Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Christmas (and Hanukah) is coming and the goose is getting...well, food stamps. But in the spirit of giving I'd like to suggest some fascinating books I've read recently as great gifts.
Down the River of Doubt by Candice Millard - Teddy Roosevelt's adventure down the uncharted Amazon. Head hunters with poison darts, malaria and piranhas. It'll give you a sense of awe for this man, if you didn't already have it, and simultaneously make you feel like a wus.
By the same author...
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and Murder of a President - A look at the all too brief presidency of James Garfield and the circumstances around his assassination. Makes you long for statesmen like Garfield, and happy about living in the time of antiseptic medicine.
And finally...
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - Of course you won't come away loving the hero of this book, as you will the previous two. But you will marvel at how he has transformed our society. (Some may argue not for the better, but I won't.) It is a minutely detailed reporting job told through so many different people Jobs worked with (loved, hated and abused) you do get a complete picture of the man. But I walked away with even a better understanding of the evolution of the computer industry, how great visions run great companies and why on earth Apple would knowingly put out the iphone 4 with a metal band that interfered with the antenna. I couldn't put it down.
Okay, your turn.
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Sep '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
I can recommend with great enthusiasm, Andrew Robert's _The Storm of War_ a comprehensive and yet, short given its subject, history of the Second World War. Beautifully written with many luminous details about things you thought you knew about. _The Trial of A Thousand Years_ by Charles Hill is a fascinating account of the history of Islam as a geopolitical force.
I have also been fascinated by the first two novels in the series "A Game of Thrones". I cannot decide if my interest is mere purile fantasy since it is _The Lord of the Rings_ with lots of sex and violence or if there is some redeaming artistic merit. I do enjoy the way courtly life is exposed as being as solitary, nasty, brutish and short as it undoubtedly was.
May '11
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
I would recommend two books.
1. Clarence Thomas' autobiography. If you want to realize how little you've accomplished in life, read this. I am in awe.
2. Anything by Terry Pratchett, but particularly Going Postal or Making Money. Both are witty and also make some excellent points about government.
Jul '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Capt. Aubrey: I can recommend with great enthusiasm, Andrew Robert's _The Storm of War_ a comprehensive and yet, short given its subject, history of the Second World War. Beautifully written with many luminous details about things you thought you knew about. _The Trial of A Thousand Years_ by Charles Hill is a fascinating account of the history of Islam as a geopolitical force.
· Dec 7 at 8:29am
I wholeheartedly agree with the recommendation of Andrew Roberts' Storm of War. Great book and written for buffs and laymen alike. As a companion reader to that, I also recommend George MacDonald Fraser's Quartered Safe Out Here about the British campaign in Burma in WWII. Great insight into the views of common soldiers, and very prescient as he didn't write it until the 1990s, so he includes a lot of reflection on more recent wars and how differently his generation viewed total warfare.
Apr '11
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
I've noted Destiny of the Republic -- sounds fascinating! I know so little of Garfield.
I am re-reading Bill Bryson's At Home, which is just an excellent book -- full of witty asides and scrumptious trivia. Bryson's innate curiosity makes most of his books fun, and this is one of his best.
If you like Jane Austen for her caustic wit and keen insights into manners and mores, give E.F. Benson a try. His Mapp and Lucia novels are the bomb-diggety of early-20th century English village life.
Oct '11
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
I am reading The Storm of War currently and it is excellent, much like his previous book Masters and Commanders, which I believe he wrote concurrently with The Storm of War.
As for some other recommendations, I would suggest another single-volume history of WWII recently released by Max Hastings entitled Inferno. Also, for the history/biography crowd, I recommend Robert Massie's biography of Catherine the Great. Definitely one of the most fascinating leaders in history and you can never go wrong with Massie. His book Castles of Steel about the naval battles between the British and Germany during the First World War is phenomenal.
Aug '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman was a very interesting read.
Natural Right and History by Leo Strauss is a challenging, but essential introduction to the conflicts of our age. It does a very good job of describing why the belief in transcendent morality is the truly revolutionary idea.
The Southpaw by Mark Harris is less well known than Bang the Drum Slowly, but I believe it to be a superior book. It nicely dispels the childhood obsession with the nobility of great baseball players, while still being a paean to the glorious game of baseball. Since it is currently what George Will calls "the void," this is a perfect gift for a baseball fan.
Northwest of Earth: The Complete Northwest Smith no Nortwest Smith...no Han Solo.
Feb '11
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Capt. Aubrey:
I have also been fascinated by the first two novels in the series "A Game of Thrones". I cannot decide if my interest is mere purile fantasy since it is _The Lord of the Rings_ with lots of sex and violence or if there is some redeaming artistic merit. I do enjoy the way courtly life is exposed as being as solitary, nasty, brutish and short as it undoubtedly was. · Dec 7 at 8:29am
Since puerile refers to childishness, or immaturity, I cannot agree that this is a good adjective to use for these books. Try, sado-machistic, psycho-sexual, misogynistic, or prurient. Sicko is my personal favorite.
In my humble opinion, there is no redeeming artistic merit. They get worse and worse. Do yourself a favor and stop reading.
Sep '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Mama Toad
Capt. Aubrey:
I have also been fascinated by the first two novels in the series "A Game of Thrones". I cannot decide if my interest is mere purile fantasy since it is _The Lord of the Rings_ with lots of sex and violence or if there is some redeaming artistic merit. I do enjoy the way courtly life is exposed as being as solitary, nasty, brutish and short as it undoubtedly was. · Dec 7 at 8:29am
Since puerile refers to childishness, or immaturity, I cannot agree that this is a good adjective to use for these books. Try, sado-machistic, psycho-sexual, misogynistic, or prurient. Sicko is my personal favorite.
In my humble opinion, there is no redeeming artistic merit. They get worse and worse. Do yourself a favor and stop reading. · Dec 7 at 12:27pm
I had pretty much decided to stop on the second one so thanks for validating my fears.
Aug '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
A Game of Thrones is an interesting fantasy adaptation of the War of the Roses -- with just a touch of the Saga of the Volsungs. If you are interested in a very good fantasy book that was also inspired by the War of the Roses, may I recommend The Dragon Waiting by John M Ford.
I'm a fan of Martin's series, and don't find it to be puerile at all. I do agree that it is prurient, but not so much so as the hateful Gor novels -- which deserve nothing but hatred.
I might also recommend the John the Balladeer stories of Manly Wade Wellman. His ability to capture the cadence and style of the Appalachians.
Feb '11
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
To anyone who enjoys history, I recommend To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World by Arthur Herman. I also enjoyed his book Gandhi and Churchill: The Epic Rivalry that Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age.
Nov '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
Anything by Timothy Mo --who is not well known in this country, but whose insight into Asian ethnics is as sublime as his prose. (But reader beware: he is not shy of representing earthy subject-matter.) Any of the Albany novels of William Kennedy. Any of the spy novels of Alan Furst. I hadn't read any fantasy or sci-fi in a long time before I ran across Daryl Gregory, whom I recommend highly. Any of James Ellroy's early works; his later stylistic experiments are flat failures. In non-fiction, I can heartily recommend David Goldman's How Civilizations Die; (And Why Islam is Dying Too).
Edited on Dec 7, 2011 at 4:28pmJul '10
Re: Give the Gift of Reading for the Holidays
"There Is No Alternative: Why Margaret Thatcher Matters" By Queen Claire Berlinski