What's Everyone Reading

[Ronm1]

Reading Shelby Foote's civil war "A Narrative" almost done Vol1 and "The Mortal Sea" W. Jeffrey Bolster.

 

[Bill Hart]

The Borgias: The Hidden History (G.J. Meyer). A qualified recommendation- highly readable, but somewhat confusing- the interrelationships among the various families in Renaissance Italy is, well, somewhat incestuous, as are the inter-marriages among clans. The book demystifies some of the more sordid details associated with Pope Alexander and the lovely Lucrezia, starting with the premise that none of the Borgia 'children' are his. Some real scholarship is evident, and the author reveals the existence of a remarkable collection of documents on the Borgias that was assembled by another author who never lived long enough to publish an actual history of the family; Meyer makes good use of this material.
Perhaps most fascinating, from my perspective, was the detailed description of the political alliances at play in Italy, the role of those shifting alliances in the balance of power and the role of the church in the political process. What is also fascinating is that most of the characters in the current TV series are based on fact, including Michelotto, the assassin.
Next up: The Friends of Eddie Coyle, a classic crime novel that forms the roots for a lot of the gritty, Boston-centric crime stuff generated by later authors like Dennis Lehane. (For some reason, I missed this novel and the film based on it, which I will watch after I complete the book).

 

[steve williams]

If you liked the book about the Borgias and you get Show Time watch the series The Borgias.. Third season starts this Sunday. Rest is On Demand.Spectacular series

 

[MylesBAstor]

The newest book by Chip and Dan Heath: Decisive.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decisive-chip-heath/1111943853?ean=9780307956392

 

[Bill Hart]

If you liked the book about the Borgias and you get Show Time watch the series The Borgias.. Third season starts this Sunday. Rest is On Demand.Spectacular series

Yep, my wife and I watched the first two seasons on demand, pretty much back to back. It was great. Jeremy Irons is always terrific and doesn't disappoint here. It's pretty amazing how much quality TV there is these days.

 

[Bill Hart]

The newest book by Chip and Dan Heath: Decisive.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decisive-chip-heath/1111943853?ean=9780307956392

Can't decide whether I want to buy this. (Let us know how it is, seriously).

 

[Bill Hart]

Friends of Eddie Coyle

Blew through this in an evening- a relatively short book. Brilliant, and you can see how it serves as a model for many later crime writers. I'm looking forward to seeing the film, which is apparently a classic.

 

[still-one]

Just received "The Way Of The Knife" by Mark Mazzetti The CIA, a Secret Army and a War at the Ends of the Earth.

 

[jazdoc]

Just finished Michael Huemer's "The Problem with Political Authority".



Similar to Michael Sandel, the author uses thought problems as a jumping off point for philosophical discussion of government's role. Unlike Sandel, the author is an anarchist. Thought provoking and at times disconcerting because it challenges assumptions.

Cashed in a gift card and got the two volume paperback set (nearly 2,000 pages total) of Michael Burlingame's "Lincoln". It won the Lincoln prize a few years back and many critics consider this biography as the equal (if not better) of Carl Sandburg's opus. Just about 50 pages into this one but already know I'm going to enjoy it thoroughly. From Publisher's Weekly:

Abraham Lincoln: A Life is the antithesis of a thin slice from the Lincoln pie. In the sweeping style of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, Burlingame has produced the finest Lincoln biography in more than 60 years and one of the two or three best Lincoln books on any subject in a generation. A distinguished scholar who probably knows more about Abraham Lincoln and his world than anyone else alive, Burlingame has devoted the last quarter century to editing 11 books on the Lincoln primary sources, including the writings of the president's secretaries John Hay, John Nicolay and William Stoddard. Now Burlingame has produced the most meticulously researched Lincoln biography ever written. He resurrected Lincoln's lost early journalism, when the young prairie politician—little more than an immature, unscrupulous hack—wrote more than 200 anonymous op-eds; Burlingame scoured thousands of 19th-century newspapers and discovered hitherto unknown stories; he read hundreds of oral histories, unpublished letters, and journals from Lincoln's contemporaries; and he re-examined the vast manuscript collections at the Library of Congress and National Archives. Burlingame's astonishing chapters covering Lincoln's hard early years and his difficult marriage, and his fresh insights on the profound crisis that made Lincoln great, are worth the price of the book. Do not let the intimidating length or the formidable price deter you. The book need not be read in one sitting. Each part stands alone. Burlingame's Lincoln comes alive as the author unfolds vast amounts of new research while breathing new life into familiar stories. This is a critical, skeptical, loving but never fawning tribute to the man Burlingame praises for achiev[ing] a level of psychological maturity unmatched in the history of American public life. This book supplants Sandburg and supersedes all other biographies. Future Lincoln books cannot be written without it, and from no other book can a general reader learn so much about Abraham Lincoln. It is the essential title for the bicentennial.

Well just finished Volume 2 and this one exceeded extremely lofty expectations. Highly recommended.

 

[edorr]

Just browsing through the kindle store and found out Khalid Hosseini (of "kite runner" and "1000 splendid suns" fame) is releasing a new novel late may. This was a total no brainer pre order if ever there was one.

 

[steve williams]

I agree I read both and will also order this

 

[Bill Hart]

John Le Carre's latest is worthwhile. As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate his more cerebral approach to the business of the spy novel. Not an action-packed style book, but a thriller nonetheless. Recommended.

 

[cjfrbw]

The newest book by Chip and Dan Heath: Decisive.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decisive-chip-heath/1111943853?ean=9780307956392

I can't decide whether to read that one.

 

[Ronm1]

Finished Vol1 of Foote's Civil war tome, need a break so I'm on to Bunker Hill - Philbrick, I like his style as I have and read his NE sea based works. Picked up Burlingame's Abraham Lincoln:A Life. Quite the work of scholarship here. Will need to take this one in small doses if I'm to retain anything.

 

[jazdoc]

Foote's Civil War opus is essential. I like his writing style, very conversational and Southern as his Ken Burns' documentary. Philbrick is a wonderful writer. You might like his book about the Mayflower. I'm halfway through the first volume of Burlingame's Lincoln and it is terrific.

 

[Ronm1]

Foote's Civil War opus is essential. I like his writing style, very conversational and Southern as his Ken Burns' documentary. Philbrick is a wonderful writer. You might like his book about the Mayflower. I'm halfway through the first volume of Burlingame's Lincoln and it is terrific.

I enjoy Foote's style also, the added small maps when an event is described is a nice touch and does feel as if we are in his den while describing how it all went down. Have and read Mayflower, agree he has the gift.
Now I'm really looking forward to A Life.

 

[steve williams]

Just finished another Reacher novel (which turns out to have been the first one released by Lee Childs) called the Killing Floor which I thought was very good. What I thought was even ore interesting was that the plot involved the monetary system and counterfeiting. The point was made in the book that there are more American greenbacks globally than in the USA (in fact more than twice the amount). In fact I was stunned to read that there are only $116B in the USA which makes one aware how easily the monetary system could be brought down if there was a rush on the USA banks

The book however was a good read and as always typical Jack Reacher and definitely recommended

 

[Joe Galbraith]

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace - the story and provenance of bottles of french wine that appeared for auction, allegedly belonging to Thomas Jefferson. The story is that when he was leaving Paris he ordered some Lafite to be shipped to the US, but it somehow got walled up in a house in France and was uncovered during renovations to the house almost 200 years later.

K2 by Ed Viesters - A history of climbing on the world's 2nd highest peak. A mountain that is far more dangerous to ascend than the standard route on Everest.

 

[edorr]

Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman

Great non-fiction read.

 

[Bill Hart]

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace - the story and provenance of bottles of french wine that appeared for auction, allegedly belonging to Thomas Jefferson. The story is that when he was leaving Paris he ordered some Lafite to be shipped to the US, but it somehow got walled up in a house in France and was uncovered during renovations to the house almost 200 years later.

K2 by Ed Viesters - A history of climbing on the world's 2nd highest peak. A mountain that is far more dangerous to ascend than the standard route on Everest.

Read K 2- love mountaineering books, though the closest I get to a serious peak is, aw forget it. (Would love to see Everest in the flesh).
The Jefferson wine, I remember the auction, I'll have to read the book.
Thanks!