The History Book Club discussion

Hello All

I'm Mark from Cape Cod. At 57 I have moved on to another chapter of my life as my children have also moved on with their lives. I work as a civil engineer. I love my family and friends, flower and vegetable gardens, independent movies, English soccer, Patriots football, and sightseeing. There are still many Cape Cod byways to explore.

I have always had a life long interest in history. At first it was a fascination with the heroes of the American Revolution. Now it's mainly 19th and 20th century political, military and diplomatic history. I head to a local library's History Book Club once a month where we take on a 3-book theme--the current theme is "What If"--Cuban Missile Crisis, Treaty of Versailles, and break up of Ottoman Empire.

I like to have multiple books in front of me and look forward to joining your group and adding my humble thoughts and ideas. I'm always interested in reading about our Presidents.

Thanks,

Mark

Mark,

Hello and welcome. What a great theme for a thread here on the History Book Club...do you read three prospective books at the same time? What three books are you reading now for this theme?

We have a growing military history folder which is getting a lot of interest. And we have threads devoted to specific conflicts. We also have a British History and a World History section; and if you do not see a thread which pertains to your interest; I always say to the group..just request it.

We also have a Presidential Series group and we read a number of books which focus on Presidents per year in addition to our historical fiction thread and our on going discussion on the Federalist papers. I am sure that you will find what you are looking for here.

Note: All books mentioned in this post and thread have already been posted previously; but a quick way to peruse what has been mentioned before is to look at the white space to the right of the comments boxes/postings and you will see two listings; one for Books mentioned in this topic and another for all of the Authors - you can link from there to any specific url, fan page about them to gain more information.

In closing...glad to have you with us and we look forward to reading your posts.

Bentley

Hi Mark, welcome to the group. What did your club read for the break up of the Ottoman Empire?

Andrea wrote: "So often my kids h.s. teachers seem to treat historical fiction as actual history. I think it's easier for the kids to read than a textbook, but assuming that one author's view of the period is all a complete history is thin ice (even with history textbooks)."

Andrea and Bentley,
Please be assured that I do not equate historical fiction with history, nor would I represent it that way to my students! i agree it is a concern.

what has been concerning me a lot more, though, is a trend I see in books that claim to be history but also take wide poetic license with the narrative. This came up when my book group read "Devil in the White City". Erik Larson is a historian and it is obvious he did a lot of research for this book. however, I was perturbed by how often he represented the mindset of people in the book as if he knew them (for example... the murderer Holmes musing on a beam of sunlight falling on his future victim). The frequency of this kind of description makes me wonder what else he took liberties with.

This was the third book this year that made me feel that way. Any thoughts on this?

Danielle, I very much agree. And he definitely isn't the only one. As I stated before, the further down in history you go the vaguer things get. I did research for my Roman manuscripts and discovered that the amount of troops, the paths they took, the ruthlessness of the emperors and legions - all of that and more - changed considerably depending on what source the writers based their research on.
Even with rather well documented personalities such as Caesar and Pompey, some put words into their mouths based on what has been delivered, which I think does not justify for even a complete judgment of character.
It's an endless dicussion...

André wrote: "Danielle, I very much agree. And he definitely isn't the only one. As I stated before, the further down in history you go the vaguer things get. I did research for my Roman manuscripts and discover..."

Danielle & Andre
Maybe publishers need a "semi-fiction" category

Joke - sort of

Great conversation guys and Happy Thanksgiving in advance. We have a Conversation thread and this one is for intros...I will move these great posts over when I have time after the holiday.

Note: When mentioning any book always add book cover and photo of author if available or their link

Hello, folks!
I just joined this group at Bentley's invitation. I'm a 51-year-old (only 4 more years and I can order from the senior menu - that just sounds weird) retired Marine, psychotherapist, and author (some books on addiction treatment.) I live in Albuquerque with my wife Jan, a clinical social worker, and our geriatric cat; we have a son and daughter in their 20s and two grandsons who are 6 and 8, all living in California.
I've been fascinated by history since I was a teenager, military history first and foremost but also books on the evolution of societies, impacts of pandemics and critical inventions, and comparative examination of different cultures. I see psychology, history, and literature as all being at heart about how human beings have faced the same basic problems and aspirations in all times and places and the different ways they've gone about dealing with them.

Looking forward to discussions in this group - thanks for the invitation, Bentley!

Jim Finley

Hello James,

I thought you would enjoy some of the military history threads. It sounds like you have a great family and with your background you should be able to add great insight to our discussions.

We are thrilled to have you with us and you are welcome. We look forward to reading your posts.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Bentley

Hello, James, and welcome! There is much to pick from. Dig in!

Hello everyone,

I'm a 21 year old college student in New York, working of my History Education degree. Within the next few years, I hope to earn my Masters in History and begin teaching at a high school level.

Right now, most of my reading is determined by what I am studying. School leaves very little time for pleasure books. But fortunately for me, this has exposed me to many areas that I never would have voluntarily encountered: modern Britain, European student protest movements in the 1960s (particularly in Poland), and various ecofeminist movements around the world. I'm very excited to potentially discuss these subject with all of you, as well as garner some recommendations that I can save for when I have more free time.

It's a pleasure to meet you all!

Kerry,

It is a pleasure to have you join us. A History Education degree should be a real asset to this group.

You should let us know on the What is Everyone Reading Now thread what are some of the books which you found interesting in your courses; especially regarding your study areas. Tell me about ecofeminism...what is that all about. I see it has something to do with women of course and I am thinking that it also has something to do with ecology.

We look forward to reading your posts and please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can help you in any way.

Bentley

Welcome, Kerry. I remember making a to-read list when I was in college. And the list is longer now... but I do choose what I read now. As you said, there are good things both way. Hope you enjoy the group.

Thanks Bentley. I'm writing my thesis on ecofeminism, so I'm always happy for an excuse to talk about it: It is a non violent movement, organized by women, that aims to protect the lifestyle and means of survival for a group of people (primarily women) by protecting the local environment. There's a lot of information regarding the ideology, but that varies from person to person a great deal.

One good example of this is the Chipko Movement. Women in northern India survived by fetching water, firewood, and herbs out of the mountains. This became more difficult as lumber companies destroyed the forests, causing erosion and landslides to make resources inaccessible. When a lumber company bought wood from Gopeshwar and lured the men of the village away from the area, women hugged the trees and pushed the laborers away from the area. They were able to protect their livelihood by saving the trees.

And thanks Elizabeth. Hopefully I'll have more time to enjoy reading later on in life, but everything is very busy right now.

Wow Kerry that is very interesting and I learned something new from you.

I hope you will share more information on this topic as time goes on.

Bentley

Hey Kerry, great work!!! Never heard of Chipko before. Anything to help this planet to survive is worth supporting with all we've got.
and Gabriele, welcome, too. I never understood why people don't stop calling WW1 the "great" war because the word is so misleading. Anything written or filmed to teach people what insanity went on there hopefully will help further derailments. Have you seen the movie Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles?
Best, André

Hi Gabriele,

We have a folder for personal blogs and websites. So I will move that portion of your note there.

I have already posted some of your books in the author's section so that all of our group members can take a look at them.

We also have a World War I thread, a military history folder and also a folder on historical fiction; so I hope you will find some interesting threads.

POST FROM GABRIELE:

Hi all, and thanks to Bentley for the invitation to join. I'm a Canadian author of historical fiction, currently working on my fifth novel. It's really important to me to get my facts right, and I find myself completely caught up in research, which becomes a joy in itself.

I'm looking forward to discussing the books about WWI that I enjoyed, as well as the 1920s, which I am now researching.

Thanks, Bentley and André. There's certainly lots happening in this group! I haven't seen that movie, so will have to look into that.

We are glad to have you Gabriele..I will let Andre respond about the movie.

Hello, everyone. My name is Silvana, 28, currently lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. In case anybody asking whether Indonesia is anywhere near Bali, well, Bali is a part of the country =)) just kidding. Anyway, I love history, especially ancient histories (Egypt, Rome, Greek, Inca, you name it), geopolitics and current affairs, and of course military history (wars, special ops, etc).

I don't only read historical accounts, but also watch historical programs on TV. In fact, the History Channel has become an obsession to me since I watch their Battleplan show :)

Bentley wrote: I will let Andre respond about the movie."
Thanks Bentley! I know there is a dubbed version but I can't remember the English title. Anyway, it stars Audrey Tautou as the fiancée of one of a group of soldiers who decide to wound themselves in order to be sent back and away from the front and the insane killing. I won't tell more because it would spoil the story. It's a great French war movie, one of the best I think. Others (though not on the WW1) are: L'Ennemi Intime - on the Algerian war and L'Armee des Ombres on the French Resistance in the WW2.

Silvana wrote: "Hello, everyone. My name is Silvana, 28, currently lives in Jakarta, Indonesia. In case anybody asking whether Indonesia is anywhere near Bali, well, Bali is a part of the country =)) just kidding...."


Hello Silvana..we are glad to have you with us. We have folks with us from many different parts of the world and of course, now from Indonesia.

We have an ancient history section which we are in the process of developing further, a current affairs folder and quite a few threads on military history so I think you will find something worthwhile here.

If there is anything that we can do to help you find your way around the group site, please let me know or another group member.

Bentley

André wrote: "Bentley wrote: I will let Andre respond about the movie."
Thanks Bentley! I know there is a dubbed version but I can't remember the English title. Anyway, it stars Audrey Tautou as the fiancée of o..."

Sounds interesting!

Greetings all. I'm 37 and a lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. I have an international background so that has translated into a fascination with history that's literally all over the place. During the past month or so I've gone through books that covered topics specific to India, Saudi Arabia, the Soviet Union and Iran. But mixed in with that is an equally deep fascination with US history, mainly stemming from my attorney-based love of constitutional law. This has led to an interest in books on the founding fathers of the United States (Adams is probably my favorite), as well as President Lincoln.

Cheers,
Neil

Welcome, Jenny. Sounds like you have found some good books, and this is certainly the place to find some more. There is plenty, even if you don't enjoy studying the thoughts, etc.

And there are probably lots of us who could recommend good historical places to visit as you do your drive across America. (That would make a good thread too, detailing recommended historical sites across America and Europe, etc.) Although you may already have a good list in mind.

Welcome, Neil. I think it is fun to be interested in a little bit of everything. When you say international background, does that mean you've lived and/or visited lots of places? I like your picture. What a fun pile of books! Is that in Germany? (Just a wild guess given Kant, Luther, Schiller..)

Jenny wrote: "Hello ..my name is Jenny. I am 45 and a residential designer in Los Angeles. I love learning new things, travel, friends, wine, food, exercising outdoors, gardening, my dogs, art, music...yadayad..."

Hi Jenny, wasn't "Blood & Thunder" an excellent book? I loved it, I have a deep interest in books covering the history of the Native Americans and early American history. I've also read "Devil in the White City", another good book. Anyhow I hope you have a fun time here at The History Book Club, I have so far :)


by Hampton Sides

by Erik Larson

Neil wrote: "Greetings all. I'm 37 and a lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. I have an international background so that has translated into a fascination with history that's literally all over the place. During the pas..."

Hi Neil, I'll be interested to hear which books you have enjoyed so far covering some of those areas of your travels. Hope to chat with you more here as time goes on.

Elizabeth S wrote: "Welcome, Neil. I think it is fun to be interested in a little bit of everything. When you say international background, does that mean you've lived and/or visited lots of places? I like your pic..."

Thanks, Elizabeth. To answer your first question, I guess I refer to my background in a pretty broad sense. My parents are immigrants, Dad worked for the United Nations, we've lived in several different countries, and I've traveled all over at every opportunity on top of all that. And yep, good guess on the photo, which was taken in downtown Berlin.

Jenny wrote: "Hello ..my name is Jenny. I am 45 and a residential designer in Los Angeles. I love learning new things, travel, friends, wine, food, exercising outdoors, gardening, my dogs, art, music...yadayad..."

Hello Jenny,

Welcome to the History Book Club..

I noticed that Aussie Rick added the book Blood and Thunder and the author's name.

Just as an FYI (and I know that you are brand new to the group)..we always when mentioning a book use the add book/add author feature above the comment box. We try to add the book cover like Aussie Rick did with the name of the author beside it (if there is an author's photo we choose that). This way goodreads populates numerous fields for us automatically and provides links for all group members to look up the books and authors mentioned.

Here I am adding the book River of Doubt which you also mentioned as well as an account by Theodore Roosevelt himself.


Candice Millard



The above shows how to post all books mentioned with their authors. Thanks to Aussie Rick for helping out.

It sounds like a great plan that you have to see the United States and to take along your furry friends. What kind of dogs do you have?

Primarily, this group is a non fiction book group focused on history, autobiographies, biographies, American, British and World History. Additionally, we have sections devoted to America's charter documents, a Presidential series, sections dedicated to ancient History and many threads devoted to military history. So you should find what you are looking for here.

We also have a folder dedicated to historical fiction which you might like but that is not our primary focus.

Currently we are reading a book on FDR, one on Lincoln, one regarding essays related to the ratification of the Constitution, and a book on Michelangelo (which is historical fiction).

If there is anything that we can do to help you out, please feel free to contact me and/or another member of the group.

Also, if you are looking for particular books on a specific subject that request should go on a thread titled "I am Looking for a Book On". This thread is located in the Coffee, Tea and Conversation folder.

Bentley

Neil wrote: "Greetings all. I'm 37 and a lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. I have an international background so that has translated into a fascination with history that's literally all over the place. During the pas..."

Hello Neil and welcome to the History Book Club. We have had a lot of legal eagles as members of this group. History seems to be a side interest of those in the legal profession.

It sounds to me like you might like to get involved in our Lincoln discussion or our Current Events folder. Additionally you might like our discussion related to the Federalist Papers, etc.

I believe that there will be a lot that will interest you.

Welcome, we look forward to reading your posts.

Bentley

I just wanted to say a quick hello to Neil, Jenny, and Silvana. Welcome aboard, and we are all glad to have you here. Wow, this group is growing by leaps and bounds!

Welcome back everyone from the long holiday weekend.
Hope all are well,

Joe

Welcome back to you too.

Bentley wrote: "Welcome back to you too. "
Welcome to all the new members - and keep those great book suggestions coming.
Best,
André

Yes Andre...but I hope everyone places them on the right thread (smile).

All kidding aside, we are thrilled to have our new members.

Bentley

For now it is on the back burner (smile)

Definitely no need to burn out Bentley. (big smile)

Has anyone read this ; it was proportionately the costliest war in European history; I want to buy this but have to finish the mammoth History of Christianity tome before I'm allowed to.

Quick welcome to Silvana, Kerry, Neil, Jenny and Gabriele. This is a group where there's always something new and almost always somebody on, so it's lots of fun.

Sitatunga wrote: "Has anyone read this; it was proportionately the costliest war in European history; I want to buy this but have to finish the mammoth Histo..."

Hi Sitatunga,

I read the English version a few months back, its a hard slog, its very good in parts but at times it drags. I think it has received some very good reviews at Amazon.com just be prepared for a long read - over 850 pages of narrative.

Thanks Rick, as I thought - and the subject matter will be a real challenge - why I want to scale this mountain, my sheer ignorance of European history

I did the Reformation at uni

Hi members,

Just as an FYI: this is the Goodreads Eligibility requirements for using this service (Goodreads Terms of Use)

5. Eligibility

This Service is intended solely for Users who are thirteen (13) years of age or older, and any registration, use or access to the Service by anyone under 13 is unauthorized, unlicensed, and in violation of this Agreement. If you are under 18 years of age you may use the Service only if you either are an emancipated minor or possess legal parental or guardian consent, and are fully able and competent to enter into the terms, conditions, obligations, affirmations, representations, and warranties set forth in this Agreement, and to abide by and comply with this Agreement.

Most of the time, I have not had to ask; but we do follow the Goodreads terms of use in The History Book Club.

Bentley

My name is Jack, I am a retired Foreign Service Officer, and I live in the San Diego area. I have been an avid reader all my life, mostly of historical woks and classical literature. I decided to join this club today to give me a chance to discuss works of history. I enjoy reading history of all kinds and many of the books listed on the club bookshelf are familiar to me. I hope also that every now and then the club will choose a classic of historical literature -- Boswell or Parkman or Prescott. I wonder who among our contemporary historians will be ranked by later generations among such giants.

Welcome Jack,

It sounds like you have an excellent background which will add so much to our understanding of world events, etc.

Your classic reading is right up the group's alley...thank you. We in fact completed Herodotus awhile ago and are planning to do volume one of Gibbon's work.

Hard question to answer about contemporary historians...I imagine Jacques Barzun will be right up there as a cultural historian..but maybe in terms of the others it is too early to tell.

Also, if you have some recommendations that you would like to make for the spotlighted non fiction read, please forward to me via PM your recommendations and I will add them to the potential reading list.

Bentley

PS..thank you for your reposting.

Welcome Jack,
It's the time of year when some of us in other parts of the country wished we lived in California. "I'm a layin out my winter clothes..."

Thank you Andrea for your message. Yes, we here in San Diego do have what many consider the country's best climate. And I am thankful for it. By the way, my last surviving aunt used to be the travel editor of the San Diego Union Tribune (which is now a shell of its former self) so she would approve of your taste in travel literature. Alas, she never got around to writing a book.

Kerry, I noticed in perusing the messages here your interest in European student protest movements in the 1960's, particularly in Poland. As you are a student in New York you may well be familiar with Professor Tony Judt at New York University and his book Postwar about Europe after WWII. If not, have a look at chapters 12 & 13, a wonderful introduction to that subject. I was living in Luxembourg in the mid 60's, a good perch from which to observe the upheaval going on all around that small country.Postwar A History of Europe Since 1945

Thank you Jack...we always try to add both the cover and the link to the author...Just your old group founder here minding the p's and the q's.

Tony Judt

My name is Adelle. I've lived some 30 years now in Colorado, but originally lived in North Dakota...and that's where my heart still is.

I have always loved reading. (My mother read to us as children. I'm suspecting that reading for me is perlilously close to the emotion equivalent of love.)

Sometime back, I joined the Classics Group here on Goodreads. And now look! This most excellent looking History Group crossed my path.

What great books you people are reading!
I want to read some of them, too!

Adelle..we are thrilled to have you and welcome to the History Book Club.

Being an avid bibliophile myself; I understand only to well the love of books.

You can participate as much as you have time for and there is always some great book being discussed and read.

We look forward to reading your posts.

Bentley