What Are You Reading Now?

[PaloAltoCougar]

...
Tecumseh and the Prophet - This is the story of the Shawnee War Chief Tecumseh and his brother, know to whites as "The Prophet" as they attempted to put together a coalition of Native tribes to prevent US taking Indian lands in the Old Northwest - now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, in the early 1800s. Tecumseh comes of almost Chivalaric in his "goodness', his while opponents, esp the future president William Henry Harrison - not so much. Again a 4+ star read

Coincidentally, I'm reading H.W. Brands' Andrew Jackson, and last night finished the section regarding the Creek War, Tecumseh, and the Prophet. The war (and Tecumseh) came to an end at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. And even though he was their sworn enemy, his white opponents regarded Tecumseh with awe and respect.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Coincidentally, I'm reading H.W. Brands' Andrew Jackson, and last night finished the section regarding the Creek War, Tecumseh, and the Prophet. The war (and Tecumseh) came to an end at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. And even though he was their sworn enemy, his white opponents regarded Tecumseh with awe and respect.

I read that biography a few years ago. Normally when you read a biography you get more sympathetic to the subject, but that didn’t happen in this case. Andrew Jackson was not a good president. You would think we would learn the dangers of electing a populist president.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I read that biography a few years ago. Normally when you read a biography you get more sympathetic to the subject, but that didn’t happen in this case. Andrew Jackson was not a good president. You would think we would learn the dangers of electing a populist president.

I can see that this is where it's heading. But I expected it, if only because Steve Bannon recommended that Trump hang Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office, which Trump did enthusiastically, and then made a pilgrimage to Jackson's Hermitage after his election (I'll do the same in April, more out of curiosity than respect). As historian Walter Russell Mead observed, if one wants to understand the Trump presidency, one needs to understand our seventh president.

[happyone]

Coincidentally, I'm reading H.W. Brands' Andrew Jackson, and last night finished the section regarding the Creek War, Tecumseh, and the Prophet. The war (and Tecumseh) came to an end at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. And even though he was their sworn enemy, his white opponents regarded Tecumseh with awe and respect.

I really like Brands' style, He is also very good on TV. I've seen him on CSPAN's Book TV a few times discussing his various books. I haven't read his Andrew Jackson book yet - it is on the TBR list, I do have his latest offering out from the library. It should be next on my reading list

Our First Civil War

[happyone]

I can see that this is where it's heading. But I expected it, if only because Steve Bannon recommended that Trump hang Jackson's portrait in the Oval Office, which Trump did enthusiastically, and then made a pilgrimage to Jackson's Hermitage after his election (I'll do the same in April, more out of curiosity than respect). As historian Walter Russell Mead observed, if one wants to understand the Trump presidency, one needs to understand our seventh president.

I've found the fluxuation of Jackson ranking interesting. Right after WWII, the historians put him in the top 5 as Presidents go. The last poll I saw/read had in somewhere in the middle (17th or 18th).

[SteelBlue]

Reading the new Knausgaard novel, The Morning Star. Liking it so far. I'd describe it as theological/philosophical with a spritz of horror.

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[happyone]

Since last reporting in, I've finished 2 history books and am currently deep into another one

The first is Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages by Daniel Jones

Mr. Jones is one of my favorite medieval historian writing today - he is not a bad TV presenter either. This book covers roughly 1100 yrs from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the of Luther and the Reformation. It is organized by topic, but is roughly cronological. Mr. Jones has a way with words and I found it both entertaining and informative. Solid 4 stars on GR

Second is H. W. Brands newest offering Our First Civil War

Professor Brands looks at the Revolution as a Civil War rather than the normal lens of a war of independence. The time frame is from roughly 1760 through to England's granting the 13 colonies independence in 1783. In telling the story Brands looks a the rift between Ben Franklin and his son William, who was the Royal Gov. of New Jersey and stayed loyal to the King, Benedict Arnold - the famous traitor, who might have been the best combat commander on BOTH sides in the Revolution and his relationship with Washington, Joseph Galloway, who was a member of the 1st Contential Congress, but was a staunch opponent of Independence and his wife, who stayed in the US after the revolution and the bloody raids and counter raids that both sides mounted in the back country of the Carolinas.

This IS NOT a combat history - battles a mentioned almost in passing - but a look at what a civil war does to friendships and relationships. again a solid 4 star read.

Currently reading Andrew Roberts new biography of King George III of Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars fame. The Last King of America

Prof Roberts is one of the finest historians writing today - he really doesn't have an area of concentration - he has written bios of Napolean and Churchhill, He was the first historian to have access to George's personal papers at Windsor Castle, when the crown opened them to historians - over 200k pages of them

This is really, really revisionist, everything from his personality to his madness has been reinterpreted. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through and so far it is shaping up to be a 5 star read

Spoiler for King's illness:

Roberts is of the opinion that George suffered from Bipolor1 Disorder and NOT Porphyria

[SteelBlue]

Reading the new Knausgaard novel, The Morning Star. Liking it so far. I'd describe it as theological/philosophical with a spritz of horror.

Finished this one today. Recommend.

[Clark Addison]

I listen to a good number of audio books, generally about two per week. One of the things I enjoy is discovering errors. Mispronounced words, Misassigned quotes etc. I really like George Guidall as a narrator, but I have noticed that he will read a line in the wrong voice more than most.

I am listening to a book now, and a character is listening to a baseball playoff game on the radio. The Red Sox vs the Yankees in the ALDS. The narrator reads ALDS out, as if it rhymed with "scalds". Maybe this is sexist, but I blamed it on the fact that the narrator is a woman.

[Paperback Writer]

I listen to a good number of audio books, generally about two per week. One of the things I enjoy is discovering errors. Mispronounced words, Misassigned quotes etc. I really like George Guidall as a narrator, but I have noticed that he will read a line in the wrong voice more than most.

I am listening to a book now, and a character is listening to a baseball playoff game on the radio. The Red Sox vs the Yankees in the ALDS. The narrator reads ALDS out, as if it rhymed with "scalds". Maybe this is sexist, but I blamed it on the fact that the narrator is a woman.

Makes me wonder what the narrator would have read if it were Dodger-Giants in the NLDS.

I've got to start choosing shorter books to listen to. Listening to two per week is amazing to me. The last three books I've listened to have been 34, 57, and 29 hours respectively. So I find myself renewing most of the books I choose because I cannot get through them in two weeks.

[happyone]

I finished Last King of America


Really good - it was 5 star read for me. A 180 degrees out from what is the commonly accepted view of the man. My thoughts if anyone is interested

I also read an account of the Ghost Bomber The Lady Be Good that was found in the Libyan desert in 1958. First published in 1962, the writing is a bit clunky and stilted, but what a story! Again my thoughts

This story has inspired several TV shows and one classic movie - Jimmy Stewart's "Flight of the Phoenix"

[Paperback Writer]

I finished Last King of America


Really good - it was 5 star read for me. A 180 degrees out from what is the commonly accepted view of the man. My thoughts if anyone is interested

I also read an account of the Ghost Bomber The Lady Be Good that was found in the Libyan desert in 1958. First published in 1962, the writing is a bit clunky and stilted, but what a story! Again my thoughts

This story has inspired several TV shows and one classic movie - Jimmy Stewart's "Flight of the Phoenix"

As typical of Hollywood, "Flight of the Phoenix" was remade in 2004 with Dennis Quaid but I wouldn't call the remake a classic. I am a fan of the 1965 original film.

[chrisrenrut]

. . .generally about two per week. . .

Wow, that seems pretty prolific. Are you listening 3 or 4 hours a day? Most books are 10-15 hours, so you are listening 20-30 hours per week?

[Clark Addison]

Wow, that seems pretty prolific. Are you listening 3 or 4 hours a day? Most books are 10-15 hours, so you are listening 20-30 hours per week?

Last year I listened to 97 so it is more like 1.87 books per week I guess. I often listen while I run, so that's 30 minutes a day. I take a 45-60 minute walk most evenings. I listen whenever I am working around the house or in the yard, and then whenever I am in the car alone. I generally prefer to read (as opposed to listen to) history and "thinking" books, so the ones I listen to tend to be on the lighter side. The average length is much closer to 10 hours than 15.

[SteelBlue]

Finished "At Night All Blood is Black" by David Diop and highly recommend.

Reading Olga Tokarczuk's "The Books of Jacob" which has finally been translated into English. It was just shortlisted for the Booker International Prize. It's massive at just under 1,000 pages but it's supposed to be her masterpiece.