What Are You Reading Now?

[Pelado]

Make sure you're awake when you get to The Grand Inquisitor.

Falling asleep while reading it does seem to be the biggest impediment to my progress so far.

[BigPiney]

I am slogging through David McCullough's latest book: The Pioneers. I love DM and I have read all of his books, but this is probably his worst. It is about the pioneers who first settled the Ohio valley, specifically Marietta, OH. His trademark is telling a great story. The problem is, the story here just isn't that compelling. It is more a collection of anecdotes than a cohesive narrative. Oh well. Maybe he is just too old at this point.

I got an audiobook of his once. Listening to him read it pretty terrible, imo.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I got an audiobook of his once. Listening to him read it pretty terrible, imo.

I like his narration. But someone else narrates this one.

[happyone]

I am slogging through David McCullough's latest book: The Pioneers. I love DM and I have read all of his books, but this is probably his worst. It is about the pioneers who first settled the Ohio valley, specifically Marietta, OH. His trademark is telling a great story. The problem is, the story here just isn't that compelling. It is more a collection of anecdotes than a cohesive narrative. Oh well. Maybe he is just too old at this point.

Shoot, shuck and other assorted comments. He was on BookTV a couple of weekends ago talking about it. It is definitely on my TBR list, now maybe it won't be so high

https://www.c-span.org/video/?460340...s-the-pioneers

[falafel]

I've read the first two novels in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. A brief description of the character makes it seem like a lame premise, but I gave them a try after seeing so many positive reviews. Basically, Bolitar is a former Duke All-American BB player who was drafted by the Celts, blew out his knee in the pre-season, then went to law school and became a sports agent. But then, because he's a stand up guy, he keeps getting involved in solving murders that are somehow related to his athlete clients. Again, sounds kinda dumb, but in practice I like it quite a lot. Along with Bolitar is his friend/business partner Winsor Horne Lockwood III, a super WASP from super old money who is just as stuffy as his name implies. Except that he's kind of a socio-path and he's also a double black belt (or something) in tae kwon do. Again, this sounds stupid even typing it out, but I love Win. He's hilarious and he's a badass.

If you like somewhat lighthearted mystery novels (for comparison, I read Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Don Winslow) then maybe give Myron a try.

[Lost Student]

I am slogging through David McCullough's latest book: The Pioneers. I love DM and I have read all of his books, but this is probably his worst. It is about the pioneers who first settled the Ohio valley, specifically Marietta, OH. His trademark is telling a great story. The problem is, the story here just isn't that compelling. It is more a collection of anecdotes than a cohesive narrative. Oh well. Maybe he is just too old at this point.

Speaking of DM, I read Truman last month. I knew very little about HST before and learned a lot. I gained a lot of respect for the man even though I don't agree with his politics (I recall several of Truman's speeches in the book where he argued simultaneously for the need to cap rents/living expenses and artificially increase wages. I got the sense that DM, while remaining mostly impartial about the subject's political leanings, agreed as he didn't point out the obvious inconsistency.)

After finishing Truman, I think he is unfairly maligned. He was a good and selfless public servant, even though he only had any success because of Pendergast. Maybe his biggest failing was providing crony positions, but he certainly didn't enrich himself during his many years of service.

He was kind, witty, and extremely diligent. He came from a humble background and never really left it. He's kind of the anti-Trump in many ways.

Reading it made me want to read a bio of another President from about the same era who also has a really negative perception, so I'm reading Hoover by Kenneth Whyte. Whyte is not as good a storyteller as DM but so far (a couple hundred pages in) I've enjoyed it.

[happyone]

Speaking of DM, I read Truman last month. I knew very little about HST before and learned a lot. I gained a lot of respect for the man even though I don't agree with his politics (I recall several of Truman's speeches in the book where he argued simultaneously for the need to cap rents/living expenses and artificially increase wages. I got the sense that DM, while remaining mostly impartial about the subject's political leanings, agreed as he didn't point out the obvious inconsistency.)

After finishing Truman, I think he is unfairly maligned. He was a good and selfless public servant, even though he only had any success because of Pendergast. Maybe his biggest failing was providing crony positions, but he certainly didn't enrich himself during his many years of service.

He was kind, witty, and extremely diligent. He came from a humble background and never really left it. He's kind of the anti-Trump in many ways.

Reading it made me want to read a bio of another President from about the same era who also has a really negative perception, so I'm reading Hoover by Kenneth Whyte. Whyte is not as good a storyteller as DM but so far (a couple hundred pages in) I've enjoyed it.

If you haven't read it, his John Adams is also a 5 star read or more

I've really enjoyed everything of his that I've read, and I think I read almost everything he has written - starting with a Readers Digest version of his book on the Johnstown Flood as an 11 or 12 yr old in the late '60s

[Lost Student]

If you haven't read it, his John Adams is also a 5 star read or more

I've really enjoyed everything of his that I've read, and I think I read almost everything he has written - starting with a Readers Digest version of his book on the Johnstown Flood as an 11 or 12 yr old in the late '60s

Yeah, I've read that and 1776. John Adams is my favorite biography.

[The_Tick]

There a lot of new books on D-Day coming out right now

I just finished Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day. There are lots of great first person accounts, a bit of humor, but it is pretty grizzly. The main problem I had with it is that the author doesn't seem to know just what a mortar is (according to the author almost anything that fires an explosive projectile is a mortar, including but not limited to - tubed artillery(howitzers), navel rifles - including the main guns on a battleship, anti tank guns ( the German 88mm), shoulder launched antitank rockets (the British PIAT)). I found it to be a weak 4 star read because the mortar issue irritated me so much

I'm currently reading -The First Wave by Alex Kershaw. This a new look at the first people into Normandy on D-Day. He is the author of "The Bedford Boys" that I mentioned earlier. I've really liked the books of his that I've readA couple I'm waiting anxiously for, but the library doesn't have them yet

Normandy '44 by James Holland.
He is another author whose books I've enjoyed. I recently read his Big Week. This is the story of a series of bombing raids in February of '44 that basically destroyed the Luftwaffe fighter forces and ensured Allied Air Superiority over the D-Day beaches.

Sand and Steel by Peter Caddick-Adams, who wrote one of the best books on the Battle of the Bulge I've read.

I just finished a new biography of Robert E. Lee's father - Revolutionary War Cavalry Commander, Light Horse Harry Lee - Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero - The Tragic Life of Robert E. Lee's Father.

What a tragic story - born into one of the richest families in Virginia, a true hero of the Revolutionary War, he died bankrupt and wandering the Caribbean sponging off any who would give him a meal and a place to lay his head. Not only was he a War hero, he was also a successful politician - he was a member of congress before and after the Constitution was adopted, he was the gov'r of Virginia as well as a long time member of the Virginia legislature. However he was also a terrible businessman. He lost his and his two wives (his first wife died) entire fortunes land speculating and eventually spent time in Debtors prison.

During the War of 1812, as a Federalist and an opponent to the War, led him to being caught up in riots in Baltimore and he was sevrerly beaten and mutilated (his nose was almost severed) when the Militia cdr pulled the forces guarding the jail, where he and other prominent Federalists where being housed and let the mob do what they wanted. He never really recovered (mentally or physically) and eventually went to the Caribbean to try and ease his suffering. He was on his way back to Virginia when he passed away in South Carolina. After his death one of his travelling companions went to Baltimore where his wife was living and asked to see her and tell her his last words. One of Lee's daughters answered the door and told the gentleman that her mother was sleeping. When he pushed the issue, the daughter went and talked to her mother, came back and told the gentleman that her mother didn't want to hear them and then asked the man to leave, which he did.

In the epilogue, the author speculates just how much his father's trouble affected the personality of his son. In many ways Rob't E. Lee was the polar opposite of his father. Rob't's rise is the military was slow, but steady. He was extremely cautious in business and with his wife's dowry.

I thought it was a solid 4 star read.

Just finished this one yesterday. Really good book. What a great group of people. Difficult to think about at times.

[SteelBlue]

Falling asleep while reading it does seem to be the biggest impediment to my progress so far.

Are you reading the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation or the Garnett? I read the P&K translation last year and thought it was excellent. Excellent in the sense that the novel had a nice flow to it not in the sense that I speak Russian and actually have a clue if the translation is accurate or not. From what I’ve read the old Garnett translation isn’t nearly as true to the Russian and feels clunkier than P&V. Hard to rip on her though as her translations are largely the ones that allowed readers in English to enjoy the Russian masters.

[Pelado]

Are you reading the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation or the Garnett? I read the P&K translation last year and thought it was excellent. Excellent in the sense that the novel had a nice flow to it not in the sense that I speak Russian and actually have a clue if the translation is accurate or not. From what I’ve read the old Garnett translation isn’t nearly as true to the Russian and feels clunkier than P&V. Hard to rip on her though as her translations are largely the ones that allowed readers in English to enjoy the Russian masters.

I'll have to check when I get home. Part of the problem could be that the pages are formatted with small print with two columns per page. My falling asleep may just be a Pavlovian response to reading a book that appears to be scripture.

[happyone]

James Holland is fast becoming on of my favorites of the new generation of WWII historians. This year I have read four of his books and they are all excellent. In the order that I've read them

Big Week

I didn't type up my thoughts on this one, but as a WWII aviation buff - It is well worth the read. It's the story of the air campaign that broke the back of the Luftwaffe Fighter force in Feb 1944.

Battle of Britian

This is not just the story of the Spitfires vs BF109s, but a look at all of what was happening between May 1940 though September of the same yr.

My thoughts

Fortress Malta

The story of the WW II Siege of the Island of Malta - from 1940 - 1943

My thoughts

Finally Burma '44

This is story of a rather minor battle om the India/Burma border in Feb 1944 that restored the British/Indian Army faith in themselves and proved to them that they could take on the best the Japanese had to offer and more importantly - win

My thoughts

I have his book on D-Day Normandy '44 on hold for me at the library, so as soon as it comes in, it goes to the top of the reading list

I'm currently reading Caddick-Adam's book on D-Day Sand and Steel

It's a bit of door stop at over 900 pages. If any D-Day book deserves the subtitle "Everything you wanted to know about D-Day, but were afraid to ask", this is it.
The first half of the book deals with the planning of and the training the units went through leading up the momentous occasion. He covers the beaches in order starting with Utah.

One of many things I've like about it is that C-A tells the reader about the condition of the area currently - whether or not the area has been preserved, what is currently on the site etc.

C-A does give homage to Cornelius Ryan's "The Longest Day" as the first real history of D-Day, but he has a lot of problems with his research.

One of this things he covers is just how the beaches got their names. While no one can be sure, but one story is that Omaha and Utah beaches were named after a couple of GI's who built Omar Bradley's Map Room at his HQ in England - one was from Utah and the other, Omaha.

[SeattleUte]

Are you reading the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation or the Garnett? I read the P&K translation last year and thought it was excellent. Excellent in the sense that the novel had a nice flow to it not in the sense that I speak Russian and actually have a clue if the translation is accurate or not. From what I’ve read the old Garnett translation isn’t nearly as true to the Russian and feels clunkier than P&V. Hard to rip on her though as her translations are largely the ones that allowed readers in English to enjoy the Russian masters.

Those aren't the only translations. P and V are publicity hounds (I don't hold that against them; it's a business). But everyone here should know that fidelity to the original isn't the be all and end all of good writing. Which is the greatest translation of the Bible? The KJV, of course. One thing I can't countenance about P&V is the way in War and Peace they put the French in the text without translation and then put the English translation in footnotes. Artificial and pretentious. For Chrissakes, we're reading something that was originally in Russian--except for the French. Why not put the whole thing in Footnotes? What's so special about the French? Just saying in the text that this or that is spoken in French (it is important to know this) can be done elegantly and is much preferable in my opinion. Fidelity to the original or a pretense about the French is not the point of reading any of these great novels.

I think BK is very funny in parts, and actually quite modern. The Grand Inquisitor is not the best part. It's kind of distracting, I've realized.

[Pelado]

Are you reading the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation or the Garnett? I read the P&K translation last year and thought it was excellent. Excellent in the sense that the novel had a nice flow to it not in the sense that I speak Russian and actually have a clue if the translation is accurate or not. From what I’ve read the old Garnett translation isn’t nearly as true to the Russian and feels clunkier than P&V. Hard to rip on her though as her translations are largely the ones that allowed readers in English to enjoy the Russian masters.

Garnett.

[happyone]

Garnett.

you are ambitious