JADogs05 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 I just finished "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches." It was an incredibly well-written and pretty well-researched book about one of the most fascinating groups of people to have ever inhabited North America, and one of their most dynamic leaders. I found the end of the book, which traces the last days of the Comanches' freedom on the plains, haunting and sad, but the story of the Comanche tribe and Quanah Parker is incredibly compelling. I also recently read "The Last Crusade," which narrates Vasco Da Gama's voyages to India and interprets them in light of the burgeoning conflict between upstart Christian empires and the hegemonic Islamicate empires of the day. For a more thorough discussion of the context in which Da Gama's voyages took place, I recommend "The Crucible of Islam." None of these are scholarly books per se (my usual diet), and there are some errors, but they are interesting and informative. I'm now reading "The Black Jacobins," a history of the Haitian Revolution read by Toussaint L'Ouverture written in 1938. After that, "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism." Does anybody have some good recommendations? I'm also looking for some good fiction (purchased "The Fall of Gondolin" by Tolkien, but I realized that it's the second installment in a trilogy). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
And? Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Two books that I've recently read that i'd recommend for a quick read: The Operator- Marginal writing but almost unbelievable real-life action. Also somewhat disturbing in the same real-life perspective. The River of Doubt- Story of Teddy Roosevelt's river journey through unknown parts of the Amazon jungle during a rough patch in an utterly amazing life. Pretty much all you need to know about that one if you know anything about Teddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean327 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Check out Dogs of God. I read it a few years ago. Great insights into the Colombus voyage, the Reconquista, the Spanish colonization of the New World, and the Inquisition. It also goes into great detail about the expulsion of the Spanish Jews. https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-50848-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADogs05 Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 23 minutes ago, And? said: Two books that I've recently read that i'd recommend for a quick read: The Operator- Marginal writing but almost unbelievable real-life action. Also somewhat disturbing in the same real-life perspective. The River of Doubt- Story of Teddy Roosevelt's river journey through unknown parts of the Amazon jungle during a rough patch in an utterly amazing life. Pretty much all you need to know about that one if you know anything about Teddy. The River of Doubt sounds really interesting--I think that I'll have to check this out! 15 minutes ago, sean327 said: Check out Dogs of God. I read it a few years ago. Great insights into the Colombus voyage, the Reconqista, the Spanish colonization of the New World, and the Inquisition. It also goes into great detail about the expulsion of the Spanish Jews. https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-50848-3 This is right up my alley. I'm definitely ordering this. Some of the books that I touched on mention the expulsion of the Spanish Jews and the Ottoman fleet that was dispatched to recuse them. One of the many unexpected episodes that occurred in that era. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndroidAggie Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 i'm in the middle of (audiobook) Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Schirer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawlorfaithful Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Cat in the hat. I’m about halfway through and the suspense is incredible. If you like tension, this one has it in spades. I’ll be interested to see how the author untangles this knot without some stupid deus ex machina. 1 4 Quote We’re all sitting in the dugout. Thinking we should pitch. How you gonna throw a shutout when all you do is bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smltwnrckr Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Is there a definitive book about the Battle of Hastings? One that is actually readable and not just the research of some old fuddy duddy? I'd like to read that. Quote Planning is an exercise of power, and in a modern state much real power is suffused with boredom. The agents of planning are usually boring; the planning process is boring; the implementation of plans is always boring. In a democracy boredom works for bureaucracies and corporations as smell works for skunk. It keeps danger away. Power does not have to be exercised behind the scenes. It can be open. The audience is asleep. The modern world is forged amidst our inattention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crixus Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 OVERCOMER by Dr. David Jeremiah - This book features one hundred stories about people that have endured and overcome the toughest situations you can imagine through their ✝ faith. It's very inspiring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modestobulldog Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 1. “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.” 2. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” 3. “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.” 4. “Honor thy father and mother.” 5. “Thou shalt not kill.” 6. “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” 7. “Thou shalt not steal.” 8. “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” 9. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” 10. “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADogs05 Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 I thought it was thou shalt not murder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_SD_Dude Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Blood Meridian by McCarthy. IMO the best novel by a living American. 1 Quote Thay Haif Said: Quhat Say Thay? Lat Thame Say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADogs05 Posted October 18, 2018 Author Share Posted October 18, 2018 5 hours ago, Old_SD_Dude said: Blood Meridian by McCarthy. IMO the best novel by a living American. Read that in hs. I remember enjoying it along with Grapes of Wrath. I’ll have to re read it sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawlorfaithful Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 27 minutes ago, JADogs05 said: Read that in hs. I remember enjoying it along with Grapes of Wrath. I’ll have to re read it sometime. A bunch of high schoolers being forced to read Blood Meridian makes me smile. Wish my teachers were that gnarly. 2 Quote We’re all sitting in the dugout. Thinking we should pitch. How you gonna throw a shutout when all you do is bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluerules009 Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 11 hours ago, And? said: Two books that I've recently read that i'd recommend for a quick read: The Operator- Marginal writing but almost unbelievable real-life action. Also somewhat disturbing in the same real-life perspective. The River of Doubt- Story of Teddy Roosevelt's river journey through unknown parts of the Amazon jungle during a rough patch in an utterly amazing life. Pretty much all you need to know about that one if you know anything about Teddy. River of Doubt is a great story. Especially when you consider how truly capable Teddy was in the wilderness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NVGiant Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 19 hours ago, And? said: Two books that I've recently read that i'd recommend for a quick read: The Operator- Marginal writing but almost unbelievable real-life action. Also somewhat disturbing in the same real-life perspective. The River of Doubt- Story of Teddy Roosevelt's river journey through unknown parts of the Amazon jungle during a rough patch in an utterly amazing life. Pretty much all you need to know about that one if you know anything about Teddy. I’m midway through The Bully Pulpit right now, the Doris Kearns Goodwin book on the Roosevelt-Taft-media dynamic. Roosevelt was such an incredibly skilled politician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crixus Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I like a good Western now and again and just finished Riders Of The Purple Sage by Zane Grey. It's considered the best Western ever written, but I disagree. My favorite is Hondo by Louis L'Amour. I enjoyed Riders Of The Purple Sage and I like Zane Grey. But IMHO you can't beat Louis L'Amour when it comes to the Western genre. I've read many of his books and enjoyed them all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawlorfaithful Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 5 minutes ago, crixus said: I like a good Western now and again and just finished Riders Of The Purple Sage by Zane Grey. It's considered the best Western ever written, but I disagree. My favorite is Hondo by Louis L'Amour. I enjoyed Riders Of The Purple Sage and I like Zane Grey. But IMHO you can't beat Louis L'Amour when it comes to the Western genre. I've read many of his books and enjoyed them all. I like modern westerns in film (and a few older ones). What would you say typifies the western genre in books? The only thing I’ve read that approximately fits is the aforementioned Blood Meridian, and I don’t think that is quite Western. Quote We’re all sitting in the dugout. Thinking we should pitch. How you gonna throw a shutout when all you do is bitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crixus Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 11 minutes ago, thelawlorfaithful said: I like modern westerns in film (and a few older ones). What would you say typifies the western genre in books? The only thing I’ve read that approximately fits is the aforementioned Blood Meridian, and I don’t think that is quite Western. I think this definition sums it up well. - from findmeanauthor.com A good western novel captures the spirit of freedom, individualism and adventure. The appeal of this genre is Worldwide, based on a dream of freedom in a world of unspoiled nature - a world independent of restraining society. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JADogs05 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Reading The Crusades Through Arab Eyes. I'm going to have to take a look at the westerns that Crixus recommended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HR_Poke Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Cadillac Desert is a good one. Read it in my Management of Major River Basins class in college. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
