The History Book Club discussion

Welcome, Randi. I've actually been to Port Huron! (Once.) Seems like a small world. Genealogy and Astronomy are both lots of fun. I hope you join in and enjoy some of the discussions going on.

Welcome Amelia! I am originally from the Land of Lincoln where I majored in history and pol sci. May I ask what part of the state you're from?

Don

Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, MA, right outside Boston, which is great for someone with a love of history. I work at an investment firm, but got my degrees in History so its a topic near and dear. I tend to read more European history but I am looking to expand a bit and read more American history and the Presidential Series should help in that regard,

Happy reading!

Thanks for joining our group, Julie.

I am looking forward to our next Presidential read on Thomas Jefferson, and am anticipating a very lively discussion.

Thanks again,
Joe

Hi Julie,

Welcome to the History Book Club. Our titles currently may seem to be slanted towards American History; but actually our other selections have been focused for the most part on European History.

For example, the previous spotlighted selection was by Jacques Barzun:

Jacques Barzun

From Dawn to Decadence: Library Edition

Here is a link to the archived discussion which is still open by the way:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

Additionally we have discussed two books by Winston Churchill before that including the following:



Winston S. Churchill

Those full discussions are also archived. We also have a British History folder, a Military History folder, one on ancient history and World History.

So I hope you find a little bit of what you are used to and the ability to spread your wings into other areas. We are happy to have you.

All best,

Bentley

Nice to have you, Julie. There are certainly some good discussions going on now. Something for everyone!

Welcome Julie! I bet you will have good recommendations. I will be interested to hear more of your specific interests in European history!

Hi.
I'm delighted to have found this book club. I'm a retired university administrator living in the Seattle area. My interest in history is long-standing, from my father (a high school history teacher), to my undergrauate history degree and a career in public service. I'm anxious to start with the "Killer Angels" group, with the help of my tech-savvy daughter!
Robert

Robert, we'll be glad to have you join us on Killer Angels, whether you've read it before or not. We just started this week, so it is a great time to jump in. Welcome to the group!

Robert wrote: "Hi.
I'm delighted to have found this book club. I'm a retired university administrator living in the Seattle area. My interest in history is long-standing, from my father (a high school histo..."

Welcome Robert...I am glad that you have figured out how to let us know about you. I am sure your tech-saavy daughter will be a great help.

A love of history is all that you need; I look forward to reading your posts and you will soon realize that this group is a global one with members from all around the world.

All best,

Bentley

Hello Robert, nice to welcome you to the group. I am sure that someone who accepts help from his daughter must be wise and discerning!

(Now I have to get MY Dad to read this) ;-)

Julie wrote: "Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, MA, right outside Boston, which is g..."

Hi Julie, good to see you join the History Book Club, I'd be interested to chat with you more later about some good history books covering European history.

Greetings all.
I am excited about joining the History Book Club group and look forward to participating.
I am a native of the Midwest and reside in the Denver area where I have lived and worked for the past 27 years.
Over the years, I have learned that I am a sucker for a good story and have accepted the fact that my interest in history is quite elemental. History, in my opinion is personal experience made all the more real when related one on one - memory, perception, and attendant minutiae based on personal experience.
I am always seeking the thrill of, "Wow, I didn't know that."
Looking forward to good discussions.

Welcome Dennis to the History Book Club.

We are also excited to have you join us. We have a few folks from the midwest.

I love your definition of history...and everyday I marvel at everything that I have learned either from the books themselves and/or from the group members.

We look forward to reading your posts.

All best,

Bentley

Welcome to the group, Robert and Dennis.

You have come to the right place and we all are look forward to reading your comments. Please feel free to jump into the discussion and don't be shy to contact any one of us if you have any questions or need help in any way.

Thanks again,
Joe

Welcome, Dennis. We can always use another native midwesterner. And Denver is nice, too. I like how you said, "seeking the thrill of, 'Wow, I didn't know that.'" It is a great thrill. You'll find it a lot as you peruse the discussions here. Enjoy!

Mundelein, IL M'ville HS class of '68

Hello fellow readers! I am new to the group and just getting around to my intro. My name is Alisa and I live in Seattle, where I believe we have the highest number of bookstores per capita (and a special shout-out to Amazon and Powells - you fuel my reading addiction!) I recently joined goodreads and love it, the History Club is my first group and am looking forward to connecting with other members, engaging in discussions, reading great stuff, and making discoveries along the way. I make my living as an executive search consultant focused on the legal profession and my clients and customers are generally very smart and well-read. (I have to keep up!) In addition, I started blogging last year, which has prompted my appetite for reading even more....and I already enjoy reading.

History was probably my least favorite topic in school. Why did they make it so boring?! I have always had an interest in law, politics and social justice issues, and it is impossible to understand those issues without the context of relevant history, so in recent years have become more interested in gaining greater understanding of the past. Somewhere along the way I picked up a particular interest in the Presidency. As a kid I vividly recall the assassination of JFK, and later in life the Vietnam war, and Watergate. So much controversy and power swirling around, how to make sense of it all, who are these men, how did they get there, how do they think and decide, what motivates them, who influences their thinking, so many questions and things to explore and understand. I am also very interested in the lives of these gentlemen after their time in office. What do they go on to do with their lives, and most of all the relationship between the previous living Presidents. They may be divided politically but have a unique commonality which the rest of us really don't see. I find it fascinating!

Besides American history, I am of Italian heritage and am curious about the land of my ancestors. To be honest I have not scratched the surface of this in reading yet, only dipped my toe into these waters with a little light reading. I am very curious about the Renaissance and WWII. That ought to keep me busy for awhile, eh?

I have a few things in my reading pile that relate to all these topics, and am looking forward to recommendations from others, reading reviews, and adding to my knowledge by following in and particating in what this group has to offer. Thanks for letting me play!

Welcome to the group, Alisa.

I too have a fascination with Presidential history. What a unique position our President is placed into. The decisions they must make, and the level of stress that most definitely must keep them up many of nights. I find the ability at which certain leaders are able to take exceedingly difficult circumstances and manage to weave a positive result is what keeps myself reading.

We are happy that you have joined us, and we look forward to reading your posts.

Joe

Dennis wrote: "Mundelein, IL M'ville HS class of '68"

Welcome Dennis. I also grew up in Illinois and graduated in '68. Good to have you with us.

Don

Alisa wrote: "Hello fellow readers! I am new to the group and just getting around to my intro. My name is Alisa and I live in Seattle, where I believe we have the highest number of bookstores per capita (and a..."

Welcome Alisa to the History Book Club. What a lovely introduction. We all have great relationships with all of the on line book stores, etc. including the ones you mentioned.

I think you and Joe who is my Assisting Moderator - Presidential Series have many of the same interests. You should join in on some of the presidential group reads. I think you will enjoy them tremendously. The next one is coming up soon and it is on Jefferson. Joe is finishing up a discussion on Lincoln and a few months ago we completed a discussion on Jackson. One thing we should be able to assure you is that you will not be bored.

We have a military history folder as well and there are threads in there related to both World War I and World War II. Aussie Rick is my Assisting Moderator - Military History and he certainly will be able to help you with any recommendations that you might want regarding these areas.

Glad to have you with us and we look forward to reading your posts.

Bentley

Bentley wrote: "Alisa wrote: "Hello fellow readers! I am new to the group and just getting around to my intro. My name is Alisa and I live in Seattle, where I believe we have the highest number of bookstores per..."

Thanks Bentley and Joe for the warm welcome! I'll check out the folder and get ready for the next read in the Presidential series.

BTW, not sure if anyone follows the history of the US Supreme Court, but it is another interest of mine.

Thanks again.

Alisa, that is one of mine too. If you are interested in the Supreme Court, check out the following threads:

The Bill of Rights
Amendments
The Constitution
The Federalist Papers

They come up regularly and there is a lot of great material on the Supreme Court and its members as well as the current and upcoming court cases, etc.

Check out this folder:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_...

Bentley

Hello, Alisa! Nice to have you join us. I hope you find lots to enjoy.

Alisa wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Alisa wrote: "Hello fellow readers! I am new to the group and just getting around to my intro. My name is Alisa and I live in Seattle, where I believe we have the highest number o..."

Alisa,

I'd be interested in seeing your favorite recommendations pertaining to the history of the Supreme Court. Although this thread, the "Please Introduce Yourself" thread isn't the place for that, but one of Bentley's suggestions would do fine.

Also, please try to get used to the "add book/author" feature that resides above the comment box. You can add the book cover including the author link or picture to your comments. This is important because it adds a link to the thread your comment was posted into to the book's description.

Joe

Welcome, Alisa! I think the Supreme Court is interesting, too. I might be trying to pick up a biography on Thurgood Marshall some time.

Are you saying that Dennis and Don are old? My apologies to Dennis and Don (only kidding Jbunniii).

Jbunniii...what a visual..."aching eyeballs from the cold". I can't stop smiling.

Jbunniii...that teacher sounds like the teacher from you know where. What a horrible test.

We hope you find our threads enjoyable because there are no right or wrong answers - just respectful and civil opinions and discourse. Of course, there will be factual urls and points discussed; but everybody here makes every attempt to be supportive.

Bentley

Jbunniii wrote: "Welcome Dennis and Alisa!

Dennis (and Don), I also grew up in Illinois but was born in 1968 and graduated rather later. I haven't lived there as an adult but just spent a week in Chicago in Decem..."

Joe, thanks for the pointer on the book/author tool. I'll figure out and use the appropriate forums for posting recommendations once I get around to that.

Jbunniii, my history teachers weren't quite that bad but somehow made it all just sound like blah blah blah blah....ugh! I agree with you, it's not the mind-numbing details but more about the greater significance and impact of events and people.

Thanks.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, MA, right outside Bo..."

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, MA, right outside Bo..."

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, MA, right outside Bo..."

Hi Rick - I would be happy to chat!

Julie wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Julie wrote: "Hello all - I'm so happy I've found a History Book Club. The current selections look very promising.

My name is Julie Mackin and I currently live in Watertown, ..."

Hi Julie, what area of European history interests you the most? I'm all over the place as long as I have a good book in my hand I can read anything on anything :)

Hi guys...could you please move the conversation to either of these two threads:

Off Topic Thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

What Is Everybody Reading Now Thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Hi everyone!
Here's another history afficionada. I don't know if I'm going to be around very often but I'll try to pop in once in a while.
Oh right, my name is Manuela and I'm from Portugal.
Cheers!

Welcome, Manuela. Whenever you pop in, there will always be something good. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome Manuela...we hope that you join in on one of the discussions.

Thanks Elizabeth and Bentley.
Bentley I have joined a discussion already, but you'll have to excuse my English.

I forgot to mention I'm specially keen on Medieval and Ancient history, and on Military, Religious and Social and Cultural themes.

Terrifc Manuela...there is no problem at all. Please do not be shy because of your English. We are really a global group and very happy to have you with us.

We do have an Ancient History folder and other folders that may interest you regarding military history.

All best,

Bentley

Manuela wrote: "Thanks Elizabeth and Bentley.
Bentley I have joined a discussion already, but you'll have to excuse my English.

I forgot to mention I'm specially keen on Medieval and Ancient history, and on Mili..."

Hi Manuela, Welcome to the History Book Club, I'll look forward to chatting with you more about some of your favourite books in those periods of history that you enjoy. I also like Ancient and Medieval history and Military topics as well.

Welcome to the group, Manuela.

We hope that you feel welcome, and are inspired by the vast talent that has accumulated here.

Thanks for joining us,
Joe

Hi all,

I joined a month or so ago but this is my first foray into the discussions. I live in CT, where I work at 2 history museums. Rev War, Am Civil War, and medieval Europe are my favorite topics.

Nice to meet you all!

Linda Pagliuco

Linda - welcome,

Happy to have you here at the History Book Club. Enjoy.

With your background, there should be quite a few threads and folders which should interest you.

Let us know if there is any help you need in navigating the site. You will find quite a bit of support here among the group members.

All best,

Bentley

Hey you all!My name is Anne and I'm 21 years old.
I'm from Brazil but i live in the United states.I love reading history books .I think it is important to learn about our past so we can understand our world today.

My hobbies are reading,travelling and eating cookies.:P Also,i love arts.I hope the next time i go to France i will be able to visit The Louvre.

Anne, I hope you get to visit The Louvre because it is fabulous.

It sounds like you like cookies..who doesn't.

Where in Brazil are you from..it is such a big place. We are a global group so you will find lots of folks from all over the world.

History is an important way to learn how to make better decisions in the future...so I agree with you.

We look forward to reading your posts.

Take care,

Bentley

I'm from Maceio.It is a town in Northeast.really hot!

Welcome to the group, Linda and Anne.

Thank-you for joining us, and please feel free to participate in any available discussion. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us. We'd be happy to help.

Enjoy your stay,
Joe

Anne, up here there are quite a few locations that could use a little heat. Pretty cold and snowy.

Hi Linda and Ann, nice to see you both joining the History Book Club. I'm looking forward to discussiing great books and interesting periods of history with you both.

Hi Linda & Anne! Welcome to our group.

For Linda: Working at 2 history museums sounds intriguing. How did that come about? And what kind of history museums? Hope you enjoy the discussions, you probably will have some unique things to add.

For Anne: I agree that it is important to learn about our past. Good thing it is fun too. :)

Thank you for the messages.:)

Well now. I am a retired Aerospace Engineer. I read my first book (not considered school work) as a senior in high school. I still remember the meaningful change Isaac Asimov's "the Wellsprings of Life" had on me. Oh I'm 63 so it wasn't just last year, even though it seems like it at times; at least I am reminded by my wife's elbow as a cute figure walks by.
I hated history back in school days; the drudgery of remembering when something happened; never the why. With the help of some gift books, I found the bug of learning what happened when and by whom. So as I found more and more history books that told of the pressures, the jealousies, and the friendships, I became hooked.
I am actually excited to see an earnest group interested in discussion and exchange. I hope to be an asset.

Charles wrote: "Well now. I am a retired Aerospace Engineer. I read my first book (not considered school work) as a senior in high school. I still remember the meaningful change Isaac Asimov's "the Wellsprings ..."

Hi Charles, welcome to the group and I am sure that you will have a lot to offer to the various discussions here at the History Book Club.