What Are You Reading Now?

[Green Lantern]

I'm currently about halfway into Bruce Campbell's memoir IF CHINS COULD KILL: CONFESSIONS OF A B-MOVIE ACTOR. It's hilarious and required reading if you're a fan of Campbell, director Sam Raimi and the EVIL DEAD movies.

[Maximus]

Anyone read the Maze Runner? I just finished it, good light read.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Finished the two Freakonomics books. Enjoyed every page.

I just started the Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote. 30 pages down, about 3000 to go. (gulp)

[Flattop]

Finished the two Freakonomics books. Enjoyed every page.

I just started the Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote. 30 pages down, about 3000 to go. (gulp)

I've got to read Bruce Catton's trilogy before I get to Foote's. I finished Catton's Army of the Potomac trilogy last spring.

[happyone]

I've got to read Bruce Catton's trilogy before I get to Foote's. I finished Catton's Army of the Potomac trilogy last spring.

If you have a basic familarity with the Civil War, you should be fine reading either one first. Both are excellent histories of the Civil War.

That said, I think I find Catton a little easier read.

[creekster]

Finished the two Freakonomics books. Enjoyed every page.

I just started the Civil War trilogy by Shelby Foote. 30 pages down, about 3000 to go. (gulp)

I loved those books. absolutely loved them. Foote has a skill not often found in historical writing. My favorite Civil War books, even with some of their faults.

[Flattop]

If you have a basic familarity with the Civil War, you should be fine reading either one first. Both are excellent histories of the Civil War.

That said, I think I find Catton a little easier read.

The Catton books are also a little bit thinner.

[LiveCoug]

Outliers... Fairly interesting. Some chapters are more interesting than others.

[LA Ute]

I loved those books. absolutely loved them. Foote has a skill not often found in historical writing. My favorite Civil War books, even with some of their faults.

Many have said that after Foote's trilogy not much more can be said about the topics he covers. I am still working on the first volume.

[Bastage]

Foote is great. Lots and lots of material.

I loved him in the Civil War documentary. During Christmas, I saw him commenting on the Baseball documentary on the MLB Channel. I kind of chuckled. Ken Burns loved him so much that he let him have a cameo in Baseball.

[UtahDan]

Sigh. I don't have time to read right now. Seminary has killed that along with much else. My night stand currently consists of The Worst Hard Time (at Jeff's recommendation), Shakespeare, the World as a Stage by Bill Bryson and coming soon (in a bit of self delusional wishful thinking) in the mail a used hardcover of the Brothers Karamazov which I never finished this summer and paid a huge fine at the library for keeping too long. All sitting mostly unread.

[happyone]

The Catton books are also a little bit thinner.

True

[Art Vandelay]

I just finished Escape from the Deep by Alex Kershaw. It is a fascinating story about the USS Tang one of the deadlist submarines of the war, that was eventually sunk by its own torpedo. Kershaw is a great story teller and very easy to read.

[SeattleUte]

Foote is great. Lots and lots of material.

I loved him in the Civil War documentary. During Christmas, I saw him commenting on the Baseball documentary on the MLB Channel. I kind of chuckled. Ken Burns loved him so much that he let him have a cameo in Baseball.

Ken Burns made him famous. Foote's books had disappointing sales and mixed critical reviews. Burns found him and his persona was perfect for the documentary, so Foote was used all through it. He really was Burns' Tebow. This is not to take anything away from the books. Often the best literature takes awhile to be appreciated. I need to read them straight through. They're kind of like our Iliad.

[creekster]

Ken Burns made him famous. Foote's books had disappointing sales and mixed critical reviews. Burns found him and his persona was perfect for the documentary, so Foote was used all through it. He really was Burns' Tebow. This is not to take anything away from the books. Often the best literature takes awhile to be appreciated. I need to read them straight through. They're kind of like our Iliad.

You should read them. They are marvelous. The one criticism I woudl repeat is that they are from the genteel southerner POV. Slavery is an almost unmentioned factor, but his recounting of the war and the persons in the war, more than makes up for it, in my mind.