H. Souter of the U.S. Supreme Court (1998 to 1999) and to Chief Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (1997 to 1998).

He received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1997, serving as Book Reviews Editor of the Yale Law Journal.

He’s the author of eight books: The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President (Random House, 2017); Cool War: The Future of Global Competition (Random House, 2013); Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court Justices (Twelve Publishing, 2010); The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State (Princeton University Press, 2008); Divided By God: America's Church-State Problem and What We Should Do About It (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2005); What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation building (Princeton University Press 2004); and After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy (Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2003). He also co-authored two textbooks with Kathleen Sullivan: Constitutional Law, Twentieth Edition (Foundation Press, Fall 2019) and First Amendment (Foundation Press, 2016).

Areas of Interest

* Comparative and Foreign Law: Islamic Legal Studies
* Constitutional Law
* Constitutional Law: Constitutional Design
* Law and Religion
* Legal Theory: History of Legal Thought

all by Noah Feldman

Why the Feldman Book?

First, the book is available on Kindle, as an ebook, on audible as well as a hardcover or a paperback edition (due to Covid 19 - that is always a factor) Some of the formats are more reasonable in price and being that it is a newer book - you will be able to get this book a lot easier - even as simple as by a download. I believe you will be able to get a copy at your local library.

Second, it appears to be well reviewed, respected and praised and Feldman has an impressive background.

On Wearing the Right Shoes
How footwear explains why American reconstruction of Iraq went
Link: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/20...

Source: The Harvard Crimson

Noah Feldman

Thank you, Bentley. You’ve convinced me! Now to check if any of my libraries have a copy of the book.
Regards,
Andrea