CS Political/History Book Club: Feb 2012

[Cap'n Cat]

Whatcha readin', girls?

For Xmas, my wonderful in-laws got me Chris Matthews' book, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I watched Matthews and the rest of his lib cohorts hawk it for a few weeks on MSNBC and that alone influenced me to NOT buy it. They were acting like Fox New fvcks about it. Besides, I have read, perhaps, six or seven books about Kennedy and his administration and his private life.

Bored, I picked it up for bedtime reading and I was appropriately stunned. What I learned about the guy is that, unbeknownst to most here (especially Conks who dismiss him as the Sir Lancelot of an American "Camelot" and, somehow, an ultra-liberal, philandering rich kid), the guy was, in reality, VERY conservative. He was a staunch anti-Communist who even intentionally ducked out of a censure vote on Joe McCarthy by being in the hospital. Joe McCarthy was a valued family friend, especially to his father who gave money to McCarthy's defense team during his reprimand. Kennedy's anti-pinko bent was established when he traveled Europe after World War II as a war correspondent and witnessed the depravity of single party systems.

When setting the stage for his 1960 election, he had to make a huge effort to court Congressional liberals who doubted his fealty to their prized planks, such as civil rights and housing for the poor.

Right now, I'm at the point in time right before the aforementioned election, so I have yet to delve into things like Vietnam and the heavy shit going on in Birmingham and Montgomery. Matthews' telling of the Kennedy story, compiled from hundreds of interviews with people who were there, seems to paint him as a guy who was truly interested in the progress of the United States, a country to which he was completely dedicated, but also as somewhat of an opportunist with an insatiable drive for status. Also, contrary to popular belief, it would appear, he was not living out his dad's or his brother Joe, Jr's unfulfilled dreams. He was his own man who actually banished his dad from directly interfering in election campaigns. He bested his brother and father in all pursuits, academic and otherwise.

Can't wait to read the rest of it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new angle on an iconic American. As mentioned above, reading it you'd think you were reading about a Conk!

Discuss.

[Grizalltheway]

Unbroken by Laura Hilldebrand. Pop history, but very well written and engaging. Pretty amazing the kind of suffering the human spirit and body can overcome.

[YoUDeeMan]

All political and history book clubs must begin and end with, Dave Berry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States.

We'll begin on October 8th.

[Cap'n Cat]

All political and history book clubs must begin and end with, Dave Berry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States.

We'll begin on October 8th.

Expand on the book, Clucky. What's it all about?

[ASUG8]

I'm reading a biography on Teddy Roosevelt. It's OK, but the author obviously didn't believe that TR had any faults, only incredible strengths. I was expecting a little more balanced, objective look at his life.

[Ivytalk]

Reading Peter Hart's The Somme, a gripping story of the bloodiest and most senseless battle In World War I, and perhaps ever. Lots of personal letters woven in from "Tommies" who went through the hell of July 1916. Worst single-day casualties in the long history of the British Army. Makes you think.

[Ibanez]

Reading Peter Hart's The Somme, a gripping story of the bloodiest and most senseless battle In World War I, and perhaps ever. Lots of personal letters woven in from "Tommies" who went through the hell of July 1916. Worst single-day casualties in the long history of the British Army. Makes you think.

I'm reading the same book. It's great. My wifes great-grandfather served in teh 17th Bavarian Regiment and was taken prisoner at the Somme. He picked up a British field telescope that we still have.

I'm also reading Allstair Hornes Price of Glory about Verdun. Great book. Those Frenchies went through hell. I can't get over the fact they the french are so weak militarily. They repeadetly screw themselves over.

Also, The End by Ian Kershaw. Great book about the German people and how they allowed the Nazi regime to exist, and how they continued to be fanatical Nazi's even when the Soviets were fighting in Berlin. It ends 3 weeks after Hitlers suicide.

[YoUDeeMan]

All political and history book clubs must begin and end with, Dave Berry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States.

We'll begin on October 8th.

Expand on the book, Clucky. What's it all about?

If you know your U.S. history, it will easily be one of the most entertaining books you'll ever read...a fresh perspective. If you don't know your history, it will give you the reasons why. It covers almost every significant event in our country's history, including the roles of women and minorities, and yet it is an easy read.

Get it...read it. Afterwards, you'll never look at history the same again and you will want to make your way out to a Hen game to thank me and buy me some beers.

[Grizalltheway]

Expand on the book, Clucky. What's it all about?

If you know your U.S. history, it will easily be one of the most entertaining books you'll ever read...a fresh perspective. If you don't know your history, it will give you the reasons why. It covers almost every significant event in our country's history, including the roles of women and minorities, and yet it is an easy read.

Get it...read it. Afterwards, you'll never look at history the same again and you will want to make your way out to a Hen game to thank me and buy me some beers.

Sounds like Howard Zinn for dummies.

[UNI88]

Just finished The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt. The book wasn't anything like what I expected it to be but it was a very good read and I would recommend it.

From Amazon:

Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic, On the Nature of Things, by Lucretius—a beautiful poem of the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles in eternal motion, colliding and swerving in new directions.

It does not paint a very flattering picture of the early catholic church so I would also be interested in the first page of Joe and D1B's interpretations.

[Grizalltheway]

Reading Peter Hart's The Somme, a gripping story of the bloodiest and most senseless battle In World War I, and perhaps ever. Lots of personal letters woven in from "Tommies" who went through the hell of July 1916. Worst single-day casualties in the long history of the British Army. Makes you think.

I'm reading the same book. It's great. My wifes great-grandfather served in teh 17th Bavarian Regiment and was taken prisoner at the Somme. He picked up a British field telescope that we still have.

I'm also reading Allstair Hornes Price of Glory about Verdun. Great book. Those Frenchies went through hell. I can't get over the fact they the french are so weak militarily. They repeadetly screw themselves over.

Also, The End by Ian Kershaw. Great book about the German people and how they allowed the Nazi regime to exist, and how they continued to be fanatical Nazi's even when the Soviets were fighting in Berlin. It ends 3 weeks after Hitlers suicide.

Hun bastard.

[YoUDeeMan]

If you know your U.S. history, it will easily be one of the most entertaining books you'll ever read...a fresh perspective. If you don't know your history, it will give you the reasons why. It covers almost every significant event in our country's history, including the roles of women and minorities, and yet it is an easy read.

Get it...read it. Afterwards, you'll never look at history the same again and you will want to make your way out to a Hen game to thank me and buy me some beers.

Sounds like Howard Zinn for dummies.

Had to look up Howard Zinn. Nothing of the kind.

Read the book I suggested...you'll be buying me beers, too.

[citdog]

would have been a bloodbath the likes of which the world hasn't ever seen. kudos to Harry Truman for having the stones to drop the bombs on the jap bastards.

[bobbythekidd]

Ordered The Somme and Dave Barry.

[citdog]

[Cap'n Cat]

Now, this one looks interesting CitMutt.

[citdog]

Now, this one looks interesting CitMutt.

This is from the Journal of Military History published quarterly by vagina military institute.





http://www.sarantakes.com/QWar.pdf

[Vidav]

Do you guys really not know who Dave Barry is or are you fucking with Cluck?

[Grizalltheway]

Do you guys really not know who Dave Barry is or are you fucking with Cluck?

Used to read his weekly column back in the day. Funny stuff.

[citdog]

Do you guys really not know who Dave Barry is or are you fucking with Cluck?

Used to read his weekly column back in the day. Funny stuff.

been a while there heydrich.......thought you'd enjoy this.



[youtube][/youtube]

[YoUDeeMan]

Ordered The Somme and Dave Barry.

If you really know American history, and don't like the Dave Barry book, I'll send you a refund.

Seriously.

[YoUDeeMan]

Do you guys really not know who Dave Barry is or are you fucking with Cluck?

Hey, Russian....I don't mess with the nice looking boobs you post....don't mess with mine.








Honestly, if you can't enjoy that particular book (I'm not a fan of everything he writes), then you have absolutely no business making a post on the Poli-board.

[bobbythekidd]

Ordered The Somme and Dave Barry.

If you really know American history, and don't like the Dave Barry book, I'll send you a refund.

Seriously.

I won't label myself an expert but it was my minor in college. Does that make me eligible for the refund? If you made that offer to 93henfan he'd lie just to get the book free.
Dave Berry is hilarious so it should be a good read.

[Grizalltheway]

Used to read his weekly column back in the day. Funny stuff.

been a while there heydrich.......thought you'd enjoy this.



[youtube][/youtube]

Ausgezeichnet!

[Cap'n Cat]

Finished the Kennedy book by Chris Matthews. Meh, it's OK.

Picked up Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, again. Put it down several months ago because reading it was like reading one of St. Wronge's posts - on and on and on and on about trivial shit.....or the Bible.
A typical passage, "...for thine art most strong, Zeus, son of Cronus, father of Hera, who held in her hands the great scepter of Menalaus and forged the divide between Achimanea and Ilius so they had to climb the formidable hills of Athenon until the hosts became much drenched in the sweat of their effort unto the enemy which lies beyond the River Asubius in Samarta, east of Cantillon where reigns the serpent of nations, Niconila, who besieged the tents at Sparta and did cause harm to the women and children of Piama who descended from Apollo, prince of the central lands and fleet of foot is he who smote the legions at Crete, children of Athene, daughters and sons of Aphrodite, whose beauty is only matched by her cunning in the service of the gods of heaven..."

Fuck.

Anyway, gave it another chance and I'm running with it. Getting a lot of sleep, though.