Reading with Style discussion

20.5 - Making History (Winter 10-11, 20.7)
Read a non-fiction book about an event that took place between the 10's-20's (e.g., 1810-1820, 1910-1920, etc.). Selections can be a biography/autobiography of someone who was born or who died in those years or about a specific event that took place during those years. When posting for points, make sure you include a description of the event/date.

Maybe this helps a bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

um, how specific?

I'm thinking World War I

My choices are:
The Great War by Les Carlyon
re: Anzacs on the Western Front, from 1916 to 1918

OR
Somme Mud by EPF Lynch
Somme Mud is a precious find, a discovered treasure that vividly captures the magnitude of war through the day-to-day experiences of an ordinary infantryman (1916-1919)

Would either of these books do?

Kazza wrote: "um, how specific?

I'm thinking World War I

My choices are:
The Great War by Les Carlyon
re: Anzacs on the Western Front, from 1916 to 1918

OR
Somme Mud by EPF Lynch
Somme Mud is a precious fi..."

Those both look fine to me.

Liz M wrote: "Those both look fine to me"

Great! Thanks, Liz.

I was thinking of reading about the great Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919...the only thing is that while the book I'm interested in, America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, definitely focuses on that time period there seems to be mention of how that relates to previous/current medical practices. Is that alright?

Christin wrote: "the only thing is that while the book I'm interested in, America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, definitely focuses on that time period there seems to be mention of how that relates to previous/current medical practices. Is that alright?..."

It looks like the references to modern events is only in the preface. If that is true this book fits.

Liz M wrote: "Christin wrote: "the only thing is that while the book I'm interested in, America's Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, definitely focuses on that time period there seems to be mention of ho..."

Thanks!

I've found a couple of interesting books:
The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg, (occurs 1918)
or

Becoming Queen I think this Good Reads link is the correct book. It has a slightly different title and different ISBN than the one at Barnes & Noble: Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch by Kate Williams (a biography of Queen Victoria, b. 1819 and Queen Charlotte, d. 1817)

Haven't settled on anything yet, but I found these:
1415: Henry V's Year Of Glory about the Battle of Agincourt

Volcano weather: The story of 1816, the year without a summer (which I think sounds interesting enough, but the rating's way low)

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History or Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic

To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 or Intimate Voices from the First World War

I don't know if it fits, but the 95 Thesis were posted in 1517, and was a defining moment of his life, maybe Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther could work?

Is this OK for autobiography? Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill It focuses on the 1920s but she was born in 1917 so obviously she wouldn't remember much before 1920.

Rosemary wrote: "Is this OK for autobiography? Yesterday Morning by Diana Athill It focuses on the 1920s but she was born in 1917 so obviously she wouldn't remember much before 1920."

Yes, for autobiography/biography/memoirs the subject should have been born or died in the teens.

Connie wrote: "I don't know if it fits, but the 95 Thesis were posted in 1517, and was a defining moment of his life, maybe Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther could work?..."

I am going to say no to this one for the above stated reason.

Alright.

What about events that started between '10 -'20 but went on for longer (e.g. the 30-year-war started in 1618) - do the same rules apply as for persons, must have started or ended in the teens?

This is a memoir of a person born well before the 1910-1920 time period, but is his memoir of The Great War which falls exactly into the required time period. I'm thinking it qualifies (but Liz will correct me if I'm wrong.)

Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Although this is a memoir of a person born well before the 1910-1920 time period, it is his memoir of The Great War, and I'm thinking does qualify (but Liz will correct me if I'm wrong.)

Storm of ..."

Storm of Steel has a 940 Dewey decimal number, which means it is shelved under WWI, not as a memoir. It fits.

Connie wrote: "Alright.

What about events that started between '10 -'20 but went on for longer (e.g. the 30-year-war started in 1618) - do the same rules apply as for persons, must have started or ended in the ..."

I am going to say that the subject of the book must take place in the teens, so if it is a book that discusses the origins of the 30 years war, that is fine. If it is about the entire 30 years war, that does not work.

Liz M wrote: "Storm of Steel has a 940 Dewey decimal number, which means it is shelved under WWI, not as a memoir. It fits. "

Smack! I could have looked at the BPL!!!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Storm of Steel has a 940 Dewey decimal number, which means it is shelved under WWI, not as a memoir. It fits. "

Smack! I could have looked at the BPL!!!"

No you couldn't -- this is a book they don't have. When I read it for CiV I had a heck of a time hunting down a copy and eventually had to purchase it online.

Our high school library has 2 copies (why 2?). If I'm going to read it, I'll have to borrow it before they close for summer. But it's translated and fits the alliteration task and at 501 pages is a jumbo ...

Must have been thinking of a different book. Sometimes memory isn't what it used to be - could it be I have too much in there?

Would this work?1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza

Rebekah wrote: "Would this work?1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza"

With the year in the title, I should hope so!

Yeah! 1920 counts!

Here's my list (so far):

1610-1620
Pocahontas (born Matoaka, and later known as Rebecca Rolfe, c. 1595 – March 1617) was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.

Lady Arbella Stuart (or "Arabella" and/or "Stewart") (1575 – 27 September 1615) was an English Renaissance noblewoman who was for some time considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I on the English throne.

1710-1720
Edward Teach (c. 1680 – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies.

1810-1820
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium

James Madison (1751-1836) President from March 04, 1809 to March 04, 1817

Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death.

William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891)

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist.

1910-1920
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) President from March 04, 1913 to March 04, 1921

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (born June 24, 1842; died sometime after December 26, 1913)

RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912

First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918.

From 1918 through 1920, the Spanish flu killed 20 to 100 million people worldwide.

Isaac Asimov (January 2, 1920 – April 6, 1992)

2010-2020
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was an English American author and journalist

Liz M wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Would this work?1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza"

With the year in the title, I should hope so!"

Thanks. In another post someone said it had to be in the teens so I didn't know for sure if 1920 was going be included

Deedee wrote: "Yeah! 1920 counts!

Here's my list (so far):

1610-1620
Pocahontas (born Matoaka, and later known as Rebecca Rolfe, c. 1595 – March 1617) was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the ..."



The Battle of 1812 with Andrew Jackson for a little more American History

A few more:


Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519)

Henry II (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) King of France and his wife Catherine de' Medici (13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589)

Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870)

Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) during World War I.

Ronald Wilson Reagan; February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989.

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt: October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was the 26th President of the United States of America (1901–1909).

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

Doris May Lessing CH (née Tayler; born 22 October 1919) is a Zimbabwean-British novelist

The Mexican Revolution (Spanish: Revolución mexicana) was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz, and lasted for the better part of a decade until around 1920.


And, assuming 1910 counts:
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist.

So...would this work? Mark Twain's Other Woman byLaura Skandera Trombley?

Anika wrote: "So...would this work? Mark Twain's Other Woman byLaura Skandera Trombley?"

It is in the Biography section of the library (with Twain as the subject) and Twain did die in 1910, one of the included years. So it fits.

We are going by the categorization of the Brooklyn Public Library, correct? I was looking at American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee. Gypsy Rose Lee was born in 1911 or 1914 but either would work. But my library has the book classified as DDS 792.7028092. And much of the covered time period is in the 30's-50's. But BPL has it classified as biography, so is it OK?

Biography isn't a requirement, but yes, the BPL has that one listed as biography, so it works for this task.

So in addition to American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee(b. 1911), I have Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World;To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918; Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy(d. 1519) and Allan Pinkerton: The First Private Eye (b. 1817). Has anyone ever done ever done a one task challenge? LOL But the TDofS and Literature Map are also calling!

Deedee wrote: "Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte) du..."

Combo 20.9 My Father at 100 by Ron Reagan

I'm thinking of reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for this task.

He was born in 1818 and is the only book I own that fits. He also has a pair of very intense and focused eyes in his pictures, so I'm curious what he has to say.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks born August 1, 1920 fits this task.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks born August 1, 1920 fits this task."

I was wrong to suggest this. For a biography/autobiography to qualify for this task, it should be shelved in the 920/921 DDC series. Henrietta Lacks extends far beyond her biography and deals more with the medical aspect.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "For a biography/autobiography to qualify for this task, it should be shelved in the 920/921 DDC series. "

Help! What does that mean?

If I look at the Brooklyn catalog for the life of Frederick Douglass, for example, it seems to be shelved under B for Biography. Isn't that OK?

I see that Henrietta Lacks is not shelved under B but under 616.02774.

Rosemary wrote: "Help! What does that mean?

If I look at the Brooklyn catalog for the life of Frederick Douglass, for example, it seems to be shelved under B for Biography. Isn't that OK? "

Yes, if it's shelved as Biography that's fine. My library shelves Biography as 920 and Autobiography as 921, so that's what I was thinking.

Sara Grace ('00-'05) wrote: "How about Young Romantics: The Tangled Lives of English Poetry's Greatest Generation?

"In Young Romantics, Daisy Hay follows the group’s exploits, from its inception in Hunt’s prison cell in 1813..."

The events detailed within the book should take place entirely within the relevant decade, so I don't think this book fits.

Hello,
I am currently reading Alabama Song: Roman, which is a fictionalized autobiography of the marriage of Zelda & Francis Scott Fitzgerald, who got married in the 20’s: as it is fictionalized, I’m not sure it fits… do you allow it?
Thanks!

Marie wrote: "Hello,
I am currently reading Alabama Song: Roman, which is a fictionalized autobiography of the marriage of Zelda & Francis Scott Fitzgerald, who got married in the 20’s: as it is fictionalized, I..."

Sorry, Marie. This is a non-fiction task. This looks interesting, though.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Marie wrote: "Hello,
I am currently reading Alabama Song: Roman, which is a fictionalized autobiography of the marriage of Zelda & Francis Scott Fitzgerald, who got married in the 20’s: as it is fi..."

Thanks for the answer, I'll find it another task.
And i'm only half of it but it is really good and very well written (but I'm not sur it has been translated in english)